23,804
Recorded events
1.8%
Share of the whole archive
361
Direct deaths
$4.3B
Property damage
January severe weather accounts for 23,804 recorded events — 1.8% of everything in the U.S. archive — spread across 2,220 counties, with 361 direct deaths since 1950.
By hazard type
What hits the U.S. in January
| Hazard | Events | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 9,087 | 21 |
| Flash Flood | 3,736 | 85 |
| Hail | 3,553 | 0 |
| Flood | 3,412 | 31 |
| Tornado | 2,226 | 181 |
| Heavy Rain | 1,043 | 10 |
| Lightning | 192 | 3 |
| Debris Flow | 183 | 23 |
| Funnel Cloud | 173 | 0 |
| Winter Storm | 60 | 0 |
By state
States with the most January severe weather
| Rank | State | Events |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | 2,198 |
| #2 | Texas | 1,972 |
| #3 | Mississippi | 1,834 |
| #4 | Alabama | 1,601 |
| #5 | Georgia | 1,547 |
| #6 | Florida | 1,385 |
| #7 | Arkansas | 1,358 |
| #8 | Louisiana | 1,307 |
| #9 | Kentucky | 1,277 |
| #10 | Tennessee | 1,098 |
| #11 | Missouri | 910 |
| #12 | North Carolina | 828 |
| #13 | Virginia | 684 |
| #14 | Indiana | 621 |
| #15 | Illinois | 557 |
Significant events
The deadliest January events on record
| Date | Event | County | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 9, 2018 | Debris Flow | Santa Barbara County, California | 21 |
| Jan 23, 1969 | Tornado F4 | Simpson County, Mississippi | 12 |
| Jan 23, 1969 | Tornado F4 | Copiah County, Mississippi | 11 |
| Jan 25, 1964 | Tornado F4 | Shelby County, Alabama | 10 |
| Jan 22, 1957 | Tornado F4 | Sequoyah County, Oklahoma | 10 |
| Jan 23, 1969 | Tornado F4 | Smith County, Mississippi | 9 |
| Jan 22, 2017 | Tornado EF3 | Cook County, Georgia | 7 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | Tornado EF3 | Autauga County, Alabama | 7 |
| Jan 8, 1998 | Flash Flood | Carter County, Tennessee | 7 |
| Jan 19, 1996 | Flash Flood | Lycoming County, Pennsylvania | 6 |