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Unluckiest Towns/Cities for Tornadoes

What are the unluckiest towns/cities for tornado activity? (can select two responses)

  • Oklahoma City/Moore, OK

    Votes: 28 71.8%
  • Tuscaloosa, AL

    Votes: 13 33.3%
  • El Reno, OK

    Votes: 3 7.7%
  • Codell, KS

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Tanner, AL

    Votes: 13 33.3%
  • Wichita Falls, TX

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Murfreesboro, TN

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jonesboro, AR

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Jackson, TN

    Votes: 2 5.1%
  • Other

    Votes: 3 7.7%

  • Total voters
    39

TH2002

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Well you have to keep in mind that most people aren't able to recognize damage above the EF3 threshold; EF4 and EF5 damage are often so extreme most people don't realize what they're looking at, especially if an EF5 swept away a large building; if you're not from the area you likely wouldn't recognize anything was amiss unless you closely went up and examined the foundation; it's unlikely news crews have enough time to fully document damage like that, plus it's not their jobs; that's the damage survey teams' job.
I could understand if the EF5 damage was easily missable and I know it is the survey teams' responsibility to perform a close inspection of the damage, but it is still annoying when (a) the NWS nukes a lot of their old, useful resources, and not a single other cameraman bothered to document the EF5 damage, or (b) NEITHER a news crew nor the survey team bothered to take any pictures of the violent damage. For good reason it is important for a damage point to be documented by more than just one reliable source, and to have actual visual documentation in the first place, but that goes without saying.
 

buckeye05

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My local WFO stopped posting damage pictures or using the DAT altogether a few years ago. It’s all text only now. What’s even more irritating is that they do take survey photos, but you can only find them on NWS Wilmington damage surveyor Andy Hatzos’ Twitter page, and only if he is the one surveying and chooses to post to Twitter.
 

TH2002

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My local WFO stopped posting damage pictures or using the DAT altogether a few years ago. It’s all text only now. What’s even more irritating is that they do take survey photos, but you can only find them on NWS Wilmington damage surveyor Andy Hatzos’ Twitter page, and only if he is the one surveying and chooses to post to Twitter.
Is there any legitimate reason for NWS Wilmington making that decision or was it pretty much just "screw you guys, we're going backwards"?
 

TH2002

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Daisy Hill, Indiana was hit by an F5 during the '74 Super Outbreak and hit again by the Henryville EF4 in 2012. The community was also hit by additional tornadoes in 1985 and 2004.
 

locomusic01

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Along with seemingly ignoring a lot of small towns altogether I am just so sick and tired of them deliberately ignoring more intense damage to document obviously weaker damage. It is crap like that that is one of the reasons why a lot of people unfairly question Joplin's EF5 rating; because almost no "reliable sources" bothered to document homes and other structures with EF5 damage. It is also no secret that almost all of them drove right past the EF5 damage outside of Greensburg. I don't have a problem with them wanting to document an area where numerous fatalities occurred, but at the same time violent damage should not be overlooked or ignored.
I don't think that's a problem with media so much as with people in general. I run into this problem all the time - people will describe likely violent-level damage, yet when I ask about photos they're very often focused on things that aren't particularly impressive from an intensity standpoint. It's the kind of thing that doesn't even occur to most people.
 
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I don't think that's a problem with media so much as with people in general. I run into this problem all the time - people will describe likely violent-level damage, yet when I ask about photos they're very often focused on things that aren't particularly impressive from an intensity standpoint. It's the kind of thing that doesn't even occur to most people.
Especially given stuff like ground scouring, low-lying vegetation stripping, tree debarking/denuding and empty slab foundations aren't exactly photogenic or the easiest to recognize from a distance; you really have to get out there and look for the clues.
 

TH2002

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Almena, KS has been hit by damaging tornadoes in 1947, 1999, and again in 2011.
 

catatonia

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I think Tanner, AL takes the cake for taking at least high-end (E)F4 damage during both Super Outbreaks. Moore is pretty close behind with the numerous significant/several violent tornado strikes since 1998, but that's more "expected" since it's in the heart of the stereotypical "Tornado Alley." I've remarked before, though, how odd it seems that all the OTHER major cities in the Plains have largely been spared catastrophic tornado hits since the mid-20th Century.
 

Liberty4dayz

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Great topic. I think just like we have Tornadi and Dixie Alley. We have s Allegra areas where everything is just perfect to foster these storms. Whether it be topography or whatever idk. I just know several places that are like magnets for tornados. I'll vote for Tuscaloosa as unluckiest though.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
 

TH2002

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A little late on this one, but I guess we have another town to add to the list...

Mayfield, KY - Hit twice in 2016 and 2021.
 
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Here is the list I have (and yes it is EXTENSIVE):
Moore, OK - Violent tornadoes in 1999, 2003, 2010 and 2013, hit most recently in 2015.
Tuscaloosa, AL - Violent tornadoes in 1932, 2000 and 2011, hit most recently in 2021.
El Reno, OK - Hit three times in 2011, 2013 and 2019.
Codell, KS - Hit on May 20 in 1916, 1917 and 1918.
Tanner, AL - Hit twice on April 3, 1974 and again on April 27, 2011.
Wichita Falls, TX - Hit twice by F5 tornadoes in 1964 and 1979.
Jackson, TN - Hit by EF4 tornadoes in 1999, 2003 and 2008.
Murfreesboro, TN - Hit in 1913, 1974, 1997, and 2009.
Jonesboro, AR - Violent tornadoes in 1968 and 1973, hit again in 2020.
Vilonia, AR - Hit twice in 2011 and 2014.
Jarrell, TX - Hit twice in 1989 and 1997.
Joplin, MO - Hit twice in 1971 and 2011.
Altus, OK - Hit by two F3's and seven F2's since 1875.
Mountain View, AR - Hit twice in 1996 and 2008.
Huntsville, AL - Hit twice in 1989 and 2011.
Omaha, NE - Hit twice in 1913 and 1975.
Hoisington, KS - Hit twice in 1919 and 2001.
Haysville, KS - Hit twice in 1991 and 1999.
Hattiesburg, MS - Hit twice in 2013 and 2017.
Tupelo, MS - Hit in 1936 and 2014, and again in 2021.
Harvest, AL - Hit twice on April 3, 1974, and in 1995, 2011, and yet again in 2012.
Birmingham, AL - Hit in 1932, 1956, 1977, and 2011.
Dolores, Uruguay - Hit twice in 2012 and 2016.
Niles, Ohio - Hit twice in 1947 and 1985 (Thanks locomusic01 for bringing the 1947 tornado to my attention!)
Celina, Ohio - Hit in 2011, 2017 and again in 2019 (Thanks buckeye05 for bringing this city to my attention!)
St. Louis, MO - Hit in 1896 and 2011.
Xenia, Ohio - Hit twice in 1974 and 2000.
Nashville, Tennessee - Hit in 1933, 1998 and again in 2020.
Louisville, KY - Hit in 1890, 1964, 1974 and again in 1996.

I do like the idea of making multiple polls with a "process of elimination" used to come up with the TalkWeather community's ranking of the most tornado prone/unlucky cities and towns. It is something I could do if enough people are willing to participate and the mods are okay with it.

I have no plans to close this thread though. I have already learned a lot myself and would love to keep the discussion going.
Birmingham was also hit by the 4/8/1998 F5 tornado. The final stretch was within the city limits, although I think the intensity was F3 inside the city proper.
 

gregassagraf

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Hoisington, KS has been hit by two F4's, first in 1919 and again in 2001.

And might as well mention Dolores, Uruguay as being the only city I can think of outside the United States to have been hit twice (in 2012 and again in 2016)
Was searching the term “Dolores” in this website and actually, Dolores was hit three times, all of them large destructive tornadoes. Also Xanxere as hit 2 times too! (2015 and 2021). But this last one was a much weaker tornado, probably a solid EF1.
Video about the Dolores tornado from 1985:

 

TH2002

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Was searching the term “Dolores” in this website and actually, Dolores was hit three times, all of them large destructive tornadoes. Also Xanxere as hit 2 times too! (2015 and 2021). But this last one was a much weaker tornado, probably a solid EF1.
Aside from the two tornadoes I mentioned, which third tornado did I miss?
 
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