Tornado Outbreak Of April 25–28, 2024

From April 25 to 28, 2024, a large-scale and destructive tornado outbreak occurred across the Midwestern, Southern, and High Plains regions of the United States, primarily on April 26 and 27. On April 26, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) first issued an enhanced risk for the Plains, as a broad upper-trough moved eastwards, with strong tornadic activity erupting in the states of Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas later that day. A high-end EF3 tornado struck the northeastern outskirts of Lincoln, Nebraska in Lancaster County, injuring three people. A long-tracked low-end EF4 tornado caused widespread severe damage in Elkhorn and near Bennington and Blair, and prompted the issuance of two tornado emergencies. Another EF3 tornado moved through parts of both Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa as well as points northeast, injuring four more people. Another long-tracked EF3 tornado moved directly through Minden, Iowa, killing one person and injuring three others, prompting the issuance of two more tornado emergencies. An EF2 tornado also moved through Pleasant Hill just southeast of Des Moines, injuring one person.

On April 27, a moderate risk was issued by the SPC for areas further south in Oklahoma and millions were put under a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) tornado watch. Several PDS tornado warnings were issued that day, especially during the nighttime hours, as strong to violent tornadoes touched down. A catastrophic high-end EF3 tornado moved directly through Sulphur, Oklahoma, killing one person and injuring 30 others. Another EF3 tornado destroyed multiple homes as it passed near Holdenville, killing two people. The strongest tornado of the night was a violent, low-end EF4 tornado that moved through the western part of Marietta, killing a person on I-35 and destroying a large warehouse and a grocery store. Only weak tornadoes touched down on April 28, but one high-end EF1 tornado caused a fatality and an injury when it destroyed a mobile home near Trinity, Texas.

The outbreak was the largest since a similarly large and deadly outbreak the year prior, although this one was spread out over a slightly larger time period and was not as deadly. Six people died as a result of this outbreak, and over 150 others were injured. With a grand total of 164 tornadoes over a two-day period, the tornado outbreak gained 87 points on the outbreak intensity score. The outbreak served as the beginning of a broader 16-day period of constant severe weather and tornado activity across the United States that would continue until May 10.

Meteorological synopsis

On April 20, 2024, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) first delineated a severe weather risk for April 25–26, highlighting a zone extending from the Central Great Plains northeastward to the Midwestern U.S. The forecast was predicated on the development of thunderstorms downwind of an upper-tropospheric trough, where weather forecast models were depicting the advection of a moist airmass. The forecast was maintained through the next two days. The risk area was expanded into northeastern Texas on April 22 and later extended to include the possibility of severe weather on April 27.

April 25

On the morning of April 25, the SPC predicted an enhanced risk of severe weather for parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, highlighting the risk of tornadoes and large hail in connection with storms developing along a dry line between the Texas Panhandle and northwestern Kansas. This risk was later narrowed to two focal areas: one in northwestern Kansas associated with supercells during the afternoon and evening, and a second near the Red River, associated with an forecast cluster of storms during the overnight hours. During the afternoon, numerous thunderstorms developed near the dry line in eastern Colorado and near a low-pressure area in northeastern Colorado, southwestern Nebraska, and northwestern Kansas. These storms weakened during the evening upon moving northeastward into areas with less atmospheric instability, with the threat for tornadoes diminishing overnight. The SPC received six tornado reports from April 25 from states affected by these storms; five EFU tornadoes were confirmed.

April 26

Another cluster of thunderstorms developed in the Permian Basin of Texas in the early overnight hours into April 26, becoming and maintaining severe characteristics as they tracked northeast into the Red River Valley. This cluster eventually organized into a quasi-linear convective system over southern Oklahoma, potentially producing at least one tornado. The SPC received three reports of tornadoes from Oklahoma during the early morning hours of April 26; seven weak tornadoes were later confirmed in the state.

More significant severe weather was expected to occur later on in the day. The event was first forecasted to occur on April 20, when a 15% risk area was issued across much of the south-central United States by the Storm Prediction Center for April 26. By April 23, the 15% area had been expanded tremendously, covering areas from the eastern Great Plains into the mid-Mississippi Valley. On April 24, the 15% risk area transitioned into slight risk area that covered the same area with all severe weather hazards expected. With an enhanced risk of severe weather in place, the Storm Prediction issued a tornado watch for eastern Oklahoma on the morning of April 26. Several hours later, on the afternoon of April 26, another tornado watch was implemented for northeastern Nebraska, which included the possibility for "a couple of intense tornadoes." At 3:41 p.m. CDT, a tornado emergency was issued for West Elkhorn as a large and destructive tornado moved through the area. Some homes were completely leveled and many more structures suffered significant damage. Another storm produced a large tornado near Harlan, Iowa, causing widespread destruction. A Doppler on Wheels (DOW) mobile radar truck measured 1-second wind speeds of approximately at a height of ~ with the Harlan storm.

April 27–28

In the morning hours of April 27, the Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk (level 4) for central Oklahoma, north-central Texas, extreme southwestern Missouri, and southeastern Kansas. The moderate risk included a significant 15% tornado risk, a significant 30% wind risk, and a significant 45% hail risk. Multiple supercells formed that afternoon in northern Texas, western Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, and northwestern Missouri. A 'particularly dangerous situation' (PDS) tornado watch was issued for western Oklahoma and northern Texas, warning of elevated probabilities for several tornadoes, some of which could be intense.
As the day went on, multiple tornadoes touched down, including a large tornado that passed near the town of Knox City, and another near Burkburnett, both in Texas. Numerous PDS tornado warnings were issued for large tornadoes near Cedar Vale, Kansas, as well as Newkirk, Oklahoma. However, much of the western part of the risk area remained storm free for much of the day. As the day went on, supercells in the center of the main risk area waned, and a more linear mode developed. The 00:00 UTC upper-air sounding from Norman, Oklahoma, depicted very strong shear, with storm-relative helicity