Tornado Outbreak Of March 13–15, 2024

More than two dozen tornadoes occurred, eight of them strong-to-intense. National Weather Service offices issued multiple 'Particularly Dangerous Situation' tornado warnings. Tornadoes produced heavy damage in the communities of Madison, Winchester and Muncie in Indiana, and Wapakoneta, Lakeview, and Plymouth in Ohio. At least three people were killed in Logan County, Ohio in the Lakeview tornado, and dozens of others were left injured or missing.

Tornado outbreak of March 13–15, 2024

EF3-rated tornado damage in Winchester, Indiana
Meteorological history
Duration	March 13–15, 2024
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes	33
Maximum rating	EF3 tornado
Highest winds	165 mph (Winchester, Indiana on March 14)
Overall effects
Fatalities	3
Injuries	69
Damage	$4.1 billion (2024 USD)
Areas affected	Midwestern, Southern, Northeastern United States
Part of the Tornadoes of 2024

Besides tornadoes, severe weather occurred across the West and East South Central U.S. Large hail storms were reported in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Ohio. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding was reported in Tennessee and Kentucky.

 

The weather system responsible for the outbreak was evident multiple days prior, but the area that received the worst tornadoes was not expected to be the main threat. On March 9, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) highlighted a 15% probability area of severe weather on March 14 for areas in northeast Texas and far southeast Oklahoma, indicating numerical weather models agreed that severe weather would occur. Over the following days, model runs began to highlight favorable parameters for severe weather, mainly towards very large hail, damaging winds, and a potential for tornadoes across a corridor that expanded northeast.

On March 11, a Day 3 marginal risk was highlighted from central Oklahoma into eastern Kansas, as well as the Lower Missouri Valley. Forecasters identified deep troughing, as well as possible zonal flow, especially around southeast Kansas for March 13.

On March 12, a Day 3 slight risk was issued for the March 14 event, extending into Arkansas, central Missouri, southeastern Iowa, and western Illinois. Given moderate moisture, strong atmospheric buoyancy, and an unstable airmass ahead of convective initiation preceded by a warm front, supercells were possible, with a risk for all severe hazards. A slight risk was also issued for Day 2 around northeastern Kansas.

By 3:54 p.m. CDT on the 13th, storms began to initiate along a warm front in eastern Kansas as forecast. A shortwave trough was also noted nearby on water vapor imagery, highlighting large-scale ascent favorable for all severe hazards. At around 6:00 p.m. CDT, storms began to mature, and an EF2 tornado produced near Alta Vista, Kansas. Following the tornado in Alta Vista, another EF2 produced in Rossville, before storms began to downtrend through the night.

On March 14, a particularly favorable corridor for severe weather was placed along eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas, and southern Missouri, with intense supercells capable of tornadoes, damaging winds, and very large hail. The aforementioned area was given a level 3/enhanced risk for severe weather, with a 10% risk for EF2+ tornadoes situated mainly in the area within Oklahoma and Arkansas. In this area, convective available potential energy (CAPE) values reached 2,500–3,000 J/kg, favorable wind shear was present, and elongated, curved hodograph values were expected, allowing any mature supercell to rotate.

During the early morning hours of March 14, the system produced severe weather across areas of Kansas to Ohio. After the initial storms passed, the atmosphere was predicted to stabilize, as the temperature gradient throughout experienced vertical mixing. Because of this, an elongated, wide corridor that extended into Indiana and western Ohio was given a 5% risk for tornadoes, however, the Storm Prediction Center noted that if supercells were able to develop in this region, they could be long-tracked. Supercells were able to develop by the late afternoon near west Indiana and began tracking east and southeast through Ohio, prompting a tornado watch for the states.

March 13 event

March 14 event

March 15 event

Wapakoneta–Lakeview–Russells Point, Ohio

Wapakoneta–Lakeview–Russells Point, Ohio

Low-end EF3 damage south of Wapakoneta, Ohio
Meteorological history
Date	March 14, 2024
EF3 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds	155 mph (250 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities	3
Injuries	27

During the evening hours of March 14, a long-tracked, deadly, and destructive EF3 tornado directly impacted portions of northwest Ohio. The tornado initially formed near northwest Fryburg, south of Wapakoneta, and tracked east, causing weak EF0-EF1 damage to rural structures before quickly intensifying to low-end EF3 intensity and impacting the Glacier Hill Lakes RV Resort. The main office of the resort, multiple homes, and dozens of RVs were completely destroyed, flipped, and tossed. The tornado exited the resort to the east, strewing debris across a field and leaving cycloidal marks in the dirt, while causing additional EF2 damage. The tornado then continued at EF1-EF2 intensity and began to deviate to the southeast as it passed the communities of Geyer and Sante Fe, causing significant damage to multiple homes and farmsteads. Soon, the tornado crossed into Logan County. Two homes were flattened along Township Highway 84 before the tornado reached EF3 strength again northwest of Lakeview, where large swaths of trees were uprooted and debarked.

 

Maintaining EF3 intensity, the tornado entered the western outskirts of Lakeview. Along Poplar Court, multiple homes sustained intense damage, including one home that was completely destroyed, with its subflooring ripped off. The tornado continued into main portions of Lakeview. Hundreds of homes were completely destroyed, with a majority of the area consisting of manufactured homes. A storage facility was partially destroyed, the local library lost its roof, and multiple businesses along Main St were severely impacted. Past Main St, the tornado began to parallel US 33, impacting more businesses and destroying many homes. Much of this damage was rated EF2, although one destroyed building received a low-end EF3 rating. In a campground in eastern Lakeview, the tornado tracked directly through densely packed RVs, flipping and obliterating almost every single one there. Past the campground, a neighborhood and mobile home park were directly hit at EF2 intensity as well. The National Weather Service indicated that over 45% of Lakeview was damaged or destroyed by the tornado.

Past Lakeview, the tornado maintained EF2 intensity and directly impacted the neighborhood of Orchard Island in north Russells Point. Devastation paralleled that of Lakeview, with dozens of RVs and homes damaged or destroyed. The tornado crossed into Fox Island State Park, downing multiple trees and impacting structures. The weakening tornado then crossed over Indian Lake, and then impacted homes in far east Russells Point. Homes near Dunns Pond were particularly devastated with damage to those homes rated EF2; the rest of the damage was rated EF1. The tornado exited Russells Point to the southeast.

The tornado continued through primarily rural areas, impacting structures in communities such as Huntsville, Northwood, Rushsylvania, and finally Walnut Grove at EF0-EF1 strength, before damage became much more sporadic. The tornado is believed to have dissipated just east of SR 292.

In all, three people were killed and 27 were injured. Logan County Emergency Management Authorities issued a mass-casualty event.

Winchester, Indiana/Bradford, Ohio

Winchester, Indiana/Bradford, Ohio

A home nearly completely destroyed along Englewood Dr in southwestern Winchester.
Meteorological history
Formed	March 14, 2024, 7:50 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00)
Dissipated	March 14, 2024, 9:00 p.m. EDT (UTC−04:00)
Duration	1 hour, 10 minutes
EF3 tornado
on the Enhanced Fujita scale
Highest winds	165 mph (266 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities	0
Injuries	40

This long-tracked, deviant, and destructive tornado first touched down south of Farmland, Indiana in Randolph County, causing minor EF0 damage to a few homes and collapsing a barn. The tornado then moved into a cemetery where a few trees were uprooted, and a home was damaged at EF1 intensity. It then crossed SR 32 downing numerous power lines, and then started to cause ground scouring in the field across SR 32. The tornado continued east-southeast in the field causing more cycloidal ground-scouring and damaging a wind turbine blade at EF0 intensity. The tornado's eastward movement then became erratic as it made multiple sudden northward and southward turns, crossing SR 32 multiple times. A farmstead was completely destroyed with one home being pushed off its crawlspace and collapsed, although no rating was applied to this damage. An outbuilding at this farmstead was also destroyed. Approximately 40 power-poles were downed as the tornado moved along SR 32 and a roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) swath of intense ground-scouring occurred as the tornado approached the southwestern part of Winchester.

Continuing on its erratic eastward trajectory, the tornado entered Winchester at high-end EF2 intensity. It tore through a subdivision with the worst damage localized along Englewood Drive. Dozens of poorly anchored homes sustained damage, with a few homes having their roofs torn off and exterior walls collapsed. The tornado continued east-southeast through southern Winchester, tearing the roofs off of many additional poorly-anchored homes at mid-range EF2 intensity. One home along Browne Street was reduced to its cinder-block foundation with a high-end EF2 rating being applied. The Randolph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center took a near direct hit at low-end EF2 intensity, sustaining partial roof loss with its debris being wind-rowed into a nearby field. Two vehicles at the center were thrown into this field as well. Other vehicles along this portion of the path were also moved or damaged and trees and power poles were damaged or snapped.

The tornado then quickly intensified to low-end EF3 intensity as it crossed US 27 and struck a strip mall, which sustained exterior wall collapse with cars in adjacent parking lots also being damaged and moved. Right next to the strip mall, a small, but well-built Taco Bell structure was completely destroyed, with most of the debris being swept off the foundation. A few employees here took shelter in the freezer and survived. A high-end EF3 rating with wind speeds up to 165 mph (266 km/h) was applied to this structure. The tornado then weakened slightly, but remained at high-end EF3 intensity as it crossed East Greenville Pike and struck the Freedom Life Church, which was almost entirely flattened with only a small area of interior walls remaining. Wind speeds up to 155 mph (249 km/h) were estimated here. A small park was also hit, with the playground being completely destroyed, and a tree being heavily stubbed and debarked.

The tornado then exited Winchester at a weaker, but still strong EF2 intensity and struck a farmstead, inflicting intense tree damage and unroofing a home. The tornado was still causing intense ground-scouring at this point, and this would continue to the Ohio state line. Many farmsteads were hit by the tornado, mainly at EF1-EF2 intensity with outbuildings being destroyed. Continuing its erratic eastward movement, the tornado passed south of the Randolph County Airport as it moved along Base Road. Three farmsteads east of the airport were completely destroyed at EF3 intensity, with their homes sustaining roof loss and exterior wall collapse. Continuing east, a few more farmsteads were struck, with one farmstead having its grain silos significantly damaged.

The tornado then turned east-southeast and crossed into Darke County, Ohio before once again continuing its erratic eastward movement. In Darke County, several homes sustained roof damage at EF1 intensity, with two people being injured in Greenville Township. The tornado then crossed into Miami County passing just north of Bradford before briefly reaching EF2 intensity again. Two homes had their roofs torn off and exterior walls removed, with outbuildings sustaining significant damage. The tornado then quickly weakened and dissipated along SR 48, north of Covington.

A quick response team used to determine EF ratings possibly greater than EF3 was deployed to Winchester, but no EF4 damage was found by the team. In result, the tornado was rated as a high-end EF3 with winds estimated at 165 mph (266 km/h). It reached a peak width of 700 yards (640 m) in Indiana, and 250 yards (230 m) in Ohio. The tornado tracked for a total of 41.4-mile (66.6 km) across the two states, remaining on the ground for 1 hour and 10 minutes. A total of 40 people were injured, 38 of them being in Randolph County, Indiana.

The system and the severe storms responsible for the tornado outbreak also produced widespread wind and hail damage over the Central Plains, Mississippi and Ohio valleys, and the Southeastern United States. Hailstones greater than 4.00 in (10.2 cm) in diameter fell in Ada, Oklahoma on March 14, including one hailstone with a diameter of 5.25 in (13.3 cm). Widespread wind and hail damage was reported throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area on March 13, while widespread hail damage was reported throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area on March 14 as well. Scattered wind and hail damage occurred south of Houston, Texas on March 15.

The system also produced very heavy rainfall fell across parts of Tennessee, especially in the central part of the state, between March 14–15. Rainfall totals maxed out at 4.15 in (105 mm) in Leoma and 3.96 in (101 mm) in Hohenwald. The Nashville International Airport recorded 1.20 in (30 mm) of rain while nearby Joint Base Berry Field recorded 1.09 in (28 mm). Two people needed to be rescued from a flooded creek in Lawrence County.

Heavy snow from the storm system on March 13 led to roads on the eastern half of Rocky Mountain National Park closed.

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• Weather of 2024
• List of United States tornadoes from January to March 2024