Central Tornado Outbreak and Eastern Severe Weather
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $5.9 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($5.6 billion at the time) and 33 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 87 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
- $5.9 billion
- Losses at the time
- $5.6 billion
- Deaths
- 33
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 23 | 5 | 80 | $240 million |
| Tennessee | 78 | 15 | 55 | $114 million |
| Mississippi | 22 | 1 | 5 | $112 million |
| Indiana | 142 | 5 | 18 | $40 million |
| Wisconsin | 24 | 0 | 0 | $5.2 million |
| Ohio | 149 | 0 | 7 | $5.0 million |
| Iowa | 137 | 0 | 11 | $2.1 million |
| Illinois | 232 | 4 | 48 | $2.1 million |
| Maryland | 26 | 0 | 0 | $1.1 million |
| Kentucky | 59 | 0 | 3 | $783,000 |
| Texas | 89 | 0 | 0 | $617,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 118 | 0 | 1 | $523,000 |
| Missouri | 76 | 0 | 1 | $260,000 |
| New York | 72 | 0 | 0 | $212,000 |
| West Virginia | 12 | 0 | 0 | $63,000 |
| Michigan | 15 | 0 | 0 | $41,000 |
| Virginia | 18 | 0 | 0 | $26,000 |
| Alabama | 12 | 1 | 8 | $22,000 |
| Georgia | 45 | 0 | 0 | $16,000 |
| New Jersey | 55 | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | 0 | 0 | $1,000 |
| Louisiana | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Delaware | 10 | 1 | 0 | |
| Nebraska | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kansas | 9 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| South Dakota | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Minnesota | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Hail in Oklahoma, March 30, 2023Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across eastern Oklahoma during the late afternoon and evening of the 30th. The strongest thunderstorms produced large hail up to quarter size.
- Hail in Nebraska, March 30, 2023An isolated supercell developed over Gosper and Dawson Counties on the evening of March 30th, between 6PM and 7PM local time. The supercell increased in intensity and split as it moved northeast near the Custer and Buffalo County line.
- Hail in Nebraska, March 30, 2023Isolated thunderstorms developed over portions of southwestern Nebraska during the evening hours of March 30th. As this activity progressed into Custer County, it became severe with large hail. The storm continued northeast, where it impacted Garfield, Holt and Wheeler Counties.
- Hail in Nebraska, March 30, 2023A robust upper-level wave passed over the Central Plains initiating clusters of storms across eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. The strongest storms were located in Knox County where there was a 1.75-inch hail report.
- Hail in South Dakota, March 30 to 31, 2023Scattered thunderstorms moved across portions of southeast South Dakota during the evening of March 30th and early morning hours of March 31st. A couple of the strongest storms produced severe hail soon after crossing the Missouri River.
- Hail in Kansas, March 31, 2023An isolated storm produced nickel sized hail in Anderson Co.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 31, 2023A highly-anticipated regional severe weather outbreak was forecast and occurred during the afternoon and evening of March 31st. Convective initiation initially occurred relatively early (7-9 am) in southeast Kansas and evolved into east central Kansas into west central Missouri.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 31, 2023A powerful storm system and associated upper trough propagated across the Central Plains into the the Mid-Mississippi Valley. Showers and thunderstorms developed in response to the passing trough triggering strong to severe thunderstorms across Arkansas.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 31, 2023An intense storm system tracked across the state of Iowa on Friday, March 31st. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist conditions into the Midwest, which coupled with a very favorable wind profile and created quite the volatile environment for severe thunderstorms.
- Damaging Wind and Strong Wind in Kansas, March 31, 2023Not as strong as a gradient across the CWA that produced wind gusts up to 50-55 mph below the high wind criteria.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 31, 2023Scattered strong to severe storm produced hail and high winds across portions of Central Missouri.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 31, 2023Ahead of a strong cold front, discrete supercells developed and rapidly moved northeast across the region during the early afternoon. Then as the front moved through the activity became more linear before moving out by late evening.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 31, 2023Ahead of a strong cold front, discrete supercells developed and rapidly moved northeast across the region during the early afternoon. Then as the front moved through the activity became more linear before moving out by late evening.
- Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 31, 2023A very strong system developed on the morning of March 31st and tracked across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist air into the Midwest, which combined with a very favorable wind profile to create a volatile environment for severe thunderstorms.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, March 31, 2023A very strong system developed on the morning of March 31st and tracked across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist air into the Midwest, which combined with a very favorable wind profile to create a volatile environment for severe thunderstorms.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 31, 2023Two rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms spawned 13 tornadoes across central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of March 31st...including an EF-3 tornado that killed 3 people in Robinson in Crawford County.
- Hail in Oklahoma, March 31, 2023Elevated convection initially developed early in the day on March 31st within a plume of rich low-level moisture and along the periphery of a lead shortwave moving across the Southern Plains.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Illinois, March 31, 2023A very strong system developed on the morning of March 31st and tracked across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist air into the Midwest, which combined with a very favorable wind profile to create a volatile environment for severe thunderstorms.
- Hail in Minnesota, March 31, 2023There were pulse storms with marginal hail that developed on the afternoon and evening of March 31, 2023. There were two reports of sub-severe hail.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 31, 2023Elevated convection initially developed early in the day on March 31st within a plume of rich low-level moisture and along the periphery of a lead shortwave moving across the Southern Plains.
- Hail in Arkansas, March 31, 2023Elevated convection initially developed early in the day on March 31st within a plume of rich low-level moisture and along the periphery of a lead shortwave moving across the Southern Plains.
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Illinois, March 31, 2023During the afternoon and evening of the 31st, a wave of severe thunderstorms produced numerous tornadoes, severe hail, extensive wind damage, and localized flooding across northern and northeastern Illinois. A total of 37 tornadoes were confirmed across the state.
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, March 31, 2023A complex storm system brought severe weather to parts of northeast Iowa during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023. Reports of 1.0 to 1.25 inch hail were reported in Mitchell and Floyd Counties.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 31, 2023During the night of March 31 into April 1, a low pressure system, moving east across the Upper Midwest towards the Great Lakes, dragged a trailing cold front through the Lower Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 31, 2023A regional tornado outbreak occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, and continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2023.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, March 31, 2023During the afternoon and evening of the 31st, a wave of severe thunderstorms produced numerous tornadoes, severe hail, and extensive wind damage across northwestern Indiana. A total of 23 tornadoes were confirmed across the state.
- Hail in Minnesota, March 31, 2023A complex storm system brought strong thunderstorms to parts of southeast Minnesota during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023. Up to nickel sized hail was reported in Greenleafton (Fillmore County).
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Indiana, March 31, 2023Thunderstorms developing in the evening of March 31 resulted in multiple weather hazards. Hail nearly 2 inches in diameter was observed, trees were downed from thunderstorm wind, and flooding occurred from heavy rain rates.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, March 31, 2023A regional tornado outbreak occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, and continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2023.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Wisconsin, March 31, 2023A complex storm system brought strong to severe thunderstorms to parts of western and central Wisconsin during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023. The largest hail reported was half dollar sized in Arkdale (Adams County).
- Flash Flood and Hail in Michigan, March 31, 2023Thunderstorms developing in the evening of March 31 resulted in multiple weather hazards. Hail nearly 2 inches in diameter was observed, trees were downed from thunderstorm wind, and flooding occurred from heavy rain rates.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, March 31, 2023A warm front was draped across southern Wisconsin on the evening of March 31st which had numerous thunderstorms develop along it. Most of the stronger storms that interacted with the warm front ended up producing some brief EF-0 to EF-1 tornadic damage.
- Hail in Texas, March 31, 2023Severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front and generated some early evening large hail.
- Hail in Michigan, March 31, 2023Isolated severe storms over far southwestern lower Michigan produced hail up to an inch in diameter.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 31, 2023A regional tornado outbreak occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, and continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2023.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, March 31, 2023A strong, occluding storm system over the Upper Midwest produced a deep column of strong southwesterly winds over the Midwest on the afternoon and evening of the 31st.|This pattern generated an inordinate amount of vertical wind shear.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 31, 2023A few severe storms occurred, including a very damaging wind event in Hopkinsville. A potent 500 mb jet streak ejected east-northeast from the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma to the south of a mid-level low over northern Nebraska.
- Damaging Wind in Indiana, March 31, 2023Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms produced gusty winds across southwest Indiana. A potent 500 mb jet streak ejected east-northeast from the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma to the south of a mid-level low over northern Nebraska.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, March 31, 2023A surface low moved east-northeastward from southwestern WI to central Lower MI during the evening of March 31st through the wee hours of April 1st.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 31, 2023Elevated convection initially developed early in the day on March 31st within a plume of rich low-level moisture and along the periphery of a lead shortwave moving across the Southern Plains.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Ohio, March 31, 2023Thunderstorms developing in the evening of March 31 resulted in multiple weather hazards. Trees were downed and property was damaged from thunderstorm wind gusts. In the days that followed, storm damage surveys teams confirmed multiple tornadoes has moved through.
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 31, 2023Showers and thunderstorms overspread the area during the late evening hours ahead of a strong low pressure system and an associated cold front moving through the Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 31, 2023During the night of March 31 into April 1, a low pressure system, moving east across the Upper Midwest towards the Great Lakes, dragged a trailing cold front through the Lower Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Ohio, March 31, 2023Showers and thunderstorms overspread the area during the late evening hours ahead of a strong low pressure system and an associated cold front moving through the Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, March 31, 2023A very strong low pressure system deepened over the central Great Plains beginning on March 31, 2023 and continuing into April 1st.
- Damaging Wind in Michigan, March 31, 2023A thunderstorm in Britton produced a 62 mph wind gust.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, April 1, 2023Numerous thunderstorms moved across East Tennessee during the early morning hours of April 1. Several storms produced damaging wind gusts, and one tornado was confirmed.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 1, 2023Showers and thunderstorms overspread the area during the early morning hours ahead of a strong low pressure system and an associated cold front that were moving through the Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 1, 2023Thunderstorms developing in the evening of March 31 resulted in multiple weather hazards. Trees were downed and property was damaged from thunderstorm wind gusts. In the days that followed, storm damage surveys teams confirmed multiple tornadoes has moved through.
- Tornado and Hail in Ohio, April 1, 2023A surface low moved east-northeastward from southern Lake Michigan to Lake Ontario during the morning through early afternoon of April 1st.
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 1, 2023During the night of March 31 into April 1, a low pressure system, moving east across the Upper Midwest towards the Great Lakes, dragged a trailing cold front through the Lower Ohio Valley.
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 1, 2023Showers and thunderstorms overspread the area during the early morning hours ahead of a strong low pressure system and an associated cold front that were moving through the Ohio Valley.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, April 1, 2023A regional tornado outbreak occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, March 31, 2023, and continued into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 1, 2023.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, April 1, 2023A very strong low pressure system deepened over the central Great Plains beginning on March 31, 2023 and continuing into April 1st.
- Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 1, 2023The month of April opened up with early morning storms passing through southeast Ohio along a decaying squall line.
- Damaging Wind in Kentucky, April 1, 2023In the midst of a passing cold front, a decaying squall line pivoting through eastern Kentucky led to damaging wind gusts just after midnight on April 1st. As a result, a massive tree fell onto a local road in Greenup County.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 1, 2023A very dynamic Spring storm system over the Upper Midwest states produced conditions favorable for tornadoes over northwest Alabama during the early morning hours on April 1st, and strong gradient winds throughout the day.
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 1, 2023A surface low moved east-northeastward from southern Lake Michigan to Lake Ontario during the morning through early afternoon of April 1st.
- Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, April 1, 2023After an intense wind storm in early March, strong to damaging winds once again struck eastern Kentucky on April 1st.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 1, 2023As part of a larger regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on March 31st into April 1st, a band of thunderstorms, many of them supercellular, pushed east across north Alabama and southern middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of the 1st.
- Tornado in Tennessee, April 1, 2023As part of a larger regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes on March 31st into April 1st, a band of thunderstorms, many of them supercellular, pushed east across north Alabama and southern middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of the 1st.
- Tornado and Hail in Georgia, April 1, 2023Active weather was expected as a very potent system moved into the midwest and rapidly deepened, driving a cold front into the CWA during the morning hours.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Michigan, April 1, 2023A disorganized area of showers and some embedded thunderstorms tracked into southeast Michigan during the late morning hours of April 1st, 2023.
- Hail in Georgia, April 1, 2023Some thunderstorms developed along a cold front, one of which produced small hail.
- Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 1, 2023A broken line of showers developed along a strong cold front in western Ohio the morning of April 1st and advanced through eastern Ohio/western Pennsylvania. Widespread damage was recorded across the region. Gusts up 75mph were also reported in some areas.
- Damaging Winds in West Virginia, April 1, 2023A broken line of showers developed along a strong cold front in western Ohio the morning of April 1st and advanced through eastern Ohio/western Pennsylvania. Widespread damage was recorded across the region. Gusts up 75mph were also reported in some areas.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 1, 2023A broken line of showers developed along a strong cold front in western Ohio the morning of April 1st and advanced through eastern Ohio/western Pennsylvania. Widespread damage was recorded across the region. Gusts up 75mph were also reported in some areas.
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 1, 2023Scattered thunderstorms ahead of a cold front moved through portions of southwest Georgia. A couple of storms were severe with impacts to trees and power lines.
- Damaging Winds in New York, April 1, 2023Low pressure passing by to the northwest pushed a pair of cold fronts across the area.
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, April 1, 2023A strong cold front crossed central Pennsylvania during the afternoon and early evening of April 1, 2023. In a high shear/low CAPE environment, convection was able to mix down very strong winds from just off the surface, leading to wind damage across portions of the area.
- Damaging Winds in New York, April 1, 2023A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through Central New York, which was accompanied by strong wind gusts. Ahead of this system, scattered thunderstorms developed. Many of these storms had strong wind gusts as well.
- Hail in Mississippi, April 1, 2023A cold front sweeping from the northwest came through during the afternoon on April 1st. Out ahead of the front, moderately unstable air paired with the forcing of the front triggered many cells along it.
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 1, 2023A broken pre-frontal squall line entered SE GA in the afternoon. The line gradually broke apart further as it settled southward toward the I-10 corridor of NE FL due to drier air.
- Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in New York, April 1, 2023A low pressure system moved across the region on April 1, 2023. A band of rain and embedded thunderstorms accompanied the system's cold front as it tracked from west to east.
- Tornado and Hail in Delaware, April 1, 2023A strong cold front approached the region, with a line of strong showers and thunderstorms developing out ahead of the front. Storms produced damaging winds, a tornado, and small to medium-sized hail in Delaware.
- Tornado and Hail in Maryland, April 1, 2023A line of thunderstorms developed along a strong cold front near and east of I-95 from northeastern to southern Maryland.
- Tornado and Hail in Pennsylvania, April 1, 2023A strong cold front approached the region, with a line of strong showers and thunderstorms developing out ahead of the front. Storms produced damaging winds, tornadoes, and small to medium-sized hail in Pennsylvania.
- Damaging Wind and Strong Wind in Massachusetts, April 1, 2023A low pressure system moved across the region on April 1, 2023. A band of rain and embedded thunderstorms accompanied the system's cold front as it tracked from west to east. This brought widespread wind gusts between 40 and 55 mph along with a downed tree in the Town of Lee.
- Tornadoes and Hail in New Jersey, April 1, 2023A strong cold front approached the region, with a line of strong showers and thunderstorms developing out ahead of the front. Storms produced damaging winds, multiple tornadoes, and small to medium-sized hail in New Jersey.
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, April 1, 2023A strong cold front approached the region, with a line of strong showers and thunderstorms developing out ahead of the front. Storms produced damaging winds and small to medium sized hail in Maryland.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, April 1, 2023Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a cold front produced damaging winds and large hail across portions of central Virginia, the Virginia northern neck, and the Virginia Eastern Shore.
- Damaging Wind in Kentucky, April 1, 2023A cold front was approaching Kentucky during the day on April 5, 2023. A line of storms had developed ahead of the front, and quickly pushed eastward throughout the day.
- Damaging Winds in Maryland, April 1, 2023Scattered severe thunderstorms in advance of a cold front produced damaging winds across portions of the Lower Maryland Eastern Shore.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 2 to 3, 2023Widespread thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of Sunday April 2 in the vicinity of a dryline and a warm front, both of which were draped across the area. Many of these storms became severe, and a few storms in Central Texas produced large hail up to 3 inches.
- Hail in Texas, April 2, 2023A low-amplitude upper wave, embedded within zonal flow aloft, quickly approached the Southern Plains on the 2nd. Numerous thunderstorms, a few severe, developed ahead of advancing cold/warm fronts from central Texas into southwest Oklahoma.
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 2, 2023A low-amplitude upper wave, embedded within zonal flow aloft, quickly approached the Southern Plains on the 2nd. Numerous thunderstorms, a few severe, developed ahead of advancing cold/warm fronts from central Texas into southwest Oklahoma.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 2, 2023A strong upper level trough ejected east-northeast across the Southern Plains during the afternoon and evening hours on April 2nd, with strong southerly low level winds ahead of the trough allowing for a warm front to mix north across East Texas and North Louisiana.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2023Tornadoes in 2023
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.