The Tornado outbreak sequence of March 18–24, 2012 was a long lasting tornado outbreak that occurred due to a slow moving, but powerful

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

and cutoff low. The outbreak began in the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

, where, over a two-day period, several tornadoes touched down, some of which were significant. The

North Platte North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

area was damaged by an EF3 that was produced by a supercell that spawned many tornadoes throughout its lifespan. The tornadic activity then shifted the Southern United States over subsequent days, particularly in

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. These states were struck by a series of tornadoes for 3 days, most of which were relatively weak on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. However, a few reached EF2 intensity and caused considerable damage. Tornado activity continued across the

Ohio Valley The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...

on the 23rd, with one confirmed fatality in southern Illinois.

Meteorological synopsis

March 18–19

March 20–22

March 23–24

A slight risk was issued for parts of the

, but notable tornado activity was not expected. However, several tornadoes touched down across Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. Supercell thunderstorms developed and produced large hail as well. One high-end EF1 tornado caused considerable damage to homes in the Louisville metro area. An EF2 tornado caused one fatality in southern

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

when a mobile home was thrown and completely destroyed. On the 24th, an isolated EF0 touched down in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

as the outbreak moved eastward and came to an end.

Confirmed tornadoes

March 18 event

March 19 event

March 20 event

March 21 event

March 22 event

March 23 event

March 24 event

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2012-03-18 tornado outbreak sequence 03-18 Tornadoes in Louisiana Tornadoes in Mississippi Tornadoes in Nebraska Tornado,2012-03-18

Tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...