Two severe weather events in May brought the number of billion-dollar disasters for the United States in 2024 up to nearly a dozen.
The month began with a tornado outbreak from May 6 to May 10 that stretched across 23 states, going from South Dakota to Florida. There were 167 tornadoes confirmed, including a deadly EF-4 per the Enhanced Fujita Scale, on the first day of the outbreak. This tornado devastated the towns of Barnsdall and Bartlesville in Oklahoma. Almost a week later, a derecho (a widespread, elongated wind storm that can form alongside fast-moving, severe thunderstorms) roared through Houston, Texas, with winds reaching speeds up to 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour).
