| A tornado near Turkey, Texas on March 28, 2007 | |
| Date of tornado outbreak: | March 28-31, 2007 |
| Duration1: | 3 days, 4 hours |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | EF3 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 82 confirmed |
| Damages: | $15.1 million[1] |
| Fatalities: | 5 |
| Areas affected: | Central United States |
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1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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The Late-March 2007 Tornado Outbreak was a tornado outbreak that took place across the central United States. It developed in the High Plains from South Dakota to central Texas on March 28, 2007, which produced most of the tornadoes. Several more tornadoes were reported the next three days before the system weakened on March 31. It affected western Nebraska, western Kansas, extreme eastern Colorado, and much of Oklahoma, and Texas. It was the second major outbreak of 2007, four weeks after an outbreak farther east. The outbreak produced at least 81 tornadoes, and at least five deaths and extensive damage was reported. In addition to the tornadoes, widespread hail as large as softballs and destructive straight-line winds as strong as 90 mph (145 km/h) were reported.
The activity level was very uncertain for March 29, as it was conditional on the dry line refiring. Despite the squall line remaining intact, several more tornadoes developed. Several more tornadoes developed on March 30 and 31 before the system weakened.
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A powerful mid and upper level system brought terrifically strong wind fields aloft over the southern and central Great Plains region on May 28. The system was located over the Great Basin and moved eastward into the central Rocky Mountains during this time frame. Ahead of the system, a dry line became organized from a low-pressure area over extreme northeastern Colorado and Nebraska panhandle southwards into western Texas. Increasing south to southeasterly winds close and above the surface allowed for a progressively humid air mass to spread across the western portion of the Great Plains during the afternoon. Unseasonably warm surface temperatures and increased lift ahead of the approaching system supported rapid thunderstorm formation. This altogether allowed for the potential for large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.[2]
That afternoon, the first signs of severe weather developed, and tornado watches were issued from South Dakota south to Texas. The advancing dry line and the cold front moving eastward combined to produce explosive supercell development late in the afternoon. Early that evening, supercells with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes were occurring along a nearly continuous line from near Lubbock, Texas to Rapid City, South Dakota. Before the supercells reformed into a squall line late that evening, at least 63 tornadoes were reported, many of them were very large and potentially destructive.[3] Fortunately, the area is sparsely populated, preventing widespread death and destruction. Still, at least 4 people were killed.[4]
A tornado was reported by the public south of Holly, Colorado at 7:57 p.m. MDT which caused one death and 11 injuries, of which 8 were hospitalized. A 76 year-old woman later died one month after the event.[5] 60 homes were damaged and 5 were destroyed. Another tornado near Elmwood, Oklahoma killed 2, making it the first fatalities in Oklahoma caused by a tornado in well over 5 years. [6]
On March 29, the squall line that moved eastward prevented a major outbreak during the daytime hours. Only a slight risk of severe storms was issued. Nonetheless, several tornadoes were reported, with two striking in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area with next to no advance warning before they struck. Significant damage was reported there with at least two people hospitalized when their RV was hit and four others injured during a tornado ten minutes later.
Another moderate risk was issued for March 30, this time in south-central Texas into the Mexican state of Coahuila, which was later extended into north Texas and into south-central Oklahoma. At around 2254 UTC, one of the two tornado watches in effect during the day in Texas was lifted, although a watch remained in central and north-eastern Texas. Late in the day, the Oklahoma tornado watch was extended into eastern Kansas.
For March 31, a moderate risk was issued for central Texas with the storm line continuing through the state, along with Oklahoma and Kansas in a north-eastern direction. This outlook was later changed to a slight risk as the system continued on with a tornado watch in effect in south-eastern Texas and a thunderstorm watch in Louisiana. The tornado watch was discontinued around 1504 UTC, although tornado warnings were issued in south-eastern Arkansas. Later in the day, the system reached the north-central United States, which caused warnings to be issued in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. As the system continued to move in its north-eastern direction in the early evening, a watch was extended into the north-western portion of Indiana. The system weakened that evening and no tornadoes occurred afterward. However, NWS officials later confirmed a microburst in Carol Stream and Glendale Heights in DuPage County just west of Chicago just before 10:00 PM CDT. Extensive roof and window damage was reported to buildings, including an apartment complex and a church. The damage path was about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) long and 250 yards wide.[7]
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed EF0 |
Confirmed EF1 |
Confirmed EF2 |
Confirmed EF3 |
Confirmed EF4 |
Confirmed EF5 |
| 82 | 46 | 21 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Wednesday, March 28, 2007 | ||||||
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| Illinois | ||||||
| EF0 | N of Atlanta | Logan | 2005 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SW of McLean | McLean | 2019 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| Texas | ||||||
| EF0 | Silverton area (1st tornado) | Swisher, Briscoe | 2220 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SW of Silverton (2nd tornado) | Briscoe | 2228 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | S of Silverton (3rd tornado) | Briscoe | 2248 | 6.8 miles (10.9 km) | Caused $40,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SE of South Plains | Floyd | 2303 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $10,000. | |
| EF0 | NE of Silverton (4th tornado) | Briscoe | 2303 | 4.8 miles (7.7 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | NE of Silverton (5th tornado) | Briscoe | 2310 | 1.8 miles (2.9 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF2 | N of Quitaque | Briscoe, Hall, Donley | 2335 | 23.8 miles (38.3 km) | Long track quarter-mile-wide tornado, caused $180,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SW of Clarendon | Donley | 2340 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SSW of Clarendon | Donley | 0005 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF2 | Brooker area | Lipscomb, Beaver (OK) | 0016 | 22 miles (35.4 km) | 2 deaths Widespread debris and damage reported. Long track tornado, caused $100,000 in damages. | |
| EF3 | Jericho area (1st tornado) | Donley, Gray | 0039 | 6.4 miles (10.3 km) | 4 Injuries Several tractor-trailers flipped on Interstate 40 several houses were damaged and barns were destroyed as well. Originally rated as an EF2 but was later upgraded to an EF3. Caused $280,000 in damages. | |
| EF2 | SW of Amarillo | Donley | 0046 | 4.2 miles (6.8 km) | Heavy tree damage, and one barn was destroyed. Several other outbuildings were damaged, caused $60,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | N of Hedley | Donley | 0102 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF2 | McLean area (1st tornado) | Donley | 0113 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | Heavy damage to several houses. Major tree and power line damage. Caused $170,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SE of Jericho (2nd tornado) | Donley | 0115 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF2 | McLean area (2nd tornado) | Gray | 0123 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) | Mesonet weather station reported 127 mph (205 km/h) winds. Heavy damage to several houses and barns. Caused $70,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | Lefors area (1st tornado) | Gray | 0130 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | Lefors area (2nd tornado) | Gray | 0136 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $40,000 in damages. | |
| EF3 | E of McLean (3rd tornado) | Gray | 0145 | 8 miles (12.9 km) | Enormous tornado, 1 mile (1.6 km) in width, that fortunately remained mostly in rural countryside. Only one house affected with moderate damage. Many trees debarked and severe power line damage. Caused $30,000 in damages. | |
| EF3 | W of Canadian | Hemphill | 0230 | 7.8 miles (12.6 km) | 1 Death 1 Injury Large 3/4-mile-wide tornado caused enormous damage to several mobile homes and destroyed several oil rigs. Caused $3 Million in damages. | |
| Kansas | ||||||
| EF0 | SE of Sharon Springs (1st tornado) | Wallace | 2349 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SE of Sharon Springs (2nd tornado) | Wallace | 2352 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | ||
| EF0 | Jennings area | Decatur | 0005 | 8 miles (12.9 km) | Caused $40,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SE of Meade (1st tornado) | Meade | 0028 | 1.4 miles (2.3 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | NE of Meade (2nd tornado) | Meade | 0032 | 1.3 miles (2.1 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | NE of Coolridge | Sherman, Greeley | 0033 | 21.6 miles (34.8 km) | Long track tornado, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | Goodland area (1st tornado) | Sherman | 0037 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | S of Ensign (1st tornado) | Meade, Gray | 0042 | 13.5 miles (21.7 km) | Long track tornado, caused $80,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SE of Goodland (2nd tornado) | Sherman | 0049 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | S of Howell (1st tornado) | Ford | 0058 | 7.8 miles (12.6 km) | ||
| EF0 | N of Edson (1st tornado) | Sherman | 0106 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | NW of Tribune | Greeley, Wallace | 0109 | 23 miles (37.0 km) | Long track tornado, upgraded to an EF1 in the final review of 2007. Caused $280,000 in damages. | |
| EF1 | NW of Ensign (2nd tornado) | Gray | 0114 | 10.4 miles (16.7 km) | Caused $160,000 in damages. | |
| EF2 | Bird City area (1st tornado) | Sherman, Cheyenne | 0115 | 34 miles (54.7 km) | Long track, large wedge tornado. Widespread power flashes reported and extensive damage. Tornado missed the village but affected a number of houses. Caused $2.1 Million in damages. | |
| EF1 | N of Howell (2nd tornado) | Ford, Hodgeman | 0132 | 10.7 miles (17.2 km) | ||
| EF0 | SE of Meade (3rd tornado) | Meade | 0139 | 8.7 miles (14.0 km) | ||
| EF1 | E of Bird City (2nd tornado) | Cheyenne | 0149 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Caused $10,000 in damages. | |
| EF3 | Jetmore area | Hodgeman, Ness | 0201 | 29.1 miles (46.8 km) | Large 3/4 mile-wide tornado killed approximately 50 head of cattle and threw a 5-ton tank 1 mile. Caused $540,000 in damages. | |
| EF1 | Benkelman area | Cheyenne, Dundy (NE) | 0209 | 15 miles (24.1 km) | Quarter-mile-wide tornado damaged several houses. Caused $490,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | E of Edson (2nd tornado) | Sherman | 0229 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | WNW of Tribune | Greeley | 0251 | 7 miles (11.3 km) | ||
| EF0 | NE of Edson (3rd tornado) | Sherman | 0254 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | Weskan area | Wallace | 0309 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SE of Bird City (3rd tornado) | Cheyenne | 0324 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| Nebraska | ||||||
| EF0 | 20 S of Merriman | Cherry | 0012 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | NW of Imperial | Chase | 0105 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | W of Arthur | Arthur | 0105 | 20.6 miles (33.2 km) | Long track tornado | |
| EF1 | NE of Lamar | Chase, Perkins | 0111 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $20,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | SE of Brandon (1st tornado) | Perkins | 0112 | 0.2 miles (0.3 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | SE of Brandon (2nd tornado) | Perkins | 0120 | 2.3 miles (3.7 km) | Brief touchdown, caused $20,000 in damages. | |
| EF2 | Grant area | Perkins | 0120 | 15.9 miles (25.6 km) | Half-mile-wide tornado damaged outbuildings and destroyed one home, caused $1.2 Million in damages. | |
| EF1 | S of Ashby | Grant | 0146 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Power lines, trees and fences were damaged and equipment was moved. | |
| EF0 | NW of Ogallala (1st tornado) | Keith | 0200 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | SW of Ogallala (2nd tornado) | Keith | 0211 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | Tornado destroyed outbuildings, damaged cattle pens, and moved irrigation pipes at stockyards west of Ogallala, caused $100,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | N of Ogallala (3rd tornado) | Keith | 0220 | 0.7 miles (1.1 km) | Minor damage to homes and tree limbs, caused $10,000 in damages. | |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| EF2 | E of Beaver | Beaver | 0104 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | Trailers were destroyed as they thrown some distance away and a large silo was toppled, caused $60,000 in damages. | |
| Colorado | ||||||
| EF3 | Holly area | Prowers, Kiowa | 0154 | 28 miles (45.1 km) | 2 Deaths 9 Injuries Long-track, half-mile-wide tornado destroyed 20 homes and damaged at least 80 others and multiple houses were nearly flattened, caused $4.01 Million in damages. | |
| EF1 | E of Towner | Kiowa, Greeley (KS) | 0240 | 11.6 miles (18.7 km) | Long-track tornado, no damage reported | |
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Thursday, March 29, 2007 | ||||||
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| Oklahoma | ||||||
| EF1 | ESE of Okeene | Blaine | 2005 | 2.3 miles (3.7 km) | Some damage to garages, barns, grain bins and silos, caused $50,000 in damages. | |
| EF2 | Piedmont area | Canadian | 2105 | 7.5 miles (12.1 km) | 5 Injuries Widespread structural damage reported in the northwest metropolitan area of Oklahoma City. Numerous mobile homes were destroyed and at least 10 cars were flipped on the Kilpatrick Turnpike according to KOCO coverage and a landing Gulfstream jet was forced off the runway at Wiley Post Airport according to KWTV coverage. caused $500,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | W of Hillsdale | Garfield, Grant | 2120 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Some damage to garages, barns, grain bins and silos, caused $30,000 in damages. | |
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Friday, March 30, 2007 | ||||||
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| Texas | ||||||
| EF0 | NW of Wimberly | Hays | 1503 | 0.2 miles (0.3 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SW of Dripping Springs | Hays | 1525 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | S of Carbon | Eastland | 1620 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | E of Sweetwater | Nolan, Fisher | 1702 | 7.2 miles (11.6 km) | 1 Injury Tornado turned over a tractor trailer rig, injuring the driver. Caused $10,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | WNW of Huckabay | Erath | 1743 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | Aaf Ft Hoo area | Bell | 2055 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | Tornado struck the Aaf Ft Hoo military base, no damage was reported. | |
| EF1 | SW of Oglesby | Coryell | 2136 | 3.1 miles (5.0 km) | Tornado damaged a few barns and two houses. Caused $40,000 in damages. | |
| EF1 | SW of McGregor | McLennan | 2140 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Tornado destroyed the back half of a rodeo arena. Caused $500,000 in damages. | |
| EF0 | Riesel area | McLennan | 2300 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF1 | Wylie area | Collin | 0220 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | Brief touchdown, 25 to 30 homes suffered severe damage to roofs and garage doors. Several other homes suffered minor damage such as broken fences and windows. The tornado had winds estimated at 95mph. Caused $500,000 in damages. | |
| Kansas | ||||||
| EF0 | ENE of Council Grove | Morris | 0248 | 2.8 miles (4.5 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| EF0 | SW of Clinton | Douglas | 0339 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Brief touchdown, no damage reported. | |
| List of confirmed tornadoes - Saturday, March 31, 2007 | ||||||
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| Texas | ||||||
| EF1 | S of Halletsville (1st tornado) | Lavaca | 0930 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | Brief touchdown, one barn was destroyed and moved a mobile home a couple yards. Caused $100,000 in damages. | |
| EF2 | SE of Halletsville (2nd tornado) | Lavaca | 0945 | 0.4 miles (0.6 km) | 4 Injuries Brief touchdown, tornado completely destroyed a mobile home and threw the four occupants, a father and his three children, 150 from where the mobile home was. The tornado had winds estimated at 115mph due to the metal remains of the mobile home being twisted. Caused $80,000 in damages. | |
| Nebraska | ||||||
| EF1 | W of Herman | Washington | 1935 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | Brief touchdown, a horse barn was almost completely destroyed and several sheds were damaged. Caused $20,000 in damages. | |
| Iowa | ||||||
| EF0 | NW of Oelwein | Fayette | 2158 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | A tornado touched down briefly on a farm near Oelwein, destroying a 100 year old barn. A garage, machine shed, windmill and a few trees were damaged. Caused $10,000 in damages | |
| EF1 | N of Delaware | Delaware, Clayton | 2229 | 11.9 miles (19.2 km) | A tornado destroyed a dairy farm and damaged eight other barns. A two car garage was completely destroyed as well. Twenty-four cows were killed when the dairy farm collapsed. Caused $200,000 in damages | |
| Missouri | ||||||
| EF0 | St. Louis | City of St. Louis | 2250 | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) | 2 Injuries A tornado touched down briefly in the City of St. Louis causing minor damage. [8] [9] | |
| Wisconsin | ||||||
| EF0 | ENE of Potosi | Grant | 2318 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | Brief touchdown, caused minor damages to a few homes. Caused $10,000 in damages. | |