The tornado outbreak of March 26, 1976

17 tornadoesArkansas, Mississippi, Missouri and 3 more states

17 tornadoes touched down across 6 states between 2:30 PM and 11:55 PM CST, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 4 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 26, 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 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 Friday, March 26, 1976
F3 or stronger: 6; 3 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 4; Along all the paths
Injured: 89; Along all the paths
Path miles: 123; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:30 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. 3 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of March 26, 1976

2:30 PM	F1	Dallas County TX	0.1	10	0	0
2:50 PM	F4	Latimer County, Le Flore County OK	10.7	440	1	4
3:28 PM	F5	Le Flore County OK	11.9	440	2	64
3:45 PM	F2	Washington County AR	2.0	77	0	0
4:00 PM	F3	Newton County, Jasper County and 1 more MO	29.1	40	1	3
4:08 PM	F1	Randolph County MO	0.5	20	0	1
4:15 PM	F1	Barry County MO	0.5	30	0	0
4:59 PM	F1	Madison County MS	5.4	200	0	0
5:40 PM	F3	Yell County AR	16.1	100	0	4
5:45 PM	F1	Pope County AR	2.0	50	0	0
6:50 PM	F1	Van Buren County AR	9.4	77	0	0
6:50 PM	F3	Woodruff County AR	9.6	70	0	2
8:53 PM	F1	Sunflower County MS	4.3	250	0	0
9:05 PM	F1	Tazewell County IL	1.5	600	0	0
9:30 PM	F2	Woodford County IL	0.5	10	0	0
10:30 PM	F2	Lafayette County MS	1.0	100	0	0
11:55 PM	F4	Simpson County MS	18.5	880	0	11

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 26, 1976

Arkansas	5	2	0
Mississippi	4	1	0
Missouri	3	1	1
Oklahoma	2	2	3
Illinois	2	0	0
Texas	1	0	0

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.