The costliest tornadoes to hit the U.S.

This year has already been incredibly active for severe weather, with 833 preliminary tornado reports recorded in the U.S. as of May 20, according to the NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. This is notably higher than the historical average of 626 twisters in the same period over the last 15 years. Of the 833 tornadoes in 2024, the NOAA states 46 of them were possible EF2s or higher. The majority of this year's tornadoes have touched down in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. Ohio – which is east of the traditional tornado alley – has also experienced a surge of twisters, with 66 preliminary reported in 2024 so far. Notable tornado events this year have included a storm system that produced a reported 127 tornadoes across the Great Plains in the course of two days in late April, and another system that spawned multiple tornadoes (including at least two EF3s) that carved a path through parts of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky in March. In the slideshow above, we'll look back at the ten costliest tornadoes to ever hit the U.S., adjusted for inflation as of 2023.

Related:

• Tornado outbreak spawns more than 100 twisters in Great Plains
• Tornadoes, severe weather carve path of damage across Midwest
• Weather trends insurance pros (and clients) should monitor in 2024