3,647
Recorded events
1,505
Counties affected
53
Direct deaths
$616.1M
Property damage
The 1978 severe weather season produced 3,647 recorded events across 1,505 U.S. counties, with 53 direct deaths. It ranks #54 among all years in the archive by event count.
Through the year
1978 severe weather by month
By hazard type
What hit the U.S. in 1978
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 1,752 | 0 | $0 |
| Hail | 1,020 | 0 | $0 |
| Tornado | 875 | 53 | $616.1M |
Deadliest days
The deadliest events of 1978
| Date | Event | County | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 1978 | Tornado F1 | Osage County, Kansas | 16 | 3 |
| Jul 5, 1978 | Tornado F4 | Grant County, North Dakota | 5 | 35 |
| Apr 18, 1978 | Tornado F4 | Lawrence County, Mississippi | 4 | 31 |
| Sep 17, 1978 | Tornado F3 | Poweshiek County, Iowa | 4 | 43 |
| Jul 5, 1978 | Tornado F2 | Norman County, Minnesota | 3 | 35 |
| May 31, 1978 | Tornado F3 | Jackson County, Kansas | 3 | 1 |
| May 4, 1978 | Tornado F3 | Pinellas County, Florida | 3 | 94 |
| Sep 17, 1978 | Tornado F3 | Jasper County, Iowa | 2 | 2 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | Tornado F4 | Bossier Parish, Louisiana | 2 | 266 |
| Dec 3, 1978 | Tornado F3 | Webster Parish, Louisiana | 2 | 3 |
Violent tornadoes
EF4 and EF5 tornadoes of 1978
| Date | Scale | Touchdown county | Deaths | Path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978-07-04 | EF4 | Grant County, North Dakota | 5 | 26.0 mi |
| 1978-04-18 | EF4 | Lawrence County, Mississippi | 4 | 19.1 mi |
| 1978-12-03 | EF4 | Caddo Parish, Louisiana | 2 | 6.2 mi |
| 1978-04-17 | EF4 | Washington County, Mississippi | 0 | 3.6 mi |
| 1978-04-30 | EF4 | Canadian County, Oklahoma | 0 | 9.3 mi |
| 1978-04-07 | EF4 | Hamilton County, Nebraska | 0 | 31.2 mi |
| 1978-04-07 | EF4 | Polk County, Nebraska | 0 | 8.0 mi |