Midwest/Plains Severe Weather
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $2.0 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($1.4 billion at the time) and 1 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 92 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
- $2.0 billion
- Losses at the time
- $1.4 billion
- Deaths
- 1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 115 | 0 | 0 | $31 million |
| Georgia | 28 | 0 | 0 | $9.9 million |
| Arkansas | 35 | 0 | 6 | $7.0 million |
| Nebraska | 31 | 0 | 2 | $6.3 million |
| Missouri | 106 | 0 | 13 | $6.1 million |
| Alabama | 29 | 0 | 2 | $1.5 million |
| Mississippi | 15 | 1 | 9 | $1.4 million |
| Ohio | 63 | 0 | 0 | $529,000 |
| Virginia | 5 | 0 | 0 | $401,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 97 | 0 | 1 | $353,000 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 0 | 0 | $275,000 |
| Iowa | 48 | 0 | 0 | $197,000 |
| Illinois | 44 | 0 | 0 | $182,000 |
| Louisiana | 11 | 0 | 0 | $136,000 |
| Kentucky | 13 | 0 | 0 | $107,000 |
| Tennessee | 8 | 0 | 0 | $101,000 |
| North Carolina | 11 | 0 | 0 | $65,000 |
| Texas | 32 | 0 | 0 | $45,000 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 0 | 0 | $35,000 |
| Colorado | 37 | 0 | 0 | $25,000 |
| Nevada | 5 | 0 | 0 | $25,000 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 0 | 0 | $19,000 |
| Florida | 6 | 0 | 0 | $4,000 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 0 | 0 | $3,000 |
| Minnesota | 17 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oklahoma | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| Indiana | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| New York | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Episode by episode
- Hail in Illinois, April 6, 2013Non severe hail fell in parts of northwest Illinois during the evening of April 6.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7, 2013A cluster of showers and thunderstorms over Central and Southeast Kansas led to severe thunderstorms. This strong warm advection pattern led to supercells to develop, which produced large hail as big as golf balls.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7, 2013A small cluster of thunderstorms developed during the afternoon over northwest Kansas, resulting in one hail report near Norcatur.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7, 2013A warm front lifted north into the area as a strong upper level short waved approached from the west. Warm and moist air destabilized the atmosphere by late afternoon. The storms developed along and just north of the advancing warm front.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7, 2013A long lived and long tracked high precipitation supercell produced very large and damaging hail across the area.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, April 7, 2013This small, short-lived event was the result of two different storms on this Sunday. One storm was an apparent supercell which tracked east along the southern borders of Rooks and Osborne counties.
- Hail in Missouri, April 7, 2013A long lived and long tracked high precipitation supercell produced very large and damaging hail across the area.
- Tornado in Kansas, April 7, 2013A tornado touched down in the northwest portion of Russell county causing minimal damage.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7, 2013A marginally severe thunderstorm produced quarter sized hail near Jamestown.
- Hail in Missouri, April 7 to 8, 2013Thunderstorms were observed across northwest Missouri, during the evening hours of April 7, 2013, till just past midnight on April 8, 2013. The thunderstorms developed ahead of an advancing storm system in the Central Plains. Hail up to an inch in diameter was observed.
- Hail in Kansas, April 7 to 8, 2013Thunderstorms were observed across extreme eastern Kansas, during the evening hours of April 7, 2013, till just past midnight on April 8, 2013. The thunderstorms developed ahead of an advancing storm system in the Central Plains. Hail up to an inch in diameter was observed.
- Damaging Wind and High Wind in Nevada, April 7 to 8, 2013A Pacific low pressure system and associated cold front brought high winds to portions of the Mojave Desert. A couple of thunderstorms also enhanced the winds.
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 8, 2013Isolated thunderstorms occurred over parts of northeastern Oklahoma during the early morning hours of the 8th. The stronger storms produced some hail.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, April 8, 2013High winds associated with a fast moving cold front spread across the Urban Corridor and northeast plains of Colorado. Several wind gusts to around 60 mph were observed as the cold front made its way across the region.
- Tornado and Hail in Colorado, April 8, 2013Thunderstorms developed by mid-afternoon in eastern Colorado and later moved into northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska. Hail as large as half dollars fell near Stratton later in the afternoon, followed by a very brief tornado near Bonny Reservoir during the evening.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, April 8 to 9, 2013A warm front lifted north across southwest Nebraska and was the focus for thunderstorms to develop, intensify and produce large hail and damaging winds. Frontier County was hit the hardest by damaging winds estimated up to 80 mph as a thunderstorm bowed out.
- Hail in Kansas, April 8, 2013Thunderstorms developed by mid-afternoon in eastern Colorado and later moved into northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska. Several reports of large hail were received west of St Francis, some up to two inches in diameter.
- Hail in Ohio, April 8, 2013Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed along a weak cold front moving southeast across northern Ohio. Some of the stronger thunderstorms produced hail up to quarter size in Hancock, Erie, Lorain, and Cuyahoga Counties.
- Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, April 8 to 9, 2013Thunderstorms developed by mid-afternoon in eastern Colorado and later moved into northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska. By evening, hail up to two inches in diameter was reported near Benkelman and Stratton. A tornado damaged a farming operation northeast of Benkelman.
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Iowa, April 8 to 9, 2013A strong frontal boundary was stretched across Iowa. At the same time a 35 kt low level jet pushed warm and humid air into the frontal boundary. There was a reasonable amount of elevated instability with 1000 to 1500 J/kg available.
- Hail in Iowa, April 9, 2013A disturbance moved across Iowa during the evening of April 8th and early morning of April 9th, spreading showers and thunderstorms north of a warm front along Highway 34. A few of the storms produced hail larger than the size of a quarter.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, April 9, 2013Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed mostly behind a cold front that pushed across the area late on April 8th.
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Minnesota, April 9 to 10, 2013The seasons first severe thunderstorms developed during the evening hours of April 9th. These storms were north of a warm front that was draped across central Iowa.
- Hail in Illinois, April 9, 2013A few strong thunderstorms developed over northern Illinois dropping nickel size hail.
- Hail in Kansas, April 9, 2013A strong cold front plowed south across the area during the morning and despite the very cold April air, elevated severe thunderstorms developed north of the front in the cold air. Large hail was occurring with surface temperatures at or slightly below freezing.
- Hail in Nebraska, April 9, 2013This was a unique Tuesday afternoon and evening of weather across South Central Nebraska.
- Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, April 9 to 10, 2013Scattered thunderstorms produced lightning during the afternoon hours of April 9th and again during the early morning hours of April 10th, igniting 3 separate house fires.
- Hail in Kansas, April 9, 2013This was a unique Tuesday afternoon and evening of weather within North Central Kansas, as winter and spring collided to produce showers and elevated thunderstorms with a varied mix of sleet, hail and freezing rain.
- Hail in Nebraska, April 9, 2013A thunderstorm produced golf ball size hail at Wakefield on the afternoon of April 9th.
- Hail in Kansas, April 9, 2013A wild storm system brought a variety of weather types rarely seen in a single day, and even some strange weather combinations occurring at the same time.
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Iowa, April 9, 2013A thunderstorm produced nickel size hail at Sioux City, and quarter size hail at Hinton on the afternoon of April 9th.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, April 9, 2013A strong arctic cold front pushed south across most of the Kansas during the afternoon hours of April 9th.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, April 9 to 10, 2013A very strong frontal boundary was in place across Iowa during the afternoon of the 9th. Temperatures were in the mid 20s over the far northwest corner of the state, with low 80s in the southeast. Dewpoints reached the mid 50s to low 60s over the southeast as well.
- Hail in Texas, April 9, 2013An arctic cold front pushed through the southern Plains during the afternoon and evening. Immediately ahead of the front, several supercells deveoped over western north Texas and produced large hail, some significant.
- Hail in Texas, April 9 to 10, 2013Thunderstorms developed along a dryline and resulted in a few supercells that produced large hail and strong damaging winds across the region located north of Interstate 20.
- Hail in Texas, April 9, 2013Two thunderstorms affected Young County producing hail up to the size of tennis balls. These thunderstorms developed as a cold front and dryline combined just northwest of the area.
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 9, 2013An arctic cold front pushed across Oklahoma during the day. Ahead of the front, a few supercells developed over mainly southwest portions of Oklahoma and produced large hail.
- Hail in Iowa, April 9, 2013A very atypical early spring storm brought a mix of winter weather and severe thunderstorms to eastern Nebraska and parts of western Iowa April 9th and 10th.
- Hail in Missouri, April 9, 2013An isolated severe thunderstorm, dropped hail up to an inch in diameter, across Jackson and Clay counties, during the evening hours of April 9, 2013.
- Lightning Strike in Iowa, April 10, 2013Lightning struck a home at 6659 Eagle Ridge RD in Bettendorf, IA around 530 am CDT April 10 causing a fire. Damage was estimated to be about 25,000 dollars.
- Damaging Wind in Illinois, April 10, 2013A 67 mph wind gust was measured by the AWOS site at the Sterling Rock Falls Airport at 610 am CDT April 10. The airport is located about 2 miles south southeast of Rock Falls, IL.
- Damaging Wind in Illinois, April 10, 2013A squall line moved across Interstate 39 causing multiple semi-trucks in southeastern Ogle County to jackknife or flip on their sides.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 10, 2013A large subtropical ridge over the western Atlantic and adjacent southeastern United States pumped unseasonably warm air and rich moisture into the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 10, 2013A stationary front was located across northern Ohio on April 10th with temperatures ranging from 50 degrees near Lake Erie to near 80 degrees in Central Ohio.
- Hail in Texas, April 10, 2013Widespread showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching upper level low. This rain activity was elevated in nature behind a cold front but was being maintained by strong isentropic ascent over the cooler surface air.
- Hail in Ohio, April 10, 2013A few thunderstorms developed south of a warm front during the mid morning hours. These storms were capable of producing sub severe hail.
- Hail in Indiana, April 10, 2013A slow moving frontal boundary was located from central Illinois into western Ohio. An unstable air mass along and south of the front allow for clusters of thunderstorms to form, some of which briefly became severe.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 10, 2013A stationary front that set up just north of I-80 became the focus for convection on the afternoon of April 10th as a shortwave riding along the front approached.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, April 10 to 11, 2013Low pressure tracking along a stationary frontal boundary triggered severe thunderstorms across parts of central Illinois during the afternoon and evening of April 10th.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 10, 2013A slow moving frontal boundary was located from central Illinois into western Ohio. An unstable air mass along and south of the front allow for clusters of thunderstorms to form, some of which briefly became severe.
- Damaging Winds in Texas, April 10, 2013An unstable airmass ahead of a strong cold front resulted in the development of strong to severe thunderstorms across the region as an upper level trough ejected out into the Southern and Central Plains. These storms produced damaging wind gusts along with large hail.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Ohio, April 10, 2013Numerous thunderstorms developed during the afternoon heating south of a warm front. Some of these storms became severe during the afternoon and lasted into the evening. The main threats from these storms were large hail and isolated damaging winds.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Missouri, April 10, 2013A strong weather system moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. There were numerous reports of large hail, as well as damaging winds and three tornadoes.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Arkansas, April 10, 2013Severe storms developed ahead of an advancing cold front on the afternoon and evening of the 10th. A few tornadoes occurred, and there were also reports of large hail and damaging winds.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, April 10 to 11, 2013A cold front moving through the Missouri Ozarks and associated upper level trough over the central portions of the country developed strong to severe thunderstorms.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, April 10, 2013A strong weather system moved through the region, triggering showers and thunderstorms. There were numerous reports of large hail, as well as damaging winds and three tornadoes.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 10, 2013A line of intense thunderstorms developed over the north central mountains in Pennsylvania and raced east across Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike and southern Wayne counties during the late afternoon and early evening hours of Wednesday April 10th.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, April 10, 2013A stationary front that set up just north of I-80 became the focus for convection on the afternoon of April 10th as a shortwave riding along the front approached.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, April 10, 2013A stationary front that set up just north of I-80 became the focus for convection on the afternoon of April 10th as a shortwave riding along the front approached.
- Hail in Illinois, April 10, 2013Surface heating during the day destabilized the atmosphere, contributing to moderate instability in the warm sector of a surface cyclone. Thunderstorms developed as the cap weakened.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, April 10, 2013An unseasonably warm air mass just south of a slowly moving cold front combined to produce strong to severe thunderstorms mainly across the Poconos and Lehigh Valley during the late afternoon and early evening of the 10th.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in New Jersey, April 10, 2013An unseasonably warm air mass just south of a slowly moving cold front combined to produce a few strong to severe thunderstorms across northwest New Jersey during the early evening of the 10th.
- Flash Flood and Hail in Louisiana, April 10 to 11, 2013A very warm and unstable airmass was in place over the region on the 10th with temperatures reaching into the mid to upper 80s across the region.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, April 10, 2013A very warm and unstable airmass was in place over the region on the 10th with temperatures reaching into the mid to upper 80s across the region.
- Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in New York, April 10, 2013A low pressure system moved along a stalled frontal boundary just south of Long Island, producing showers and thunderstorms, with isolated severe weather.
- Hail in Louisiana, April 10, 2013An unstable airmass ahead of a strong cold front resulted in the development of strong to severe thunderstorms across the region as an upper level trough ejected out into the Southern and Central Plains. These storms produced damaging wind gusts along with large hail.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Missouri, April 10, 2013Surface heating during the day destabilized the atmosphere, contributing to moderate instability in the warm sector of a surface cyclone. Thunderstorms developed as the cap weakened.
- Flash Flood in Mississippi, April 11, 2013An upper level low pressure system moved into the Mid-South during the early morning hours of April 11th, 2013. Widespread moderate to heavy rain fell across portions of North Mississippi. Localized flash flooding occurred as a result.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Mississippi, April 11, 2013A very warm and unstable airmass was in place over the region on the 10th with temperatures reaching into the mid to upper 80s across the region.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, April 11, 2013A strong cold front triggered a squall line that moved across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi during the afternoon hours.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 11, 2013Severe thunderstorms ahead of and along a cold front moved across Central Alabama on Thursday, April 11th. Storms along the cold front formed into a quasi-linear convective system, causing wind damage and producing seven tornadoes across the area.
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, April 11, 2013A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across southeast Mississippi during the early afternoon hours producing sporadic severe weather damage.
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, April 11, 2013A strong cold front triggered a squall line that moved across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi during the afternoon hours.
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 11, 2013On the Afternoon of Thursday April 11, a line of strong to briefly severe thunderstorms crossed Southwest Alabama with isolated reports of severe weather damage.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 11, 2013The combination of a cold front and an associated upper level short wave moving through the region, resulted in two tornadoes and isolated wind damage across portions of north Alabama.
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 11, 2013On April 11th, a line of storms weakened during the morning hours as it moved into west central Kentucky. By early afternoon, the remnants of this line hung up over central Kentucky, stretching from the Bluegrass Region southwest to near Bowling Green.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 11, 2013Severe Pulse Thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front and produced some wind damage and 1 inch hail over areas of the Midlands, CSRA, and Pee Dee.
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 11, 2013A cold front aided by a potent shortwave triggered a few thunderstorms in southeast Georgia.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 11, 2013A well-defined upper shortwave pushed through the Deep South in late on the 11th. A strong surface low over the Central Plains early in the day began lifting to the northeast toward the Great Lakes, dragging the associated cold front moved into northwest Georgia late in the day.
- Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 11, 2013A potent cold front, ample low level moisture, and abundant instability combined to bring severe weather to portions of eastern Kentucky during the evening hours of April 11th.
- Damaging Winds in Tennessee, April 11, 2013A cold front tracked through the area during the afternoon hours. Thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front across east Tennessee. With the aid of moderate instability and strong winds a few of storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind.
- Damaging Winds in Florida, April 11, 2013A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across the western Florida panhandle during the early evening hours producing sporadic damage.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 11 to 12, 2013Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong, slow moving cold front. A couple of the storms produced large hail and wind damage over the region. Widespread rain moved into the mountains along the front, causing many streams and smaller rivers to rise to near bankfull.
- Damaging Winds in Florida, April 11, 2013A warm front moved north of the region as a strong upper level trough and surface cold front approached from the west. The trough took on a negative tilt as it lifted just north of the area and the cold front moved through.
- Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 11, 2013A warm front moved north of the region as a strong upper level trough and surface cold front approached from the west. The trough took on a negative tilt as it lifted just north of the area and the cold front moved through.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Virginia, April 12, 2013A strong, negatively tilted upper low pressure area was moving from the central U.S. toward the northeast U.S. An associated strong cold front extended down the spine of the Appalachians early in the morning.
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 12, 2013A strong, negatively tilted upper low pressure area was moving from the central U.S. toward the northeast U.S. An associated strong cold front extended down the spine of the Appalachians early in the morning.
- Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 12, 2013An extensive north to south oriented pre-frontal squall line moved east into Central North Carolina during the overnight/early morning hours.
- Damaging Wind in South Carolina, April 12, 2013A warm airmass combined with weak impulses triggered a few thunderstorms.
- Damaging Wind in South Carolina, April 12, 2013Thunderstorms developed along a cold front and moved into an air-mass that remained moderately unstable even as drier air worked into the area.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Colorado, April 12, 2013A severe thunderstorm produced nickel size hail and wind gusts to 62 mph in Washington County.
- Hail in Colorado, April 12, 2013A strong thunderstorm developed over Yuma county during the afternoon. Hail up to nickel size was reported near Idalia with this storm.
More
Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2013Tornadoes in 2013
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.