Tornado outbreak of March 2–3, 2012
GOES 13 image of the storm system on March 2 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 2–3, 2012 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 70 |
| Maximum rating | EF4 tornado |
| Highest winds | Tornadic – 175 mph (282 km/h) (Henryville, Indiana, Crittenden, Kentucky EF4 on March 2) |
| Winter storm | |
| Largest hail | 4.25 in (10.8 cm) in diameter in two locations, on March 2 |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 41 (+2 indirect) |
| Injuries | 300+ |
| Damage | $3.1 billion |
| Areas affected | Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Dixie Alley |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 2012 and 2011–12 North American winter | |
On March 2 and 3, 2012, a large and deadly tornado outbreak occurred over a large section of the Southern United States into the Ohio Valley region. The storms resulted in 41 tornado-related fatalities, 22 of which occurred in Kentucky. Tornado-related deaths also occurred in Alabama, Indiana, and Ohio. The outbreak was the second deadliest in early March for the U.S. since official records began in 1950; only the 1966 Candlestick Park tornado had a higher death toll for a tornadic system in early March.