Early March Severe Storms and Tornadoes
From early to mid March 2026, multiple days of severe weather fired up across the United States, spawning a few outbreaks of dangerous and deadly tornadoes.
On March 5, a series of severe thunderstorms erupted in the Southern Plains, bringing hail and spin-up tornadoes in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. One such tornadic storm was particularly fatal, as it was believed to have caused the deaths of two people in western Oklahoma.
An outbreak of deadly tornadoes occurred the next day on March 6. Four tornadoes tore through southern Michigan, with the strongest being an EF-3 that damaged the community of Union City. That tornado was also the strongest that Michigan has experienced in decades. The tornadic storms resulted in four fatalities. In eastern Oklahoma, multiple tornadoes touched down near Tulsa, with one storm resulting in a couple more fatalities. States of emergencies were declared in Michigan and Oklahoma as a result of this severe weather.
After a few days of more less-intense stormy weather, activity was forecasted to ramp up in the Central US on March 10. An enhanced risk was put in place for parts of the Southern Plains and Midwest, with portions of Illinois and Indiana being upgraded to a moderate risk that morning. Large hail fell across central Texas, as well as a few brief spin-up tornadoes. However, the more impressive hail and tornadic storms occurred in the Midwest. In Illinois, hail up to 5 inches in size fell from the severe thunderstorms erupting across the state. Soon afterwards, destructive tornadoes began touching down, impacting the city of Kankakee, located just south of Chicago. The storms continued east into northwest Indiana, causing extensive damage as they rolled through. The community of Lake Village was hit particularly hard, as well as resulting in a couple deaths.
Severe weather persisted overnight through the next day on March 11, with widespread storms initiating from the Mid-Atlantic to the Gulf Coast.
For more information, visit the Storm Prediction Center.
Satellite imagery of this event:
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