NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information
June 2014 Tornado Occurrences
Source: SPC
According to data from the Storm Prediction Center, during June, there were 326 preliminary tornado reports, compared to the 1991-2010 average of 243 for the month. This is more than the 150 preliminary tornado count during the preceding month of May, which is climatologically the most active tornado month during the year. Depending on the final confirmation rate, the tornado count during June 2014 is the most for any month since May 2011, when 326 tornadoes were also confirmed. Several widespread tornado outbreaks occurred during June, with the most destructive tornado outbreak from June 16th through 19th, when over 100 tornadoes and two fatalities were reported. The June 2014 tornado count brings the year-to-date preliminary number of tornadoes to 772. There were 76 confirmed tornadoes for January-March, with 696 tornado reports still pending for the April-June period. The 1991-2010 average number of tornadoes during the January-May period is 818.
Significant Events
Between June 16th and 19th, over 100 tornadoes were reported across the Central and Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, from Nebraska to Wisconsin. The most destructive tornadoes occurred on the 16th, in eastern Nebraska, where four EF-4 tornadoes were observed. The small town of Pilger was the hardest hit, with reports of 75 percent of the town being completely destroyed, including 100 percent of the business district. One supercell, moving through Stanton County, produced two of the EF-4 tornadoes, including the one that hit Pilger. The double tornadoes were responsible for one fatality each. Double tornadoes, occurring simultaneously from a single supercell thunderstorm, are extremely rare. This marked the first tornado-related fatalities in Nebraska in 10 years, with the last occurring on May 22, 2004. The storm system also brought the first tornado outbreak of the season to the Upper Midwest. An observed tornado near Platteville, Wisconsin on the 16th marked the sixth latest date for the first tornado occurrence in the state during any year since extensive records began in 1950. This was also the latest start for the tornado season in Wisconsin since 1995.