This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1978, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes.

This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022)

Quick Facts Timespan, Maximum rated tornado ...

Tornadoes of 1978

Tracks of all US tornadoes in 1978.
Timespan	January 4 - December 24, 1978
Maximum rated tornado	F4 tornado Brighton, Mississippi on April 17 Monticello, Mississippi on April 18 Piedmont, Oklahoma on April 30 Elgin, North Dakota on July 4 Shreveport, Louisiana on December 3
Tornadoes in U.S.	595[1]
Damage (U.S.)	Unknown
Fatalities (U.S.)	53
Fatalities (worldwide)	>236
1976 1977 1978 1979 1980

Close

Quick Facts

Fatal United States tornadoes in 1978

Approximate touchdown location of killer tornadoes in 1978 Summary of tornadoes[2] January 7 – Arkansas (1 death) January 26 – Virginia (1 death) April 18 – Mississippi (4 deaths) May 4 – Florida (3 deaths) May 26 – Texas (1 death) May 31 – Kansas (3 deaths) June 17 – Kansas (16 deaths) June 25 – Illinois (1 death) July 4 – North Dakota (5 deaths) July 5 – Minnesota (4 deaths) July 23 – Pennsylvania (1 death) July 31 – North Carolina (1 death) August 29 – Mississippi (1 death) September 16 – Iowa (6 deaths) December 3 – Louisiana (2 deaths) December 3 – Arkansas (1 death) December 3 – Louisiana, Arkansas (2 deaths) Total fatalities: 53

Close

Numbers for 1978 were really below average, but on the other hand, the death toll was well above average.

23 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in January.^[3]

7 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in February.^[4]

17 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in March.^[6]

107 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in April, including an F4 that struck Monticello, Mississippi, killing 4 people.^[7]

213 tornadoes were confirmed in the U.S. in May.^[8]

148 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in June.^[10] On June 20, there were three tornadoes, with the strongest being an F2 tornado in Bryans Road, Maryland.^[11][12]

143 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in July.^[13]

65 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in August.^[15]

20 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in September. One notable tornado was a landspout that touched down between the Mason–Dixon line. It was also captured on film.^[16]

7 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in October.^[17]

9 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in November.^[18]

30 tornadoes were reported in the U.S. in December.^[19]

• Tornado
  • Tornadoes by year
  • Tornado records
  • Tornado climatology
  • Tornado myths
• List of tornado outbreaks
  • List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
  • List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of 21st-century Canadian tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks in Asia
  • List of Southern Hemisphere tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
• Tornado intensity
  • Fujita scale
  • Enhanced Fujita scale