South/Southeast Severe Weather
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $3.5 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($2.7 billion at the time).
What the offices filed during it
The 72 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
- $3.5 billion
- Losses at the time
- $2.7 billion
- Deaths
- 0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 325 | 2 | 2 | $5.7 million |
| Arkansas | 37 | 0 | 6 | $1.5 million |
| Mississippi | 57 | 0 | 0 | $950,000 |
| Louisiana | 55 | 0 | 0 | $914,000 |
| Kentucky | 82 | 1 | 0 | $611,000 |
| Tennessee | 78 | 0 | 0 | $472,000 |
| Missouri | 28 | 0 | 0 | $333,000 |
| Indiana | 2 | 0 | 0 | $50,000 |
| Ohio | 5 | 0 | 0 | $30,000 |
| Oklahoma | 72 | 1 | 0 | $27,000 |
| Kansas | 17 | 0 | 1 | $11,000 |
| North Carolina | 16 | 0 | 0 | $2,000 |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 0 | 0 | $2,000 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 0 | 0 | $1,000 |
| Alabama | 51 | 0 | 1 | |
| Georgia | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 24, 2017A closed upper level low pressure system drifted east across Northcentral Texas and Central Oklahoma during the afternoon of March 24th.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 24, 2017A line of strong to severe thunderstorms with a few tornadoes moved through the state on the evening of March 24th and early morning of the 25th.
- Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 24, 2017A strong upper level disturbance moved eastward from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains on the 24th and 25th. Several areas of strong thunderstorms developed ahead of this system, in the moist and unstable air across eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas.
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 24, 2017A closed upper level low pressure system drifted east across Northcentral Texas and Central Oklahoma during the afternoon of March 24th.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 24, 2017A closed upper level low pressure system drifted east across Northcentral Texas and Central Oklahoma during the afternoon of March 24th.
- Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 25, 2017A line of severe thunderstorms moved into northeast Louisiana early in the morning on March 25th and produced damaging wind gusts.
- Hail in Oklahoma, March 25, 2017A strong upper level disturbance moved eastward from the Southern Rockies into the Southern Plains on the 24th and 25th. Several areas of strong thunderstorms developed ahead of this system, in the moist and unstable air across eastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 25, 2017An upper level disturbance and cold front provided the focus for a few severe thunderstorms to occur across portions of the Midsouth during the early morning hours of March 25th.
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, March 25, 2017An upper level disturbance and cold front provided the focus for a few severe thunderstorms to occur across portions of the Midsouth during the early morning hours of March 25th.
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 25, 2017A line of severe thunderstorms moved into southeast Arkansas early in the morning on March 25th and produced damaging wind gusts.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 25, 2017A line of severe thunderstorms moved into Mississippi early in the morning on March 25th and moved much of the state throughout the day. These storms primarily produced severe wind gusts which blew down trees and caused other damage.
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 25, 2017An upper level disturbance and cold front provided the focus for a few severe thunderstorms to occur across portions of the Midsouth during the early morning hours of March 25th.
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Missouri, March 25 to 30, 2017Several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms produced reports of wind damage and large hail across the Missouri Ozarks. One storm produced a brief tornado in northeast Dent county. Heavy rainfall from storms led to some minor flooding.
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 25, 2017A line of thunderstorms moved across Southeast Texas producing one report of damage.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 25, 2017A line of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front moved across South Louisiana producing a few reports of hail and wind damage.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 25, 2017A vigorous upper level low pressure system moving across the mid and lower Mississippi River Valley triggered several severe thunderstorms across southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi and the adjoining coastal waters.
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 25, 2017A weakening line of thunderstorms pushed slowly northeast through north Alabama during the late morning and afternoon hours. One storm produced a bow-echo segment in Lawrence County that knocked down a large tree and destroyed a couple of sheds.
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, March 25, 2017A vigorous upper level low pressure system moving across the mid and lower Mississippi River Valley triggered several severe thunderstorms across southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi and the adjoining coastal waters.
- Tornado in Missouri, March 25, 2017Isolated severe storms developed across the region. One tornado was reported.
- Hail and Strong Wind in Kentucky, March 26, 2017A broken line of showers and thunderstorms developed early this afternoon. One storm on the northern end of this line produced quarter sized hail in Morgan County, while pennies were reported in Elliott County.
- Tornado and Hail in Ohio, March 26, 2017An upper level low pressure system produced showers with embedded thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, March 26, 2017With a cold front, warm front, and dryline in the vicinity, storms formed across central and south central Oklahoma on the evening of the 26th. Hail was the primary hazard, but also wind and a tornado.
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 26, 2017Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed over western North Carolina during the afternoon. One storm produced brief severe weather over Iredell County.
- Tornado in Puerto Rico, March 26, 2017A surface low pressure north of Hispanola induced a moist and convectively unstable air mass over Puerto Rico. This southerly flow interacted with the island topography enhancing the low-level convergence along and downwind of the Cordillera Central.
- Hail in West Virginia, March 26, 2017A surface and upper level low pressure system moved through the Lower Ohio River Valley toward the Great Lakes during the afternoon of March 26. This resulted in several rounds of showers and thunderstorms moving through.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 26 to 27, 2017An upper level trough, dryline and Pacific cold front all combined to produce a round of severe thunderstorms, with large hail being the primary severe weather element to affect the region.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, March 26, 2017An upper-deck low that was centered over Southwest Kansas that afternoon moved east across South-Central Kansas that evening. Damaging winds that reached around 65 mph were the greatest threat although there were many reports of hail, nearly all of them 1 inch or less.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 26, 2017Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across central Oklahoma during the late afternoon hours of the 26th, as a dry line moved into the area from the west. These storms moved into eastern Oklahoma during the evening hours, producing hail up to golfball size and damaging wind.
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 26, 2017A shortwave trough moved into Westcentral Arkansas during the evening hours on March 27th, resulting in an associated cold front moving into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas.
- Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 26, 2017A shortwave trough moved into Westcentral Arkansas during the evening hours on March 27th, resulting in an associated cold front moving into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas.
- Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 26 to 27, 2017A shortwave trough moved into Westcentral Arkansas during the evening hours on March 27th, resulting in an associated cold front moving into Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas.
- Hail in Texas, March 26, 2017Isolated thunderstorms formed along a pre-frontal trough. One of these storms produced large hail.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 27, 2017Severe thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds near Bryan.
- Tornado and Hail in Mississippi, March 27, 2017A potent upper level disturbance generated numerous severe thunderstorms across the Midsouth from roughly noon through the early evening hours of March 27th. All severe weather threats were observed.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Tennessee, March 27, 2017A potent upper level disturbance generated numerous severe thunderstorms across the Midsouth from roughly noon through the early evening hours of March 27th. All severe weather threats were observed.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, March 27, 2017Severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon within an increasingly moist and unstable air mass across the region.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, March 27, 2017Scattered to numerous thunderstorms developed early this afternoon as temperatures warmed into the 70s ahead of an approaching cool front. These produced isolated reports of large hail across Floyd County.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 27, 2017As a cold front moved toward the region, storms developed in a very unstable airmass. These storms brought large hail and damaging winds to the ArkLaMiss region through the afternoon and evening hours.
- Tornado and Hail in Kentucky, March 27, 2017A strong area of low pressure tracked across the lower Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening hours on March 27. Combined with warm and unstable air, scattered severe storms developed across central Kentucky.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 27, 2017Clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours producing large hail and isolated damaging winds. Late in the evening, a squall line of strong to severe thunderstorms dropped southeast from Tennessee producing isolated severe weather.
- Hail in Arkansas, March 27, 2017A potent upper level disturbance generated numerous severe thunderstorms across the Midsouth from roughly noon through the early evening hours of March 27th. All severe weather threats were observed.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 27, 2017As a cold front moved toward the region, storms developed in a very unstable airmass. These storms brought large hail and damaging winds to the ArkLaMiss region through the afternoon and evening hours.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, March 27, 2017Numerous showers and thunderstorms, many of which were strong to severe and included a few supercells, moved across Middle Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours on Monday, March 27.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 27, 2017Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms develop across north central Alabama during the afternoon and evening hours on March 27th. A strong upper level short wave tracked eastward across the Lower Mississippi Valley Region.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in West Virginia, March 27, 2017Showers and thunderstorms developed across the Central Appalachians on the 27th. The area was in the warm sector of a low pressure system which was moving through the Lower Ohio River Valley.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 27, 2017A few thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front during the afternoon and evening of the March 27th, a few of which intensified and became severe for short periods of time.
- Hail in North Carolina, March 27, 2017Isolated thunderstorms developed across the North Carolina Blue Ridge during the afternoon, followed by a weakening line of storms that moved into the mountains during the evening. A couple of cells produced brief periods of hail.
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, March 27, 2017A strong area of low pressure tracked across the lower Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening hours on March 27. Combined with warm and unstable air, scattered severe storms developed across Kentucky and southern Indiana.
- Hail in Georgia, March 27, 2017A strong short wave sweeping through the Tennessee Valley combined with a moderately unstable atmosphere across north Georgia to produce isolated severe thunderstorms with several reports of large hail across northwest Georgia.
- Hail in Mississippi, March 27, 2017Thunderstorms produced large hail in southeast Mississippi.
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, March 27, 2017Strong wind shear but limited buoyancy were available for storm strengthening as a short wave trough and cold front moved though the Mid South into the Southern Appalachian region. One severe thunderstorm development in the Great Valley in this environment.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 28 to 29, 2017A line of thunderstorms developed late in the day on the 28th and moved through much of north Texas during the early morning hours of the 29th. While hail and damaging wind gusts were the primary severe weather events, several QLCS tornadoes were observed as well.
- Lightning Strikes in Pennsylvania, March 28, 2017Lightning strikes from thunderstorms throughout the day resulted in a couple of damage reports.
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, March 28, 2017Quite an active day across the Panhandles. An upper level low pressure was progressing eastward centered over the Arizona/New Mexico border.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 28, 2017Rich Gulf moisture over the South Plains early this morning and a vigorous upper low culminated in severe thunderstorm development by late morning across the South Plains.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 28, 2017A deep upper low was over New Mexico with strong lift and instability over southeast New Mexico and West Texas. There was a dryline and cold front that moved across the area, and there was a lot of wind shear in the atmosphere.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, March 28, 2017Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed with the approach of an upper level disturbance and surface cold front into the area. One severe storm produced a 58 mph wind gust and quarter size hail in Halifax county.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 28, 2017A potent upper level system and an associated frontal boundary resulted in the development of a few discrete supercell thunderstorms that spawned at least four tornadoes and a few reports of large hail in the Big Country.
- Hail in North Carolina, March 28, 2017An isolated severe thunderstorm produced 1 to 2 inch diameter hail in the Trenton to Pollocksville area.
- Hail in Kansas, March 28, 2017An isolated severe thunderstorm occurred in a widespread area of convection.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, March 28, 2017An upper level trough brought a cold front through South Central Texas and thunderstorms developed along the front. Some of these storms produced large hail and damaging wind gusts.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, March 28 to 29, 2017An area of storms formed across Oklahoma and western north Texas in the vicinity of several fronts/boundaries overnight on the 28th into early 29th. Besides severe weather and a tornado, slow moving storms and extensive shower coverage also led to flash flooding.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 28 to 29, 2017An area of storms formed across Oklahoma and western north Texas in the vicinity of several fronts/boundaries overnight on the 28th into early 29th. Besides severe weather and a tornado, slow moving storms and extensive shower coverage also led to flash flooding.
- Lightning Strike in Kansas, March 28, 2017A man was struck by lightning while he was in a Walmart parking lot.
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Texas, March 29, 2017A squall line which originally developed over West Texas during the late morning and early afternoon hours on March 28th ahead of a closed low over Central New Mexico, marched east across much of Texas during the afternoon and evening hours along the eastward advancing dryline,…
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, March 29 to 30, 2017A slow moving upper level disturbance and cold front produced widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain. Some storms became severe and flooding also occurred.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, March 29, 2017A line of thunderstorms moved across southeast Texas during the morning and afternoon hours and produced several tornadoes, hail, wind damage and some flooding.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, March 29, 2017A slow moving upper level disturbance and cold front produced widespread thunderstorms and heavy rain. Some storms became severe and flooding also occurred.
- Hail in Kansas, March 29, 2017Thunderstorms during the last week of March led to widespread heavy rain amounts along with a few hail reports.
- Hail in Oklahoma, March 29, 2017An area of strong thunderstorms moved through eastern Oklahoma during the morning hours of the 29th. Scattered thunderstorms redeveloped across portions of northeastern Oklahoma during the afternoon hours as a cold-core upper level storm system moved northeast across the area.
- Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 29, 2017A squall line which originally developed over West Texas during the late morning and early afternoon hours on March 28th ahead of a closed low over Central New Mexico, marched east across much of Texas during the afternoon and evening hours along the eastward advancing dryline,…
- Hail in Kansas, March 29, 2017Scattered thunderstorms produced a few severe hail reports in western Missouri and eastern Kansas.
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.