The tornado outbreak of April 29, 1963

22 tornadoesAlabama, Indiana, Mississippi and 4 more states

22 tornadoes touched down across 7 states between 1:45 PM and 10:00 PM CST, 7 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 12 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 29, 1963

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 22 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: 22; on Monday, April 29, 1963
F3 or stronger: 7; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 12; 94th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 61; Along all the paths
Path miles: 155; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:45 PM to 10:00 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 29, 1963

1:45 PM	F1	Morehouse Parish LA	8.4	200	0	0
3:00 PM	F2	Shelby County AL	0.1	10	0	0
3:20 PM	F3	Coahoma County MS	5.7	440	5	10
3:45 PM	F0	Madison County MO	0.2	17	0	0
4:00 PM	F2	Stoddard County, Cape Girardeau County MO	10.7	50	1	3
4:20 PM	F2	Talladega County AL	0.1	10	0	4
5:30 PM	F1	Pemiscot County MO	0.5	33	0	0
5:30 PM	F2	Autauga County AL	10.6	600	0	0
6:00 PM	F3	Parke County IN	5.6	100	0	0
6:10 PM	F3	Crockett County TN	9.3	300	3	6
6:15 PM	F4	Lee County MS	4.7	1,000	3	20
6:15 PM	F2	Lowndes County, Montgomery County AL	9.8	400	0	0
6:45 PM	F1	Morehouse Parish LA	7.6	150	0	0
6:45 PM	F1	Coahoma County MS	0.1	10	0	0
6:49 PM	F3	Carroll County, Cass County and 1 more IN	23.1	10	0	0
7:00 PM	F3	Sullivan County, Greene County IN	23.9	50	0	0
7:25 PM	F3	Christian County KY	13.7	200	0	0
7:55 PM	F2	Marion County AL	15.5	10	0	17
8:10 PM	F2	Logan County KY	0.1	300	0	0
8:30 PM	F2	Edmonson County KY	0.1	10	0	0
9:00 PM	F1	Allen County IN	0.1	10	0	1
10:00 PM	F2	Giles County TN	5.1	50	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 29, 1963

Alabama	5	0	0
Indiana	4	3	0
Mississippi	3	2	8
Missouri	3	0	1
Kentucky	3	1	0
Tennessee	2	1	3
Louisiana	2	0	0

Tornadoes in 1963 · 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.