15, DE–32

lornajarrettblanchard March 31, 2023

— 32 CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest…” 4-2-2023.
–>27 NYT. “At Least 27 Killed as Tornadoes Tear Through the Midwest and South.” 4-2-2023.
–>21 ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023.
–>21 CBS News/AP. “Tornadoes strike Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee; at least 21 dead…” 4-1-2023.

Alabama ( 1)
–1 ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023.
–1 Huntsville area. Tornado destroyed home with woman inside; Ovie Lasater, 90.

Arkansas ( 5)
–5 ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023.
–1 North Little Rock, Pulaski County. CBS News/AP. “Tornadoes strike [AR, IL, TN]…” 4-1-2023.
–4 Wynne, Cross County. ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead…” 4-1-2023.

Delaware ( 1)
–1 Greenwood area, Sussex County, April 1. Collapsed structure.
NYT. “At Least 27 Killed as Tornadoes Tear Through the Midwest and South.” 4-2-2023.

Illinois ( 4)
–4 ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023.
–1 Belvidere. Tornado; Apollo Theatre roof collapsed; male, 50.
–3 Crawford County. Residential structure collapsed.

Indiana ( 5)
–5 CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest…” 4-2-2023.
–2 McCormick’s Creek State Park campground, Owen Co. Brett Kincaid, 53, Wendy Kincaid, 47.
–3 Sullivan County. CBS News/AP. “Tornadoes strike [AR, IL, TN]…” 4-1-2023.

Mississippi ( 1)
–1 Pontotoc County. CBS News/AP. “Tornadoes strike [AR, IL, TN]…” 4-1-2023.

Tennessee (15)
–15 CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest…” 4-2-2023.
— 9 McNairy Co. NYT. “At Least 27 Killed as Tornadoes Tear Through the Midwest and South.” 4-2-2023.
— 3 Memphis. CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South…Midwest…” 4-2-2023.
— 1 Tipton County, Tornado destroyed home and threw man, 31, about 100 yards.

Narrative Information

National Weather Service: “A very strong system developed on the morning of 31 March, which tracked a strong surface low across the state of Iowa. This system pulled unseasonably warm and moist conditions into the Midwest, which coupled with a very favorable wind profile, and created quite the volatile environment for severe thunderstorms. This event resulted with a tornado outbreak that this area has not seen in quite some time, with several tornadoes that led to a lot of damage. We initially started the event with more discrete supercell thunderstorms, but quickly transitioned to a QLCS event that led to many spin-ups along the leading edge, with embedded supercell structures. Combined with the many tornado reports, we also received many large hail and wind reports.

News Outlets
Apr 1, ABC News: “At least 21 people are dead across six states and dozens have been hospitalized after a tornado outbreak moved through the Midwest and South on Friday night, according to local officials. Among the fatalities, five were in Arkansas, three died in Indiana, one died in Alabama and one died in Mississippi, local officials told ABC News. Adamsville, Tennessee, Mayor David Leckner told The Associated Press that seven people have died in McNairy County. In Illinois, four people died, including a man who was killed after a roof collapsed during a concert at a historic theater.

“The National Weather Service confirmed at least 31 tornadoes across 9 states on Friday and Saturday. More than 28 million people across the South and Midwest were under a tornado watch going into Friday night, according to the NWS.

“A “catastrophic” tornado moved through the metro area of Little Rock, Arkansas, in Pulaski County Friday afternoon, the NWS confirmed. According to preliminary NWS information, the EF3 tornado had winds up to 165 mph and a path length spanning 20-25 miles. At least one person died and more than 50 people across Pulaski County have been hospitalized, with that number expected to rise, Madeline Roberts, a spokeswoman for the county’s emergency management agency, told ABC News. She did not have information on the conditions of those injured….

“Four people have been pronounced dead in Wynne, located roughly 50 miles west of Memphis, which took a direct hit from a tornado. Miles Kimble, the coroner of neighboring St. Francis County, who was assisting in Wynne, confirmed the death toll to ABC News….”
(ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023.)

April 2, NYT: “NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Communities in at least seven states on Saturday began assessing destruction left by a powerful storm system on Friday that spawned ferocious tornadoes, killing at least 27 people and causing a roof at a packed venue in Illinois to collapse — the second such deadly outbreak of severe weather in the region in a week.

“Fatalities were reported in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee, the authorities said on Saturday, with Tennessee accounting for 10 deaths….”
(NYT. “At Least 27 Killed as Tornadoes Tear Through the Midwest and South.” 4-2-2023.)

April 2, CNN: “he death toll rose to 32 Sunday [2nd] after a batch of ferocious storms and tornadoes devastated communities across the American South and Midwest, while parts of the Southern Plains braced for the possibility of their own round of severe weather. The storm outbreak Friday that walloped the country spawned more than 50 tornado reports in at least seven states, where tornadoes crushed homes and businesses, ripped roofs off buildings, splintered trees and sent vehicles flying.

“Wynne, Arkansas – where at least four people died – was cleaved in half by one such tornado, leaving a line of destruction from the city’s western limit to its eastern, according to Mayor Jennifer Hobbs…

“Deaths have been confirmed across a wide swath of states, with multiple victims reported in Arkansas, Indiana and Tennessee, where the statewide death toll rose to 15 Sunday, officials said. Three of the deaths were in Memphis: Two children and one adult were found dead after police responded to calls about trees that had fallen on homes, the Memphis Police Department said in a news release.

“Nine others died in McNairy County, Tennessee, County Mayor Larry Smith confirmed to CNN Sunday. The storm “crossed our county completely from one side to the other,” Sheriff Guy Buck told CNN Saturday evening as authorities continued to search collapsed buildings….” (CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest, leaving communities in ruin.” 4-2-2023.)
Sources

ABC News. “Tornado updates: At least 21 dead, dozens injured across 6 states.” 4-1-2023. Accessed 4-1-2023 at: https://abcnews.go.com/US/violent-tornado-outbreak-major-storm-leaves-millions-alert/story?id=98263258

CBS News/AP. “Tornadoes strike Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee; at least 21 dead, dozens injured in Midwest.” 4-1-2023. Accessed 4-1-2023 at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tornadoes-strike-arkansas-illinois-tennessee-indiana-midwest-multiple-fatalities-injuries/

CNN. “Death toll rises to 32 after tornadoes rip through South and Midwest, leaving communities in ruin.” 4-2-2023. Accessed 4-2-2023 at: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/02/us/us-severe-storm-south-midwest-sunday/index.html

National Weather Service, Quad Cities, IA/IL Weather Forecast Office, NOAA. “Event Summary: March 31, 2023 – Tornado Outbreak.” Accessed 4-2-2023 at: https://www.weather.gov/dvn/summary_03312023

New York Times. “At Least 27 Killed as Tornadoes Tear Through the Midwest and South.” 4-2-2023. Accessed 4-2-2023 at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/us/midwest-storms-flood-weather.html