Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for April 3, in any year, each linked to its full record.
Every event with a place, colored by kind. Tap one to open its record.
By deaths, damage and strength together, across every archive.
Tornadoes
128 tornadoes were recorded on April 3, 1974, in North Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama and more, 30 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 308 people.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Greene, Clark counties, Ohio and tracked 31.3 miles, 533 yards wide at its widest, killing 36 and injuring 1,150.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Breckinridge, Meade, Harrison counties, Kentucky and tracked 32 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 31 and injuring 270.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Lamar, Marion, Winston counties, Alabama and tracked 79.5 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 272.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone counties, Alabama and tracked 52 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 267.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Cesme, Khios, Turkey, Greece. It killed 7,866 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chios Island, Aegean Islands, Greece. It killed 7,866 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Allegan, Ottawa, Kent counties, Michigan and tracked 58.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 17 and injuring 292.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Limestone, Madison, Lincoln counties, Alabama and tracked 83.3 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 16 and injuring 190.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Wichita County, Texas and tracked 4.7 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 111.
Tornadoes
An F5 tornado touched down in Perry, Crawford, Harrison counties, Indiana and tracked 68 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 86.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Suedije, Turkey. It killed 1,800 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
195 on April 3, oldest first.
An F3 tornado touched down in Whitfield, Murray counties, Georgia and tracked 15 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Dalton, GA.
An F2 tornado touched down in Habersham, Stephens counties, Georgia and tracked 7.5 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 20. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Mt Airy, GA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Montgomery, Labette counties, Kansas and tracked 13.5 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 5. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Liberty/S Cherryvale, KS.
An F2 tornado touched down in Crawford, Harrison counties, Indiana and tracked 15.7 miles, killing 1 and injuring 6. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Grantsburg/NW Hancock, IN.
An F3 tornado touched down in Boone, Audrain counties, Missouri and tracked 12.3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 25. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: S Sturgeon, MO.
An F2 tornado touched down in Jackson County, Arkansas and tracked 2.4 miles, 50 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Newport, AR.
An F2 tornado touched down in Denton, Collin, Dallas counties, Texas and tracked 14.3 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 14. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Carrollton to W Garland, TX.
An F5 tornado touched down in Allegan, Ottawa, Kent counties, Michigan and tracked 58.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 17 and injuring 292.
An F4 tornado touched down in Green Lake, Waushara, Winnebago counties, Wisconsin and tracked 11.5 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 50.
29 tornadoes were recorded on April 3, 1956, in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky and more, 5 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 31 people.
An F4 tornado touched down in Henderson County, Tennessee and tracked 11.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 60.
An F4 tornado touched down in Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse counties, Michigan and tracked 50.3 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 25.
An F4 tornado touched down in Ottawa, Cherokee, Jasper counties, Oklahoma and tracked 41.8 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 59.
An F3 tornado touched down in Webster, Henderson counties, Kentucky and tracked 22.9 miles, 223 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Van Buren, Allegan, Barry counties, Michigan and tracked 60.6 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 12.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma and tracked 2 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An F2 tornado touched down in Portage County, Wisconsin and tracked 18.2 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Kosciusko County, Indiana and tracked 1.5 miles, 70 yards wide at its widest.
Amid a widespread and potent tornado outbreak extending from the Great Plains to the Great Lakes region, an F4 tornado tracked a total of 9 mi (14 km) throughout Western Michigan in the evening hours of April 3, 1956, impacting the greater Saugatuck-Douglas area, the unincorporated community of Graafschap, and the outskirts of Holland, Michigan – all of which are contained in Laketown Township. Though this tornado did not cause any fatalities, it injured seven people and completely swept…
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Amid an expansive and damaging tornado outbreak in the Great Plains to the Great Lakes regions, an F4 tornado tracked through portions of Green Lake, Waushara, and Winnebago counties in the state of Wisconsin. 2 km) west of Omro.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Craighead, Greene counties, Arkansas and tracked 22.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest.
An F5 tornado touched down in Wichita County, Texas and tracked 4.7 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 111.
An F3 tornado touched down in Marshall, Bryan counties, Oklahoma and tracked 16.7 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
A violent tornado struck Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base on the afternoon of April 3, 1964, killing 7 people and injuring over 100. Damage estimates exceeded $15 million. At least 225 homes were destroyed on the north side of town. This tornado is one of the first tornadoes ever to be shown on live television. Severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 3-inches in diameter and at least 8 other tornadoes across central and southern Oklahoma on this same day, including one that struck Catfish Bay Marina and Lake Texoma State Park during the early morning. Damage from this tornado approached $250,000.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
During the afternoon through the evening hours of April 3, 1964, a violent tornado struck the city of Wichita Falls, located in northern Texas. The tornado killed 7 and injured a further 111, and causing an estimated $15 million in damages.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F4 tornado touched down in Lincoln County, Arkansas and tracked 33.7 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 16.
An F4 tornado touched down in Calloway, Marshall, Trigg counties, Kentucky and tracked 50.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 30.
An F3 tornado touched down in Shelby, Tipton counties, Tennessee and tracked 28.8 miles, 1,760 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 32.
An F3 tornado touched down in Greene County, Arkansas and tracked 3.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 6.
128 tornadoes were recorded on April 3, 1974, in North Carolina, Indiana, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama and more, 30 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 308 people.
An F5 tornado touched down in Greene, Clark counties, Ohio and tracked 31.3 miles, 533 yards wide at its widest, killing 36 and injuring 1,150.
An F5 tornado touched down in Breckinridge, Meade, Harrison counties, Kentucky and tracked 32 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 31 and injuring 270.
An F5 tornado touched down in Lamar, Marion, Winston counties, Alabama and tracked 79.5 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 272.
An F5 tornado touched down in Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone counties, Alabama and tracked 52 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 28 and injuring 267.
An F5 tornado touched down in Limestone, Madison, Lincoln counties, Alabama and tracked 83.3 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 16 and injuring 190.
An F5 tornado touched down in Perry, Crawford, Harrison counties, Indiana and tracked 68 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 86.
An F5 tornado touched down in Ohio, Boone, Hamilton counties, Indiana and tracked 20.8 miles, 533 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 210.
An F4 tornado touched down in Benton, Tippecanoe, White counties, Indiana and tracked 108.7 miles, 1,760 yards wide at its widest, killing 18 and injuring 285.
Moved from northwest of Elizabethtown, doing damage on the north side of town. Moving into Nelson County, produced significant damage near Cox's Creek where the Whitney Horse Farm was damaged, crossing Lilly Pike where several homes, barns, and trailers were demolished, across…
An F4 tornado touched down in Clark, Scott, Jefferson counties, Indiana and tracked 35.6 miles, 1,200 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 190.
An F4 tornado touched down in Lincoln, Franklin counties, Tennessee and tracked 27.5 miles, 800 yards wide at its widest, killing 11 and injuring 121.
An F4 tornado touched down in Cumberland, Clinton, Wayne counties, Kentucky and tracked 38.4 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 10 and injuring 113.
An F4 tornado touched down in Putnam, White, Overton counties, Tennessee and tracked 28.4 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, killing 10 and injuring 51.
An F4 tornado touched down in Gordon, Whitfield, Murray counties, Georgia and tracked 29.5 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 9 and injuring 67.
An F4 tornado touched down in Fentress County, Tennessee and tracked 18.8 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 150.
An F4 tornado touched down in Garrard, Madison, Clark counties, Kentucky and tracked 31.9 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 28.
An F4 tornado touched down in Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin counties, Georgia and tracked 17.7 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 30.
An F4 tornado touched down in Anderson, Franklin, Scott counties, Kentucky and tracked 79.4 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 122.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jefferson, Oldham counties, Kentucky and tracked 18.5 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 225.
An F4 tornado touched down in Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette counties, Alabama and tracked 110.6 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 178.
An F4 tornado touched down in Pickett, Wayne counties, Tennessee and tracked 11 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 6.
An F4 tornado touched down in Fannin, Cherokee counties, Georgia and tracked 24 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 26.
An F4 tornado touched down in Bartholomew, Decatur, Franklin counties, Indiana and tracked 35.6 miles, 1,200 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 17.
An F4 tornado touched down in Hardin, Nelson, Spencer counties, Kentucky and tracked 37.9 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 81.
An F4 tornado touched down in Hamilton, Warren counties, Ohio and tracked 19.8 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 39.
An F4 tornado touched down in Henry, Delaware, Randolph counties, Indiana and tracked 18 miles, 1,400 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 12.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pulaski, Laurel, Rockcastle counties, Kentucky and tracked 22.3 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 40.
An F3 tornado touched down in Noble, LaGrange, Steuben counties, Indiana and tracked 36.2 miles, 1,000 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 53.
An F4 tornado touched down in Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio counties, Indiana and tracked 27.1 miles, 1,133 yards wide at its widest, injuring 104.
An F4 tornado touched down in Green, Taylor counties, Kentucky and tracked 20.2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 56.
An F3 tornado touched down in Overton County, Tennessee and tracked 9.4 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 120.
An F4 tornado touched down in Hancock, Rush, Henry counties, Indiana and tracked 18.9 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 17.
An F3 tornado touched down in Simpson, Warren, Barren counties, Kentucky and tracked 31.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 57.
An F3 tornado touched down in Bradley, Polk, McMinn counties, Tennessee and tracked 21.2 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 3 and injuring 50.
An F4 tornado touched down in Grayson County, Kentucky and tracked 14 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F4 tornado touched down in Wayne, McCreary counties, Kentucky and tracked 16.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Wayne, Pulaski counties, Kentucky and tracked 13.9 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 45.
An F3 tornado touched down in Morgan, Limestone, Madison counties, Alabama and tracked 46.5 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 7.
An F3 tornado touched down in Bradley, Polk counties, Tennessee and tracked 18.1 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 100.
An F3 tornado touched down in Casey, Boyle, Lincoln counties, Kentucky and tracked 21.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 98.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lawrence, Jackson, Bartholomew counties, Indiana and tracked 35.8 miles, 177 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 26.
An F3 tornado touched down in Macon County, Illinois and tracked 20.9 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 26.
An F3 tornado touched down in Shelby, Hancock counties, Indiana and tracked 20.7 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 25.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cannon, DeKalb counties, Tennessee and tracked 14.6 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 23.
An F3 tornado touched down in Champaign County, Illinois and tracked 5.9 miles, 70 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Adams County, Ohio and tracked 15.5 miles, 500 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Harrison, Robertson counties, Kentucky and tracked 19.3 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 27.
An F3 tornado touched down in Scott County, Tennessee and tracked 13 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 21.
An F2 tornado touched down in Hillsdale, Jackson counties, Michigan and tracked 19.3 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 31.
An F3 tornado touched down in Morgan, Scott counties, Tennessee and tracked 12.2 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest, injuring 11.
An F3 tornado touched down in Cherokee County, Alabama and tracked 20.9 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 9.
An F2 tornado touched down in Graham, Swain counties, North Carolina and tracked 24.1 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 11.
An F3 tornado touched down in Wayne, Pulaski counties, Kentucky and tracked 18 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 5.
An F3 tornado touched down in Monroe County, Michigan and tracked 0.3 miles, 30 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
An F3 tornado touched down in Montgomery County, Kentucky and tracked 4.9 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Jones County, Mississippi and tracked 12 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Paulding County, Ohio and tracked 8.7 miles, 177 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Franklin, Coffee counties, Tennessee and tracked 7.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in McLean County, Illinois and tracked 7.4 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Champaign, Vermilion counties, Illinois and tracked 14.9 miles, 350 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Warren, Benton counties, Indiana and tracked 25.9 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Rutherford, Wilson counties, Tennessee and tracked 15.9 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Russell, Pulaski, Rockcastle counties, Kentucky and tracked 28.8 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
An F2 tornado touched down in Cleburne, Haralson, Paulding counties, Alabama and tracked 65.9 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 20.
An F1 tornado touched down in Knox County, Tennessee and tracked 1 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 21.
An F2 tornado touched down in Warren County, Tennessee and tracked 8.7 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 1.
An F1 tornado touched down in McMinn County, Tennessee and tracked 3.6 miles, 27 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 32.
The 1974 Xenia tornado was a large and extremely violent F5 tornado that destroyed portions of Xenia and Wilberforce, Ohio, in Metro Dayton, during the afternoon of April 3, 1974. S.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1974 Cincinnati tornado was a small but powerful tornado that moved through three states, including Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana during the afternoon hours of April 3, 1974. The tornado hit the Cincinnati metropolitan area and areas to the northeast of the metroplex, killing five people and injuring over two hundred more.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
In the evening hours of April 3, 1974, two large and destructive tornadoes sequentially impacted the small town of Tanner, located in the state of Alabama. Both of these tornadoes would receive an F5 rating on the Fujita scale and were two out of seven F5-rated tornadoes to touch down as part of the 1974 Super Outbreak, one of the largest tornado outbreaks in United States history.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1974 Guin tornado was a powerful and fast-moving tornado that moved across northern portions of Alabama, hitting several towns along a 135 mi (217 km) path and devastating the town of Guin during the evening hours of April 3, 1974. The tornado would receive a rating of F5 on the Fujita scale, and was one of seven tornadoes to obtain the rating as part of the 1974 Super Outbreak.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1974 Brandenburg tornado was a large and destructive tornado that moved through Central Kentucky and southern Indiana, striking several communities along a 32 miles (51 km) path and devastating the town of Brandenburg, Kentucky, during the afternoon hours of April 3, 1974. The tornado would kill thirty-one people, twenty-eight in the Brandenburg area, and would produce damage that would later receive a rating of F5 on the Fujita scale.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The 1974 Super Outbreak was one of the most intense tornado outbreaks on record, occurring on April 3–4, 1974, across much of the United States. S.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F4 tornado touched down in Madison County, Illinois and tracked 11.9 miles, 567 yards wide at its widest, injuring 32.
An F3 tornado touched down in Craighead, Mississippi counties, Arkansas and tracked 49 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, injuring 2.
An F3 tornado touched down in Gibson County, Indiana and tracked 3.1 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 8.
Dime-size hail was reported in West Houston in the West View area by a SkyWarn spotter.
Two separate lightning strikes caused a house fire and a small fire at a church daycare center.
Newspaper article showed golf ball size hail that fell near the Trousdale-Macon county border. Light to moderate hail damage was reported to private vehicles in Willette. Also, significant roof damage occurred to the Macon County Junior High on HWY 52 Bypass, south of Lafayette.
30 homes were damaged and 7 trailers were totally destroyed. Most of the damage was on Hwy 431 in Coopertown, Reader School Rd. and also along Hwy 41 near Greenbrier. Many trees and power lines were down. One mobile home was hurled 100 yards across Hwy 431and totally destroyed.
The tornado downed trees, power lines and took off roofs to many homes. Areas just south of Cottontown were hardest hit. Homes were also damaged just north of Gallatin on RT 109 and Douglas Lane.
67 homes were damaged in the Hilltop area, and about 7 homes received major damage. Most of the damage was to roofs. Trees were blown down.
An F4 tornado touched down in Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish, Louisiana and tracked 19.3 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 7 and injuring 102.
Supercells developed over the area as a speed max moved out of Texas and across the region. Some 389 structures were effected. Of this 227 homes or businesses suffered either major damage or were destroyed. Roofs missing. Brick homes leveled.
An F3 tornado touched down in Shelby, De Soto Parish counties, Texas and tracked 5.4 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 1.
An F3 tornado touched down in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and tracked 8.5 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and tracked 14.5 miles, 600 yards wide at its widest.
During the afternoon of April 3, 1999, a violent tornado struck the northern neighborhoods of Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana. The most severe damage caused by the tornado was assessed by the National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana, which rated the event as an F4 on the Fujita scale.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fannin County Emergency Manager reported 65 to 75 mph winds associated with thunderstorms.
Supercells developed over the area as a speed max moved out of Texas and across the region. Numerous homes with minor to moderate roof damage. An 18 wheel truck bed overturned. Steel framed hardware store leveled. Numerous trees uprooted or snapped.
About 15 homes were severely damaged. Numerous large trees uprooted or snapped off.
The tornado developed from a supercell which developed as a favourable upper level jet pattern and an unstable atmosphere moved over the area. Two mobile homes completely destroyed and two cars levitated and rolled. About 10 homes heavily damaged.
Numerous homes with moderate to severe damage. Some roofs removed or partially removed. Church steeple knocked over and portion of roof missing. Numerous trees uprooted or snapped.
Survey of damage by NWS personnel indicated that an F1 - F2 tornado, 50 - 100 yards wide, touched down in the Potash community at approximately 2:00 am EDT near Harmony Road. The tornado traveled approximately 6 miles with the terminating point just southwest of Cedartown.
29 tornadoes were recorded on April 3, 2000, in Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama.
The tornado path began on Shades Crest just west of US 31. The tornado paralleled Shades Crest before moving down a hill and across the Birmingham Water Works and US 280.
The Groves Middle School received the brunt of the second tornado to hit Jefferson County this morning. The roof of the gymnasium was torn off, water damaged the interior, and a brick wall was blown down. Three classrooms were damaged from broken glass.
The tornado began at the intersection of CR 59 and CR 54 near the town of Kellerman. The tornado traveled in a northeast direction for approximately 11.1 miles.
Thunderstorms developed over Lea County, New Mexico during Saturday afternoon on April 3rd. The most notable of these thunderstorms was a supercell thunderstorm that developed near Eunice, NM at 336 PM CST and moved northeast into Gaines County.
A squall line moved through the mid south on its way into Southwest Virginia and Eastern Tennessee. A large bow developed on the line late in the evening as it approached the Cumberland Plateau. Damage was predominantly created by straight line winds.
A cold front moved east from the Upper Midwest and the Central Plains on the afternoon of April 3rd. Very warm, moist, unstable air was in place over much of the region.
The event began with a warm front moving north from the Gulf Coast region on the 3rd. The front was followed by above normal temperatures and abundant moisture. There was plenty of fuel for developing thunderstorms.
A warm front moved slowly north across western Kentucky during the afternoon. Large clusters of thunderstorms produced very heavy rain. A cold front moved southeast into the Lower Ohio Valley during the night, preceded by more thunderstorms.
A historic North Texas tornado outbreak occurred on April 3rd, with 17 tornadoes developing from the DFW Metroplex east to Hopkins County. An EF-3 tornado tore through the town of Forney, heavily damaging homes in the Diamond Creek subdivision.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Kaufman County, Texas and tracked 7.73 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, injuring 7.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Rockwall, Hunt counties, Texas and tracked 3.34 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 3.
Strong to severe thunderstorms developed ahead of a dryline moving across the region. These storms were hail producers and mainly affected areas primarily along and north of US 380 from Decatur to Sulphur Springs.
Thunderstorms intensified within a zone of strong southerly low level winds that provided abundant warmth and moisture. These strong low level winds enhanced wind shear, which promoted the development of supercells with isolated tornadoes.
A cold front intersecting a warm and unstable environment led to a broken band of thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening hours, some of which were supercellular in nature.
40 tornadoes were recorded on April 3, 2017, in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina. They killed 1 people.
An EF1 tornado touched down in Union County, South Carolina and tracked 0.74 miles, 150 yards wide at its widest, killing 1.
A line of showers and thunderstorms developing ahead of a cold front pushes across Upstate South Carolina during the afternoon. In addition to locally damaging winds, several brief, weak tornadoes touched down, including a fatal tornado in Union County.
A strong short wave and associated surface low swept through the southern and eastern U.S.
Severe weather during the first week of April resulted in a couple of tornadoes and several reports of hail and straight line wind damage across the tri-state area.
Severe weather during the first week of April resulted in a couple of tornadoes and several reports of hail and straight line wind damage across the tri-state area.
A strong low pressure system tracked through the Ohio Valley on April 3. Ahead of it, very warm and moist air surged into the region with highs around 80 degrees.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes developed ahead of a strong cold front. Between one to three inches of rain fell across the region.
An outbreak of severe thunderstorms occurred during the afternoon and evening. Several tornadoes were spawned along a line of fast-moving thunderstorms.
Clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms moved eastward out of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri. The storms produced four tornadoes over the far western counties of Kentucky before weakening as they moved east across the Kentucky Lake region.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Marshall, Benton, Fayette counties, Mississippi and tracked 39.55 miles, 1,200 yards wide at its widest, killing 2 and injuring 3.
3 on April 3, oldest first.
Hurricane Aivu reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 942 mb, a category 4 storm.
Hurricane Marlene reached its peak of 125 kt (145 mph) with a central pressure of 920 mb, a category 4 storm.
Severe Tropical Cyclone Vaianu was a strong tropical cyclone in the South Pacific that threatened and then struck the North Island of New Zealand. The second named cyclone and first severe tropical cyclone of the 2025–26 South Pacific cyclone season, Vaianu formed from a tropical disturbance west-southwest of Tuvalu on 3 April, and was initially designated as 11F.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
12 on April 3, oldest first.
Brief flash flooding countywide resulted from rainfall of between 2 and 3 inches in 2 hours. Near 2230CST, a man and his wife were traveling back home after an evening's trip. The couple were nearing their home as they encountered a flooded creek close to Medina.
The worst flooding in Madison County history struck the morning of April 3, 1999. Rainfall of 6 to 10 inches fell primarily during a 2 hour period resulting in flash flooding throughout the county. The county was declared a Federal Disaster Area.
Two to three inches of rain fell in one hour to cause localized flooding of streets and houses from 3rd Street andRiver Drive in Davenport to 9th Street and 17th Avenue in Rock Island.
For the second time within seven months a greater than 50-year storm affected the Delaware River Basin and its tributaries. In all, about 5,715 homes were evacuated along the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers in Pennsylvania.
A strong cold front passing through Arkansas sparked the development of severe thunderstoms. There were numerous reports of large hail and a few reports of flash flooding.
A warm front lifted north over the Midsouth during the late evening hours of April 3, 2008. Showers and thunderstorms developed over the region in association with the front during the late evening hours which continued into the early morning hours on April 4, 2008.
A frontal system and upper level low brought widespread heavy rains and flooding to central Kentucky.
The winter of 2010-2011 generally brought above normal amounts of snow to the area, but particularly so for the Devils Lake basin, the Sheyenne River basin, and the Wild Rice River basin.
The winter of 2010-2011 generally brought above normal amounts of snow to the area, but particularly so for portions of the central and southern Red River Valley.
Clusters of showers and thunderstorms began affecting central and eastern Kentucky during the pre-dawn hours of Friday April 3rd.
A warm front lifted through during the morning of the 2nd. Only a few showers and storms were associated with the warm front. Rounds of showers and thunderstorms formed in the lower Ohio River Valley and moved quickly into western West Virginia during the evening of the 2nd.
A complex of thunderstorms over central Missouri moved and redeveloped southeast across southeast Missouri. The activity developed near and north of an east-west oriented convective outflow boundary. The boundary sagged southward through a moderately unstable air mass.
16 on April 3, oldest first.
A severe thunderstorm in Clay County produced three-quarter-inch hail in Charlie.
A late Spring Storm brought widespread high winds, small hail and snow to the higer regions of the BAy area and central coast. A 1 year old child was killed by a 90 foot Tree being blown on to the car which she was waiting with her mother in Salinas CA..
After the passage of a cold front, strong winds downed many trees and power lines and caused damage to homes and vehicles in the eastern West Virginia panhandle. Some of the downed power lines caused fires. Several thousand people were left without power.
An unseasonably strong cold front was moving rapidly southeast through the eastern states early on the 4th. This was supported by a very deep polar low intensifying across southeast Canada.
A strong, late season cold front brought an end to an extended period of warm weather. It also brought severe storms to central Kentucky, including two confirmed tornadoes.
A storm slowly crossed Northern New Mexico on the 3rd and moved into western Kansas on the 4th. Meanwhile, a surface low deepened rapidly over northeast New Mexico and then lifted into western Kansas.
April 3, 2011, was an abnormally warm day, with high temperatues in the 80s and 90s. Record high temperatures were broken in several locations.
Two rounds of thunderstorms affected southern Wisconsin on April 3rd, as low pressure moved northeast from Iowa across Wisconsin.
An elderly woman in Fort Worth died due to a power outage at her home that left her unable to receive the oxygen she needed to survive. The power outage occurred from a tree that was blown into the power line down the street by strong wind gusts up to 40 mph.
A warm front lifted northward across the region during the morning of April 3, allowing for strong southerly winds behind the front to bring warmer air into the region.
Strong south to southwest winds occurred from around dawn on the 3rd to just before dawn on the 4th. Winds gusted from 30 to 40 mph in most areas, but a few gusts were in the range of 45 to 50 mph.
A mesoscale convective vortex affected the forecast area during the afternoon hours of April 3rd.
Severe thunderstorms developed on the 3rd ahead of a cold front that was advancing into a warm and humid air mass. During the evening of the 3rd, several of the storms produced very large hail in north central Arkansas.
An intensifying clipper low pressure system passed north of southern New England, bringing an arctic cold front through the area. This resulted in snow across much of the region and strong, damaging winds near the coast.
Showers and thunderstorms, associated with a squall line, affected the area during the evening hours of April 3rd. These brought damaging straight line winds to the region.
An area of low pressure slowly approached from the Mid-Atlantic coast and passed just south and east of Long Island, NY.
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Snowstorm of April 3, 1915 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Southeast. It lasted from April 3, 1915 to April 5, 1915.
Snowstorm of April 3, 1955 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from April 3, 1955 to April 6, 1955.
Icy roads resulted in numerous accidents on highways in the western Nebraska Panhandle.
Heavy surf and strong wind gusts ripped sails and parted lines on several yachts racing between Catalina Island and Newport, grounded two small boats, and capsized two others. The three man crew of one boat was rescued.
Odman Schmalzried, 40, of Wasilla, and friends were snowmachining in the Chugach Mountains south of Eureka Lodge Saturday afternoon, when an avalanche buried him and his snow machine. His body and the snow machine were found Sunday.
An arctic frontal boundary moved south of the state by the morning of April 3, 2003. This front dropped temperatures to the freezing mark generally along and north of a Brighton to St Clair Shores line. Then, a series of low pressure systems moved across the front.
A major ice storm affected much of southern lower Michigan, causing hundreds of thousands of people to lose power. The weight of the ice brought down thousands of trees and limbs and hundreds of power lines.
Snowstorm of April 3, 2007 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from April 3, 2007 to April 6, 2007.
A 46 year old back country snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche during the afternoon of April 3rd. It occurred in the Austin Canyon area north of Mount Baird and Palisades Reservoir. The individual was wearing a rescue beacon but it was not activated.
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The coldest April temperature ever recorded in Wichita Falls occurred on April 3, 1975. That morning, the temperature fell to a chilly 24 degrees.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
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Crater Lake NP HQ recorded 252 inches, Oregon’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
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The Unnamed Fire started on April 3, 1985, in South Carolina, and burned 2,740 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on April 3, 1987, in Minnesota, and burned 2,610 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on April 3, 1989, in Florida, and burned 2,221 acres.
The Unnamed Fire started on April 3, 1991, in Minnesota, and burned 2,485 acres.
The King County Fire was discovered on April 3, 1994, in Texas, and burned 15,312 acres.
The Steeltrap Fire was discovered on April 3, 1995, in Kentucky, and burned 1,910 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Rumble Fire was discovered on April 3, 1995, in Boone County, West Virginia, and burned 1,550 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Jim Branch Fire was discovered on April 3, 1995, in McDowell County, West Virginia, and burned 1,485 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire was discovered on April 3, 1997, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,920 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The West Side Mvd Fire started on April 3, 2000, in Kansas, and burned 18,700 acres.
The Kester Mtn. Fire was discovered on April 3, 2004, in Adair County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,605 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Unnamed Fire started on April 3, 2005, in Oklahoma, and burned 15,408 acres.
The Oaks Fire was discovered on April 3, 2005, in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, and burned 8,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Lillis Fire was discovered on April 3, 2005, in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Flint Rock Fire was discovered on April 3, 2005, in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Fire 10239 was discovered on April 3, 2006, in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,800 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Mt Top Fire was discovered on April 3, 2006, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,700 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Clapham Fire started on April 3, 2008, in New Mexico, and burned 1,387 acres.
The Two Bush Road Fire was discovered on April 3, 2009, in Jack County, Texas, and burned 2,190 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Big Salt Marsh Fire was discovered on April 3, 2010, in Kansas, and burned 3,664 acres.
The White Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in New Mexico, and burned 10,334 acres; the cause was recorded as fireworks.
The Haskell County Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Haskell County, Kansas, and burned 9,600 acres.
The Justice Burg Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Garza County, Texas, and burned 6,000 acres.
The Mud Pond Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Missouri, and burned 3,521 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Camp Bowie Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Brown County, Texas, and burned 3,355 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Bates Field Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Ector County, Texas, and burned 3,200 acres; the cause was recorded as power generation/transmission/distribution.
The Alice Lewis Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,644 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Hickey Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,482 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Sooners Mill Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Latimer County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,460 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Green Chile Fire was discovered on April 3, 2011, in Luna County, New Mexico, and burned 1,400 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Pautre Fire was discovered on April 3, 2013, in Perkins County, North Dakota, and burned 10,680 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Kephart Fire was reported on April 3, 2016, in Blaine County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,397 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Baffin 2 Fire was reported on April 3, 2017, in Kenedy County, Texas, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as natural.
A small wildfire started near the Southwest Florida International Airport, and spread to a grassy rental car overflow lot. The fire destroyed 3516 vehicles before being extinguished.
The Horse Pasture Fire was reported on April 3, 2021, in McKenzie County, North Dakota, and burned 4,648 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Hughes Fire was reported on April 3, 2021, in Osage County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The G-22 Fire was reported on April 3, 2021, in Navajo County, Arizona, and burned 2,026 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The 13 Mile Fire was reported on April 3, 2021, in Williams County, North Dakota, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Devreaux Fire was reported on April 3, 2023, in Christian County, Missouri, and burned 2,028 acres.
The PLM // Williams Fire was reported on April 3, 2023, in Cochise County, Arizona, and burned 1,320 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Springs Fire was reported on April 3, 2026, in Riverside County, California, and burned 4,176 acres.
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A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck Copiapo, Chile.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chahardangeh,semnan,damghan, Iran. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
An earthquake struck Samos (Dodecanese), Greece. It killed some people (about 51 to 100).
An earthquake struck Levisi, Turkey. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck SE of, Hawaii, United States. With the tsunami it caused, it killed 77 people.
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Turkestan, Tashkent, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan. It did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Antakya (Antioch), Suedije, Turkey. It killed 1,800 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Cesme, Khios, Turkey, Greece. It killed 7,866 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage. It caused a tsunami.
An earthquake struck Adeljiwaz, Van, Turkey. It killed many people (about 101 to 1,000) and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Southern, Albania. It killed 1 person.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica. It killed 6 people and did $1 million in damage. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Gualdo, Tadino-Nocera Umbra, Central, Italy. It injured 5 and destroyed 300 houses.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Camana, Arequipa, Peru. It killed 1 person and injured 50.
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Iquique, Northern, Chile. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Merida, Venezuela.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Kabul, Afghanistan. It killed 12 people, injured 4 and destroyed 5 houses.
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Mauna Loa, United States erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 77 people. The eruption caused a tsunami and was accompanied by an earthquake.
Banua Wuhu, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption caused a tsunami.
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A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck San Marcos, Mexico, with a maximum water height of 4 meters.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake struck Asia Minor, Turkey, with a maximum water height of 1.8 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Hawaii, United States, with a maximum water height of 13.7 meters. It killed 77 people.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Samandag (Suaidiya), Turkey. It killed 1,800 people and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chios Island, Aegean Islands, Greece. It killed 7,866 people and did extreme (about $25 million or more) damage.
A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano struck Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 5 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Costa Rica, with a maximum water height of 0.13 meters. It killed 6 people and did $1 million in damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Northern Chile, with a maximum water height of 0.74 meters.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Vanuatu Islands, with a maximum water height of 0.03 meters.
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A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began April 3, 1978, reached Kp 7 and lasted 51 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 55; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began April 3, 1979, reached Kp 8 and lasted 21 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 54; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began April 3, 1984, reached Kp 8- and lasted 54 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 84; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 47 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began April 3, 1988, reached Kp 8 and lasted 45 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 78; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
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A second year resident at USA Medical Center drowned while swimming in rough water off of Pensacola Beach. Friends tried to save the man, but were unable to reach him. Another person had to be rescued from the rough surf. He was taken to the hospital and later released.
A group of children on "spring break" who had gone to an unguarded section of Miami Beach were caught in a rip current. One girl died and a 10-year old girl nearly drowned. Winds were east at 20 mph.
A 44 year old male from Minnesota drowned in rough surf while trying to rescue a 10 year old playing on a boogie board. The man had gone into the rough surf to save the youth and got caught in a rip current and drowned. The boy was able to safely make it to shore.
A 15 year old boy died after being caught in a rip current.
During the late morning and early afternoon hours on 3 April, strong winds developed in the wake of a passing area of heavy rainfall.
A pontoon boat capsized west of Sebastian Inlet due to rough seas. One of the boaters drowned and three others survived.
Gathered from this site’s archives: the tornado record (NOAA SPC, and Grazulis before 1950), IBTrACS and the National Hurricane Center, NOAA NCEI’s Storm Events Database, Regional Snowfall Index, billion-dollar disasters list, State Climate Extremes Committee and hazard databases, USGS, NIFC, GFZ Potsdam’s Kp index (CC BY 4.0), the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, and Wikidata (CC0), with article leads from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0, each credited where it appears. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.