Central/Southeast Tornado Outbreak
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $2.3 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($1.8 billion at the time) and 6 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 97 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
- $2.3 billion
- Losses at the time
- $1.8 billion
- Deaths
- 6
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.
By state, as filed
| State | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 230 | 0 | 7 | $12 million |
| Illinois | 132 | 3 | 16 | $12 million |
| Missouri | 160 | 1 | 12 | $9.0 million |
| Tennessee | 160 | 0 | 3 | $8.9 million |
| Indiana | 120 | 0 | 24 | $6.4 million |
| Ohio | 125 | 0 | 0 | $2.4 million |
| Arkansas | 81 | 0 | 5 | $1.2 million |
| Georgia | 22 | 0 | 0 | $1.0 million |
| West Virginia | 72 | 0 | 2 | $521,000 |
| Virginia | 65 | 0 | 0 | $134,000 |
| Kansas | 27 | 0 | 0 | $131,000 |
| South Carolina | 29 | 0 | 0 | $87,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0 | $75,000 |
| Mississippi | 10 | 0 | 0 | $45,000 |
| North Carolina | 30 | 0 | 0 | $32,000 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 0 | 0 | $30,000 |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 0 | 0 | $27,000 |
| Arizona | 20 | 1 | 1 | $20,000 |
| Alabama | 46 | 0 | 0 | $15,000 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| Hawaii | 21 | 0 | 0 | $7,000 |
| Texas | 25 | 0 | 0 | $3,000 |
| Maryland | 70 | 0 | 1 | $2,000 |
| Iowa | 31 | 0 | 0 | |
| New Jersey | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| Michigan | 15 | 0 | 0 | |
| District of Columbia | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delaware | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Hail in Texas, February 26, 2017A weak upper level shortwave trough kicked off isolated thunderstorms one of which produced penny size hail.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Arizona, February 27 to 28, 2017The second of two low pressure systems hit northern Arizona with a generous moisture tap. This produced abundant snow above around 6,000 feet and heavy rain below that elevation. Several locations along and north of the Mogollon Rim experienced strong to high winds.
- Hail in Texas, February 27, 2017Scattered thunderstorms developed in advance of a dryline and a cold front on Monday Feb 27. Several storms became severe with large hail.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, February 27 to 28, 2017Severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds and large hail to parts of Arkansas.
- Hail in Mississippi, February 27, 2017A severe storm produced large hail in southeast Mississippi.
- Hail in Texas, February 27, 2017A moderately unstable airmass developed across a portion of the Southern Plains late in the afternoon on the 27th.
- Flash Flooding and Winter Storm in Hawaii, February 27 to 28, 2017The combination of a nearby surface low and upper trough brought heavy showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Aloha State, mainly Kauai, Oahu, and Maui. Some of the rainfall was enough to cause flash flooding in a few instances.
- Hail in Missouri, February 28, 2017Ahead of a low pressure center over the central Plains, clusters of thunderstorms developed in a strong southerly wind flow of warm and humid air. The storms were fed by a moderate amount of elevated instability, with most-unstable capes over 1000 j/kg.
- Hail in Wisconsin, February 28, 2017A surge of warm, moist, and unstable air aloft brought scattered thunderstorms with large hail to portions of southern WI.
- Lightning Strike in Kentucky, February 28, 2017A lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed a building near Stanton on February 28, 2017.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, February 28, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms impacted much of the region from the afternoon of February 28th through the early morning hours of March 1st, 2017.
- Lightning Strike in West Virginia, February 28, 2017The combination of an upper level disturbance and increasing moisture on strong southwest flow lead to showers with isolated thunderstorms on February 28.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, February 28, 2017A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 28th and lasted into the early morning hours of March 1st 2017. Four tornadoes were documented to have occurred in the National Weather Service St.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, February 28, 2017An unseasonably warm and humid airmass was in place across central Illinois on February 28th...with afternoon high temperatures soaring to record levels in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, February 28, 2017Following a week of record highs, a late winter severe weather outbreak brought widespread severe thunderstorms to Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. Supercell thunderstorms produced numerous reports of large hail and a few tornadoes.
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, February 28, 2017Following a week of record highs, a late winter severe weather outbreak brought widespread severe thunderstorms to Iowa, Illinois, and northeast Missouri. Supercell thunderstorms produced numerous reports of large hail and a few tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, February 28, 2017A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 28th and lasted into the early morning hours of March 1st 2017. Four tornadoes were documented to have occurred in the National Weather Service St.
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Illinois, February 28, 2017The late afternoon into the evening of Tuesday, February 28 brought a favorable setup for severe weather, including strong tornadoes across much of the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Lower Great Lakes regions.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Indiana, February 28, 2017A warm front moved into far southern Lower Michigan, enhancing low level shear and an already unstable environment to allow for a line of thunderstorms to develop and become severe as it tracked across far southern Lower Michigan and far northern Indiana.
- Hail in Missouri, February 28, 2017On the evening of February 28, a cold front pushed through the are area, forming a line of thunderstorms that produced large hail.
- Hail in Kansas, February 28, 2017On the evening of February 28, a cold front pushed through the are area, forming a line of thunderstorms that produced large hail.
- Hail in Ohio, February 28, 2017Isolated thunderstorms developed and became locally severe with marginally severe hail occurring.
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, February 28, 2017Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Indiana during the evening hours of February 28th.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, February 28, 2017A large Pacific low pressure system brought considerable moisture to the central deserts on February 28th, and as a result there was considerable urban and small stream flooding as well as numerous flowing washes.
- Tornadoes in Arkansas, February 28, 2017Two tornadoes were noted in White County on February 28, 2017.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Michigan, February 28, 2017A warm front moved into far southern Lower Michigan, enhancing low level shear and an already unstable environment to allow for a line of thunderstorms to develop and become severe as it tracked across far southern Lower Michigan and far northern Indiana.
- Tornado and Hail in Missouri, February 28, 2017Isolated supercell thunderstorms developed across southeast Missouri during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, February 28, 2017Isolated supercell thunderstorms moved into southern Illinois during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, February 28, 2017Isolated severe thunderstorms developed across western Kentucky during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, February 28, 2017A low pressure system brought very warm and unstable air for late February/early March to central Indiana. The result was severe thunderstorms and 7 tornadoes.
- Hail in Kansas, February 28, 2017On the evening of the 28th, a strong southeast-moving cold front surged across Southeast Kansas. The front encountered an extremely moist and equally unstable air mass.
- Tornadoes in Indiana, February 28, 2017An isolated but very powerful supercell thunderstorm moved across southwest Indiana during the late evening hours. The storm originated over Missouri in a destabilizing pre-frontal air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, February 28, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms impacted much of the region from the afternoon of February 28th through the early morning hours of March 1st, 2017.
- Damaging Wind in Michigan, February 28, 2017Thunderstorm winds brought down a tree just southeast of Hudson.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, March 1, 2017A warm front, responsible for isolated wind damage and tornadoes during the late evening hours of February 28th, remained over southern Lower Michigan into the overnight hours of March 1st.
- Hail in Michigan, March 1, 2017A thunderstorm produced 1 inch hail in Washtenaw County.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Indiana, March 1, 2017The combination of a moist and unseasonably warm air mass and an approaching low pressure system and cold front brought multiple rounds of severe weather to southern Indiana during the early morning hours on March 1.
- Hail in Oklahoma, February 28, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms developed over northeastern Oklahoma during the late evening hours of the 28th, along and ahead of a cold front that moved into the area.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Indiana, March 1, 2017A low pressure system brought very warm and unstable air for late February and early March to central Indiana. The result was severe thunderstorms and 7 tornadoes from the 28th of February to March 1st.
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in Ohio, March 1, 2017An area of low pressure was over northern Indiana during the late evening hours of February 28th. This low passed to north of Lake Erie during the early morning hours of March 1st.
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, February 28, 2017Storms formed out ahead of a cold front surging southeast across Oklahoma late on the 28th.
- Hail in Michigan, March 1, 2017A warm front remained in place across southern Lower Michigan during the early morning hours of March 1st, allowing for elevated storms to produce isolated large hail in Berrien County.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Indiana, March 1, 2017An unseasonably warm and moist air mass was in place across the region during the morning hours of March 1st. Showers and thunderstorms developed across the Ohio Valley during the early morning hours as a strong low pressure system lifted northeast into the Great Lakes region.
- Tornado and Hail in Missouri, March 1, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms impacted much of the region from the afternoon of February 28 through the early morning hours of March 1, 2017. These storms produced numerous reports of large hail and damaging wind as well as three small tornadoes across the Missouri Ozarks.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 1, 2017A warm front, responsible for isolated wind damage and tornadoes during the late evening hours of February 28th, remained over southern Lower Michigan into the overnight hours of March 1st.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 1, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms developed over northeastern Oklahoma during the late evening hours of February 28th along and ahead of a cold front that moved into the area.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Ohio, March 1, 2017An unseasonably warm and moist air mass was in place across the region during the morning hours of March 1st. Showers and thunderstorms developed across the Ohio Valley during the early morning hours as a strong low pressure system lifted northeast into the Great Lakes region.
- Hail in Indiana, March 1, 2017Isolated severe thunderstorms on the evening of February 28 lingered past midnight March 1 across a small part of southwest Indiana. These storms occurred ahead of a cold front in a moist air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Kentucky, March 1 to 2, 2017The combination of a moist and unseasonably warm air mass and an approaching low pressure system and cold front brought multiple rounds of severe weather to central Kentucky during the early morning hours on March 1. In the end, there were 4 tornadoes across central Kentucky.
- Damaging Wind in Kentucky, March 1, 2017Isolated severe thunderstorms on the evening of February 28 lingered past midnight March 1 across the Owensboro area of western Kentucky. These storms occurred ahead of a cold front in a moist air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Illinois, March 1, 2017This is a continuation of the tornado, large hail, and damaging wind event of February 28th. The storms eventually congealed into a line and tracked across the I-57 corridor during the early morning hours of March 1st, producing scattered wind damage and marginally severe hail.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 1, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms developed over northeastern Oklahoma during the late evening hours of February 28th, along and ahead of a cold front that moved into the area.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Tennessee, March 1, 2017A well developed upper level trough moved from the Eastern Plains to the Eastern Seaboard with an associated strong low pressure system and cold front.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 1, 2017A strong storm system brought a line of thunderstorms with several tornadoes on March 1, 2017.
- Damaging Winds in Illinois, March 1, 2017A severe weather outbreak occurred on February 28th and lasted into the early morning hours of March 1st 2017. Four tornadoes were documented to have occurred in the National Weather Service St.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Ohio, March 1 to 4, 2017A strong cold front moved across the Ohio River Valley during the afternoon of March 1.
- Tornado and Hail in Illinois, March 1, 2017An organized area of thunderstorms moved through southern Illinois during the pre-dawn hours. Along the leading edge of this area, there were isolated damaging wind gusts and a weak tornado.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kentucky, March 1 to 2, 2017An unseasonably warm and moist air mass was in place across the region during the morning hours of March 1st. Showers and thunderstorms developed across the Ohio Valley during the early morning hours as a strong low pressure system lifted northeast into the Great Lakes region.
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 1, 2017A strong cold front generated severe storms with damaging winds across the region during the early morning hours of March 1st.
- Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, March 1, 2017The combination of a nearby surface low and upper trough brought heavy showers and thunderstorms to parts of the Aloha State, mainly Kauai, Oahu, and Maui. Some of the rainfall was enough to cause flash flooding in a few instances.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 1, 2017A squall line of severe thunderstorms intensified as it crossed southeast Missouri. The squall line produced widespread damaging winds from 60 to 80 mph across far southeast Missouri, mainly along and southeast of a Poplar Bluff to Cape Girardeau line.
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 1, 2017A strong cold front generated severe storms with damaging winds across the region during the early morning hours of March 1st.
- Tornado and Hail in Tennessee, March 1, 2017A strong cold front generated severe storms with damaging winds across the region during the early morning hours of March 1st.
- Tornado and Hail in Kentucky, March 1, 2017A squall line of severe thunderstorms produced widespread damaging winds from 70 to 80 mph across southwest Kentucky, mainly along and south of a Paducah to Princeton to Madisonville line. An isolated tornado was embedded within the damaging wind area.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, March 1 to 2, 2017A strong cold front moved across the West Virginia during the afternoon and evening of March 1.
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, March 1, 2017An area of low pressure was over northern Indiana during the late evening hours of February 28th. This low passed to north of Lake Erie during the early morning hours of March 1st.
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 1, 2017A strong cold front moved across the Ohio River Valley during the afternoon of March 1.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Tennessee, March 1, 2017The most damaging severe weather outbreak in Middle Tennessee since the December 23, 2015 Tornado Outbreak struck during the morning hours on March 1, 2017.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 1, 2017The first severe weather outbreak of 2017 struck eastern Kentucky during the early morning hours of March 1st. A line of severe thunderstorms raced across the area between roughly 730 am and 1045 am on Wednesday, March 1st, 2017.
- Flash Flood and Flooding in Ohio, March 1 to 2, 2017Showers and thunderstorms, some of which were severe developed with support from an upper shortwave in advance of a cold front early on the 1st.
- Damaging Winds in West Virginia, March 1, 2017A fast-moving line of thunderstorms moved across Kentucky and West Virginia during the morning hours of March 1st, entering southeast West Virginia before noon.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 1, 2017A fast-moving line of thunderstorms moved across Kentucky and West Virginia during the late morning and afternoon hours of March 1st, entering western Virginia shortly before noon.
- Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 1, 2017A well developed upper level trough moved from the Eastern Plains to the Eastern Seaboard with an associated strong low pressure system and cold front.
- Damaging Wind in Maryland, March 1, 2017Showers and thunderstorms, some of which were severe developed with support from an upper shortwave in advance of a cold front early on the 1st.
- Damaging Winds in West Virginia, March 1, 2017A potent cold front passed through on the 1st. A southwest flow ushered in warm and moist air ahead of the boundary. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed, and they were able to mix down strong winds from aloft.
- Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 1, 2017A potent cold front passed through on the 1st. A southwest flow ushered in warm and moist air ahead of the boundary. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed, and they were able to mix down strong winds from aloft.
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, March 1, 2017A potent cold front passed through on the 1st. A southwest flow ushered in warm and moist air ahead of the boundary. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed, and they were able to mix down strong winds from aloft.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 1, 2017A band of strong to severe thunderstorms, including a few embedded supercells, developed during the late morning into the early afternoon hours along a cold front. The storms tracked rapidly east as the front dropped southeast through the mid afternoon hours.
- Damaging Winds in District of Columbia, March 1, 2017A potent cold front passed through on the 1st. A southwest flow ushered in warm and moist air ahead of the boundary. Showers and a few thunderstorms developed, and they were able to mix down strong winds from aloft.
- Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 1, 2017Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a cold front produced damaging winds across portions of central and eastern Virginia.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 1, 2017An upper-level shortwave trough moved from the Great Plains toward the Upper Midwest throughout the day on March 1st, while a surface low pressure system moved east across the Great Lakes.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 1, 2017A cold front pushed through central Alabama on Wednesday afternoon, March 1st. Deep layer shear values exceeded 50 knots and surface based CAPE values approached 1000 j/kg ahead of the cold front . Mid level lapse rates were near 7 degrees Celsius, which favored large hail.
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, March 1, 2017An unseasonably warm, very moist, and unstable air mass, characterized by temperatures in the 70s and Dew Points in the upper 50s to lower 60s, was conducive to maintaining a line of thunderstorms along a pre-frontal trough,|as they crossed the Appalachians and moved through…
- Damaging Winds in Delaware, March 1, 2017An unseasonably warm, very moist, and unstable air mass, characterized by temperatures in the 70s and Dew Points in the upper 50s to lower 60s, was conducive to maintaining a line of thunderstorms along a pre-frontal trough,|as they crossed the Appalachians and moved through…
- Hail in Florida, March 1, 2017Sea breeze thunderstorms moved southwest across the Florida Peninsula. One of these storms produced several hail reports across Lee County.
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in New Jersey, March 1 to 2, 2017An unseasonably warm, very moist, and unstable air mass, characterized by temperatures in the 70s and Dew Points in the upper 50s to lower 60s, was conducive to maintaining a line of thunderstorms along a pre-frontal trough,|as they crossed the Appalachians and moved through…
- Tornado and Hail in Georgia, March 1, 2017A moderately unstable atmosphere ahead of a strong cold front, combined with a passing upper-level trough and strong shear to produce scattered severe thunderstorms with damaging winds and large hail across North Georgia. This system also managed to produce an isolated tornado.
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 1, 2017A well developed upper level trough moved from the Eastern Plains to the Eastern Seaboard with an associated strong low pressure system and cold front.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 1, 2017Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon and evening within an unseasonably warm and humid air mass.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 1, 2017An isolated severe storm developed over Saint Landry Parish producing damage.
- Hail in Georgia, March 1, 2017Scattered thunderstorms developed across northeast Georgia ahead of a cold front during the afternoon within an unseasonably warm and humid air mass. While most of the severe weather occurred across the Carolinas, one storm became briefly severe across Habersham County.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, March 1, 2017Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon and evening within an unseasonably warm and humid air mass.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 1, 2017Warm sector destabilization in advance of a strong cold front approaching from the west, allowed clusters and small lines of strong to severe thunderstorms to move east from the southern Appalachians during the afternoon, into the western and central Piedmont of NC during the…
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 1, 2017Thunderstorms produced high winds which caused damage across southwest Alabama.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, March 1, 2017A cold front moved through on the night of March 1st, along and ahead of which were scattered thunderstorms, a few of which were severe.
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 1, 2017Thunderstorms organized into a squall line ahead of a cold front. As the thunderstorms reached the area during the late evening, they began to weaken as instability waned.
- Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, March 1 to 6, 2017A line of thunderstorms formed along a strong cold front in an unseasonably mild airmass. A few of the storms produced wind gusts in excess of 60 mph, including one that destroyed a pole barn.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2017Tornadoes in 2017
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.