Eastern Severe Weather

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.6 billion

Losses at the time

$1.3 billion

Deaths

8

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.

• Tornado in Alabama, March 25, 2021EF1 · 1 eventAnother in a series of powerful storm systems moved across the region during the day and through the evening. A very unstable airmass developed across the area.
• Hail in Kentucky, March 25, 20211.25 in hail · 1 eventA strong low pressure system lifting northeast across the Ohio Valley region produced isolated thunderstorms during the evening hours.
• Damaging Wind in Kentucky, March 25, 202153 kt wind · 1 eventAn isolated severe storm produced strong winds just west of Hopkinsville. A surface low pressure center tracked northeast through southeast Missouri into central Illinois during the afternoon and evening.
• Hail and High Wind in Indiana, March 25 to 26, 2021$475,000 · 1.5 in hail · 21 eventsDuring the late evening hours of March 25th, a series of storms moved across south central Indiana. A warm front was situated along the Ohio River with plenty of lower and upper level shear, but a general lack of instability.
• Damaging Wind in West Virginia, March 25, 2021$500 · 1 eventA warm front lifted northward through West Virginia on the 25th accompanied by showers and a few thunderstorms. One particular storm inflicted gusty winds in Huntington and resulted in one downed tree in a local neighborhood.
• Damaging Wind in Indiana, March 25, 202150 kt wind · 1 eventEarly in the day, low level wind shear was very strong. A stable layer over the area allowed a warm front to bring sunshine and warmer temperatures to the region, but the warming surface temperatures caused the stable layer to erode and become less stable.
• Damaging Wind and High Wind in Ohio, March 26, 2021$22,000 · 56 kt wind · 29 eventsA potent surface low moved northeastward along a stationary front from northeast Indiana to far-southern Quebec during the wee hours through early afternoon of March 26th.
• Hail in South Carolina, March 26, 2021$60 · 1 in hail · 4 eventsScattered thunderstorms developed along a frontal boundary. An isolated thunderstorm produced severe sized hail. Some other storms produced small hail.
• Damaging Winds and Strong Wind in New York, March 26, 2021$9,000 · 50 kt wind · 8 eventsAn area of low pressure tracked across the St. Lawrence River Valley on Friday, March 26, 2021. A warm front lifted northward across the region in the morning, advecting in a very warm air mass along with some non-severe showers and thunderstorms.
• Damaging Winds in New York, March 26, 2021$49,000 · 55 kt wind · 4 eventsLow pressure moved northeast across northern NY during the afternoon of March 26th. This was the same system responsible for the tornado outbreak across AL/MS/GA the previous day.
• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Vermont, March 26, 20212 injured · $150,000 · EF1 · 8 eventsLow pressure moved northeast across northern NY during the afternoon of March 26th. This was the same system responsible for the tornado outbreak across AL/MS/GA the previous day.
• Hail in Georgia, March 26, 2021$20 · 0.7 in hail · 1 eventScattered thunderstorms developed along a frontal boundary. One thunderstorm produced sub-severe sized hail.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in New Hampshire, March 26, 202154 kt wind · 3 eventsAn early season line of thunderstorms developed on a surface cold on March 26th. This line of thunderstorms brought isolated damaging wind gusts along with nickel size hail to Carrol County New Hampshire.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, March 26, 20211 in hail · 4 eventsScattered t-storms produced reports of 60 mph winds and quarter size hail on March 26th.
• Hail in Nebraska, March 26, 20211 in hail · 7 eventsMarginally severe thunderstorms developed across portions of south central Nebraska during the evening hours of March 26th...the first severe storms of the 2021 convective season.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, March 27 to 28, 20211 death · $3.5 million · 1.5 in hail · 57 eventsThunderstorms with large hail spread northward across East Tennessee during the early morning hours of March 27, reaching southwest Virginia by late morning. These storms were associated with a warm front, which later stalled across northeast Tennessee.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, March 27 to 28, 20217 deaths · $24 million · 2.25 in hail · 51 eventsAn historic flash flooding event affected the central third of Middle Tennessee from the early morning hours on March 27 through the day into the early morning hours on March 28.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, March 27 to 28, 2021$352,000 · EF1 · 41 eventsA warm front lifted north across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 27th. Numerous thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain near the Tennessee/Mississippi line and some flash flooding along with an isolated damaging wind report.
• Flash Flooding and Flooding in Kentucky, March 27 to 28, 20211.75 in hail · 35 eventsA warm front lifted north into the state Saturday, allowing for an intensification of moisture advection into the area. This was then followed up by a passing cold front and associated cold front, both of which provided lift and helped provide heavy rains across the state.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 27, 2021$1.0 million · 2 in hail · 15 eventsThunderstorms formed along and south of a warm front in Virginia. These tall early season storms were able to take advantage of low freezing levels and dropped large hail. Largest hail sizes of up to 2 inches in diameter were reported in southwest Virginia.
• Flash Flooding and Flood in Virginia, March 27 to 28, 20211 in hail · 11 eventsThunderstorms with large hail spread northward across East Tennessee during the early morning hours of March 27, reaching southwest Virginia by late morning. These storms were associated with a warm front, which later stalled across northeast Tennessee.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 27, 2021$5,000 · 1.75 in hail · 8 eventsScattered thunderstorms and storm clusters developed over western North Carolina throughout the afternoon. A few of the storms produced isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 27, 2021$53,000 · 1.75 in hail · 26 eventsThunderstorms initially over middle and eastern Tennesse during the morning moved to the east of the Appalachians during the the afternoon, where they intercepted an east/west-oriented quasi-stationary front over central and eastern North Carolina.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 27 to 28, 20211 in hail · 7 eventsA strongly sheared and moist air mass resided over north Alabama during the afternoon hours on March 27th. Isolated strong to severe storms develop along and north of I-20 during the heating of the afternoon.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, March 27 to 28, 2021$434,000 · EF2 · 8 eventsA few isolated thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of March 27th, but a line of strong to severe thunderstorms moving across the northern half of Mississippi brought more intense severe weather later that evening into the early morning hours of the 28th.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 27, 2021$13,000 · 1.75 in hail · 17 eventsIsolated supercell thunderstorms developed during the middle to late afternoon hours. These thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds in a few locations, including Madison and Jackson Counties.
• Tornado and Hail in Mississippi, March 27 to 28, 2021$325,000 · EF1 · 17 eventsA warm front lifted north across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 27th. Numerous thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain near the Tennessee/Mississippi line and some flash flooding along with an isolated damaging wind report.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, March 27, 20211.75 in hail · 5 eventsA cold front swept through the region on March 27th. The low level forcing along the front, increasing upper level ascent downstream of an approaching shortwave, and at least modest moisture and instability were sufficient to generate thunderstorms as the front moved through the…
• Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 27, 20211 death · 4 injured · $1.8 million · EF2 · 8 eventsA longwave trough shifted east out of the Rockies and into the Central and Southern Plains during the day on March 27th, with the southwest flow ahead of the trough ejecting a series of upper level disturbances northeast across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and Northwest…
• Hail in Missouri, March 27, 20210.88 in hail · 2 eventsIsolated strong storms produced sub severe hail in portions of southwest Missouri.
• Hail in Tennessee, March 27, 20210.75 in hail · 1 eventIsolated supercell thunderstorms developed during the middle to late afternoon hours. On of these thunderstorms produced hail in Franklin County.
• Tornado and Hail in Illinois, March 27, 20211 injured · EF1 · 10 eventsA cold front swept through the region on March 27th. The low level forcing along the front, increasing upper level ascent downstream of an approaching shortwave, and at least modest moisture and instability were sufficient to generate thunderstorms as the front moved through the…
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, March 27, 2021$60,000 · 1.25 in hail · 9 eventsA cold front interacting with a highly sheared, but only modestly unstable environment triggered clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms across south-central Illinois during the late afternoon and early evening of March 27th.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 27, 20212 in hail · 4 eventsClusters of thunderstorms, some of which became severe producing 1 to 2 inch diameter hail and damaging winds, affected Eastern NC during the evening hours.
• Hail in Arkansas, March 27, 20210.88 in hail · 1 eventThunderstorms developed into northwestern Arkansas during the evening of the 27th, as a cold front moved into the area. The strongest storms produced hail up to nickel size.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, March 27, 2021$160,000 · EF1 · 10 eventsA warm front lifted north across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 27th. Numerous thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain near the Tennessee/Mississippi line and some flash flooding along with an isolated damaging wind report.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 27, 20212.5 in hail · 5 eventsA longwave trough shifted east out of the Rockies and into the Central and Southern Plains during the day on March 27th, with the southwest flow ahead of the trough ejecting a series of upper level disturbances northeast across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and Northwest…
• Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, March 27, 2021$110,000 · EF1 · 9 eventsA longwave trough shifted east out of the Rockies and into the Central and Southern Plains during the day on March 27th, with the southwest flow ahead of the trough ejecting a series of upper level disturbances northeast across Northeast Texas, Southwest Arkansas, and Northwest…
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 27, 20211 death · $330,000 · 1 in hail · 13 eventsDuring the late evening hours of March 28th, a line of thunderstorms was moving through Indiana as a cold front neared the area. Ahead of this line, a strong thunderstorm formed and moved to the east.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Ohio, March 28, 2021$1,000 · 1 in hail · 4 eventsScattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front moving through the Ohio Valley.
• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 28, 20212 injured · $5,000 · EF1 · 21 eventsA strong to severe line of thunderstorms, some with embedded supercellular storms, roared east across north Alabama from shortly after Midnight through around 6 am LST.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Georgia, March 28, 20211 injured · $45,000 · 50 kt wind · 11 eventsThunderstorms ahead of a sharp cold front produced several reports of damaging thunderstorm wind gusts across portions of north and central Georgia.
• Flash Flood in North Carolina, March 28, 20211 eventA major weather system that brought damaging thunderstorms and flooding rainfall to the Tennessee Valley also had impacts, although lesser, in southwestern North Carolina. The ground was already near saturation due to heavy rains from a few days earlier.
• Damaging Winds in South Carolina, March 28, 2021$10,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 eventsA line of thunderstorms moved across upstate South Carolina during the afternoon in association with a cold front. A couple of embedded cells produced brief damaging wind gusts in the Piedmont.
• Damaging Winds in South Carolina, March 28, 2021$65,000 · 60 kt wind · 22 eventsA band of showers and scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and moved through the region during the afternoon.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 28, 2021$23,000 · 1 in hail · 9 eventsA line of showers and embedded thunderstorms in the morning hours of March 28th over eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina pushed eastward ahead of a strong cold front.
• Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 28, 2021$5,000 · 50 kt wind · 3 eventsIn advance of a strong cold front, severe thunderstorms developed across Northeastern North Carolina producing damaging winds.
• Damaging Winds in Maryland, March 28, 2021$154,000 · 65 kt wind · 21 eventsBrief clearing occurred ahead of a strong cold front, spawning a line of thunderstorms that producing wind gusts of around 50 to up to 70 mph as it tracked across northern Maryland and extreme northwestern Virginia during the mid to late afternoon hours.
• Damaging Winds in Virginia, March 28, 2021$2,000 · 50 kt wind · 2 eventsBrief clearing occurred ahead of a strong cold front, spawning a line of thunderstorms that producing wind gusts of around 50 to up to 70 mph as it tracked across northern Maryland and extreme northwestern Virginia during the mid to late afternoon hours.
• Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 28, 202155 kt wind · 2 eventsA band of showers and scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and moved through the region during the afternoon.
• Damaging Winds in Georgia, March 28 to 31, 2021$12,000 · 50 kt wind · 3 eventsA spring cold front brought a round of showers and thunderstorms to the area. A few severe storms occurred with damage to trees and power lines, mainly in southeast Alabama, but there were also a couple of reports in southwest Georgia and the Florida panhandle.
• Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, March 28, 20211 injured · $30,000 · 65 kt wind · 2 eventsA sharp cold front crossed the area during the afternoon of March 28, 2021, generating a solid line of gusty showers over western Pennsylvania that very gradually intensified as it progressed eastward across the commonwealth and eventually produced isolated thunder.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 28, 20211 in hail · 2 eventsThunderstorms moved through Eastern NC during the evening hours. A couple storms became severe and produced large hail and damaging winds.
• Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, March 28, 202150 kt wind · 34 eventsAs strengthening low pressure tracked through the Great Lakes on March 28, a strong cold front approached the mid-Atlantic coast. A narrow ribbon of modest instability developed ahead of the front.
• Damaging Winds in Delaware, March 28, 202159 kt wind · 3 eventsAs strengthening low pressure tracked through the Great Lakes on March 28, a strong cold front approached the mid-Atlantic coast. A narrow ribbon of modest instability developed ahead of the front.
• Damaging Winds in New Jersey, March 28, 202161 kt wind · 46 eventsAs strengthening low pressure tracked through the Great Lakes on March 28, a strong cold front approached the mid-Atlantic coast. A narrow ribbon of modest instability developed ahead of the front.
• Damaging Winds in Maryland, March 28, 202150 kt wind · 3 eventsAs strengthening low pressure tracked through the Great Lakes on March 28, a strong cold front approached the mid-Atlantic coast. A narrow ribbon of modest instability developed ahead of the front.
• Damaging Wind in New York, March 28, 202163 kt wind · 1 eventA cold front and a rigorous mid level shortwave triggered convective showers and embedded thunderstorms across the Southeastern New York.
• Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Hawaii, March 29, 20213 eventsA slow-moving upper low far northwest of Kauai generated heavy showers and thunderstorms over the isle. The rainfall caused flash flooding in the Hanalei area in the northern part of the island as the Hanalei River overflowed onto Kuhio Highway.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2021Tornadoes in 2021

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.