Southeast Tornado Outbreak

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.5 billion

Losses at the time

$1.4 billion

Deaths

3

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.

• Hail in Florida, April 3, 20221.5 in hail · 7 eventsA frontal boundary across far southern Florida along with cold air aloft generated enough support for strong thunderstorms to affect Miami-Dade County during the late afternoon and early evening hours of April 3rd.
• Hail in Oklahoma, April 3 to 4, 20221.25 in hail · 7 eventsStorms initiated along a cold front during the early evening hours of the 3rd, with several reports of large hail received across portions of western and central OK.
• Hail in Florida, April 4, 20222 in hail · 5 eventsThe remnants of a front across South Florida along with cold air aloft led to high amounts of instability which fostered the development of strong thunderstorms over interior portions of South Florida. Large hail up to 2 inches in diameter was the main impact.
• Tornado and Hail in Florida, April 4, 2022$520,000 · EF0 · 3 eventsThunderstorms produce a brief tornado in Hardee County and damaging hail up to the size of golf balls in parts of Highlands County.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, April 4 to 5, 20221 injured · $3.2 million · EF2 · 37 eventsThunderstorms developed along a slow moving cold front on the evening of Monday, April 4, aided by the arrival of an upper level disturbance. All modes of severe weather were produced across parts of primarily North Texas.
• Hail in Texas, April 4, 20221.5 in hail · 4 eventsThunderstorms developed over the mountains in northern Mexico and moved across the border into Texas. One of these storms produced large hail.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, April 4, 20221 in hail · 5 eventsWarm, moist, and unstable air spread north across North and East Texas, North Louisiana, and extreme Southern Arkansas during the evening through the early morning hours of April 4th-5th, behind a warm front that lifted north through these areas.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 4 to 5, 20221 death · 87 kt wind · 14 eventsWarm, moist, and unstable air spread north across North and East Texas, North Louisiana, and extreme Southern Arkansas during the evening through the early morning hours of April 4th-5th, behind a warm front that lifted north through these areas.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, April 4 to 5, 20221.75 in hail · 5 eventsWarm, moist, and unstable air spread north across North and East Texas, North Louisiana, and extreme Southern Arkansas during the evening through the early morning hours of April 4th-5th, behind a warm front that lifted north through these areas.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, April 5, 2022$49,000 · 1 in hail · 4 eventsA low pressure system moving east along the Arkansas Louisiana border helped to organize a line of severe thunderstorms early in the morning of April 5th.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, April 5, 20221 death · $10,000 · EF1 · 19 eventsWarm, moist, and unstable air spread north across North and East Texas, North Louisiana, and extreme Southern Arkansas during the evening through the early morning hours of April 4th-5th, behind a warm front that lifted north through these areas.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, April 5, 2022$1.3 million · EF2 · 42 eventsA low pressure system moving east along the Arkansas Louisiana border helped to organize a line of severe thunderstorms early in the morning of April 5th. Widespread severe wind gusts and several tornadoes occurred with this squall line as it moved east across Mississippi.
• Damaging Wind in Arkansas, April 5, 2022$20,000 · 55 kt wind · 1 eventA low pressure system moving east along the Arkansas Louisiana border helped to organize a line of severe thunderstorms early in the morning of April 5th. Severe wind gusts with this squall line caused some damage in far southeast Arkansas.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, April 5 to 6, 2022EF2 · 23 eventsAn upper-level disturbance moved across the Deep South in the early morning hours of April 5, 2022. This fostered the development of a surface low which moved across Central Mississippi and into North Alabama.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, April 5, 2022EF2 · 16 eventsA very active Spring severe weather season continued in April. A very strong storm system and associated cold front swept across the area during the morning of April 5th.
• Tornadoes in Mississippi, April 5, 2022EF2 · 3 eventsA very active Spring severe weather season continued in April. A very strong storm system and associated cold front swept across the area during the morning of April 5th.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 5 to 7, 20223 injured · $7,000 · EF3 · 59 eventsA multi-day severe weather outbreak initiated with a warm moist air mass situated over Georgia as a strengthening upper level system pushed across central Georgia.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Alabama, April 5, 2022$206,000 · EF1 · 15 eventsA slow moving cold front brought multiple rounds of severe weather to the tri-state region from April 5-7. Several tornadoes occurred along with numerous reports of wind damage and a few reports of large hail. None of the tornadoes were rated stronger than EF1.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in South Carolina, April 5, 20221 injured · $20 · EF3 · 17 eventsAn upper level disturbance and the interaction of surface boundaries, along with increasing moisture, led to thunderstorms that developed and moved east across the region during the afternoon.
• Damaging Wind in Florida, April 5, 202267 kt wind · 1 eventA line of thunderstorms moved across the Florida panhandle and produced strong winds.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 5 to 7, 2022$660,000 · EF1 · 47 eventsA slow moving cold front brought multiple rounds of severe weather to the tri-state region from April 5-7. Several tornadoes occurred along with numerous reports of wind damage and a few reports of large hail. None of the tornadoes were rated stronger than EF1.
• Tornado and Hail in Georgia, April 5, 20221 death · 12 injured · EF4 · 12 eventsA severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through southeast Georgia during the afternoon into early evening hours of April 5, 2022 as a mid-level shortwave ejected rapidly across the region in advance of a surface cold front.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 5, 20221 injured · $62,000 · EF3 · 45 eventsA severe quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) moved through southeast South Carolina during the afternoon into early evening hours of April 5, 2022 as a mid-level shortwave ejected rapidly across the region in advance of a surface cold front.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, April 5, 202254 kt wind · 2 eventsThunderstorms formed along a dryline in northern Mexico and moved into Texas. One of these storms produced strong wind gusts and large hail.
• Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 5, 202260 kt wind · 2 eventsAn upper level disturbance and the interaction of surface boundaries, along with increasing moisture, led to thunderstorms that developed and moved east across the region during the afternoon.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 5, 202255 kt wind · 3 eventsThe sea breeze developed and pushed inland just west of I-95 during the afternoon and early evening. Showers and storms developed ahead of the main squall line across GA and as the storms interacted with the sea breeze and outflows, they became severe.
• Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 5, 2022EF1 · 7 eventsA strong shortwave helped initiate pre-frontal convection in a high shear and moderately unstable environment.
• Damaging Winds in Texas, April 5, 202252 kt wind · 2 eventsIsolated strong to severe thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of the 5th as an upper level disturbance moving out of northern Mexico interacted with a moist and unstable air mass east of a surface trough over the Rio Grande plains.
• Damaging Winds in Missouri, April 5, 202270 kt wind · 2 eventsA strong thunderstorm that was certainly capable of producing a tornado moved through Cooper County, and caused isolated damage. While this damage was not confirmed to be a tornado, it's plausible this storm could have produced a brief tornado as it pushed through the county.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Missouri, April 5, 20221 in hail · 3 eventsAs a cold front moved through the forecast area, storms developed along it. A few of the storms became severe with reports of large hail and damaging winds.
• Damaging Wind in North Carolina, April 5, 202256 kt wind · 1 eventA strong shortwave helped initiate pre-frontal convection in a high shear and moderately unstable environment.
• Hail in Arkansas, April 5, 20221 in hail · 2 eventsStrong to severe thunderstorms developed over northwestern Arkansas during the late evening of the 5th, as a cold front moved through the area. The strongest storms produced large hail up to quarter size.
• Hail in Arkansas, April 5 to 6, 20221.75 in hail · 5 eventsA few rounds of rain and thunderstorms moved across different parts of the state through the 6th of the month. On the 6th, thunderstorms with large hail moved across northwest Arkansas.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, April 6, 2022$25,000 · 1 in hail · 5 eventsA few severe thunderstorms developed ahead of and along a cold front that traversed the Mid-South on 04/06/2022 producing hail and damaging wind.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 6, 20221 injured · $60 · 60 kt wind · 8 eventsAn upper level disturbance and the interaction of surface boundaries, along with increasing moisture, led to thunderstorms that developed and moved east across the region during the afternoon.
• Damaging Winds in Kentucky, April 6, 2022$140,000 · 65 kt wind · 12 eventsA very strong occluded low pressure system was making its way across the Upper Midwest during the day, Wednesday April 6, as the occluded front passed through the Ohio Valley.
• Tornado and Damaging Wind in Florida, April 6, 2022$153,000 · EF0 · 2 eventsA warm and moist SW wind flow across the South Florida led to the formation of thunderstorms across Palm Beach County during the afternoon hours of April 6th. One of these thunderstorms produced a tornado in Palm Beach Gardens.
• Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, April 6, 2022$1,000 · EF0 · 25 eventsStrong deep-layered forcing and modest warm air advection under the left exit region of a 150 kt upper-level jet led to an environment displaying mixed layered convective available potential energy (MLCAPE) between 1500-1800 J/kg, enhanced downdraft CAPE (DCAPE), and upper 60 to…
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Tennessee, April 6, 20221.75 in hail · 6 eventsA broken line of storms moved from west to east across East Tennessee, with some of the storms producing large hail.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Georgia, April 6, 2022$200,000 · 60 kt wind · 3 eventsAn upper level disturbance and the interaction of surface boundaries, along with increasing moisture, led to thunderstorms that developed and moved east across the region during the afternoon.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 6, 2022$3,000 · 52 kt wind · 2 eventsA line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed along a cold front associated with an occluded area of low pressure that moved into the central Great Lakes region. One storm produced damaging winds of 60 mph and nickel size hail near and west of the Fort Payne community.
• Damaging Wind in West Virginia, April 6, 2022$300 · 50 kt wind · 1 eventOn the afternoon of April 6th, a cold front made its way through West Virginia. While the majority of the area observed showers with the front, there were a few instances of strong thunderstorms.
• Damaging Winds in Georgia, April 6, 202255 kt wind · 2 eventsStrong deep-layered forcing and modest warm air advection under the left exit region of a 150 kt upper-level jet led to an environment displaying mixed layered convective available potential energy (MLCAPE) between 1500-1800 J/kg, enhanced downdraft CAPE (DCAPE), and upper 60 to…
• Damaging Wind in North Carolina, April 6, 202250 kt wind · 1 eventAn upper level disturbance with steep lapse rates aloft helped develop thunderstorms during the evening and overnight hours.
• Tornado and Flooding in Florida, April 6 to 7, 2022$500 · EF1 · 22 eventsA pre-frontal squall line moved across the area during the pre-dawn hours and shifted off of the local Atlantic coast during the morning, which produced an early morning tornado in Nassau County.
• Hail and Heavy Rain in Georgia, April 6 to 7, 20221 in hail · 2 eventsA pre-frontal squall line moved across the area during the pre-dawn hours and shifted off of the local Atlantic coast during the morning, which produced an early morning tornado in Nassau County.
• Hail in Virginia, April 6, 20221 in hail · 1 eventA cold front passing through the area on the evening of April 6th resulted in widespread showers and a few instances of thunderstorms. A storm developed in Buchanan County just after midnight on the 7th, which resulted in one inch hail near the town of Hurley.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 7, 2022$220,000 · 1.75 in hail · 8 eventsA couple of isolated thunderstorms moved into upstate South Carolina in association with a cold front during the early morning hours of the 7th. The storms produced locally damaging winds along with hail as large as golf balls.
• Damaging Winds in Florida, April 7, 202271 kt wind · 5 eventsA broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across east-central Florida. Several storms became severe and produced significant wind and tree damage in Orange and Seminole Counties, and a severe wind gust at the Cape in Brevard County.
• Hail in South Carolina, April 7, 20220.88 in hail · 5 eventsStrong surface heating ahead of an arriving cold front led to a few thunderstorms capable of producing small hail across southeast South Carolina.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, April 7, 20222.75 in hail · 15 eventsScattered supercells capable of producing large hail developed ahead of a cold front in a very unstable environment.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 7, 2022$82,000 · 1.75 in hail · 19 eventsA warm, moist, and unstable air mass ahead of an approaching cold and deep mid to upper level trough allowed for the development of showers and thunderstorms across eastern portions of the area.
• Hail in North Carolina, April 7, 20221.5 in hail · 1 eventScattered supercells capable of producing large hail developed ahead of a cold front in a very unstable environment.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, April 7, 20221 injured · $40,000 · 1.75 in hail · 9 eventsScattered severe thunderstorms in advance of low pressure and a cold front produced damaging winds and large hail across portions of northeast North Carolina.
• Damaging Winds in Virginia, April 7, 2022$5,000 · 51 kt wind · 3 eventsScattered severe thunderstorms in advance of low pressure and a cold front produced damaging winds across portions of southeast Virginia.
• Hail in North Carolina, April 7, 20221 in hail · 2 eventsThunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours and lasted into early evening. A few storms entered Eastern NC from the west and became severe in the Coastal Plain counties.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2022Tornadoes in 2022

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.