February Tornadoes Have Been Deadly Six Straight Years in the U.S.

One year ago, a tornado roared through Brunswick County, North Carolina, just before midnight on Feb. 15, destroying or damaging homes, killing three people and injuring 10.

Earlier that afternoon, an EF2 tornado injured five when it destroyed two homes near Damascus, Georgia.

This hasn't been a recent February one-off. At least one killer tornado has been spawned in February each of the past six years, in areas from Louisiana to Illinois to Virginia and North Carolina.

On Feb. 6, 2020, another nighttime tornado destroyed two manufactured homes in Marengo County, Alabama, killing one.

Here are the other killer February tornadoes since 2016:

-Feb. 23, 2019: One killed in Lowndes County, Mississippi

-Feb. 24, 2018: One killed in both Clay County, Arkansas, and Logan County, Kentucky, from separate tornadoes

-Feb. 7, 2017: One killed in St. James Parish, Louisiana

-Feb. 28, 2017: Three killer tornadoes, four total deaths in LaSalle and White Counties, Illinois, and Perry County, Missouri

-Feb. 23-24, 2016: Four killer tornadoes, seven total deaths in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Lamar County, Mississippi, Appomattox and Sussex Counties, Virginia

St. James Parish, Louisiana, was hit by deadly February tornadoes two years in a row – part of a larger outbreak on Feb. 23, 2016, and again on Feb. 7, 2017, both near the town of Donaldsonville.

Fewer Tornadoes, But Dangerous Nonetheless

February, along with its winter companion months of December and January, is among the least tornadic months in the U.S.

That's because cold air is typically expansive in February. Arctic cold fronts often surge through the South, cutting off any chance of thunderstorms – much less severe thunderstorms – in the Lower 48 states.

But when that cold air doesn't penetrate into parts of the South in winter, an active jet stream overlapping warmer and more humid air can ignite severe thunderstorms ahead of an advancing cold front.

As we discussed in our writeup on February's typical tornado threat, there are a number of factors that can lead to deadly winter tornadoes, including how fast they move, how they can be hidden by rain, that they can occur at night, and also the more vulnerable mobile and manufactured homes in the South where the winter threat most often sets up.

The proverbial isolated tornado can be a surprise even within an area where severe thunderstorms with strong winds and heavy rain are expected to be the main threats.

There can also be larger February tornado outbreaks with stronger tornadoes.

Among the 71 tornadoes spawned during the Feb. 28, 2017, outbreak was a deadly EF4 tornado in Perry County, Missouri.

The Leap Day 2012 outbreak claimed 15 lives from seven killer tornadoes in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee.

The biggest February tornado outbreak on record, the Super Tuesday outbreak, killed 57 on Feb. 5-6, 2008.

While spring and early summer are usually when we see the most tornadoes in the U.S., tornadoes can occur any time of year when the conditions are in place – even in winter.

Here are some tips you can use to stay safe:

-Know where you need to go to take shelter when a tornado or severe thunderstorm warning is issued. If you live in a mobile or manufactured home, you may need to leave it for a designated storm shelter.

-Have multiple ways of receiving warnings from the National Weather Service, including via smartphone, NOAA weather radio, and local TV or radio. Make sure you can be awakened if the warning is issued while you're sleeping.

-Move quickly to shelter when a warning is issued. The tornado might be moving fast in winter and you may not be able to see it if it's hidden by rain or at night.

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