The tornado outbreak of April 27, 1971

14 tornadoesKentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and 3 more states

14 tornadoes touched down across 6 states between 4:00 PM and 10:53 PM CDT, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 10 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 27, 1971

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 14 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 Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 14; on Tuesday, April 27, 1971
F3 or stronger: 6; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 10; Along all the paths
Injured: 158; Along all the paths
Path miles: 168; All the paths end to end
First and last: 4:00 PM to 10:53 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

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

Tornadoes of April 27, 1971

4:00 PM	F1	Perry County MO	1.8	20	0	0
4:43 PM	F3	Franklin County IL	4.5	200	1	20
5:00 PM	F1	Posey County IN	1.0	50	0	0
5:30 PM	F1	Clay County AR	5.6	100	0	0
6:45 PM	F1	Hopkins County, McLean County and 1 more KY	36.1	10	0	0
7:10 PM	F3	Ohio County, Butler County KY	26.6	20	0	0
7:30 PM	F1	Harrison County IN	1.5	50	0	2
8:16 PM	F1	Weakley County TN	21.0	73	0	3
8:20 PM	F3	Muhlenberg County, Butler County and 1 more KY	27.4	150	1	0
9:15 PM	F1	Muhlenberg County KY	0.1	33	0	0
9:30 PM	F4	Green County, Adair County KY	14.1	100	6	58
9:30 PM	F1	Lewis County KY	0.1	17	0	0
9:31 PM	F3	Wilson County, DeKalb County TN	15.0	200	0	3
10:53 PM	F4	Russell County, Pulaski County KY	13.0	100	2	72

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 27, 1971

Kentucky	7	4	9
Indiana	2	0	0
Tennessee	2	1	0
Illinois	1	1	1
Arkansas	1	0	0
Missouri	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1971 · 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.