10 Worst Tornadoes of 2015

All of that changed around the Christmas holiday, when an early winter tornado outbreak sent a reminder that strong and deadly tornadoes can strike in any season.

Here is a look at the worst tornadoes around the country in 2015.

#10: Eastland County, Texas, May 9, 2015

The third killer tornado of the year in the U.S. was reported near Cisco, Texas, when an elderly woman was killed in a mobile home, marking the fourth tornado-related fatality of 2015.

Winds from this EF3 tornado were strong enough to "toss two cars, one tractor and several farm implements over one mile," according to NOAA's storm events database.

Through the same period in 2014, weather.com senior digital meteorologist Nick Wiltgen says that eight killer tornadoes had resulted in 35 deaths.

(MORE: Damaging Tornadoes Strike Plains, Midwest)

#9: Bryan County, Oklahoma, May 25, 2015

A strong tornado ripped through the community of Blue, killing one woman in a mobile home during the storm. This tornado was the sixth killer U.S. tornado of the year.

Multiple mobile homes in the area were destroyed and other nearby homes suffered damage from falling trees. The tornado was rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Dozens of tornadoes were spawned from a vigorous storm system across the Plains and Deep South in late May. In addition to the tornadoes, to cap off a record wet month in the southern Plains, catastrophic flooding impacted parts of Texas and Oklahoma.

(MORE: Severe Storms, Deadly Flooding in Plains)

#8: Collin County, Texas, Dec. 26, 2015

One of at least a dozen tornadoes to impact the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area on Dec. 26 struck Copeville. This tornado was responsible for two deaths in the community, although another tornado, ranked higher on this list, proved even more deadly on Dec. 26.

The Copeville tornado, rated EF2, was on the ground for about 5.5 miles and had a peak width of about 200 yards. This and other strong tornadoes occurring that night proved to be particularly dangerous.

According to severe weather expert Dr. Greg Forbes, this is the first time on record (since 1950) that December has been the month with the most U.S. tornado deaths in a given year. 

(MORE: Deadly December Tornado Outbreak)

#7: Perry County, Tennessee, Dec. 23, 2015

Out of three strong tornadoes to strike Middle Tennessee this evening, an EF2 tornado in Perry County destroyed a home near Linden, fatally injuring both occupants.

The tornado, which started in Perry County and stayed in the ground for nearly 14 miles before lifting in Hickman County, caused considerable tree and building damage along its path.

This was the first December tornado on record for both Hickman and Perry counties.

(MORE: Deadly Christmas Week Severe Outbreak)

#6: Howard County, Arkansas, May 10, 2015

On the night of May 10, a tornado ripped through the D & J Mobile Home Park on the southwest side of Nashville, Arkansas. The tornado caused two fatalities and eight additional injuries in the mobile home park.

A couple who lost their lives were shielding their 18-month-old daughter, who survived through the tornado damage.

This strong tornado, rated EF2, completely destroyed a total of five mobile homes. At least an additional 40 homes suffered "minor to moderate damage" from the tornado, according to NOAA.

(MORE: Small Towns Hit by Large Tornadoes)

#5: Coahoma County, Mississippi, Dec. 23, 2015

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The first in a pair of tornadoes carving an "exceptionally long-track" of damage across the Deep South wrecked havoc over northwestern Mississippi. This high-end EF3 tornado killed one person and injured at least 21 others.

The tornado developed over Bolivar County, Mississippi and quickly intensified as it moved into Coahoma County. It stayed on the ground for more than an hour with a final damage path of 63 continuous miles.

As later in the countdown will show, the same supercell thunderstorm responsible for this killer tornado went on to produce an even more significant long-track tornado later in the day.

(MORE: Recap of Christmas Week Severe Outbreak)

#4: Van Zandt County, May 10, 2015

On a day with at least two dozen tornadoes, none were more destructive or deadly that the tornado that terrorized the city of Van, Texas. An EF3 tornado killed two people and injured more than 40 others.

This tornado developed near Highway 64 in the Edom, Texas vicinity before crossing north over Interstate 20 and into the southeast side of Van.

The eastern side of the city was hit the hardest with more than 50 homes damaged or destroyed. It is believed that the married couple that died during the storm was asleep in their mobile home as the tornado occurred early in the evening.

(MORE: Tornadoes and Flooding Slam Texas)

#3: DeKalb County, Illinois, Apr. 9, 2015

The strongest tornado to strike northern Illinois in more than 25 years carved a path of destruction across four counties. Two people were killed by the tornado and more than 20 others were injured.

This EF4 tornado, with winds estimated at 200 mph, "destroyed numerous homes and farmsteads...as well as tossed vehicles" in parts of Lee, Ogle, DeKalb and Boone counties. The large wedge tornado passed directly through the community of Fairdale on the northwest side of Rochelle.

On the ground for just over 30 miles, this twister ranks as the strongest tornado of 2015, but it was not the deadliest.

(MORE: Full Recap | Rare EF4 for N. Central Illinois | Debris Found Up to 80 Miles Away)

#2: Dallas-Rockwall Counties, Texas, Dec. 26, 2015

The third and final EF4 tornado of the year devastated areas just to the northeast of Dallas, Texas. Eight people were killed by the storm, most of whom lost their lives after being thrown in their vehicles near the intersection of Interstate 30 and President George Bush Turnpike.

After forming over Sunnyvale, Texas in northeastern Dallas County, this tornado crossed into Rockwall County. At least seven people were also injured by the storm.

This was the deadliest tornado in Dallas County in over 88 years, since May 1927. It was also the first December EF4 tornado on record anywhere in the state of Texas, since 1950.

(MORE: Dallas Area Tornado Outbreak)

#1: Marshall-Benton-Tippah Counties, Mississippi, Dec. 23, 2015

Shortly after an initial long-track tornado briefly lifted in northern Mississippi, a second tornado touched down, tearing through six counties in two states. Along the way, it killed at least nine people in three counties and injured "numerous" others.

This EF4 tornado was on the ground for a staggering 75 miles and was more than one half of a mile wide at one point. The worst of its damage was felt in Benton County, where the EF4 damage was observed and six fatalities occurred.

The tornado crossed into southwestern Tennessee before eventually dissipating. The NWS estimates that it was on the ground for 75 minutes, traveling an estimated 60 mph through its life cycle, making it the deadliest and longest-lived tornado of 2015.

(MORE: Christmas Week Tornadoes and Flooding)