Historical eventNovember 172013

Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013

An outbreak of 77 confirmed tornadoes occurred in seven U.S. states; it became the largest November tornado outbreak in Illinois and Indiana.

Everything on November 17Original source

In context

When
Sunday, November 17 201313 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
21st century · 2010s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 2013.

What came beforeAI-assisted

November tornado outbreaks are relatively uncommon in the Midwest, making significant November activity rare. Illinois had not experienced a major November tornado outbreak of this magnitude in its recorded history prior to 2013.

Catalyst / how it startedAI-assisted

A strong upper-level trough moved across the Midwest, creating atmospheric conditions favorable for severe weather development. The trough's passage on November 17 triggered widespread tornado formation across multiple states.

Who was involvedAI-assisted

The outbreak affected seven states across the Midwest and Ohio River Valley, with Illinois and Indiana experiencing the most significant impacts. Illinois recorded the deadliest and costliest November outbreak in its history, while Indiana experienced its largest November tornado outbreak on record.

TimelineAI-assisted

November 17, 2013: A total of 77 tornadoes tracked across the affected region throughout the day. Two EF4-rated tornadoes in Illinois produced the strongest winds of the outbreak and caused five deaths combined.

What happened

On November 17, 2013, the deadliest and costliest November tornado outbreak in Illinois history took shape, becoming the fourth-largest for the state overall. With more than 30 tornadoes in Indiana, it was that state's largest tornado outbreak for the month of November, and the second largest outbreak recorded in Indiana. Associated with a strong trough in the upper levels of the atmosphere, the event resulted in 77 tornadoes tracking across regions of the Midwest United States and Ohio River Valley,

November 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1993Sani Abacha
  2. 1997Luxor
  3. 1997Luxor massacre
  4. 2000Alberto Fujimori
  5. 2000Landslide
  6. 2003Arnold Schwarzenegger
  7. 2009University of East Anglia
  8. 2012Manfalut train–bus collision
  9. 2013Tatarstan Airlines Flight 363
  10. 2013Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013
  11. 2019COVID-19

Also in 2013

  • May 112013 Reyhanlı car bombingsTwo car bombs by unknown perpetrators exploded in Reyhanlı, Turkey, resulting in 52 killed and 140 injured.
  • September 12NASANASA confirms that its Voyager 1 probe has become the first manmade object to enter interstellar space.
  • September 13TalibanTaliban insurgents attack the United States consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, with two members of the Afghan National Police reported dead…
  • September 15Ivan KuleshThe Belarusian serial killer Ivan Kulesh murdered two saleswomen in Lida.
  • September 16Washington Navy Yard shootingA lone gunman fatally shot twelve people and injured three others at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C.
  • September 17Grand Theft Auto VGrand Theft Auto V earns more than half a billion dollars on its first day of release.
  • September 18Via RailA VIA Rail train crashes into a double-decker bus at a train station in Ottawa, Canada, killing six people and injuring 35 others.
  • July 13Typhoon Soulik (2013)Typhoon Soulik (pictured) made landfall in East China and Taiwan, killing at least 20 people.

Everything we record for 2013 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/tornado-outbreak-of-november-17-2013-2013-november-17, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Tornado outbreak of November 17, 2013 happen?

November 17 2013 — 13 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints. Panels marked AI-assisted were filled where the sources left a heading empty.

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