Every tornado, hurricane, flood, blizzard, heat wave, record, earthquake, eruption, tsunami, wildfire and geomagnetic storm on record for March 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
An F5 tornado touched down in Hinds, Rankin, Scott counties, Mississippi and tracked 202.5 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, killing 58 and injuring 518.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck Central Coast, San Antonio, Valparaiso, Chile. It killed 180 people, injured 2,575 and did $1.5 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Central Chile, with a maximum water height of 3.5 meters. It killed 180 people, injured 2,575 and did $1.5 billion in damage.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Macon, Lee, Muscogee counties, Alabama and tracked 68.04 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 23 and injuring 90.
Earthquakes
The 1893 Malatya earthquake occurred at 02:30 local time on 3 March in Malatya, Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. 1 and maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Tornadoes
An EF4 tornado touched down in Putnam County, Tennessee and tracked 8.39 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, killing 19 and injuring 87.
Tornadoes
An F4 tornado touched down in Troup, Meriwether counties, Georgia and tracked 21.9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Odessadale/Greenville, GA.
Tornadoes
Volcanoes
Ruang, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 400 people and destroyed 75 houses. The eruption caused a tsunami.
Tsunamis
A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano struck Ruang, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 25 meters. It killed 400 people and destroyed 75 houses.
Earthquakes
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Samanghan, Kabul, Rustaq, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan. It killed 166 people, destroyed 300 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
Winter storms and snow
Snowstorm of March 3, 1902 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from March 3, 1902 to March 6, 1902.
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An F4 tornado touched down in Troup, Meriwether counties, Georgia and tracked 21.9 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, killing 8 and injuring 50. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Odessadale/Greenville, GA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Meriwether, Upson, Pike counties, Georgia and tracked 33.2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 6 and injuring 60. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: SW Woodbury/Molena/Piedmont to E Barnesville, GA.
An F3 tornado touched down in Lauderdale, Sumter counties, Mississippi and tracked 25.7 miles, 300 yards wide at its widest, killing 4 and injuring 15. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Marion/Toomsuba, MS/E Kenewanee/SE Cuba, AL.
An F2 tornado touched down in Chambers County, Alabama and tracked 15.3 miles, killing 2 and injuring 6. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: N Lafayette, AL.
An F2 tornado touched down in Clarke County, Mississippi and tracked 2.2 miles, 200 yards wide at its widest, killing 1 and injuring 10. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Pachuta, MS.
An F2 tornado touched down in Montague County, Texas, killing 1. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: E Bowie, TX.
An F3 tornado touched down in Choctaw County, Oklahoma and tracked 14.9 miles, 100 yards wide at its widest, injuring 35. From Grazulis's record of significant tornadoes: Gay to Hugo, OK.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pickens County, Alabama and tracked 3.3 miles, 440 yards wide at its widest, injuring 6.
An F3 tornado touched down in Bibb County, Georgia and tracked 4.3 miles, 400 yards wide at its widest, injuring 4.
An F5 tornado touched down in Hinds, Rankin, Scott counties, Mississippi and tracked 202.5 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, killing 58 and injuring 518.
In the afternoon hours of March 3, 1966, a long-tracked and violent F5 tornado struck multiple counties in south-central Mississippi, primarily impacting the city of Jackson, Mississippi. 9 km) track.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
An F3 tornado touched down in Rusk County, Texas and tracked 0.5 miles, 67 yards wide at its widest.
An F3 tornado touched down in Pike County, Alabama and tracked 2 miles, 10 yards wide at its widest.
Strong downburst winds destroyed a house.
Utility shed blown over with doors ripped off.
A weak F1 tornado (winds from 73 to 85 mph) moved through the Country Breeze Estates subdivision along County Rd. 399. The tornado, occurring around 130 AM CST, was about 50 to 75 yards wide with a damage path of approximately one half statute mile.
A significant severe weather event affected Texas and Oklahoma on the 3rd and 4th of March. Elevated severe thunderstorms first erupted across West Texas and far southeast New Mexico late in the evening on the 3rd.
A strong upper level system and evolving surface low moved across the region late on March 3rd. These features combined to bring a potent weather system to the area and a healthy round of severe thunderstorms from late afternoon through around midnight.
A vigorous upper level storm system over northwest Texas triggered a round of strong to severe thunderstorms over northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas, and northwest Louisiana ahead of a cold front that moved east through the area.
A vigorous upper level storm system over northwest Texas triggered a round of strong to severe thunderstorms over northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas, and northwest Louisiana ahead of a cold front that moved east through the area.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms moved across southern Mississippi as a strong upper level disturbance and an associated cold front moved across the lower Mississippi Valley.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Lanier, Lowndes counties, Georgia and tracked 10.45 miles, 390 yards wide at its widest.
Several subtle upper level shortwaves affected the area during a three day period between March 1-3 as a broad long-wave upper level trough located west of the area slowly progressed eastward.
Isolated severe storms impacted south central and inland southwest Alabama, producing a few wind damage and hail reports, as well as an isolated brief tornado.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Macon, Lee, Muscogee counties, Alabama and tracked 68.04 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 23 and injuring 90.
45 tornadoes were recorded on March 3, 2019, in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, 1 of them rated violent (F4 or EF4 and above). They killed 23 people.
A significant and deadly severe weather event that affected the Southeastern United States on March 3, 2019. Over the course of 6 hours, a total of 42 tornadoes touched down across portions of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
On the morning of Sunday March 3rd, 2019, an upper-level disturbance moved eastward from the Southern Plains into the southern Gulf Coast States.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Leon, Jefferson counties, Florida and tracked 8.83 miles, 700 yards wide at its widest.
A powerful storm system moved across the mid-south and southeast United States producing widespread severe weather and numerous tornadoes. In middle Georgia, significant damage from fourteen separate tornadoes was observed.
On the afternoon of March 3, 2019, a violent and long-tracked EF4 tornado struck portions of eastern Alabama and western Georgia, causing extreme damage along its path. This tornado was the deadliest tornado in the United States since the 2013 Moore tornado, killing 23 and injuring 97, in addition to being the first EF4 tornado to occur in the United States since a tornado near Canton, Texas, on April 29, 2017.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
This event featured all modes of severe weather in our forecast area, including 13 tornadoes, numerous reports of straight-line wind damage, and even large hail. The 13 tornadoes consisted of 1 EF3, 2 EF2s, 6 EF1s, and 4 EF0s.
An upper trough and strong surface cold front moved through the Central Savannah River Area of GA and Midlands of SC in the late afternoon and evening. Strong thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front.
This event featured all modes of severe weather in our forecast area, including 13 tornadoes, numerous reports of straight-line wind damage, and even large hail. The 13 tornadoes consisted of 1 EF3, 2 EF2s, 6 EF1s, and 4 EF0s.
A cold front moved into the southeast during day. This front moved into a warm and unstable airmass, causing severe thunderstorms to develop. The storms produced 4 tornadoes in southwest Alabama.
An upper trough and strong surface cold front moved through the Central Savannah River Area of GA and Midlands of SC in the late afternoon and evening. Strong thunderstorms developed along and ahead of the front.
An EF4 tornado touched down in Putnam County, Tennessee and tracked 8.39 miles, 900 yards wide at its widest, killing 19 and injuring 87.
An EF3 tornado touched down in Davidson, Wilson, Smith counties, Tennessee and tracked 60.13 miles, 1,600 yards wide at its widest, killing 5 and injuring 220.
39 miles through portions of Putnam County, Tennessee, shortly after a long-lived, intense tornado moved through Nashville. The tornado was on the ground for roughly 8 minutes, tracking from Baxter to just west of downtown Cookeville.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
In the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, a large and destructive EF3-rated tornado moved through downtown Nashville, located in the state of Tennessee. The tornado killed five people along its 60-mile (97 km) track; it was on the ground for just over an hour.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A prolonged damaging gradient wind event combined with an intense squall line during the daylight hours of the 3rd to produce widespread wind damage and impacts to the region. Numerous power outages resulted from power poles being snapped and power lines being brought down.
A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced areas of flash flooding, with numerous road closures. The heavy rain drove the Ohio River above flood stage at Uniontown.
Showers and scattered thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours ahead of a strong low pressure system moving through the Ohio Valley.
A powerful cold front raced across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 3, 2023. Strong winds ahead of the front caused scattered damage across northeast Mississippi.
A complex weather system pushed a strong cold front into North Georgia during the afternoon of March 3rd. This front produced scattered severe thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts, hail, and an isolated tornado in Gordon county.
A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced isolated flash flooding of roads. Very strong wind gusts occurred, ranging between 50 and 70 mph. These were associated with both thunderstorms and gradient winds afterwards.
Multiple lines and clusters of thunderstorms moved into upstate South Carolina during the late afternoon and evening ahead of a cold front. Multiple reports of wind damage were received across the Piedmont and foothills.
An intense upper-level trough impacted the WFO Norman Forecast Area during the late evening of the 3rd through the 4th. Initial thunderstorm development occurred along an attendant cold front, moving west to east across the area early in the period.
On the afternoon of March 6th, 2026, a lone supercell developed in La Porte County, IN and tracked northeast into Lower Michigan. The supercell moved through Cass, St Joseph, Branch, and Calhoun counties.
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Tidal overflow due to high winds and heavy surf (to 35 feet) flooded some homes and damaged roads and city utilities.
Hurricane Norman reached its peak of 120 kt (140 mph) with a central pressure of 955 mb, a category 4 storm.
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Flooding occurred along the Kentucky River, and the South and North Fork of the Kentucky River. Some businesses and homes in Hazard were affected.
A thunderstorm moved east across Orange County and the Inland Empire. Lightning struck a boat docked in Newport Beach, but the resulting fire was quickly extinquished.
The Harris county 911 center reported that thunderstorms dumped very heavy rainfall across the county. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches in a 6 hour period were common across much of the county.
Heavy rainfall caused extensive washouts to secondary roads and bridges across the counties. Most of the water had drained by sunset and most of the roads were reopened.
Heavy rains across the area caused secondary roads to washout in many areas. The water slowly drained from the roads after the rain ended, and most were able to be reopened after sunset. Radar estimated that four to six inches of rainfall fell across the area.
An estimated 90 homes sustained significant water damage. Several residences in the Carriage Estates mobile home park were evacuated due to high water. Numerous motorists were rescued from stranded vehicles. Numerous county roads and Tallahassee streets were closed.
Heavy rain of three to four inches over several days produced areas of flooding. Many farm fields had standing water on them. Some rivers and streams temporarily flooded and excess runoff closed many roads for a time. Some roads and bridges were washed out or damaged.
On March 3-4, a warm front stalled across southwest and central Oklahoma. The front focused very heavy rainfall along a 50-mile wide band along and southeast of Interstate 44. Rainfall amounts of 1.5 to 3.5 inches were common.
Heavy thunderstorm rains caused extensive flash flooding over the northern part of Cherokee County during the evening and overnight hours. Rainfall totals in this area were in the 3 to 4 inch range with a total of 3.99 inches at Kansas in a neighboring part of Delaware County.
Steady amounts of light to moderate rain caused streams and creeks to slowly rise out of their banks across much of extreme southeast Kansas and the Missouri Ozarks. Widespread rainfall amounts from 3 March and 4 March ranged from one to four inches.
A strong low pressure system moved from Texas northeast across western Kentucky. Widespread heavy rainfall along and east of the storm track brought areas of flooding. Most of western Kentucky averaged from two to four inches of rain.
Flooding occurred across central Indiana due to heavy rain and snow melt. A few observers in south central and southeast Indiana received more than a foot of snow and a foot of rain during March.
Showers and thunderstorms built into the northwest half of Arkansas through the early morning hours of the 3rd. One to three inches of rain fell across the northern and western counties with locally over four inches.
A cold front moving from the northwest brought periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms to the island chain from Kauai to Maui.
A record breaking low pressure system impacted Indiana on March 3rd initially bringing rain and strong to damaging gradient winds to the area.
A powerful cold front raced across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 3, 2023. Strong winds ahead of the front caused scattered damage across northeast Mississippi.
A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced sporadic flash flooding with a few road closures. Creeks and small rivers such as the Skillet Fork rose above flood stage.
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The second of two thunderstorms that traversed Autauga County left a damage path along SR 14 from the southwest corner of Autauga County to the southeast corner of the county.
Gusty winds of around 40 mph caused a 95 foot pine tree to fall on a moving vehicle, 7 miles northwest of Hendersonville, killing the occupant.
A cold front crossed the area with powerful wind gusts. In Prospect, a woman was blown off her porch, while in Rennert a mobile home was overturned, injuring 3.
High winds, gusting between 50 and 70 mph, occurred just ahead of a strong cold front. The winds were mostly gradient, but convectively boosted in some cases. Most of the damage occurred in the piedmont where mobile homes and other structures were damaged.
One of two thunderstorms that moved diagonally across Autauga County caused trees to be knocked down from the southwest corner of the county to the northeast corner of the county.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved into west Georgia early in the morning of March 3rd. The line produced damaging straight-line winds and a few hail reports.
Minor roof damage to a tin barn. Damage to some vehicles caused by flying debris.
As a strong cold front crossed the area, pressure gradient-induced wind gusts downed trees across the county and blew the roof off a Whiteville car dealership, severely damaging at least 10 cars. Temperature falls were near 25 degrees.
A strong cold front crossed the area with widespread wind gusts damaging homes and businesses, mainly in Northern Bladen Co in the vicinity of these communities: Tar Heel, Dublin, Center Roads, and Bladenboro.
High winds damaged several trailers and out buildings near McKenzie Rd, about 4 miles east of US HWY 29. Trees and large limbs were blown down in the area. Winds were estimated at 70 to 80 MPH.
The Cordele Dispatch reported that trees and power lines were blown down across the county, but especially in the Cordele and Lake Blackshear areas.
A microburst caused F1 damage along a half mile path. Three mobile homes were destroyed. Two occupants inside one of the mobile homes were injured, one seriously. Six mobile homes were damaged. Some trees and power lines down. Reported by Mitchell County 911.
Low pressure over Indiana deepened as it moved northeast. The strong southwest flow was funneled up the length of Lake Erie and produced damage across the Niagara Frontier. Trees and power lines were downed. Structural damage was also reported in Erie and Niagara Counties.
Strong northwest winds developed on the back side of a strong low pressure system moving up the east coast. This was in the wake of the major tornado outbreak which occurred on March 1st.
Gusty gradient winds caused a fatality as a man was trying to hold a mattress in the back of a truck.
Deep low pressure moved from the Midwest across Lake Huron into Quebec. Southeast winds gusting to 55 mph quickly shifted to southwest and increased to 30 to 40 mph with gusts nearing 70 mph. The strong winds downed trees and power lines.
Strong westerly winds aloft combined with a deepening lee trough to produce widespread gusty surface winds over portions of the east slopes of the central mountain and the high plains.
A shallow convective line with intermittent lightning formed behind a cold front in response to a strong disturbance progressing through aloft. This convective line produced wind damage across portions of central and western Maryland.
A historic high wind event set up over all of Middle Tennessee on March 3, 2023. An incredibly strong surface low deepened to about 979mb over the Ohio River Valley. In fact, this system broke numerous all-time low pressure readings across the lower Ohio River Valley.
Strong gradient winds developed late in the evening of March 2nd into the morning of the 3rd before a cold front moved through Mississippi. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph were measured by several observations sites, and trees were blown down in scattered locations across the state.
A powerful upper level storm system along with a rapidly deepening surface low over Kentucky produced a QLCS over Mississippi that entered west Alabama during the morning hours on March 3rd.
A strong upper level storm system and intense surface low pressure moved from the Southern Plains to the Mississippi Valley during the wee morning hours of Friday, March 3rd.
On March 3rd, 2023, a historically strong low pressure system moved across the lower Ohio Valley, bringing heavy rainfall, severe weather, and most notably, very strong gradient winds as it moved across the region.
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Snowstorm of March 3, 1902 was ranked category 4, Crippling, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from March 3, 1902 to March 6, 1902.
Snowstorm of March 3, 1951 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from March 3, 1951 to March 8, 1951.
Snowstorm of March 3, 1956 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from March 3, 1956 to March 9, 1956.
Snowstorm of March 3, 1965 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Ohio Valley. It lasted from March 3, 1965 to March 7, 1965.
The Eastern Canadian blizzard of March 1971 was a severe winter storm that struck portions of eastern Canada from March 3 to March 5, 1971. The storm was also nicknamed the "Storm of the Century" in Quebec.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Snowstorm of March 3, 1995 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northern Rockies and Plains. It lasted from March 3, 1995 to March 5, 1995.
Snowstorm of March 3, 1996 was ranked category 2, Significant, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from March 3, 1996 to March 9, 1996.
Arctic air poured into central New York on gusty west winds producing lake effect snow squalls across the eastern Finger Lakes and western Mohawk Valley, and scattered snow showers elsewhere.
Odman Schmalzried, 40, of Wasilla was buried by an avalanche in a remote valley in the Chugach Mountains south of Eureka Lodge Saturday afternoon.
Westerly flow caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the afternoon of the 3rd with the heaviest snow falling during the early morning hours of the 4th. Nearly 15 inches of snow fell at Waterford in Erie County with 7 inches in northern Crawford County.
Westerly flow caused lake effect snow showers to develop during the afternoon of the 3rd with the heaviest snow falling during the early morning hours of the 4th.
An early March winter storm brought heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain to parts of southwest Illinois. Some light snow fell overnight on the 3rd, but then a band of heavy snow developed during the early afternoon hours on the 4th from the St.
The cold front that brought severe weather the previous day, brought much cooler air to the region in 2008. The accompanying upper-level storm system blanketed parts of Oklahoma with as much as 5 inches of snow, with the highest totals reported in Atoka and Bryan Counties.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
A strong low pressure system moved from Texas northeast across western Kentucky. Northwest of the storm track, colder air resulted in freezing rain and some sleet over parts of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.
A strong low pressure system moved from Texas northeast across western Kentucky. Northwest of the storm track, colder air resulted in freezing rain and some sleet over parts of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.
A series of storms brought significant snow accumulations to the La Sal Mountains since early February.
Snowstorm of March 3, 2013 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Upper Midwest. It lasted from March 3, 2013 to March 9, 2013.
A winter storm brought freezing rain, sleet and snow to Delaware on the 3rd. Snowfall averaged 3 to 5 inches with up to around one-quarter of an inch of ice in the lower half of the state.
Snowstorm of March 3, 2015 was ranked category 1, Notable, on NOAA’s Regional Snowfall Index, strongest in the Northeast. It lasted from March 3, 2015 to March 5, 2015.
An approaching warm front generated a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain in Eastern Pennsylvania during the afternoon and evening of the 3rd.
A strong clipper cold front brought widespread snow showers to portions of southeast West Virginia. Snowfall amounts across the Greenbrier county ranged from 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts. Snow and ice covered roadway surfaces, causing them to become very slick.
An enhanced west to east band of wet snow developed across eastern Kentucky into southern West Virginia on the 3rd, ahead of a weak low pressure system. Temperatures were in the low and mid 30s in the valleys to the upper 20s across high terrain.
Moderate lake effect snow fell near Grand Marais on the morning of the 3rd.
A strong winter storm dumped 16 to 30 inches of new snow over the Southwest San Juan Mountains on top of an already unstable snowpack. A backcountry skier triggered an avalanche after diverting from the Matterhorn Nordic Trail north of Trout Lake, near Lizard Head Pass.
An upper level low crossing the western CONUS brought a strong jetstream and Pacific cold front across New Mexico March 3rd. Strong southwesterly winds mixed down to the surface through much of the southeastern half of the state, producing gusts of 45 to 75 mph.
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A strong cold front that passed through Oklahoma on March 3rd, 1966, brought very strong winds that lasted through the 5th. Grass fires, aided by the strong winds, burned more than 3,000 acres near McAlester, and destroyed homes at Seminole and near Stillwater. Peak wind gusts included 70 mph at Stillwater, 63 mph at Gage, 60 mph at Oklahoma City, 55 mph at Ardmore, and 46 mph at Hobart.
From the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.
In Troy, an 84-year-old woman was found dead on the patio outside her retirement home. Hypothermia was the suspected cause of death.
An 86-year old woman died from Hypothermia after wandering away from a nursing home in Livonia.
Colder than normal early March weather in southeastern Wisconsin played a role in a hypothermia death of a man in the West Bend area of Washington County.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office reported the death of a homeless man due to hypothermia. The 57-year-old man was found frozen in an abandoned vehicle and was missing for a month.
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Cedartown 3NE recorded 19.3 inches, Georgia’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Simers recorded 26 inches, Kentucky’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
Mount Mitchell recorded 50 inches, North Carolina’s all-time maximum snow depth, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it (a tie with an earlier value).
Luray 5E recorded 33.5 inches, Virginia’s all-time maximum 24-hour snowfall, as the State Climate Extremes Committee lists it.
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The Elgin Fire was discovered on March 3, 1994, in Nevada, and burned 1,165 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Unnamed Fire started on March 3, 1996, in Louisiana, and burned 1,722 acres.
The Horton Fire was discovered on March 3, 1997, in New Mexico, and burned 25,000 acres.
The B. Slough Fire was discovered on March 3, 1997, in Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Chocolbay Fire was discovered on March 3, 1998, in Texas, and burned 1,300 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Multi Command Fire was discovered on March 3, 2001, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as railroad operations and maintenance.
The San Carlos Fire was discovered on March 3, 2006, in Starr County, Texas, and burned 3,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Witchdce W Fire started on March 3, 2006, in Mississippi, and burned 2,844 acres.
The ROCKERB2 Fire was discovered on March 3, 2006, in Reagan County, Texas, and burned 2,401 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Lillian Swamp Fire was discovered on March 3, 2006, in Baldwin County, Alabama, and burned 1,846 acres; the cause was recorded as equipment and vehicle use.
The Abbott Fire was discovered on March 3, 2007, in Oklahoma, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Woodbury Fire was discovered on March 3, 2008, in Grant County, North Dakota, and burned 2,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The San Ygnacio 2 Fire was discovered on March 3, 2008, in Texas, and burned 1,000 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Quarry Fire was discovered on March 3, 2009, in El Paso County, Colorado, and burned 6,328 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Highway 101 Fire was discovered on March 3, 2009, in Murray County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Sawmill Hollow Fire was discovered on March 3, 2009, in Adair County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,500 acres; the cause was recorded as arson/incendiarism.
The Elm Wood Fire was discovered on March 3, 2009, in Atoka County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,400 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Spanish Peak Fire was discovered on March 3, 2012, in Oklahoma, and burned 4,058 acres; the cause was recorded as debris and open burning.
The Rocky Point Fire was discovered on March 3, 2013, in Love County, Oklahoma, and burned 3,000 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Cowboy Fire was reported on March 3, 2016, in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and burned 4,000 acres.
Grass fires burned 2.5 acres in Pottawatomie county on the 3rd. One fatality was reported. Numerous other small fires started around the state without significant impacts.
The Latimar Fire was reported on March 3, 2017, in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,412 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Tucker Fire was reported on March 3, 2017, in Seminole County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,030 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Faka-Union (11) Fire was reported on March 3, 2018, in Collier County, Florida, and burned 10,446 acres.
The Cpi 7 Fire was reported on March 3, 2018, in Hendry County, Florida, and burned 4,107 acres.
Strong winds created areas of blowing dust that reduced visibility to less than a quarter mile and resulted in a multi-vehicle accident and closure of Interstate 10 in Pinal County. Several injuries to motorists occurred.
The Panther WF Fire was reported on March 3, 2022, in Okaloosa County, Florida, and burned 3,670 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Finn Fire was reported on March 3, 2022, in Osage County, Oklahoma, and burned 2,500 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Riverside Fire was reported on March 3, 2022, in Murray County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,548 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Middle Creek Fire was reported on March 3, 2022, in Hughes County, Oklahoma, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Dalmatian Fire was reported on March 3, 2022, in Potter County, Texas, and burned 1,167 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Doran WMA Fire was reported on March 3, 2024, in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, and burned 2,087 acres.
The Snake Trail Fire was reported on March 3, 2024, in Waseca County, Minnesota, and burned 1,594 acres.
The Bluitt Plant 2 Fire was reported on March 3, 2025, in Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and burned 5,583 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Basin Fire was reported on March 3, 2025, in Taney County, Missouri, and burned 3,186 acres.
The Robins Fire was reported on March 3, 2025, in Dorchester County, Maryland, and burned 1,200 acres.
The Box-R (19- T5) 0161 Fire was reported on March 3, 2025, in Franklin County, Florida, and burned 1,200 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Savannah Fire was reported on March 3, 2026, in Liberty County, Florida, and burned 1,930 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Dolly Fire was reported on March 3, 2026, in Swisher County, Texas, and burned 1,534 acres; the cause was recorded as human.
The Helen Fire was reported on March 3, 2026, in Mora County, New Mexico, and burned 1,132 acres.
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An earthquake struck Algiers, Algeria.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Alajuela, San Jose, Heredia, Costa Rica.
The 1893 Malatya earthquake occurred at 02:30 local time on 3 March in Malatya, Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. 1 and maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck San Diego, California, United States. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Ecuador. It killed 40 people.
A magnitude 8 earthquake struck Central Coast, San Antonio, Valparaiso, Chile. It killed 180 people, injured 2,575 and did $1.5 billion in damage. It caused a tsunami.
0 Mw struck just offshore the Greater Valparaíso area of Central Chile on 3 March 1985. The event followed a ten-day period of moderate and non-destructive foreshocks and left at least 177 people dead and about 2,500 injured.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Fiji Islands.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Samanghan, Kabul, Rustaq, Hindu Kush, Afghanistan. It killed 166 people, destroyed 300 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Mindanao, Philippines.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. It caused a tsunami.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China. It injured 30, destroyed 700 houses and did severe (about $5 to $25 million) damage.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Tyrnavos, Larisa, Greece. It injured 11 and did $10 million in damage.
3 Mw with an intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Mercalli Scale 9 kilometers west of Týrnavos, Greece. One person was confirmed dead with eleven other people injured.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3 on March 3, oldest first.
Ruang, Indonesia erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 400 people and destroyed 75 houses. The eruption caused a tsunami.
Tungurahua, Ecuador erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 4.
Villarrica, Chile erupted with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 2. It killed 25 people.
5 on March 3, oldest first.
A tsunami struck Dubrovnik, Croatia.
A tsunami with a source recorded as volcano struck Ruang, Indonesia, with a maximum water height of 25 meters. It killed 400 people and destroyed 75 houses.
A tsunami with a source recorded as earthquake and landslide struck Monterey Bay, N. California, United States.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Central Chile, with a maximum water height of 3.5 meters. It killed 180 people, injured 2,575 and did $1.5 billion in damage.
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia, with a maximum water height of 0.04 meters.
2 on March 3, oldest first.
A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm began March 3, 1952, reached Kp 8 and lasted 156 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 94; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
A G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm began March 3, 1956, reached Kp 7+ and lasted 24 hours, with a daily Ap as high as 102; at that Kp the aurora may be seen from about 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
5 on March 3, oldest first.
A 39 year old man who was swimming with friends drowned after he got caught in choppy waters on the island's north coast.
Long period swell generated strong rip currents along the east facing reef of Guam.
A male tourist from Connecticut drowned at the Poza de las Mujeres Beach in Manati. A 41 year old male tourist from South Carolina drowned in Wyndham Hotel R o Mar in R o Grande.
A localized superfog event occurred along Interstate 95 near Edgewater in Volusia County. Residual smoke from a nearby prescribed burn from the previous day combined with fog to create near-zero visibility conditions.
A lightning strike from scattered thunderstorms resulted in the fatality of a 73 year old male who was walking outside.
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.