Southeast Tornadoes

Losses, 2024 dollars

$1.7 billion

Losses at the time

$1.1 billion

Deaths

5

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 Arkansas, March 13, 2008$25,000 · 1.75 in hail · 11 eventsSevere thunderstorms occurred across northwest Arkansas during the afternoon and evening.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Arkansas, March 13, 2008$12,000 · 1.75 in hail · 23 eventsA strong storm system aloft approached from the southern Plains during the evening of March 13th. Cold air surrounded the system, with much warmer conditions near the ground. This created very unstable conditions, with thunderstorms developing.
• Tornado and Hail in Oklahoma, March 13, 2008$10,000 · EF0 · 8 eventsSevere thunderstorms occurred during the evening hours across eastern Oklahoma.
• Hail in Texas, March 13, 20080.88 in hail · 1 eventAmple instability and moisture produced thunderstorms along a dry line. There was one report of severe hail.
• Hail in Arkansas, March 13, 20080.75 in hail · 1 eventA surface cold front during the evening hours of March 13th was located from near southwest Oklahoma onto near southwest Missouri. A surface dryline extended south from near Oklahoma City to near the interstate 35 corridor across north central Texas.
• Hail in Oklahoma, March 13, 20081.25 in hail · 1 eventA surface cold front during the evening hours of March 13th was located from near southwest Oklahoma onto near southwest Missouri. A surface dryline extended south from near Oklahoma City to near the interstate 35 corridor across north central Texas.
• Hail in Texas, March 13, 20080.75 in hail · 1 eventA surface cold front during the evening hours of March 13th was located from near southwest Oklahoma onto near southwest Missouri. A surface dryline extended south from near Oklahoma City to near the interstate 35 corridor across north central Texas.
• Tornado and Hail in Arkansas, March 14 to 15, 2008$2.0 million · EF2 · 48 eventsA storm system was in the Texas Panhandle during the early evening of the 14th. At the same time, a warm front lifted to the north ahead of the system. Strong to severe thunderstorms developed along and north of the front.
• Flash Flooding in Iowa, March 14, 2008$40,000 · 2 eventsA strong warm-up took place over Iowa during the 14th and the several days before with highs reaching the 40s and 50s, and overnight lows remaining in the 30s. This melted a considerable amount of snow and began the process of ice break-up on the rivers.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in California, March 14 to 17, 2008$76,000 · 50 kt wind · 11 eventsA strong weather system arrived on the 15th, which brought colder air to the region. Gusty winds to around 50mph continued over the mountains and deserts, and gusts even developed over parts of the San Joaquin Valley (where gusts to 37 mph were reported).
• Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, March 14 to 15, 2008$1.1 million · EF2 · 21 eventsAn upper level disturbance, and a developing surface low and associated cold front, caused several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Alabama.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Alabama, March 14 to 15, 2008$19,000 · 52 kt wind · 20 eventsThree rounds of severe weather, associated with a stalled out frontal boundary, occurred in northern Alabama on the 14th and 15th.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 14, 20081 death · 30 injured · $26 million · EF2 · 8 eventsA series of vigorous upper-level disturbances were racing through a fast zonal flow across the southern states.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Louisiana, March 14, 2008$1,000 · 2.25 in hail · 43 eventsAbout 3 to 4 supercells formed in a moist and unstable air mass in |southwest Arkansas and north Louisiana ahead of a surface dry line |located over northeast Texas. The supercells produced several episodes |of large hail, with a few occurrences of wind damage.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, March 14, 2008$100,000 · 2 in hail · 23 eventsAbout 3 to 4 supercells formed in a moist and unstable air mass in |southwest Arkansas and north Louisiana ahead of a surface dry line |located over northeast Texas. The supercells produced several episodes |of large hail, with a few occurrences of wind damage.
• Damaging Wind in Oklahoma, March 14, 200852 kt wind · 1 eventAn area of surface low pressure moved through northern Oklahoma during the afternoon hours, with a warm front extending to the east, a dryline to the south, and a cold front extending to the west.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 14, 2008$560,000 · 1.75 in hail · 7 eventsA weak front stalled across the northern portion of the area earlier in the day and provided a focus for thunderstorms to develop by evening. Conditions by afternoon became warm and quite unstable near the front.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, March 14, 2008$5,000 · 1 in hail · 16 eventsSevere thunderstorm occurred across northeast Oklahoma during the evening hours.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 14 to 15, 2008$105,000 · 1.75 in hail · 15 eventsA weak front stalled across the northern portion of the area earlier in the day and provided a focus for thunderstorms to develop by evening. Conditions by afternoon became warm and quite unstable near the front.
• Hail in Louisiana, March 14, 2008$670,000 · 2.75 in hail · 4 eventsA weak front stalled across the northern portion of the area earlier in the day and provided a focus for thunderstorms to develop by evening. Conditions by afternoon became warm and quite unstable near the front.
• Hail and Damaging Wind in Arkansas, March 14, 2008$1,000 · 1.75 in hail · 8 eventsSevere thunderstorm occurred during the late evening and early morning hours of the 14th.
• Flash Flood and Hail in Tennessee, March 14 to 15, 2008$16,000 · 1.75 in hail · 10 eventsA cold front stretched from Middle Tennessee through North Mississippi into South Central Arkansas during the evening hours of March 14, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and north of the front including portions of West Tennessee.
• Hail in Arkansas, March 14 to 15, 2008$30,000 · 1.75 in hail · 16 eventsA cold front stretched from Middle Tennessee through North Mississippi into South Central Arkansas during the evening hours of March 14, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and north of the front including portions of Eastern Arkansas.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 14 to 15, 2008$192,000 · 1.75 in hail · 29 eventsA cold front stretched from Middle Tennessee through North Mississippi into South Central Arkansas during the evening hours of March 14, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed along and north of the front.
• Tornadoes and Flood in Georgia, March 15 to 16, 20082 deaths · 2 injured · $57 million · EF3 · 106 eventsThe pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable.
• Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 2008$2.8 million · EF0 · 26 eventsSeveral supercell thunderstorms affected the southern part of Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon and early evening hours. Very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes accompanied the storms.
• Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 20084 injured · $55,000 · EF3 · 71 eventsSeven supercells tracked across our South Carolina County Warning Area and produced many long-lived tornadoes that did significant damage. Over 85 homes were destroyed, around 400 had moderate damage, and estimates for the total devastation were around 40 million dollars.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 2008$100,000 · EF2 · 10 eventsSeveral supercell thunderstorms affected the mountains and foothills of extreme northeast Georgia during the afternoon and early evening hours. Very large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes accompanied the storms.
• Hail in Tennessee, March 15, 20080.88 in hail · 2 eventsA few severe thunderstorms that produced large hail, developed ahead of a cold front which moved across southern middle Tennessee during the afternoon hours on the 15th.
• Hail in North Carolina, March 15, 20080.88 in hail · 1 eventSevere storms affected the far southern Piedmont of North Carolina during the late afternoon hours.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, March 15, 20081.75 in hail · 14 eventsA quasi-stationary warm front was located across southern sections of North Carolina during the afternoon. As a low amplitude shortwave trough transversed the central Appalachians, a surface low developed over Tennessee and tracked east along the stalled boundary.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 20082 injured · $300,000 · EF2 · 11 eventsThree supercells tracked across portions of the GA CSRA and produce multiple long-lived tornadoes that produced significant damage.
• Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 20083 injured · $865,000 · EF1 · 29 eventsA surface warm front lifted northward across the area just a few hours prior to the onset of a severe weather outbreak while a cold front approached from the northwest. A meso-low developed across northeast Georgia and enhanced the shear through the low-levels of the atmosphere.
• Tornadoes and Hail in North Carolina, March 15, 20087 injured · $4.0 million · EF1 · 12 eventsA surface warm front lifted northward across the area just a few hours prior to the onset of a severe weather outbreak while a cold front approached from the northwest. A meso-low developed across northeast Georgia and enhanced the shear through the low-levels of the atmosphere.
• Tornadoes and Hail in South Carolina, March 15, 20088 injured · $4.0 million · EF2 · 58 eventsA large and intense area of low pressure lifted northward through the central Appalachians, dragging a strong cold front toward southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.
• Hail in North Carolina, March 15, 20081 in hail · 1 eventLow pressure and its associated cold front crossed eastern North Carolina during the evening and overnight hours of March 15 2008. Scattered thunderstorms crossed the region during the evening hours with one producing large hail.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, March 15, 20086 injured · $4.5 million · EF2 · 10 eventsA large and intense area of low pressure lifted northward through the central Appalachians, dragging a strong cold front toward southern South Carolina and southeast Georgia.
• Hail in California, March 15, 20081 in hail · 1 eventA cold and unstable airmass brought scattered thunderstorms to San Benito County. The strongest of the storms contained frequent lightning and large hail. Some hail reached severe criteria.

Every billion-dollar disasterEvery storm of 2008Tornadoes in 2008

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.