October Tornado History

October 1959 to 2004            
Total Reported Tornadoes 1609 with   
1 F5    3 F4     57 F3   293 F2   559 F1    696 F0
Of the total tornadoes 22% would be classified as strong/violent during this period.  46 States in the US have recorded tornadoes in October since 1959.  6 of these tornadoes have had a track length of greater than 50 miles.  During October 82 deaths have been recorded from these tornadoes from 1959 to 2004.

October  2004   Killer Tornadoes: 1     Fatalities: 3
 Oct 18 06:55 PM Cooter MO 3 F2 WT858 Tornado struck southeast part of town at Cottonwood Point.

October  2003   Killer Tornadoes: 1     Fatalities: 1
 Oct 27 02:39 PM Hainesport NJ 1 F0 -- Female struck by large tree limb while in bowling alley parking lot.

October  2002   Killer Tornadoes: 2     Fatalities: 3
 Oct 24 01:19 PM Corpus Christi TX 1 F2 WS727 Extensive structural damage at Del Mar West Community College.  

Oct 29 02:55 AM Chataignier LA 2 F2 WT 732 Fire Department reported 8 mobile homes destroyed, large house and barn badly damaged.

October  2001   Killer Tornadoes: 2     Fatalities: 2
 Oct 24 02:56 PM Wanatah IN 1 F2 797 House destroyed.  

Oct 24 03:50 PM Crumstown IN 1 F3 797 Man died due to injuries. Circumstances unknown.

Some of this Data is From the Storm Prediction Center website provided by NOAA/ National Weather Service National Centers for Environmental Prediction Storm Prediction Center 1313 Halley Circle Norman, OK U.S.A.

October Tornadoes  Tornado Destruction in Colorado in October
NWS REPORTS ON TORNADOES WFUS55 KBOU 042243 TORBOU COC123-042330-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
440 PM MDT MON OCT 4 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTHWESTERN WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GREELEY  * UNTIL 530 PM MDT

MULTIPLE TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE OF  THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM WEST OF GREELEY TO NORTHEAST OF  PLATTEVILLE. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 5 MPH.

TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO 426 PM MDT MON OCT 4 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DENVER HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
SOUTH CENTRAL WELD COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO

* UNTIL 515 PM MDT

* AT 426 PM MDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO 2 MILES NORTH OF  BRIGHTON...MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH.
LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...HUDSON  AND LOCHBUIE.

One of the more interesting Colorado stories I ever heard was from some farmers and ranchers in Washington County. We were talking about all the tornadoes that had just hit the area when they started to inform me that in the early to mid 1900’s those who moved here from Kansas knew Eastern Colorado as the Tornado-less plains. Many of them had gotten sick and tired of the tornadoes in Kansas and had been told by others who had moved to Colorado. They bragged how no tornadoes happened on the plains of Colorado. So, they moved to Colorado and were happy to be living in the tornado-less plains. Well, as tornadoes go, there can be very low years to very high-count years. Over time, this phrase became forgotten because there were indeed many tornadoes on the Colorado plains. The long tornado drought ended and again many tornadoes were spotted in Colorado. By the way, there were more people living in many parts of eastern Colorado during that era of no tornadoes. So, it wasn’t a lack of population, but a true lack of tornadoes that gave it this name.