Tornado climatology
The United States averaged 1,274 tornadoes per year in the last decade. April 2011 saw the most tornadoes ever recorded for any month in the US National Weather Service's history, 875; the previous record was 542 in one month. It has more tornadoes yearly than any other country and reports more violent (F4 and F5) tornadoes than anywhere else.
Tornadoes of 2008
There were 1,692 tornadoes confirmed in the United States in 2008, with 126 confirmed fatalities. This made 2008 the deadliest year in that country since 1998. Nine other fatalities have been reported elsewhere in the world: three in France, two each in Bangladesh and Poland and one each in Russia and China. With 1,692 confirmed tornadoes, 2008 ranked as the third most active US tornado season on record, only 2011 and 2004 have had more tornadoes confirmed with 1,697 and 1,817, respectively. The US state of Kansas received the most tornadoes in the United States in 2008 with 187.