 Map of reported tornadoes (tornadoes in red) | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | February 5–6, 2008 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 87 (Record for a tornado outbreak in February) |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 15 hours, 20 minutes |
| Fatalities | 57 fatalities (+4 non-tornadic), 425 injuries |
| Damage | $1.2 billion (2008 USD)[1] |
| Areas affected | Southern United States, Lower Ohio River Valley |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak[2] was a deadly tornado outbreak which affected the Southern United States and the lower Ohio Valley on February 5 and 6, 2008. The event began on Super Tuesday, while 24 states in the United States were holding primary elections and caucuses to select the presidential candidates for the upcoming presidential election. Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Alabama, and Tennessee were among the affected regions in which primaries were being held. Some voting locations were forced to close early due to the approaching severe weather.[3]
The outbreak generated 87 tornadoes over 15 hours from the afternoon of February 5 until the early morning of February 6.[citation needed] The storm system produced several destructive tornadoes in heavily populated areas, most notably in the Memphis metropolitan area, in Jackson, Tennessee, and the northeastern end of the Nashville metropolitan area.
A total of 57 people were killed across four states and 18 counties, with hundreds of others injured.[4] The outbreak, at the time, was the deadliest in the era of modern NEXRAD doppler radar, which was fully implemented in 1997.[5] The event was the second deadliest in February since 1950 behind the Tornado outbreak of February 21–22, 1971, which killed 123,[6] the deadliest outbreak in both Tennessee and Kentucky since the 1974 Super Outbreak,[7] and was at the time the deadliest tornado outbreak in the US overall since the 1985 United States–Canada tornado outbreak which killed 76 people.[8] This record would not be surpassed until the 2011 Super Outbreak which killed 324 people. Damage from tornadoes was estimated at over $500 million (2008 USD).[9]
The weather system which produced the tornadoes caused significant straight-line wind damage, hail as large as softballs – 4.5 inches (11 cm) in diameter – major flooding, significant freezing rain, and heavy snow across many areas of eastern North America. The total damage from the entire weather system reached $1.2 billion.[1]
- ^ a b Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters National Climatic Data Center. Accessed January 28, 2009.
- ^ NWS Mobile (February 6, 2008). "Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on March 28, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
- ^ "Voters turn out in droves for Super Tuesday". CNN.com. February 6, 2008. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
- ^ CNN (February 6, 2008). "Severe weather, tornadoes kill dozens across South". CNN.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
- ^ Amitai, Eyal; Greenbelt; X. Llort. "Comparison of TRMM radar rainfall estimates with NOAA Next Generation QPE in high-impact hydrometeorological events". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved January 12, 2009.
- ^ Hayes, John L. (March 2009). "Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak of February 5–6, 2008" (PDF). National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
- ^ TVNZ (February 8, 2008). "Tornado toll rises to 57". TVNZ.co.nz. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
- ^ John L. Hayes (March 2009). "Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak of February 5–6, 2008" (PDF). The National Weather Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
- ^ Storm Events database Archived September 15, 1999, at the Wayback Machine National Climatic Data Center. Accessed May 13, 2008.