The tornado outbreak of March 21, 1952

27 tornadoesArkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Missouri

27 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 2:40 PM and 11:55 PM CST, 20 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 202 people were killed. The 4th-deadliest tornado day since 1950.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 21, 1952

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 27 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Standard Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 27; on Friday, March 21, 1952
F3 or stronger: 20; 10 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 202; 4th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 1,133; Along all the paths
Path miles: 356; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:40 PM to 11:55 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 13 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of March 21, 1952

2:40 PM	F4	Howard County AR	13.0	833	7	9
4:00 PM	F3	Saline County AR	17.7	440	0	0
4:50 PM	F4	White County AR	14.6	1,760	50	325
5:00 PM	F2	Faulkner County AR	0.1	10	0	6
5:00 PM	F4	Lonoke County AR	7.6	10	2	6
5:00 PM	F3	Lonoke County AR	16.2	10	9	9
5:20 PM	F2	Prairie County AR	13.3	417	5	15
5:20 PM	F0	Prairie County AR	0.1	417	1	5
5:30 PM	F3	Woodruff County AR	17.6	600	0	0
5:30 PM	F4	Woodruff County AR	13.1	880	29	180
5:40 PM	F3	Jackson County, Poinsett County and 1 more AR	28.5	440	0	6
6:00 PM	F4	Dyer County TN	4.7	200	2	10
6:00 PM	F4	Cross County AR	0.1	880	4	5
6:45 PM	F3	Poinsett County, Mississippi County AR	51.8	880	3	96
6:45 PM	F3	Poinsett County AR	9.4	200	1	5
7:00 PM	F3	Mississippi County AR	39.7	880	1	57
8:00 PM	F4	Pemiscot County MO	6.5	880	17	100
8:30 PM	F0	Madison County MS	0.1	20	0	1
8:30 PM	F3	Dyer County TN	18.1	1,000	10	30
8:30 PM	F4	Dyer County TN	2.0	200	4	5
10:00 PM	F4	Marshall County, Fayette County MS, TN	29.6	427	16	74
10:45 PM	F2	Gibson County TN	0.1	150	2	2
10:50 PM	F3	Carroll County TN	0.1	100	0	3
11:00 PM	F2	Carroll County TN	0.1	150	1	8
11:17 PM	F3	Carroll County TN	5.1	177	0	19
11:30 PM	F4	Hardeman County, Chester County and 1 more TN	46.8	177	38	157
11:55 PM	F2	Humphreys County TN	0.3	500	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 21, 1952

Arkansas	15	12	112
Tennessee	9	6	57
Mississippi	2	1	16
Missouri	1	1	17

Tornadoes in 1952 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.