Tornado outbreak and floods of April 28 – May 1, 2017
Satellite image of storm system and associated supercells over the state of Texas at 23:30 UTC on April 29 | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak Extratropical storm Flood Winter storm Blizzard |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 28, 2017 |
| Dissipated | May 2, 2017 |
| Highest winds |
|
| Lowest pressure | 991 mb (29.26 inHg) |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 75 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Largest hail | 2.75 inches (7.0 cm) in Pocola, Oklahoma |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | Snow – 39 in (99 cm) near San Isabel, Colorado |
| Maximum rainfall | 19 in (48 cm) near West Plains, Missouri |
| Fatalities | 5 fatalities (+15 non-tornadic), 70 injuries |
| Damage | $1.9 billion (2017 USD) |
| Power outages | 61,200 |
| Areas affected | High Plains, Western United States (Rocky Mountains), Ohio Valley, Upper Midwest, Southeastern United States |
Part of the 2016–17 North American winter and tornado outbreaks of 2017 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
Between April 28 – May 1, 2017, a series of severe weather events affected the Central United States, producing life-threatening flooding and a major tornado outbreak. It formed out of a disturbance in the Southwestern United States on April 28, and caused significant impacts, including a heavy snowstorm in the Rockies, and other types of severe weather. Up to 3 feet (36 in) of snow fell on the cold side of the system, and up to a foot of rain fell in and around the central parts of the nation.
The most significant and damaging events of the storm unfolded late on April 29, when two large, long-tracked, and powerful wedge tornadoes struck areas near Canton, Texas, the strongest being an EF4. Together, the two tornadoes caused four deaths and many injuries.