Joplin tornado: Will it be one of the Top 5 costliest?

4. Xenia, Ohio, 1974 – $1.1 billion

Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Weather Service/File
Damaged cars and building in Xenia, Ohio, are shown in this 1974 file photo. The tornado that struck Xenia was part of a larger outbreak of tornadoes in multiple states.

Dozens of tornadoes touched down across Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky during the “1974 super outbreak.” The tornadoes caused 159 fatalities and injured 4,145 people on April 3 and 4. The worst of the tornadoes, which bulldozed Xenia, Ohio, killed more than 30 people and injured 1,100. The twister destroyed more than 1,000 homes in the area.

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