Tornado Alley's Most Devastating Years

Special Report

Published: May 23, 2019 1:54 pm

Last Updated: January 6, 2020 4:24 am

“Tornado Alley” is the nickname given to the south-central region of the United States, where tornadoes tend to form at high frequency. Tornado Alley is not to be confused with Dixie Alley, which comprises the Gulf Coast area and also endures high frequency of tornadoes later in the year. It is important to note that tornadoes can happen anywhere in the United States, and at any time of year.

Approximately 1,200 tornadoes form in the United States each year. More than 75% are considered weak, classified as EF-0 to EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Tornado Damage Intensity Scale. Only about 5% are on the upper end of the intensity scale, EF-3 to EF-5, and are considered violent. An even smaller percentage reach the maximum level on the scale, EF-5, characterized by wind speed of 200 mph or higher and severe destruction.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed for Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and South Dakota — the states within what is considered as Tornado Alley — the total injuries and fatalities in every year since 1950 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center. Data for 2018 is current through August.

Click here to see Tornado Alley’s most devastating years

1950
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 312 (21st most)
> State with most injuries: Nebraska (135 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (11 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1950: 202 (80 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado is observed outside of an American city.

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1951
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 262 (28th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (118 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (8 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1951: 260 (146 in alley states)

Photo: People clean up debris from the aftermath of a tornado.

1952
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 39 (6th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Nebraska (21 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Not available
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1952: 243 (68 in alley states)

Photo: The aftermath from a tornado at St. Louis, Missouri.

1953
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 987 (4th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (834 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (150 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1953: 429 (171 in alley states)

Photo: Damage to a utility tower from a tornado in Christian County, Kentucky.

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1954
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 275 (27th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (134 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Nebraska (7 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1954: 558 (230 in alley states)

Photo: Workers looking through debris in wake of a tornado.

1955
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 1,252 (2nd most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (852 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (123 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1955: 597 (324 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado spins on the landscape. There were 1,252 injuries in five states in 1955.

1956
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 293 (22nd most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (219 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (7 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1956: 509 (209 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado bears down on a small town. In 1956, there were 509 tornadoes in the United States.

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1957
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 795 (6th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (489 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (51 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1957: 862 (389 in alley states)

Photo: A twister sweeps across an open field. 1957 was a deadly year in Kansas, with 51 reported deaths in the state from tornadoes.

1958
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 106 (18th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (53 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (15 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1958: 569 (220 in alley states)

Photo: Mangled remains of vehicle lodged in a tree following a tornado.

1959
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 120 (26th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (64 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (8 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1959: 609 (277 in alley states)

Photo: Tornadoes like this one were responsible for 64 injuries in Texas in 1959, the most of any state that year.

1960
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 527 (12th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (319 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (35 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1960: 617 (287 in alley states)

Photo: Classically formed tornadoes like this one led to the deaths of 35 people in Oklahoma, more than any other state.

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1961
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 421 (17th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (278 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (17 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1961: 707 (274 in alley states)

Photo: A twister sweeps toward a farm. in 1961, 707 tornadoes were reported in the U.S.

1962
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 167 (35th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (57 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (1 death)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1962: 662 (350 in alley states)

Photo: 67 tornadoes hit Oklahoma in 1962 and this was one of them.

1963
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 28 (3rd fewest)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (11 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (1 death)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1963: 469 (167 in alley states)

Photo: Four F3-strength twisters struck Oklahoma in 1963.

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1964
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 281 (25th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (132 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (8 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1964: 709 (298 in alley states)

Photo: An F5-strength tornado approaches Sheppard Air Force Base in Oklahoma, killing seven people and injuring 111 others.

1965
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 238 (30th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (96 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (6 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1965: 907 (360 in alley states)

Photo: A double tornado near Elkhart, Indiana was part of the 47-tornado outbreak in six Midwest states that killed 47 people.

1966
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 559 (10th most)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (513 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (17 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1966: 588 (188 in alley states)

Photo: An F5-strength tornado struck Topeka, Kansas, the most destructive tornado ever to hit Kansas.

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1967
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 117 (25th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (44 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (5 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1967: 933 (373 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado spins near Enid, Oklahoma.

1968
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 51 (9th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (16 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (0 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1968: 661 (254 in alley states)

Photo: Billowing clouds of a tornado near Shamrock, Texas.

1969
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 167 (34th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (78 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (3 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1969: 611 (225 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado damaged cabins at this camp along the shores of Roosevelt Lake near Outing, Minnesota.

1970
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 906 (5th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (736 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (51 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1970: 660 (245 in alley states)

Photo: Storm clouds gather. In 1970, there were 906 injuries related to tornadoes in five tornado alley states.

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1971
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 214 (32nd most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (178 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1971: 895 (368 in alley states)

Photo: Familiar vortex of tornado carves through landscape on the American Plains.

1972
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 90 (15th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (63 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (5 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1972: 744 (280 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado looms on the horizon near Mayfield, Oklahoma.

1973
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 552 (11th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (212 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (14 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1973: 1,106 (325 in alley states)

Photo: Tornado damage in Union City, Oklahoma. The National Severe Storms Laboratory was able to document the full cycle of a tornado for the first time from this storm.

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1974
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 597 (8th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (301 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (16 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1974: 956 (238 in alley states)

Photo: A twister slides through an open field. In 1974, 956 tornadoes swept across the U.S.

1975
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 289 (23rd most)
> State with most injuries: Nebraska (141 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (10 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1975: 921 (278 in alley states)

Photo: Massive tornado appears near Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado.

1976
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 170 (34th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (77 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (5 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1976: 840 (250 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado takes shape outside of Dallas, Texas.

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1977
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 79 (13th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (59 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (1 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1977: 856 (289 in alley states)

Photo: A twister spins near Lakeview, Texas.

1978
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 35 (5th fewest)
> State with most injuries: South Dakota (15 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (19 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1978: 795 (255 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado damaged a farm in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

1979
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 3823 (The most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (3,646 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (108 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1979: 860 (289 in alley states)

Photo: Tornadoes like this one injured 3,823 people in the five tornado alley states, the most since 1950.

1980
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 281 (25th most)
> State with most injuries: Nebraska (204 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Nebraska (5 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1980: 870 (286 in alley states)

Photo: The Grand Island, Nebraska, tornado outbreak killed five and injured 200 in June 1980.

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1981
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 227 (31st most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (100 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (6 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1981: 784 (329 in alley states)

Photo: A view of the “rope,” or decaying stage of a tornado in Cordell, Oklahoma in May 1981.

1982
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 527 (12th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (269 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (14 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1982: 1,057 (429 in alley states)

Photo: A powerful F4-strength tornado tore into Marion, Ohio, and killed 10 people.

1983
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 130 (28th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (85 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (8 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1983: 934 (349 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado rampages through Altus, Oklahoma.

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1984
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 355 (20th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (214 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (13 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1984: 915 (288 in alley states)

Photo: People observing a tornado for the Tornado Intercept Project, started by the National Severe Storms Laboratory in 1975.

1985
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 95 (16th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (54 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (4 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1985: 694 (252 in alley states)

Photo: Tornado funnel slashes through landscape. Ohio and Pennsylvania were hit by tornadoes in 1985.

1986
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 159 (33rd fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (120 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (3 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1986: 772 (299 in alley states)

Photo: Anoka, Minnesota, site of a deadly tornado in 1939, witnessed a twister in 1986.

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1987
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 470 (14th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (458 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (43 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1987: 659 (231 in alley states)

Photo: Storm clouds convene that might produce conditions for tornado.

1988
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 48 (8th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (24 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Nebraska (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1988: 702 (155 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado bends over a field in Oklahoma.

1989
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 86 (14th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (75 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (1 death)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1989: 863 (257 in alley states)

Photo: Tornado swirling near Erick, Oklahoma, in April 1989.

1990
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 190 (33rd most)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (86 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1990: 1,141 (375 in alley states)

Photo: Foreboding atmospheric conditions could lead to creation of a tornado

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1991
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 394 (18th most)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (259 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (19 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1991: 1,138 (480 in alley states)

Photo: The Hesston, Kansas, tornado reached F5 strength and killed two people.

1992
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 113 (21st fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (53 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Not available
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1992: 1,303 (461 in alley states)

Photo: A jumble of smashed buildings and vehicles remain from the devastation of a tornado. 1,303 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in 1992.

1993
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 285 (24th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (133 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (7 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1993: 1,178 (448 in alley states)

Photo: A member of the National Severe Storms Laboratory films a potential tornado in Graham, Texas.

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1994
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 116 (24th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (98 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (4 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1994: 1,088 (361 in alley states)

Photo: Fearsome funnel of this slow-moving tornado appeared just north of the airport of Lamar, Colorado.

1995
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 128 (27th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (108 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (6 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1995: 1,245 (419 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado swept through Dimmitt, Texas.

1996
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 141 (30th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (99 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1996: 1,177 (360 in alley states)

Photo: Tornado damage at Kellerville, Texas, which is south of the Oklahoma panhandle.

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1997
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 68 (11th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (60 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (29 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1997: 1,151 (373 in alley states)

Photo: An F5-strength tornado pulled plumbing out of foundation of home in Jarrell, Texas and killed 27.

1998
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 243 (29th most)
> State with most injuries: South Dakota (152 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: South Dakota (6 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1998: 1,432 (369 in alley states)

Photo: Shattered trees and desolate landscape around Tulip Grove Mansion area near Nashville, Tennessee, after tornado outbreak

1999
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 996 (3rd most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (686 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (42 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 1999: 1,351 (514 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado strikes near Anadarko, Oklahoma, part of the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

2000
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 108 (20th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (93 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (4 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2000: 1,077 (328 in alley states)

Photo: Residents look at what’s left of a residence in South Arlington, Texas, after a tornado razed the neighborhood.

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2001
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 105 (17th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (49 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (1 death)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2001: 1,222 (392 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado lumbers toward a small town.

2002
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 74 (12th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (72 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (3 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2002: 943 (326 in alley states)

Photo: Only seats remain from the movie theater in Van Wert, Ohio, after a tornado blew through in November 2002.

2003
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 437 (15th most)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (178 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (19 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2003: 1,394 (488 in alley states)

Photo: Car wreckage and other debris show force of a tornado that blasted Stockton, Missouri, in May 2003.

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2004
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 63 (10th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Nebraska (42 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2004: 1,829 (510 in alley states)

Photo: Tornado swirls by a truck. There were 1,829 injuries from tornadoes in the U.S. in 2004.

2005
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 2 (The fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (2 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Not available
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2005: 1,264 (327 in alley states)

Photo: American flag hangs over ruins of home in Waveland, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina, and tornadoes that it produced, savaged Mississippi.

2006
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 114 (23rd fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (54 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (4 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2006: 1,121 (283 in alley states)

Photo: Lightning strikes outside of Joliet, Illinois, from a tornadic supercell that produced a tornado that struck on June 22, 2015.

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2007
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 144 (31st fewest)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (82 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Kansas (14 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2007: 1,105 (477 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado is seen in distance after it destroyed a neighborhood.

2008
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 589 (9th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (509 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (27 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2008: 1,712 (470 in alley states)

Photo: A home destroyed by a tornado on May 26, 2008, in Parkersburg, Iowa.

2009
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 48 (7th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (19 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (8 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2009: 1,167 (339 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado is spotted in southeastern Wyoming by members of the Vortex2 program, which was created by The National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to track and study tornadoes.

2010
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 149 (32nd fewest)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (139 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (7 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2010: 1,296 (373 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado is seen on the horizon. There were 1,296 tornadoes in the U.S. in 2010.

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2011
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 423 (16th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (408 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (14 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2011: 1,728 (363 in alley states)

Photo: One of nine tornadoes that formed in Oklahoma on Nov. 7, 2011.

2012
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 134 (29th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Kansas (50 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (6 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2012: 946 (326 in alley states)

Photo: A neighborhood flattened by a tornado.

2013
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 358 (19th most)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (270 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (34 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2013: 922 (285 in alley states)

Photo: A supercell thunderstorm that looks like an alien spacecraft gathers over the American Plains.

2014
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 108 (19th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (49 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2014: 896 (194 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado skips over a farm in Benton County in central Minnesota.

2015
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 775 (7th most)
> State with most injuries: Texas (708 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (17 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2015: 1,193 (529 in alley states)

Photo: First-responders search through Fairdale, Illinois, after a tornado swept through.

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2016
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 35 (4th fewest)
> State with most injuries: Oklahoma (13 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Oklahoma (2 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2016: 983 (318 in alley states)

Photo: A tornado is seen south of Dodge City, Kansas.

2017
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 114 (22nd fewest)
> State with most injuries: Texas (71 injuries)
> State with most fatalities: Texas (4 deaths)
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2017: 1,450 (360 in alley states)

Photo: A supercell thunderstorm forms outside of Limon, Colorado.

2018
> Tornado-related injuries in 5 alley states: 8
> State with most injuries: Kansas
> State with most fatalities: Not available
> Number of US-wide tornadoes in 2018 through August: 648 (134 in alley states)

Photo: Damage to a home in Elon, Virginia, from an F3-strength tornado.

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