The tornado outbreak of March 12, 1976

27 tornadoesIndiana, Alabama, Michigan and Illinois

27 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 12:50 PM and 10:50 PM CST, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 4 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 12, 1976

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 in numbers

Tornadoes: 27; on Friday, March 12, 1976
F3 or stronger: 6; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 4; Along all the paths
Injured: 136; Along all the paths
Path miles: 251; All the paths end to end
First and last: 12:50 PM to 10:50 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of March 12, 1976

12:50 PM	F3	Kendall County, DuPage County IL	22.6	30	0	3
1:20 PM	F2	DuPage County, Cook County IL	15.1	150	2	66
1:35 PM	F3	Kankakee County, Newton County and 1 more IL, IN	38.5	250	1	15
2:00 PM	F2	Lake County, Porter County IN	5.6	200	0	0
2:00 PM	F3	Porter County, LaPorte County IN	12.6	200	0	7
2:20 PM	F0	Benton County IN	3.8	27	0	0
2:25 PM	F1	Tippecanoe County IN	5.2	100	0	0
2:30 PM	F2	Berrien County MI	10.1	83	0	0
2:35 PM	F1	Newton County, Jasper County IN	17.3	80	0	0
3:00 PM	F3	Starke County IN	12.1	40	0	4
3:15 PM	F1	Marshall County IN	4.1	30	0	0
3:19 PM	F1	Ottawa County MI	12.0	83	0	1
3:25 PM	F0	Montgomery County IN	8.5	40	0	0
3:30 PM	F2	LaGrange County, St. Joseph County and 1 more IN, MI	13.4	127	0	8
3:35 PM	F2	LaGrange County IN	9.3	100	0	9
3:50 PM	F1	Kalamazoo County MI	2.5	67	0	0
3:50 PM	F1	Allen County IN	0.1	17	1	0
4:05 PM	F2	Hillsdale County, Lenawee County MI	0.1	83	0	0
4:40 PM	F2	Hillsdale County, Jackson County MI	3.6	133	0	0
4:40 PM	F1	Wayne County IN	10.9	127	0	0
4:50 PM	F1	Sumter County AL	1.0	150	0	2
4:50 PM	F2	Jackson County MI	2.0	90	0	0
8:27 PM	F2	Marengo County AL	18.4	200	0	1
8:30 PM	F3	Autauga County AL	16.5	100	0	4
9:20 PM	F3	Elmore County AL	4.9	400	0	15
10:30 PM	F1	Dallas County AL	0.2	50	0	1
10:50 PM	F2	Chilton County AL	0.1	50	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 12, 1976

Indiana	12	2	1
Alabama	6	2	0
Michigan	6	0	0
Illinois	3	2	3

Tornadoes in 1976 · 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.