Southern Tornado Outbreak and Western Storms
One of the severe storm disasters on NOAA’s billion-dollar list: $1.4 billion in losses at 2024 prices ($1.1 billion at the time) and 24 deaths.
What the offices filed during it
The 40 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
- $1.4 billion
- Losses at the time
- $1.1 billion
- Deaths
- 24
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 156 | 16 | 137 | $316 million |
| Mississippi | 58 | 4 | 59 | $13 million |
| California | 78 | 3 | 19 | $2.8 million |
| Texas | 20 | 0 | 1 | $2.1 million |
| Louisiana | 47 | 0 | 3 | $2.0 million |
| Alabama | 85 | 0 | 4 | $1.4 million |
| Florida | 99 | 1 | 0 | $1.0 million |
| Arkansas | 23 | 0 | 0 | $70,000 |
| Arizona | 1 | 0 | 0 | $10,000 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 0 | 1 | |
| Hawaii | 7 | 1 | 0 |
Episode by episode
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in California, January 18 to 24, 2017After a wet start to the month, a series of 3 storms traversed the region between the 19th and 24th of January. The storms produced flooding rains, extreme mountain snowfall, and strong winds from the coast to the deserts.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 19, 2017Anomoulsly high moisture content was present across the region as an upper disturbance moved through the area. This resulted in some flash flooding in addition to some severe storms.
- Flash Flood in Louisiana, January 19, 2017A stationary front provided a focus for the development of slow moving thunderstorms in the Baton Rouge area that produced 5 to 6 inches of rain locally. A few areas of flooding were reported.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Alabama, January 19 to 22, 2017After over a week of near-record to record high temperatures, several upper-level disturbances followed by a strong upper-level low pressure system produced multiple rounds of severe weather across Central Alabama.
- Flash Flooding and High Wind in California, January 20, 2017A powerful winter storm moved across Southern California, bringing heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds to the area. Flash flooding as well as mud and debris flows were reported in and around the recent burn areas of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties.
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, January 20, 2017Slow moving showers and thunderstorms produced hail and flash flooding in the afternoon through early evening hours.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, January 20, 2017A strong short wave and a rapid return of moisture allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop across Southeast Texas. Some storms turned severe producing high wind gusts and large hail.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, January 20, 2017A strong short wave and a rapid return of moisture allowed scattered thunderstorms to develop in Southwest Louisiana. A few storms turned severe producing a high wind gust and large hail.
- Flash Flood in Arizona, January 20 to 21, 2017A weather system moving into Arizona on Friday January 20th led to the development of widespread locally heavy rains across portions of the central Arizona deserts which affected the northern portion of the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, January 21, 2017Two rounds of severe weather impacted the ArkLaMiss region - one beginning shortly after midnight on the morning of January 21st and ending shortly before daybreak. The round of storms began during the evening hours on the 21st and ended just before midnight.
- Tornado and Hail in Mississippi, January 21, 2017Two waves of low pressure moved along a cold front, producing severe thunderstorms on the 21st and strong post frontal winds on the 22nd.
- Tornado and Hail in Mississippi, January 21 to 22, 2017Multiple rounds of severe weather occurred across inland southwest and south central Alabama, inland southeast Mississippi, and the western Florida Panhandle from January 21st to January 22nd, 2017.
- Tornado and Hail in Alabama, January 21 to 22, 2017Multiple rounds of severe weather occurred across inland southwest and south central Alabama, inland southeast Mississippi, and the western Florida Panhandle from January 21st to January 22nd, 2017.
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Louisiana, January 21 to 22, 2017Two waves of low pressure moved along a cold front, producing severe thunderstorms on the 21st and strong post frontal winds on the 22nd.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 21 to 22, 2017Throughout the weekend of the 21st and 22nd, persistent southwesterly upper-level flow brought a series of strong short waves across the region. The atmosphere over central Georgia was unseasonably warm and unstable with strong low and mid-level shear.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Alabama, January 21 to 22, 2017A multi-day severe weather event struck the southeast January 21-22, 2017 with three rounds of severe weather moving through the area.
- Tornado and Hail in Florida, January 21 to 22, 2017A multi-day severe weather event struck the southeast January 21-22, 2017 with three rounds of severe weather moving through the area.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Georgia, January 21 to 23, 2017A multi-day severe weather event struck the southeast January 21-22, 2017 with three rounds of severe weather moving through the area.
- Tornadoes in Georgia, January 21, 2017Upper energy interacted with a warm front to produce severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, mainly across southern portions of the CSRA and Southern Midlands.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, January 21, 2017A strong line of thunderstorms developed ahead of an area of low pressure in the early afternoon hours across central Georgia. The line of storms quickly progressed eastward into an environment that was unusually warm and moist with plentiful environmental shear.
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 21, 2017A pre-frontal squall line combine moved across SE GA during the afternoon. Fueled by cold temperatures aloft and an increasing SW low level flow, the storms produced severe hail and damaging wind gusts.
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, January 21, 2017A strong line of thunderstorms developed ahead of an area of low pressure in the early afternoon hours across central Georgia. The line of storms quickly progressed eastward into an environment that was unusually warm and moist with plentiful environmental shear.
- Tornadoes in South Carolina, January 21, 2017Upper energy interacted with a warm front to produce severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, mainly across southern portions of the CSRA and Southern Midlands.
- Flash Flood and High Wind in Hawaii, January 21 to 22, 2017As a front moved through the isles, high pressure in its wake brought blustery winds that resulted in power outages in many areas, downed trees and power lines, and roof damage to many residences.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, January 21, 2017A strong upper level low pressure system emerged out across the Southern Plains during the morning and afternoon hours of January 21st.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Louisiana, January 21, 2017A strong upper level low pressure system emerged out across the Southern Plains during the morning and afternoon hours of January 21st.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, January 21, 2017Severe thunderstorms moved across Arkansas on January 21, 2017 producing wind damage and large hail.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Arkansas, January 21, 2017A strong upper level low pressure system emerged out across the Southern Plains during the morning and afternoon hours of January 21st.
- Tornado and Hail in Louisiana, January 21, 2017A couple of rounds of severe weather affected the ArkLaMiss region early in the morning of the 21st, and again during the evening hours of the 21st. Large hail and damaging winds occurred in Louisiana during the evening.
- Hail in Florida, January 21 to 22, 2017Multiple rounds of severe weather occurred across inland southwest and south central Alabama, inland southeast Mississippi, and the western Florida Panhandle from January 21st to January 22nd, 2017.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, January 21, 2017A couple of rounds of severe weather affected the ArkLaMiss region early in the morning of the 21st, and again during the evening hours of the 21st. Damaging winds and a weak tornado occurred in Arkansas during the evening.
- Flash Flood and Debris Flows in California, January 22 to 23, 2017Third in a series of three storm systems occurred from January 22 to January 23. Heavy rain, lightning, wind, hail, snow (above 2500 ft), and record breaking surf were observed with this system.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 22, 2017A few lines of thunderstorms developed in the early morning hours across southeast Georgia north of a warm front. A few of the lines became severe, producing damaging winds and even a tornado.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, January 22, 2017An exceptionally rare high risk of severe storms was issued for the local forecast area with extremely strong shear including a 70 kt 850 mb jet combined with an anomalously deep mid level trough across the Gulf Coast region pumped Gulf of Mexico moisture and instability across…
- Flash Flood and Winter Storm in California, January 22 to 23, 2017Another powerful winter storm brought heavy rain and snow as well as strong winds to the areas. Overall, two to six inches of rain fell across the area. This heavy rain resulted in flash flooding across southern Los Angeles county.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 22, 2017An exceptionally rare high risk of severe storms was issued for the local forecast area with extremely strong shear including a 70 kt 850 mb jet combined with an anomalously deep mid level trough across the Gulf Coast region pumped Gulf of Mexico moisture and instability across…
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Alabama, January 22 to 23, 2017Strong, sub-severe thunderstorms produced minor tree damage and heavy rainfall. Rainfall totals of 2-5 were reported, causing flooding issues.
- Flash Flooding in Georgia, January 22 to 23, 2017The atmosphere over north and central Georgia was extremely moist and unstable, with copious amounts of moisture accompanying severe storms beginning on January 21st.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 22, 2017An unusually strong jet stream aided development of an intense squall line which moved rapidly across east central Florida during the evening of January 22.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Florida, January 23, 2017A strong squall line intensified well ahead of a cold front over the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the early morning hours of January 23rd. The line produced tornadoes in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
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.