Extended Late March Severe Weather Recap (Mar. 23-31)

March 31,2017
Severe thunderstorms, including some tornadoes, pushed across the southern half of the country in a few waves of active weather to end March as a very busy month.
(MORE: Tornado Central)

Recap: Active Severe Weather Pattern Began Last Thursday

This active jet stream pattern we are currently in the midst of began last Thursday as an energetic disturbance pushed through the jet stream and sparked a low-pressure system east of the central Rockies.

Friday's (Mar. 31) Severe Reports

At least one reported tornado moved through southeastern Virginia, passing south of Suffolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. Six houses were badly damaged near Gallups Corner, Virginia and a church was destroyed near Greenbrier.
Another tornado was reported in North Carolina near Powellsville and Colerain.
(MORE: Severe Storms, Including Tornadoes, Hit Virginia and North Carolina)
Storm surveys will be conducted this evening or on Saturday.

Thursday's (Mar. 30) Severe Weather Reports

A tornado was reported near Bioxi, Mississippi Thursday morning and a waterspout was spotted in Louisiana over Lake Pontchartrain as well.
(LATEST NEWS: Severe Storms Lash the South)

Thursday afternoon, strong to severe thunderstorms dropped hail up to golf ball size north of Indianapolis in Madison, Clinton, Boone and Montgomery counties.
Near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, strong winds pushed trees over onto roads and at least one car.
Numerous trees were knocked over on the east side of Atlanta in a severe thunderstorm mid-evening.

Wednesday's (Mar. 29) Severe Weather Reports

Fortunately, Wednesday's severe weather was not as numerous and widespread as was expected. At least two people were injured at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal in La Porte, Texas, according to the National Weather Service. An EF1 tornado moved through Barbours Cut according to the NWS.
(MORE: Damaging Winds Toss Shipping Containers, Cause Injures in Texas)
An EF1 tornado briefly touched down at an apartment complex on the southwest side of the Houston metro Wednesday morning.
Two additional tornadoes touched down in southeastern Texas on Wednesday afternoon, one in Pasadena (EF1) and another in Dutton Lake (EF0).
Additionally, flooding was reported in southeast Texas Wednesday afternoon, including the city of Houston.
Straight-line winds in Mississippi near Brookhaven caused a three-mile swath of destruction. One mobile home was destroyed and power poles were snapped. Wind speeds were around 95 mph.

Tuesday's (Mar. 28) Severe Weather Reports

Tuesday afternoon and evening, there were 14 reports of tornadoes relayed to National Weather Service (NWS) offices, as well as a tornado detected by dual-polarization radar east of Del Rio, Texas.

Preliminary severe weather reports from March 28, 2017. Note: the tornado reports don't correspond to the actual number of tornadoes that occurred, which is typically calculated after NWS damage surveys.
(NOAA/NWS/SPC)

For the most part, these tornadoes occurred in open country with little damage reported.
However, a squall line roared through the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex early Wednesday with gusts as high as 83 mph snapping power poles in Ft. Worth and damaging several homes in Rockwall County. An NWS survey team will investigate several areas in the metro to see if a tornado was the cause of any of the damage.
Hail up to 3 inches in diameter was observed near Seymour, Texas. Winds gusted as high as 95 mph in El Reno, Oklahoma, Tuesday evening, overturning two semi-trucks on Interstate 40 just outside of El Reno.

Monday's (Mar. 27) Severe Weather Reports

A severe thunderstorm brought damaging straight-line winds to the Nashville metro area Monday afternoon, taking down several large trees in and near the Music City. WTVF-TV in downtown Nashville measured a 60-mph wind gust.
In addition, a tornado was reported by storm spotters Monday afternoon in Fulton, Mississippi, as well as near Jackson, Tennessee. There were also dozens of 1- to 2-inch diameter hail reports from Kentucky and Tennessee into Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including some that covered the ground northwest of Birmingham.
(LATEST NEWS: Possible Tornadoes Reported in Tennessee, Mississippi as Severe Storms Aim at the South)

Sunday's (Mar. 26) Severe Weather Reports

A tornado was reported by storm chasers in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, Sunday evening, east of the town of Ada. No damage or injuries were reported.
Large hail up to softball size (4.25 inches in diameter) was reported in a swath of the far north Dallas-Ft. Worth metro, from near Denton to McKinney, Sunday evening. Hail from 1 to 3 inches in diameter was reported across other parts of central Oklahoma and Texas.

Above: Tennis-ball size hail pelted Lantana, Texas, on March 26, 2017. (RECAP: Texas, Oklahoma Hit With Huge Hail)

Thursday's (Mar. 23) Severe Weather Reports

The first weather system contributed to the development of a brief EF2 tornado that injured six people late Friday night in Cato, Arkansas. Localized areas of damaging wind gusts and hail were also seen in the Plains and South Thursday through Saturday.

MORE: Midwest Severe Weather Outbreak, Feb. 28-March 1

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