2011 on Pace to Be Deadliest U.S. Tornado Year

The tornado that raked Joplin, Mo., was the deadliest single twister in the United States since 1953, putting 2011 on pace for a possible record year for tornado fatalities, U.S. weather experts said.

As of May 25, this is the eighth-deadliest tornado year on record in the United States, with 481 people killed, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.

April was a record month for the number of U.S. tornadoes, with 875; the previous monthly record was 267, set in 1974, but this was before the advent of technologies like Doppler radar, mobile electronics and the Internet, which all ease tornado tracking and reporting.