An intense low-pressure system produced widespread impacts across the United States in early March 2023. Additionally, an outbreak of 35 tornadoes affected 12 states from the Southern United States to the Great Lakes. In all, the storm system killed 13 people due to flooding and strong winds. At least 17 other people were injured.
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While confidence for a widespread severe weather outbreak increased for March 2, an enhanced risk for severe weather, including the possibility for a few strong/EF2+ tornadoes, was issued for March 1.[31] A large capping inversion, placed along northern Louisiana, was expected to contain the atmosphere from initiating convective activity, but the presence of moisture, daytime heating in the area, and steep mid-level lapse rates, made the environment favorable for severe weather, including the possibility for supercells capable of all hazards. Given the favorable parameters in place, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a large corridor, extending from extreme northeastern Texas, most of central Arkansas, northwestern Mississippi, and southwestern Tennessee, were the highest probabilities for tornadoes were located. A slight risk, lined with a 5% risk for tornadoes, was issued around the main area of concern, and extended into central Tennessee, and northern Alabama. A large, 30% risk for strong, damaging wind gusts was also placed along central and eastern portions of Arkansas, extending into northwest Mississippi and southwest Tennessee, as was a hatched corridor for very large hail was also introduced for this corridor.
March 2
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The Storm Prediction Center's Severe Weather Outlook for March 2, 2023
As a large, widespread, and damaging storm complex event was occurring throughout the Great Plains, which unleashed powerful damaging winds and tornadoes across Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, the SPC highlighted a potential area for the risk of severe weather in the following days, with the main, 30% area for severe weather centered around eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, middle portions of Mississippi, and western Alabama, as conditions were expected to be very favorable for the development of thunderstorms capable of all severe weather hazards.[32]
After introducing a massive level 3/enhanced risk for March 2 on February 28,[33] which now included portions of southeastern Oklahoma, the SPC upped the threat to a level 4/moderate risk, throughout a corridor centered along the Ark-La-Tex region, clipping into extreme southeastern Oklahoma, on March 1. Throughout the risk area, the environmentally favorable conditions for severe weather were set in motion due to the presence of abundant moisture, instability that was expected ahead of a cold front starting from north-central Texas, and intense wind shear prevalent across the entire region. With this setup, a linear cluster of discrete supercell thunderstorms was expected to develop, and given the favorable wind and instability patterns, a 15%, hatched risk for strong/EF2+ tornadoes was placed along the moderate risk area, while a large, surrounding 10% hatched risk for strong tornadoes was placed and extended into central portions of Arkansas, and all the way into northwestern Mississippi.[34] At the 1630 UTC update on March 2, however, the 15% hatched area was removed due to lingering uncertainty about the timing of the most favorable wind shear for tornadoes versus the convective mode of the ongoing storms. Despite this, a moderate risk remained due to a 45% hatched risk for damaging winds and 45% hatched area for large hail that had also been issued.[35]
March 3
March 3, 2023, Record Low Pressure
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This tornado touched down in Shottsville, where a church sustained exterior damage. Elsewhere, a home sustained damage to its metal roof and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, one of which fell on a barn.[36]
A very brief and narrow high-end EF1 tornado damaged the roofs of several homes in a subdivision to the northeast of Hazel Green, including one home that had a large portion of its attached garage roof removed, causing a wall to blow out. A pickup truck was tipped over onto its side, and a small portion of a fence was knocked down as well.[37]
March 2 event
List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, March 2, 2023[note 1]
This narrow high-end EF1 tornado caused considerable damage as it moved directly through Pickton, inflicting roof damage to several homes, businesses, and a church. Trees were damaged along the path as well.[41]
A few outbuildings were damaged or destroyed. Several trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which caused damage to homes and other structures upon falling.[43]
Many trees were snapped or downed, some of which caused damage to homes and other structures upon falling. A few outbuildings were damaged as well.[44]
An EF1 tornado moved through southeastern sections of Shreveport, touching down and lifting several times along an intermittent path. In all, 98 homes sustained damage to their roofs, windows and chimneys, including one home that had a large section of its roof torn off. Four businesses were also damaged, and an apartment building sustained minor damage as well. Additional damage occurred to light poles, signs, fences, trampolines, and basketball hoops. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted, including on the campus of Louisiana State University Shreveport. Two people sustained minor injuries in a vehicle. Damage totaled $50 million.[45]
A high-end EF1 tornado occurred near the Sulphur River Wildlife Management Area, damaging or destroying several outbuildings. Additional homes and other structures were also damaged, mainly from downed tree limbs and trees.[46]
This high-end EF2 tornado completely destroyed two chicken houses at the beginning of its path. Elsewhere, a frame home had part of its roof torn off, and a tied-down mobile home was destroyed after being lofted and tossed 100 ft (30 m) into a wooded area. Many large trees were snapped or uprooted along the path, one of which landed on and destroyed a mobile home. A few other mobile homes were also damaged, one of which was shifted off its foundation blocks. A house sustained minor damage from falling trees shortly before the tornado dissipated. Five people were injured.[48]
A high-end EF0 tornado embedded with a larger area of damaging straight-line winds damaged the roof of a manufactured home and snapped or uprooted trees.[50]
This tornado caused significant damage to pine trees. Three houses and an outbuilding sustained roof damage, and numerous metal roof panels were tossed into nearby trees.[53]
A strong tornado struck the small community of Fremont, causing significant damage. Multiple homes were damaged, and a few had their roofs torn off, one of which sustained some exterior wall loss as well. A large garage structure was heavily damaged, along with a church housed in an old school building. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped, multiple outbuildings were completely destroyed, debris was scattered across the ground, and a couple of businesses sustained roof and exterior damage.[1][54][55]
A couple of homes sustained minor roof and fascia damage. Parts of roofing and fascia were also ripped from a small convenience store. Additionally, part of the roof was torn off a large outbuilding. Several trees were snapped or damaged.[54][56]
A tornado caused generally minor damage to the roofs and fascia of homes in and around Saint Joseph. However, the roof was completely ripped off of Saint Joseph Catholic Church. Dozens of trees were snapped, uprooted, or had broken limbs as well.[1][54]
This tornado touched down in Section and moved to the northeast. A manufactured home was overturned, while other manufactured homes suffered damaged to their underpinnings and roofs. A home sustained minor damage, metal roofing was removed from a chicken house, many power lines were downed, and trees were snapped or uprooted as well.[58]
This brief tornado formed shortly after the EF1 Section tornado dissipated, touching down at the southeast edge of Pisgah. It uprooted several trees and inflicted minor roof damage to chicken houses before dissipating.[58]
A large barn had about half its roof ripped off. A couple of houses sustained roof and fascia damage, including one that had multiple windows blown out as well, while a nearby TV antenna on the property was bent at its base. A semi-trailer was overturned on I-64, and a metal farm building was damaged. Several large trees were snapped, uprooted, or had their limbs downed.[1][54][59]
This tornado first touched down at the north edge of the small community of Duff. Multiple homes sustained minor roof and siding damage while barns were heavily damaged or destroyed, including one barn that was left with only one wall standing. Farther to the northeast, many trees were snapped or uprooted in the northwestern part of Jasper before the tornado dissipated.[59]
A tornado snapped, uprooted, or twisted numerous trees west of Hanover. Six outbuildings and older barns were significantly damaged or destroyed. A brick home sustained severe roof damage, had windows blown out, and had its TV antenna snapped as well.[59]
Numerous homes and outbuildings sustained minor siding and fascia damage. Trees were snapped or uprooted as well, including one that fell on a home.[61]
This tornado caused significant damage to several barns and a mobile home shortly after touching down. After moving to the northeast and causing some minor damage to trees and a few structures, the tornado strengthened again as it struck the Pricetown community, where several homes suffered considerable roof damage, one of which had its attached garage torn off and mostly flattened. The tornado then weakened and may have lifted briefly as it continued north-northeast through mostly open fields, causing only minor tree damage and downing a power pole. The tornado then strengthened again as it crossed US 50, where a church had much of its roof ripped off and some outbuildings were damaged, while trees and tree limbs were downed. It then weakened momentarily, but strengthened again as it struck the Willettsville community, inflicting roof damage to numerous homes and outbuildings, and including another home that had its attached garage collapsed. The tornado then weakened for the final time and continued northeastward, causing some additional minor tree and roof damage before dissipating.[61]
This brief tornado was likely a satellite to the previous tornado. A shed was largely destroyed, a few homes sustained minor roof and siding damage, and some trees were damaged as well.[61]
This weak and narrow, but long-lived tornado struck the communities of Gray Court and Lanford directly. Damage along its path mainly consisted of dozens of trees being snapped or uprooted, including multiple trees that fell onto homes.[62]
^National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama (2023). [Alabama Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Birmingham, Alabama (2023). [Alabama Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee (2023). [Tennessee Event Report: EF0 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee (2023). [Tennessee Event Report: EF0 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee (2023). [Tennessee Event Report: EF0 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas (2023). [Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Texas Event Report: EF0 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Louisiana Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Arkansas Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Oklahoma Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Little Rock, Arkansas (2023). [Arkansas Event Report: EF2 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
^National Weather Service in Shreveport, Louisiana (2023). [Texas Event Report: EF1 Tornado] (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
