List of United States tornadoes in 1946 explained

This page documents all the known tornadoes that touched down in the United States during 1946. Tornadoes which occurred in the United States prior to 1950 are not officially rated. Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis rated significant tornadoes, those rated F2 or higher on the Fujita scale, and the ratings are accepted and acknowledged by the National Weather Service. However, since the National Weather Service did not rate the tornadoes, the ratings are considered unofficial.^[1]

January

January 4 event

See main article: Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946.

January 5 event

See main article: Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946.

January 6 event

See main article: Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946.

January 8 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, January 8, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Port Arthur	Jefferson	TX	08:00 or 08:30	2abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Two homes had their roofs ripped off. The U.S. Weather Bureau states that several homes and outbuildings were damaged by the tornado.^[2]

February

February 13 event

F#! scope="col" align="center" class="unsortable"

Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	Ardmore	Carter	OK	02:45 or 03:00	4abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death – On the eastern side of Ardmore 30–50 homes were destroyed and another 1,700 buildings damaged. In total, the tornado killed one person, injured 15 others, and caused $1–1.5 million in damage (equivalent to $-$ in 2022).^[3] ^[4] Thomas P. Grazulis assigned an F3 rating, while Tornado Talk, a company dedicated to documenting tornado history, says this was a "possible F2 tornado".^[5]
F2	ENE of Cedartown to WNW of Rockmart	Polk	GA	20:45	3abbr=onNaNabbr=on	50abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Eight barns were destroyed and five homes damaged in a rural community 8miles west-northwest of Rockmart.

February 18 event

F#
! scope="col" align="center" class="unsortable"

Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F0	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	OK	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A "small tornado" caused minor damage to homes on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. This tornado did not receive an estimated rating on the Fujita scale from Thomas P. Grazulis, meaning he believes it was F0 or F1 intensity. The National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma rated it an F0 based on local records kept at the office.^[6]

February 27 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, February 27, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Tampa	Hillsborough	FL	14:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One home was destroyed and another partially unroofed in the Terrace Park neighborhood, leaving three people injured. The U.S. Weather Bureau describes it as "freak tornado".
F2	SE of Lakeland	Polk	FL	15:10	0.5to	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The tornado demolished a home, damaged another, and destroyed several barns and sheds. Grazulis documents only one home being unroofed by the tornado. Tornado Archive documents the length of this tornado as 0.7miles.^[7]

March

March 15 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, March 15, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Kewanee	Lauderdale (confirmed)Forrest, Wayne (possible)	MS	21:25–22:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400to
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documents a series of tornadoes in the Forrest, Wayne, and Lauderdale counties of Mississippi, which damaged several structures and caused $275,000 in damage ($ in 2022).^[8] Grazulis documents a tornado destroying multiple barns, a church, and a small home near Kewanne, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, but does not mention any damage or tornadoes in Forrest or Wayne county. One person was injured.

March 22 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, March 22, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F4	SE of Wynona	Osage	OK	20:00	3abbr=onNaNabbr=on	440to
	This large tornado destroyed 15 homes and a power plant, and damaged ten other homes. A 500lb piece of machinery was carried 0.5miles by the tornado.

March 27 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, March 27, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	E of Houston	Suwannee	FL	13:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Several barns were destroyed and a school was unroofed.

April

April 5 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, April 5, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Around Ottawa	Franklin	KS	16:30	6abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A large barn and several smaller farm buildings were demolished across two farms.^[9]

April 15 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, April 15, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Euless	Tarrant	TX	17:00	1abbr=onNaNabbr=on	33abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The north-northeasterly tornado twisted and snapped large trees and blew in the front of multiple buildings. This tornado did not receive an estimated rating on the Fujita scale from Thomas P. Grazulis, meaning he believes it was F0 or F1 intensity.
FU	Euless	Tarrant	TX	17:00	0.5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	33abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This easterly moving twin of the previous tornado blew the roof off the Euless Lumber Company and collapsed a house. This tornado did not receive an estimated rating on the Fujita scale from Thomas P. Grazulis, meaning he believes it was F0 or F1 intensity.

April 21 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, April 21, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Around Timber Lake	Dewey	SD	22:00	6abbr=onNaNabbr=on	7040abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The tornado struck the city of Timber Lake, causing at least $150,000 in property damage ($+ in 2022). This tornado did not receive an estimated rating on the Fujita scale from Thomas P. Grazulis, meaning he believes it was F0 or F1 intensity. In 1946 the U.S. Weather Bureau published a paper stating the tornado’s width to be 4miles, which would make this the widest tornado ever documented.^[10]

May

May 10 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, May 10, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	Curved around Eufaula	McIntosh, Pittsburg	OK	19:45	10abbr=onNaNabbr=on	850to
	1 death  - One person was killed and five injured; additionally, 11 buildings were destroyed and seven damaged. In total $35,000 in damage occurred ($ in 2022), including $25,000 in property damage ($ in 2022).^[11]
F2	NW of Queen City, Texas	Cass	TX	??:??	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Two homes were destroyed.

May 15 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, May 15, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F4	S of Loraine to Champion to Maryneal	Mitchell, Nolan	TX	??:??	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death  - On the west side of Champion, several homes were damaged and three destroyed, including one that was noted to be newly constructed. Inside the recently built house one was killed and two were severely injured. South of Loraine, two homes were destroyed, and in total over 100 animals were killed. The United States Weather Bureau documented this event as a hailstorm, rather than a tornado.
F2	SW of Briscoe	Wheeler	TX	??:??	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A home was unroofed.

May 16 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, May 16, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Sandy Ridge	Lowndes	AL	02:00	3to	17to
	A large family home was destroyed, along with smaller homes and other farm buildings; pecan trees and a truck were also destroyed.^[12]
FU	Carnegie	Caddo	OK	20:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	850abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This southwestward-moving tornado damaged several buildings.

May 17 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, May 17, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Around Marion and Crayne	Crittenden	KY	14:30 - 17:30	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	20to
	This tornado injured two near Crayne and caused $350,000 in damage ($ in 2022).
F3	NWN of West End to Norris City	Franklin, Saline, Hamilton, White	IL	16:30	27abbr=onNaNabbr=on	150abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death  - Six homes and twelve barns were damaged in rural areas. In Norris City, three homes were nearly leveled, killing one person.

May 18 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, May 18, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Beloit	Lyon	IA	18:30	2to	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Small buildings and windmills were damaged; several trees were uprooted.
F4	SE of Stoneburg to NE of Bowie	Clay, Montague, Denton	TX	19:00	30abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	3 deaths  - In Stoneburg, a church was obliterated, with debris splintered and scattered for a mile. That said, a linen scarf was untouched that laid on the pulpit. Elsewhere along the tornado's track, an elderly man was killed and his wife injured after their house was destroyed. Also killed were a "prominent elderly couple" when their home was leveled, along with every barn on their new ranch. The U.S. Weather Bureau considers this tornado and the following tornado the same, while Grazulis splits the tornadoes up. In total, three people were killed, 15 others injured, and $112,000 in damage occurred ($ in 2022).
F4	Around Sanger	Denton	TX	20:00	8abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death  - East of Sanger three homes were leveled and a nine-year-old girl was killed by flying debris while she ran for the storm cellar. Another home was destroyed on the north side of Sanger. The U.S. Weather Bureau considers this tornado and the following tornado the same, while Grazulis splits the tornadoes up. In total, one person was killed and five were injured.

May 19 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, May 19, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Moran City	St. Mary	LA	20:45	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A grocery store was destroyed and four homes were unroofed in Morgan City.

May 20 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, May 20, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	SE of Seven Springs to N of Kinston to NW of Grifton	Wayne, Lenoir, Pitt	NC	20:15	25abbr=onNaNabbr=on	150abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	2 deaths  - Three homes and twelve barns were destroyed, with 25 other homes damaged. An elderly couple was killed in their home northwest of Grifton. The U.S. Weather Bureau documents this as two separate tornadoes, with Wayne County being hit, while Grazulis documents this as one tornado that did not hit Wayne County. In total, two people were killed, 50 were injured, and the tornado caused $110,000 in damage ($ in 2022).

May 22 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, May 22, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Hill City	Graham	KS	18:00	20abbr=onNaNabbr=on	6abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documents this as a tornado and hail event that caused crop and property damage totaling $40,000 ($ in 2022).

May 23 event

See main article: Tornado outbreak of May 23–24, 1946.

May 24 event

See main article: Tornado outbreak of May 23–24, 1946.

May 29 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, May 29, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F4	Wellsford to Cullison	Kiowa, Pratt	KS	17:00	7abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Considerable damage occurred in Cullison, with up to $110,000 ($ in 2022) in damage documented by the U.S. Weather Bureau. One farmhouse was swept away, and numerous other farm buildings were destroyed. Five vortex clouds were observed with this tornado.
F2	NE of Stoneburg or Forestburg	Montague	TX	18:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One home was destroyed and another was unroofed. The U.S. Weather Bureau said this tornado struck Forestburg while Grazulis said northeast of Stoneburg.
FU	Penalosa	Kingman	KS	19:40	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	No damage was reported.
FU	Pratt	Pratt	KS	P.M.	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documented that "chief loss in wheat [ranged] from 25 to 100 percent."

May 30 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, May 30, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	???	Sumner, Cowley	KS	13:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Minor damage occurred to buildings.
F2	SW of to Arkansas City	Cowley	KS	13:20	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	30abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	"Homes, barns, and businesses were unroofed."
F2	Through Creston	Union	IA	14:20	2abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Warehouses were destroyed, homes unroofed, and 40 railroad cars derailed. About 100 other homes sustained various types of damage from the combined effect of the tornado and accompanying downburst. The tornado caused $250,000 in damage ($ in 2022).

May 31 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, May 31, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Arkansas City	Cowley	KS	14:15	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	13abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The tornado caused property damage.
F2	S of Fort Recovery to Sharpsburg	Mercer	OH	16:05 or 17:30	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Multiple buildings on four farms were destroyed and several homes were unroofed or damaged.

June

June 6 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, June 6, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Moose Lake to Barnum	Carlton	MN	19:00 or 19:45-21:45	15abbr=onNaNabbr=on	8800abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	rural buildings were destroyed, two people injured, and hundreds of animals killed. A downburst associated with this storm damaged 25 homes; three homes were destroyed, if they were destroyed by the tornado or downburst. The U.S. Weather Bureau documented this as a "small tornado" with hail.^[13]

June 7 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, June 7, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	Froid	Roosevelt	MT	14:00	10abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death  - A five-room farmhouse was "nearly leveled", and one person was crushed by its chimney. A farm building was destroyed, furniture was thrown nearly a mile, and spruce trees were damaged. One person was killed, another was injured and damage totaled $12,500 ($ in 2022).

June 10 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, June 10, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Wibaux	Wibaux	MT	2:30 - 3:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Limited crop loss was noted, along with the loss of 500 livestock. Damage totaled $25,000 (which is equivalent to $ in 2022).

June 11 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, June 11, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	NW of Waterloo	DeKalb	IN	17:30 or 18:15	2to	400to
	This zig-zagging tornado destroyed three barns, a vacant home, and several outbuildings on 11 farms.

June 16 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, June 16, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	S Ledyard	Kossuth	IA	18:00 or 19:00-20:00	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	14080abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Buildings on eight farms were damaged, with barns on four being destroyed. This tornado was accompanied by a damaging hailstorm, causing a total of $610,000 in damages ($ in 2022).
F2	Racine	Mower	MN	20:22	8abbr=onNaNabbr=on	167to
	A schoolhouse was leveled, multiple windmills were wrecked, and trees were uprooted. Farm machinery was also destroyed, as well as several buildings on five farms.

June 17 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, June 17, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F4	Detroit (MI) to Windsor (ON)	Wayne (MI), Essex (ON)	MI, ON	17:55–18:05	40abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	17 deaths in Canada – See article on this tornado. At least 200 people were injured across the United States and Canada. Thomas P. Grazulis documents 15 deaths from this tornado.

June 23 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, June 23, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	N of Selfridge	Sioux	ND	14:30	4abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A home was destroyed, with only one wall left standing, a second home had its second floor sheared off. Buildings on three farms were also destroyed. Two people were injured by the tornado.
F3	S of Selfridge	Sioux	ND	14:30	8abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	on a farm was obliterated and "not a board could be found intact" from any of the buildings.

June 26 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, June 26, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Cowden	Washita	OK	18:45	2abbr=onNaNabbr=on	445abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A school gymnasium, and several residential homes were destroyed. Damage was totaled at $74,500 ($ in 2022).

June 27 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, June 27, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Detroit (MI), Windsor (ON)	Wayne (MI), Essex (ON)	MI, ON	14:37 or 15:30-15:33	3abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Bus and trailer garages were damaged, along with a manufacturing company, a warehouse, and parked cars. The worst damage from the tornado was in northeastern Detroit. In total, nine people were injured and $400,000 ($ in 2022) in damage occurred in the United States.

June 28 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, June 28, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	???	Polk, Red Lake, Pennington	MN	2:30	0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>15abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau notes a flax manufacturing plant, a school, a garage, farm homes, 66 farms and 40 outbuildings being destroyed by a "possible tornado". The storm also damaged 110 homes, 135 barns, 55 outbuildings, 40 silos, a municipal sewage disposal plant, and an airplane. Wires and poles were downed as well, and several thousand turkeys and chickens were killed. Four people were injured.

July

July 1 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, July 1, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Laramie	Albany	WY	14:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A tornado reported east-southeast of the Laramie Airport failed to reach the ground, causing no damage.^[14]
F2	W of Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	4abbr=onNaNabbr=on	50abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Two homes were unroofed and multiple businesses were "torn apart".
F2	N of Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A home was unroofed and a barn was destroyed. The barn’s owner was watching a separate tornado in the distance while this tornado struck.
FU	Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One of six tornadoes in the Bennett area.
FU	Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One of six tornadoes in the Bennett area.
FU	Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One of six tornadoes in the Bennett area.
FU	Bennett	Adams	CO	15:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One of six tornadoes in the Bennett area.

July 4 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, July 4, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Carpenter	Laramie	WY	16:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	No damage was reported.
FU	Cheyenne	Laramie	WY	16:15	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	No damage was reported. This tornado was produced by the same storm as the previous one.

July 5 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, July 5, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Harahan to Metairie to Ridge to New Orleans	Jefferson	LA	20:20–20:30	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This skipping tornado unroofed two businesses and three homes, stripping the wallpaper in one. A little crop damage was also reported.

July 6 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, July 6, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Hilliard	Nassau	FL	P.M.	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This small tornado caused no damage.

July 13 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, July 13, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Edgar	Carbon	MT	15:30	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	15abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A farm building was damaged.

July 14 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, July 14, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	East Helena	Lewis and Clark	MT	17:15–17:16	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	50abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One farmstead sustained damage, a large barn was destroyed and a home damaged. The U.S. Weather Bureau documents "blinding dust" accompanying this "small tornado".

July 19 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, July 19, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Stengel Air College to Gainesville	Alachua	FL	16:00–16:30	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	At Stengel Air College a main hangar, shops, and cottages were damaged. Damage also occurred in Gainesville.

July 22 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, July 22, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Houma	Terrebonne	LA	14:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Chief damage occurred to buildings.
FU	Crowley	Acadia	LA	15:15	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Small damage was reported from the tornado.

July 23 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, July 23, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F1	Vicinity around Concord	Merrimack	NH	??:??	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	1 death – Tornadic winds caused damage to northwestern parts of Concord, including a National Guard Arsenal, which leveled a 150feet section of a steel and brick building, destroying machinery and damaging army vehicles. Eight homes and several small buildings were destroyed, including the collapse of a barn, which killed a boy. Damages totaled $60,000 ($ in 2022).

July 30 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, July 30, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	St. Petersburg	Pinellas	FL	19:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documented a tornado near St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida which demolished a garage, unroofed a two-story frame house, and caused an additional $150,000 in damages (equivalent to $ in 2022).

August

August 5 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, August 5, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Hutchinson	Reno	KS	02:00–05:30	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This "small tornado" never reached the ground. However, it damaged multiple buildings and roofs. Thomas P. Grazulis did not rate it.^[15]

August 13 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, August 13, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU	Niagara Falls	Niagara	NY	11:30–12:15	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	33abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This tornado blew a man off a horse, destroyed two garages, and threw a boulder that destroyed the side of a house. It did not receive a rating on the Fujita scale from Thomas P. Grazulis.

August 17 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, August 17, 1946

-	F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F4	SW of Mankato to North Mankato	Blue Earth	MN	18:40	9abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400to
	11 deaths – At least eight farms and three homes were destroyed. All eleven deaths and most of the 100 injuries occurred during the complete obliteration of 26 cabins in Green Gables camp southwest of Mankato. Multiple cars were thrown at least 500feet and a 54000lb road grader was thrown 100feet. The U.S. Weather Bureau noted hundreds of trees uprooted, and the death of over 1,000 turkeys. In total, the tornado killed eleven people, injured at least 100 others and caused $300,000 in damage (equivalent to $ in 2022).^[16]
F4	SW of to Wells	Faribault	MN	19:30–19:48	7abbr=onNaNabbr=on	200abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Southwest of Wells several buildings on two farms were severely damaged, with one of them sustaining F4 damage. The tornado hit downtown Wells at F2 intensity, damaging or destroying nearly every building in the business district; a theatre with at least 400 people inside collapsed. Hundreds of trees were noted to have been uprooted. In total, the tornado injured 30 people and caused $700,000 in damage (equivalent to $ in 2022). The U.S. Weather Bureau documented the damage to the theatre as "high wind" rather than a tornado.

September

September 2 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, September 2, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	SW of Eskridge to NE of Alma	Wabaunsee	KS	12:00	20abbr=onNaNabbr=on	30abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	This skipping tornado destroyed a large barn.^[17]

September 10 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, September 10, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
FU		Calhoun	MI	7:27–7:31	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	300abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau reports 100 trees downed at a cemetery and 50 at a park.^[18]
FU	Portland	Cumberland	ME	14:50 - 15:10	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documents a tornado damaging northern suburbs of Portland, with two residences damaged, two barns leveled, and a garage unroofed; shade and pine trees were felled, and evidence of counterclock-wise wind movement was noted.

September 16 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, September 16, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Near Sidney	Richland (MT)	MT, ND	17:15	20abbr=onNaNabbr=on	8to
	A small home was destroyed near Sidney and four people were injured. The U.S. Weather Bureau reports the tornado continuing into western North Dakota.

September 22 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, September 22, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Mableton	Cobb	GA	15:05	0.3abbr=onNaNabbr=on	75abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	One home was destroyed, and four people were injured.^[19]
FU	Lake Delton	Sauk	WI	17:55 - 18:10	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	27abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	The U.S. Weather Bureau documents damage to McBoyle Airport, where a trees were downed and a hangar was unroofed, damaging three airplanes and six vehicles. The storm that produced the tornado was noted moving southwest to northeast, with rotary winds.

September 24 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, September 24, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Escanaba	Delta	MI	12:46–12:47 or 13:46	3abbr=onNaNabbr=on	1to
	One home was unroofed by the tornado and over $300,000 in damage ($ in 2022) occurred to coal-loading equipment and loading docks.

October

October 17 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, October 17, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	SE of Appleton City	St. Clair	MO	15:00	2abbr=onNaNabbr=on	50abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	A barn was destroyed and scattered, and the east side of a farmhouse was torn off. Multiple livestock were killed on two farms.
F3	SW of Goodland to Twin Oaks	Choctaw	OK	17:30–18:00	7abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100to
	Homes, farm buildings, and several school buildings at Goodland Indian School were damaged or destroyed.^[20]

October 18 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, October 18, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Greenwood	Johnson	IN	04:35	1abbr=onNaNabbr=on	30to
	Several buildings and two airplanes were destroyed and multiple trees and power lines were downed.

November

November 2 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, November 2, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F3	SSW of Washington	Hempstead	AR	14:30 or 15:30	5abbr=onNaNabbr=on	150to
	1 death (died from injuries two weeks after the storm) – A tornado destroyed numerous residential areas and business offices, badly damaged a cotton gin, and flattened a service station, causing communication disruptions. Downed power lines caused outages in the northern portion of Hempstead County, while Washington, Arkansas was isolated from communication outside of the city, and had a famous landmark, an old church building, destroyed.^[21] ^[22]

November 10 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, November 10, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Calvert	Mobile, Washington	AL	??:??	4to	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Three homes were destroyed.
F2	S of Rayne to N of Lafayette	Acadia, Lafayette	LA	17:00	>0abbr=onNaNabbr=on	880abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Several barns and outbuildings were demolished and multiple homes were "twisted" from their foundations. In total, three people were injured by this skipping tornado.
F2	Near Mississippi River	Pointe Coupee	LA	17:00	2to	50abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	2 deaths – On two plantations multiple barns and sheds were destroyed, killing a mother and child, and injuring eight others. Also damaged were a church and three homes, two of which were described as "frail".
F2	Hattiesburg	Forrest or Lamar	MS	21:00	1abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100to
	This tornado dipped and rose along its path as it unroofed several lumber buildings and damaged, unroofed or shifted a dozen homes. The U.S. Weather Bureau reports a forward speed of 50mph and states that this may have been the same tornado that hit Point Coupee Parish earlier in the day.

December

December 28 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Saturday, December 28, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	W of Newhope to E of Langley to SE of Mount Ida	Howard, Pike, Montgomery	AR	17:00	25abbr=onNaNabbr=on	400abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	According to Grazulis the "losses included dozens of homes and thousands of trees." In total, 21 people were injured.
F2	Ouachita National Forest to S of Jessieville	Garland	AR	18:00	15abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100abbr=onNaNabbr=on
	Two were injured and south of Jessieville, near the Blakely community, two homes, two trucks, and a gas station were destroyed.

December 29 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, December 29, 1946

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Time (local)	Path length	Max width
F2	Fort Campbell	Christian, Todd	KY	00:15–01:30	10abbr=onNaNabbr=on	100to
	This "bouncing type of tornado" hit Camp Campbell, where it destroyed military equipment and several storage buildings. Also destroyed were tobacco and stock barns, and about a hundred trucks. In total, the tornado injured at least six people and caused $300,000 in damage ($ in 2022). The U.S. Weather Bureau reports a width between 100yd800yd while Grazulis says 400yd.^[23]

See also

• Tornadoes of 1946
• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• Weather of 1946

Notes and References

1. Book: Grazulis . Thomas P. . Significant tornadoes, 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events . 1993 . Environmental Films . St. Johnsbury, Vermont . 1-879362-03-1 . 922–925.
2. U.S. Weather Bureau . Late Storm Reports For January 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . February 1946 . 74 . 2 . 37 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0037:LSRFJ>2.0.CO;2 . April 18, 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
3. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For February 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . February 1946 . 74 . 2 . 37 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0037:LSRFJ>2.0.CO;2 . April 19, 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
4. Web site: Carter County, OK Tornadoes (1875-Present) . National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma . 2 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230502053907/https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-county-ok-carter . 2 May 2023 . live.
5. Web site: On This Day: February 13 . Tornado Talk . 1 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501220211/https://www.tornadotalk.com/february-13/ . 1 May 2023 . live.
6. Web site: Tornadoes in the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Since 1890 . National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma . 1 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501180712/https://www.weather.gov/oun/tornadodata-okc#table . 1 May 2023 . live.
7. Web site: Tornado Archive Data Explorer . Tornado Archive . 2 May 2023.
8. Monthly Weather Review . March 1, 1946 . 74 . 3 . 56 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0056:SLSFM>2.0.CO;2 . free . Severe Local Storms for March 1946 .
9. Monthly Weather Review . April 1, 1946 . 74 . 4 . 73 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0073:SLSFA>2.0.CO;2 . free . Severe Local Storms for April 1946 .
10. Web site: Today In History - April 21 . Lincoln Herald . 26 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240426042830/https://lincolnherald.com/news/2024/apr/21/today-in-history-april-21/ . 26 April 2024 . . . 21 April 2024 . live.
11. Severe Local Storms for May 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . May 1946 . 74 . 5 . 90–91 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0090:SLSFM>2.0.CO;2 . April 28, 2023 . U.S. Weather Bureau . 1520-0493. free .
12. Web site: Alabama Tornadoes 1946 . National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama . 1 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501072724/https://www.weather.gov/bmx/tornadodb_1946 . 1 May 2023 . live.
13. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For June 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . June 1946 . 74 . 6 . 108–110 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0108:SLSFJ>2.0.CO;2 . 28 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
14. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For July 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . July 1946 . 74 . 7 . 128–130 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0128:SLSFJ>2.0.CO;2 . 24 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
15. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For August 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . August 1946 . 74 . 8 . 146–147 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0146:SLSFA>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
16. News: 2 TORNADOES KILL 7 IN MINNESOTA; AFTER A TORNADO PASSED OVER A MINNESOTA TOWN . The New York Times . August 19, 1946 . 22 April 2023.
17. U.S. Weather Bureau . Late Storm Reports For September 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . October 1946 . 74 . 10 . 182 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0182:SLSFO>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
18. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For September 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . September 1946 . 74 . 9 . 163 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0163:SLSFS>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
19. U.S. Weather Bureau . Late Storms Reports For September 1946 – Continued . Monthly Weather Review . October 1946 . 74 . 10 . 183 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0182:LSRFS>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
20. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For October 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . 1946 . 74 . 10 . 182 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0182:SLSFO>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
21. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For November 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . November 1946 . 74 . 11 . 199 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0199:SLSFN>2.0.CO;2 . 22 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .
22. Web site: On this day in 1946, a tornado hit Washington in Hempstead County, killing one. #arwx #wxhistory . Twitter . National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas . 1 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230501073518/https://twitter.com/NWSLittleRock/status/793737845634576384 . 1 May 2023 . 2 November 2016 . live.
23. U.S. Weather Bureau . Severe Local Storms For December 1946 . Monthly Weather Review . December 1946 . 74 . 12 . 232 . 10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0232:SLSFD>2.0.CO;2 . 21 April 2023 . 1520-0493. free .