Central and Southern Severe Weather
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $6.2 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($6.0 billion at the time) and 3 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 71 most significant severe storm episodes filed in these dates, colored by kind.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Losses, 2024 dollars
- $6.2 billion
- Losses at the time
- $6.0 billion
- Deaths
- 3
The losses and deaths are NCEI’s, counting everything the disaster did. The episodes below are only what the Weather Service filed in its Storm Events record, which counts damage differently and often not at all, so the two never add up and are shown apart.
From Wikipedia
A significant early spring tornado outbreak occurred throughout the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, with the most significant impacts occurring in Indiana and Ohio. More than two dozen tornadoes occurred, eight of them strong to intense. National Weather Service offices issued multiple 'Particularly Dangerous Situation' tornado warnings. Strong tornadoes produced major damage in the communities of Selma and Winchester in Indiana, and Fryburg and Lakeview in Ohio. One person died in Winchester, and three people were killed in Lakeview. Other significant tornadoes caused damage in Kansas, Arkansas, and Kentucky, with scattered weak tornadoes confirmed in several other states.
In addition to tornadoes, severe weather occurred across the West and East South Central U.S. Damaging winds and large hail was reported in Oklahoma, Missouri, and parts of the Deep South. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding was reported in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Text from Wikipedia, “Tornado outbreak of March 13–15, 2024”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Quoted as written; the full article has the rest.
By state, as filed
| State | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 83 | 1 | 37 | $30 million |
| Missouri | 121 | 0 | 0 | $21 million |
| Texas | 85 | 0 | 0 | $13 million |
| Ohio | 56 | 3 | 29 | $11 million |
| Oklahoma | 116 | 0 | 0 | $2.5 million |
| Illinois | 72 | 0 | 0 | $955,000 |
| Mississippi | 29 | 0 | 0 | $556,000 |
| Kentucky | 39 | 0 | 2 | $226,000 |
| Arkansas | 57 | 0 | 0 | $175,000 |
| Alabama | 48 | 0 | 0 | $165,000 |
| Tennessee | 11 | 0 | 0 | $76,000 |
| Louisiana | 12 | 0 | 0 | $26,000 |
| Georgia | 11 | 0 | 0 | $23,000 |
| Kansas | 92 | 0 | 0 | |
| California | 14 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pennsylvania | 12 | 0 | 0 | |
| Iowa | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Hail in Missouri, March 12, 2024In the late afternoon hours of March 12th, a supercell developed over the Lee's Summit/Greenwood area, dropping golf ball or larger hail across portions of Greenwood, Lone Jack, and up toward Oak Grove.
- Hail in Kansas, March 12, 2024An isolated storm developed over Neosho County and quickly became severe. Half-dollar sized was reported in eastern Neosho County as the storm quickly moved off to the east.
- Hail in Kansas, March 12, 2024A lone supercell thunderstorm developed on the evening of March 12th and moved southeast through southeast Kansas into southwest Missouri. This supercell storm produced a swath of large hail along its path with the highest reported hail size of ping pong ball size.
- Hail in Missouri, March 12, 2024A lone supercell thunderstorm developed on the evening of March 12th and moved southeast through southeast Kansas into southwest Missouri. This supercell storm produced a swath of large hail along its path with the highest reported hail size of golf ball size.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in California, March 13 to 15, 2024A second, late season, storm rolled across Southwestern California. This storm brought strong north to northeast winds as well as strong thunderstorms with gusty outflow winds and hail.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Missouri, March 13 to 14, 2024A warm front provided focus for convective initiation during the afternoon and evening of March 13th. Discrete thunderstorms grew upscale and produced up to 1.50 inch hail in portions of central and southeast Missouri.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Illinois, March 13, 2024A warm front provided focus for convective initiation during the afternoon and evening of March 13th. Discrete thunderstorms grew upscale and produced up to 1.75 inch hail in portions of southwest Illinois with the largest stones falling in southern Monroe and Randolph Counties.
- Hail and High Wind in Kansas, March 13 to 14, 2024Mainly between 6-11:30 p.m. CDT on this Wednesday evening, the first strong to severe thunderstorms of 2024 rumbled across predominantly southern portions of this six-county North Central Kansas area, prompting several reports of large hail up to golf ball size within Rooks and…
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, March 13 to 14, 2024Widely scattered strong to marginally severe storms impacted much of the area during the evening and nighttime hours on March 13.
- Hail in Kansas, March 13, 2024Numerous two inch hail reports in scattered locations around Trego and Ellis counties. Damage to Campers occurred at the bait and tackle shop across from the Cedar Bluff Reservoir Dam.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, March 13, 2024Around 7 pm on March 13, a supercell developed west of Kansas City across the Kansas side suburbs, dropping massive hail across portions of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. Additional storms developed through the evening hours, producing more hail across the area.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, March 13 to 14, 2024Supercell thunderstorms formed along a warm front on the evening of March 13th. The supercells produced numerous reports of large hail some as large as baseballs and softballs. The supercells also produced at least 2 strong tornadoes.
- Hail in Missouri, March 13, 2024During the late afternoon and evening hours, storms brough large hail and damaging winds to much of the region.
- Hail in Illinois, March 13 to 14, 2024A slow-moving warm front lifting northward into central Illinois triggered a couple waves of strong to severe convection during the evening of March 13th and again during the early morning of March 14th.
- Hail in Oklahoma, March 13, 2024Scattered thunderstorms developed into northeastern Oklahoma during the early evening of the 13th, along and ahead of a dry line that had mixed to near a Pawhuska to Shawnee line.
- Hail in Missouri, March 13, 2024Widespread severe weather was seen overnight from March 13 into 14 across southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri, and western Illinois. Several severe wind and hail reports were received, along with an EF1 tornado in Warren County.
- Hail in Indiana, March 13, 2024Robust southerly afternoon breezes boosted dewpoints into the mid-50s at Terre Haute, before widely scattered overnight thunderstorms produced mainly sub-severe hail across central Indiana, with one report of ping-pong sized hail in Vigo County.
- Hail in Iowa, March 13, 2024Widespread severe weather was seen overnight from March 13 into 14 across southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri, and western Illinois. Several severe wind and hail reports were received, along with an EF1 tornado in Warren County.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Illinois, March 14, 2024Widespread severe weather was seen overnight from March 13 into 14 across southeast Iowa, northeast Missouri, and western Illinois. Several severe wind and hail reports were received, along with an EF1 tornado in Warren County.
- Tornado and Hail in Missouri, March 14, 2024A cluster of severe thunderstorms moved through southern Missouri during the afternoon and evening hours on the 14th. A swath of damaging winds occurred along with intermittent large hail and one weak tornado.
- Tornado in Illinois, March 14, 2024A nearly stationary frontal boundary extending from northern Indiana to northern Missouri triggered several bands of thunderstorms across west-central Illinois during the pre-dawn hours of March 14th.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Illinois, March 14, 2024Just after sunrise, a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced five confirmed EF-0 tornadoes. Four of these occurred in rural south-central Illinois, and another tracked through Charlack, Missouri in northern St. Louis County.
- Tornado and Hail in Missouri, March 14, 2024Just after sunrise, a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced five confirmed EF-0 tornadoes. Four of these occurred in rural south-central Illinois, and another tracked through Charlack, Missouri in northern St. Louis County.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, March 14, 2024On March 14, 2024, in the warm sector ahead of a cold front, a supercell formed on the southern side of a convective line moving east through central Indiana.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, March 14, 2024Two rounds of thunderstorms in total brought severe weather to half of central Indiana's counties. During the late morning to early afternoon hours on the 14th, a decaying line of storms brought prolific small hail and isolated wind damage to much of the state.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Oklahoma, March 14, 2024Despite a rather nebulous/non-traditional synoptic regime for severe weather (evidence of rising mid/upper-level heights), numerous organized severe thunderstorms developed across portions of western-north Texas into south-central/southeast Oklahoma from the late morning into…
- Tornado and Hail in Indiana, March 14, 2024A second round of thunderstorms on this date resulted in a couple instances of damaging wind gusts. A third and final round of thunderstorms late in the afternoon resulted in large hail up to 2 and a few reports of wall clouds in Wells and Grant Counties.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, March 14, 2024Multiple rounds of thunderstorms moved through on this date. A third and final round of thunderstorms late in the afternoon resulted in large hail and instances of damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, March 14, 2024Severe thunderstorms developed across eastern Oklahoma on the 14th, as a cold front moved through the area. The combination of very strong instability and strong deep-layer wind shear resulted in some supercell thunderstorms developing.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, March 14, 2024On March 14, 2024, in the warm sector ahead of a cold front, a supercell formed on the southern side of a convective line moving east through central Indiana.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, March 14, 2024Thunderstorms developed in an unseasonably warm and humid airmass ahead of an approaching cold front.
- Tornado and Hail in Indiana, March 14, 2024Thunderstorms developed in an unseasonably warm and humid airmass ahead of an approaching cold front.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, March 14, 2024Severe thunderstorms developed across northwestern Arkansas on the 14th, as a cold front moved through the area. The combination of very strong instability and strong deep-layer wind shear resulted in some supercell thunderstorms developing.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Ohio, March 14, 2024Thunderstorms developed in an unseasonably warm and humid airmass ahead of an approaching cold front.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 14, 2024A strong cold front moved through the region during the afternoon and evening hours of March 14th. There were widespread reports of large hail as the storms moved through, some up to 3 inches in diameter. There were also several reports of damaging winds.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, March 14, 2024A cold front interacting with an unseasonably warm and humid airmass characterized by temperatures in the middle 70s and dewpoints in the lower to middle 60s triggered a broken line of severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening of March 14th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, March 14, 2024An Enhanced risk of severe weather was issued for a large part of northern and western Arkansas. The Enhanced risk would easily verify as a cold front careened into an unstable atmosphere in place across Arkansas.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, March 14, 2024A strong cold front moved through the region during the afternoon and evening hours of March 14th. There were widespread reports of large hail as the storms moved through, some up to 3 inches in diameter. There were also several reports of damaging winds.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 14 to 15, 2024Scattered storms formed ahead of a dryline and cold front on the afternoon and night of March 14th, producing hail near and east of I-35 and north of I-20. 3 inch hail was reported west of Roanoke. Wind damage was reported in Collin County.
- Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, March 14, 2024A very unstable airmass developed across the Middle Red River Valley of Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours on March 14th.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Ohio, March 14, 2024A cold front drifted south-southeastward from near the northern shore of Lake Erie and southern Lower MI to near the southern shore of Lake Erie and far-northwestern OH during the evening of the 14th as a warm and relatively-moist sector preceded the front in northern OH.
- Tornado and Hail in Mississippi, March 14 to 15, 2024A weak surface low pressure system moved from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Mississippi Valley while a cold front slowly pressed southeast into the Mid-South during the afternoon of March 14th into the early morning hours of March 15th.
- Hail in Ohio, March 14, 2024Due to earlier clouds and rain, low-level instability was muted during the evening of March 14th. However, an approaching cold front was able to tap into elevated instability and work with sufficient shear to create another round of strong thunderstorms.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 14, 2024A cluster of severe thunderstorms moved northeast from Mississippi into northwest Alabama during the evening hours. The thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in a few locations.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 14, 2024A cold front, which stretched from Oklahoma to Central Illinois over to Northern Ohio, progressed slowly through the Quad State region, with an MCS moving through during the evening hours. An early afternoon SGF sounding placed MLCAPE at around 2000 J/kg.
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 14, 2024A cold front, which stretched from Oklahoma to Central Illinois over to Northern Ohio, progressed slowly through the Quad State region, with an MCS moving through during the evening hours. An early afternoon SGF sounding placed MLCAPE at around 2000 J/kg.
- Hail in Pennsylvania, March 14, 2024Due to earlier clouds and rain, low-level instability was muted during the evening of March 14th. However, an approaching cold front was able to tap into elevated instability and work with sufficient shear to create another round of strong thunderstorms.
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, March 14, 2024A weak surface low pressure system moved from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Mississippi Valley while a cold front slowly pressed southeast into the Mid-South during the afternoon of March 14th into the early morning hours of March 15th.
- Hail in Arkansas, March 14, 2024A weak surface low pressure system moved from the Southern Plains into the Mid-Mississippi Valley while a cold front slowly pressed southeast into the Mid-South during the afternoon of March 14th into the early morning hours of March 15th.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 14, 2024A cold front, which stretched from Oklahoma to Central Illinois over to Northern Ohio, progressed slowly through the Quad State region, with an MCS moving through during the evening hours. An early afternoon SGF sounding placed MLCAPE at around 2000 J/kg.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, March 14 to 15, 2024Thunderstorms impacted Middle Tennessee during the late evening hours of March 14, 2024 and into the early morning hours of March 15th. The first round of thunderstorms were discrete when they moved into southwest Middle Tennessee.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 14, 2024A cold front, which stretched from Oklahoma to Central Illinois over to Northern Ohio, progressed slowly through the Quad State region, with an MCS moving through during the evening hours. An early afternoon SGF sounding placed MLCAPE at around 2000 J/kg.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 14, 2024A very unstable airmass developed across the Middle Red River Valley of Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma during the afternoon and evening hours on March 14th.
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, March 14 to 15, 2024Thunderstorms developed across portions of the Heartland and the Northwest Hill Country during the late night of the 14th into the morning hours of the 15th. A few storms were severe and produced large hail and a tornado in McCulloch County.
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 15, 2024A very slow moving cold front was lined up west of the state during the day on Friday May 14th. A line of storms developed along this cold front and raced eastward ahead of the front, making it into eastern KY during the overnight hours.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, March 15, 2024A cold front moved through the region and caused a line of storms to push across the area and bring some isolated severe storms.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Alabama, March 15, 2024A line of strong to severe thunderstorms dropped southeast through north Alabama during the early morning hours of the 15th. Several trees were knocked down due to the high winds, especially in Morgan County. One brief EF-0 tornado also occurred in DeKalb County.
- Tornado in Tennessee, March 15, 2024A line of thunderstorms dropped southeast through southern middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of the 15th. A brief EF-0 tornado occurred just southwest of Belvidere in Franklin County.
- Flash Flooding in Louisiana, March 15, 2024Strong and deep convection became widespread over the Ark-La-Tex and downstream portions of southern Arkansas on March 15th.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 15, 2024A pre-frontal line of thunderstorms moved into western Alabama after 5 AM CDT on March 15, bringing gusty winds that led to damage across Lamar, Winston, Fayette, Blount, Etowah, and Cherokee counties.
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, March 15, 2024Strong and deep convection became widespread over the Ark-La-Tex and downstream portions of southern Arkansas on March 15th.
- Flash Flooding in Texas, March 15, 2024Strong and deep convection became widespread over the Ark-La-Tex and downstream portions of southern Arkansas on March 15th.
- Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 15, 2024Showers and thunderstorms draped along a cold front in northern Louisiana began racing southeastward late morning on March 15th. Based on local upper air soundings, these storms were moving into an environment with ample mid and upper level instability.
- Hail in Alabama, March 15, 2024A sever storm produced large hail in Monroe County.
- Tornado in Mississippi, March 15, 2024Showers and thunderstorms draped along a cold front in northern Louisiana began racing southeastward late morning on March 15th. Based on local upper air soundings, these storms were moving into an environment with ample mid and upper level instability.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Georgia, March 15, 2024A line of thunderstorms moved through the area starting in Northwest GA in the morning. Cloud cover ahead of the line and weak solar heating lead to the storms weakening as they moved through North-Central and Central GA.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 15 to 17, 2024Several rounds of severe thunderstorms produced numerous reports of large hail and wind damage.
- Hail in Texas, March 15, 2024Thunderstorms developed along a cold front in a moist unstable airmass. Some of these storms produced large hail.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 15, 2024Showers and thunderstorms developed over southeast Texas along a stalled frontal boundary. A couple storms became severe.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 15, 2024Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front with a few reports of trees down and hail in southwest Georgia.
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 15, 2024A couple of clusters of strong to severe storms moved ESE across GA during the late afternoon and evening hours ahead of a cold front. Gusty winds produced areas of mainly tree and some structure damage.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2024Tornadoes in 2024
Sources
NOAA NCEI, U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2025), https://doi.org/10.25921/stkw-7w73, and the Storm Events Database for the episodes.