The tornado outbreak of April 8, 1957

17 tornadoesGeorgia, Alabama, South Carolina and 5 more states

17 tornadoes touched down across 8 states between 3:10 AM and 8:00 PM CST, 7 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 7 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 8, 1957

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 17 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: 17; on Monday, April 8, 1957
F3 or stronger: 7; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 7; Along all the paths
Injured: 223; Along all the paths
Path miles: 349; All the paths end to end
First and last: 3:10 AM to 8:00 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 2 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of April 8, 1957

3:10 AM	F2	Lee County MS	9.0	200	0	0
6:00 AM	F2	Cumberland County TN	2.7	10	0	0
8:00 AM	F1	Calhoun County MS	0.1	100	0	0
9:46 AM	F3	Marion County, Winston County and 1 more AL	51.4	100	0	0
10:15 AM	F3	Morgan County, Marshall County AL	38.8	200	2	90
10:30 AM	F3	Cullman County, Morgan County and 1 more AL	16.3	10	0	0
1:00 PM	F2	Gordon County GA	10.3	200	0	5
3:00 PM	F2	Union County SC	15.2	100	0	2
3:00 PM	F1	Tift County, Irwin County and 1 more GA	41.3	90	0	0
3:30 PM	F3	Telfair County GA	14.7	400	1	3
3:30 PM	F2	Washington County TN	3.0	440	0	0
4:00 PM	F4	Lancaster County, Chesterfield County and 5 more SC, NC	121.4	150	4	70
4:20 PM	F1	Norfolk VA	1.0	10	0	2
5:30 PM	F2	Randolph County GA	5.2	200	0	1
5:45 PM	F2	Sheridan County NE	9.8	880	0	0
7:00 PM	F4	Robeson County NC	0.8	150	0	21
8:00 PM	F3	Duplin County NC	8.0	150	0	29

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 8, 1957

Georgia	4	1	1
Alabama	3	3	2
South Carolina	2	1	4
Mississippi	2	0	0
North Carolina	2	2	0
Tennessee	2	0	0
Nebraska	1	0	0
Virginia	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1957 · 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.