Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 facts for kids
Satellite image of the storm system responsible for the tornado outbreak that occurred on March 31 through April 1, 2023.
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| Type | Extratropical cyclone Tornado outbreak Winter storm |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 31 – April 1, 2023 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 73+ |
| Max rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Highest winds |
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| Largest hail | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) Beverly, Illinois |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 22 in (55.9 cm) near Caspian, Michigan |
| Power outages | >766,000 customers |
| Total fatalities | 26 fatalities (+6 non-tornadic), >126 injuries |
| Areas affected | Midwestern, Southern and Eastern United States |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
A widespread and deadly tornado outbreak affected large portions of the Midwestern, Southern and Eastern United States, the result of an extratropical cyclone that also produced blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest. Approximately 28 million people were under tornado watches during the evening of March 31, including the Little Rock, St. Louis, Chicago, and Memphis metropolitan areas. The National Weather Service issued multiple PDS tornado watches, concerning several lines of supercell thunderstorms, many of which produced tornadoes, some of which have prompted the issuance of tornado emergencies and multiple mass casualty incidents. At certain points of the outbreak, over 20 simultaneous tornado warnings were active. Severe and tornadic weather also affected the Northeastern United States in the afternoon and evening of April 1, including a destructive tornado that caused a death in Sussex County, Delaware.
