Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946

Tornado outbreak of January 4–6, 1946
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationJanuary 4–6, 1946
Highest winds
  • 207–260 miles per hour (333–418 km/h)
Tornadoes
confirmed
≥10
Max. rating1F4 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak2
52 hours
Fatalities47 fatalities, 412+ injuries
Damage>$3.1 million (1946 USD)
Areas affectedSouth—Central United States

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

On January 4–6, 1946, a small but violent tornado outbreak struck the South-Central United States, killing 47 people and injuring at least 412 others. L. H. Seamon with the US Weather Bureau, the predecessor of the National Weather Service, later stated it was the "most disastrous" tornado event of the year; the US Weather Bureau stated in 1960 that January 4, 1946 had "outstanding tornadoes".