March 18–24, 2012 tornado outbreak sequence

March 18–24, 2012 tornado outbreak sequence

Type	Tornado outbreak
Duration	March 18 – March 24, 2012
Tornadoes confirmed	63 confirmed
Max rating1	EF3 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak2	seven days
Damage	$325 million (estimated)
Casualties	1 fatality
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado

The March 18–24, 2012 tornado outbreak sequence was a long lasting tornado outbreak that occurred due to a slow moving, but powerful trough and cutoff low. The outbreak began in the Great Plains, where, over a two-day period, several tornadoes touched down, some of which were significant. The North Platte area was damaged by an EF3 that was produced by a supercell that spawned many tornadoes throughout its lifespan. The tornadic activity then shifted the Southern United States over subsequent days, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi. These states were struck by a series of tornadoes for 3 days, most of which were relatively weak on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. However, a few reached EF2 intensity and caused considerable damage. Tornado activity continued across the Ohio Valley on the 23rd, with one confirmed fatality in southern Illinois.

Meteorological synopsis

March 18 – 19

As a powerful trough ejected into the Central Plains on March 18, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Slight risk for Severe Weather stretching from southern Nebraska to western Texas. That evening, many supercells evolved across the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, producing large hail and damaging wind gusts. As the supercells moved towards the northeast, four tornadoes were produced across western Oklahoma, all rated an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Early that night, a tornado-producing supercell moved across southwestern Nebraska, where four tornadoes were confirmed. The first was an EF3, the second was an EF1, the third was an EF3, and the fourth was an EF2. Severe damage was noted just to the west of the city of North Platte, Nebraska.

The following day, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Moderate risk of Severe Weather, encompassing much of central and eastern Texas, into southeastern Oklahoma and extreme western Arkansas. Although this event was not as severe as initially anticipated, an EF1 tornado was confirmed in Arkansas, as well as an EF0 in Minnesota, and an EF2 in central Texas, where extensive damage was noted near the city of Devine.

March 20 – 22

The slow moving system produced a series of tornadoes across the South for 3 days. Most of the damage occurred in Mississippi and Louisiana. An EF2 caused significant damage near Port Gibson, Mississippi, and another EF2 badly damaged a home near Pelahatchie. A tornado also damaged at least 20 homes in Lake Arthur, Louisiana. Other tornadoes occurred along the Gulf Coast, and one touched down in North Carolina as well.

March 23–24

A slight risk was issued for parts of the Ohio Valley, but notable tornado activity was not expected. However several tornadoes touched down across Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. Supercell thunderstorms developed and produced large hail as well. One EF1 tornado caused damage to homes in the Louisville metro area. Another EF2 tornado caused one fatality in southern Illinois. On the 24th, an isolated EF0 touched down in Florida as the outbreak moved eastward.

Tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita rating

EF0	EF1	EF2	EF3	EF4	EF5	Total
36	18	7	2	0	0	63

March 18 event

List of reported tornadoes - Sunday, March 18, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Oklahoma
EF0	W of Mangum	Greer		2350	3.85 miles (6.20 km)	No damage reported with this tornado.
EF0	WSW of Brinkman	Greer		0010	0.1 miles (160 m)	No damage reported with this tornado.
EF0	WNW of Willow	Greer		0027	1.4 miles (2.3 km)	No damage reported with this tornado.
EF0	NW of Willow	Greer		0037	1 mile (1.6 km)	No damage reported. This tornado was from the same supercell that produced the other tornadoes in Greer County.
Nebraska
EF3	SW of North Platte	Lincoln		0210	6.7 miles (10.8 km)	Two homes were damaged. Two transmission towers and several garages and outbuildings were destroyed. Extensive tree and power line damage occurred. Two people were injured.
EF1	WSW of North Platte	Lincoln		0213	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	A semi truck and fence line were destroyed. A garage was damaged and an irrigation pivot was destroyed. Extensive tree damage occurred. One person was injured.
EF3	NW of North Platte (1st tornado)	Lincoln		0214	1.7 miles (2.7 km)	Two homes were destroyed and two others suffered significant damage. Fifteen train cars and an irrigation pivot were overturned. Two people were injured.
EF2	NW of North Platte (2nd tornado)	Lincoln		0218	1.7 miles (2.7 km)	A barn, two homes, and a garage were destroyed with debris from the barn driven into the ground. An outbuilding was destroyed. Extensive tree damage occurred.
EF0	SSE of Ringgold	McPherson		0239	5.3 miles (8.5 km)	A church was damaged, a small storage building was destroyed, and a nine tower irrigation pivot system was twisted and overturned. Trees were uprooted.
EF0	NNW of Valentine	Cherry		0319	100 yards (91 m)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/18/12, NWS Norman, OK, NWS North Platte, NE

March 19 event

List of reported tornadoes - Monday, March 19, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Texas
EF2	ENE of Gardendale	Ector		0628	1 mile (1.6 km)	A camper was flipped, a cinder block fence was overturned, and a barn and trailer were destroyed. One house suffered significant roof damage and several power poles were damaged. A horse trailer and a cotton trailer were tossed, and a travel trailer was destroyed. Three people were injured.
EF2	WNW of Devine	Medina		0106	3.5 miles (5.6 km)	A semi trailer was overturned and a mobile home was destroyed. Multiple permanent homes were badly damaged or destroyed, and a steel storage shed was destroyed as well. Trees and power lines were also downed.
EF1	W of Lytle	Medina		0120	7 miles (11 km)	Power lines were knocked down and an RV was flipped.
EF2	NNE of Lytle	Bexar		0130	5 miles (8.0 km)	Damage reported to six homes, at least one of which had its roof torn off. Two people were injured.
Kansas
EF0	ESE of Montrose	Jewell		1055	0.8 miles (1.3 km)	A large machine shed was destroyed.
Minnesota
EF0	S of Elysian	Waseca, Le Sueur		2325	7 miles (11 km)	Second-earliest tornado on record in Minnesota history (earliest was on March 18, 1968). Numerous trees and several structures were damaged along the tornado's path.
Oklahoma
EF0	NW of Vian	Sequoyah		0120	0.1 miles (160 m)	Brief tornado over open country with no damage.
Arkansas
EF1	Uniontown	Crawford		0252	13 miles (21 km)	The roof of a mobile home was damaged, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF0	ENE of Efay	Washington		0320	1 mile (1.6 km)	Two homes and a Walmart were damaged and a few trees and tree limbs were snapped.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/19/12, NWS Odessa, TX, NWS San Antonio, TX, NWS Tulsa, OK

March 20 event

List of reported tornadoes - Tuesday, March 20, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Texas
EF0	NE of Longhorn	Bexar		0555	0.75 miles (1.21 km)	A post office and 10 homes suffered minor damage, with another home suffering major damage.
EF0	N of Kirby	Bexar		0559	0.25 miles (400 m)	A few homes sustained minor damage.
EF0	W of Runge	Karnes		0905	0.25 miles (400 m)	Houses and outbuildings suffered minor damage. A few trees were downed.
Louisiana
EF0	E of Zwolle	Sabine		1636	3 miles (4.8 km)	Several trees were snapped and uprooted and a few power lines were downed.
EF0	SE of Goldonna	Natchitoches, Winn		1815	2.1 miles (3.4 km)	Several trees were snapped or blown down. Power lines were also downed.
EF0	E of Natchitoches	Natchitoches		0228	1 mile (1.6 km)	Three mobile homes sustained damage, one with moderate roof damage. One tree was snapped.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/20/12, NWS Shreveport, LA

March 21 event

List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, March 21, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Louisiana
EF0	S of Sikes	Winn		0814	0.4 miles (0.64 km)	A few trees were snapped.
EF1	Lake Arthur area	Jefferson Davis		0930	2 miles (3.2 km)	An estimated 20 to 30 homes were damaged, barns destroyed, trees downed, and antennas blown off the top of a water tower.
EF1	S of Gueydan	Vermilion		0945	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	A tied-down mobile home was rolled upside down. Five homes and city hall sustained significant roof damage. About 20 homes received minor damage. Several outbuildings were destroyed and numerous trees were downed. There was one minor injury.
EF0	W of Henry	Vermilion		1035	1 mile (1.6 km)	Damage included a roof blown off a barn, several outbuildings destroyed, and several trees snapped.
EF1	Abbeville area	Vermilion		1045	1.5 miles (2.4 km)	A garage was destroyed and telephone poles were snapped.
EF0	Patterson area	St. Mary		1257	1 mile (1.6 km)	A few trees had limbs removed and a garage was damaged.
EF1	W of Grayson	Caldwell		1330	4.1 miles (6.6 km)	Twenty homes were damaged and 1 mobile home and several sheds were destroyed. Several trees were downed.
EF1	Prairieville area	Ascension		1434	3 miles (4.8 km)	Several homes sustained significant roof damage and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF1	E of Kleinpeter	East Baton Rouge		1443	0.6 miles (0.97 km)	Several homes suffered roof damage and numerous trees were downed.
EF1	NE of Corbin	Livingston		1505	0.6 miles (0.97 km)	Several trees were downed and a house lost part of its roof.
EF0	NE of Madisonville	St. Tammany		1716	0.5 miles (0.80 km)	Brief tornado damaged several homes and downed many trees.
EF0	NE of Abita Springs	St. Tammany		1735	1.4 miles (2.3 km)	Several trees were downed and a house suffered roof damage.
North Carolina
EF0	Wenona area	Washington		1500	100 yards (91 m)	Brief tornado with no damage.
Mississippi
EF1	E of McNair	Jefferson		1523	3 miles (4.8 km)	Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted.
EF2	NNE of Port Gibson	Claiborne, Warren		1551	10 miles (16 km)	Two mobile homes were destroyed and four power poles were snapped. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, one of which caused significant damage to a house.
EF1	SE of Vicksburg	Warren		1611	1.75 miles (2.82 km)	Several buildings were damaged, including a mobile home that was flipped. Numerous trees were downed.
EF2	WSW of Pelahatchie	Rankin		1904	6.3 miles (10.1 km)	Narrow tornado caused extensive damage to a home and snapped or uprooted numerous trees.
EF0	SE of Eastabuchie	Forrest		2100	0.3 miles (0.48 km)	Brief tornado snapped several trees and tore shingles off a home.
EF0	SW of Soso	Jones		2231	0.2 miles (0.32 km)	Brief tornado heavily damaged the roof of a chicken house and uprooted a tree.
EF0	NW of Long Beach	Harrison		0132	0.25 miles (0.40 km)	Brief tornado damaged a trailer.
EF0	ESE of Paulding	Jasper		0203	0.5 miles (0.80 km)	Brief tornado uprooted several trees.
EF1	NNE of Gulfport	Harrison		0535	1 mile (1.6 km)	A trailer was flipped and several homes lost part of their roofs.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/20/12, SPC Storm Reports for 03/21/12, NWS Shreveport, LA, NWS Lake Charles, LA, NWS Newport / Morehead City, NC, NWS Jackson, MS

March 22 event

List of reported tornadoes - Thursday, March 22, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Mississippi
EF0	N of Biloxi	Harrison		1010	4 miles (6.4 km)	One home sustained significant damage
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/21/12

March 23 event

List of reported tornadoes - Friday, March 23, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Alabama
EF1	NNW of Troy	Pike		1426	1.7 miles (2.7 km)	Several large trees were snapped or uprooted. Two houses, three chicken barns, and a single-wide manufactured home suffered minor damage.
EF0	NW of Malvern	Geneva		1748	1.7 miles (2.7 km)	A few houses suffered minor roof damage and several trees were downed.
Missouri
EF0	NE of Cape Girardeau	Cape Girardeau		1633	0.25 miles (400 m)	Brief tornado caused roof damage to several homes and downed a few small trees.
EF1	NW of Neely's Landing	Cape Girardeau		1638	0.6 miles (0.97 km)	Trees and powerlines were downed.
Illinois
EF0	E of Murphysboro	Jackson		1714	1.8 miles (2.9 km)	A few trees were downed.
EF1	NW of Desoto	Jackson		1724	7.5 miles (12.1 km)	Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped. Several sheds, barns, and homes were damaged and a flag pole was blown down.
EF2	NW of Opdyke	Jefferson		1826	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	1 death – A double wide mobile home was thrown 100 feet (30 m) and destroyed. One home and three barns were damaged, one heavily. Several trees were uprooted or snapped. In addition to the fatality, two people were injured.
EF0	NNE of Kell	Marion		1857	100 yards (91 m)	Brief touchdown with no damage.
Kentucky
EF1	S of Jeffersontown	Jefferson		1807	2.5 miles (4.0 km)	Several homes were damaged, some severely. Numerous trees were downed.
EF1	E of Finchville	Shelby		1828	2.25 miles (3.62 km)	Two barns were destroyed and two others were damaged. A trailer was overturned and about two dozen trees were snapped to uprooted.
Georgia
EF0	S of Kolomoki Mounds State Park	Early		2020	3.6 miles (5.8 km)	Several trees were downed and minor roof damage occurred to a couple of structures.
Indiana
EF0	WNW of Center Square	Switzerland		2039	unknown	Brief tornado with no damage.
Ohio
EF0	Harlan Township area	Warren		2330	0.5 miles (0.80 km)	Brief tornado significantly damaged a pole barn and a nearby home. Debris from the barn was found up to 50 yd (46 m) upstream. Several trees were also uprooted and many more were snapped.
EF0	Clarksville area	Clinton		2350	0.3 miles (0.48 km)	Brief tornado struck the village of Clarksville, causing minor damage to numerous structures.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/23/12, NWS Louisville, NWS Birmingham, NWS Paducah, KY, NWS Wilmington, OH
Sources: [1]

March 24 event

List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, March 24, 2012
EF#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Florida
EF0	W of Gainesville	Alachua		1840	4.6 miles (7.4 km)	Two homes and a carport were damaged. Many trees were downed as well.
Sources: SPC Storm Reports for 03/24/12, NCDC Storm Events Database

See also

• Tornadoes of 2012
• List of United States tornadoes in March 2012