The tornado outbreak of March 15, 1982

24 tornadoesOklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Alabama

24 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 3:15 PM and 11:05 PM CST, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 5 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 15, 1982

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 24 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: 24; on Monday, March 15, 1982
F3 or stronger: 6; None rated F4 or F5
Killed: 5; Along all the paths
Injured: 113; Along all the paths
Path miles: 241; All the paths end to end
First and last: 3:15 PM to 11:05 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 15, 1982

3:15 PM	F1	Calhoun County AL	8.0	77	0	0
4:49 PM	F2	Greenwood County KS	1.0	300	0	0
5:00 PM	F2	Woodson County, Allen County KS	30.0	500	0	0
5:10 PM	F1	Seminole County OK	0.5	10	0	0
5:57 PM	F3	Pontotoc County OK	6.0	60	1	36
6:00 PM	F2	Hughes County OK	0.1	10	0	0
6:15 PM	F3	Montgomery County KS	6.0	300	1	1
6:40 PM	F1	Montgomery County KS	0.1	10	0	0
6:40 PM	F2	Osage County OK	0.1	10	0	1
6:45 PM	F1	Osage County OK	0.1	10	0	0
6:55 PM	F1	Washington County OK	0.1	10	0	0
7:02 PM	F2	Washington County OK	3.0	177	0	57
7:10 PM	F2	Labette County, Crawford County KS	17.0	600	0	3
7:10 PM	F2	Nowata County OK	12.0	177	0	0
7:15 PM	F2	Nowata County OK	0.1	10	0	0
7:20 PM	F1	Haskell County OK	0.1	10	0	0
7:35 PM	F3	Crawford County, Barton County and 3 more KS, MO	70.0	600	2	8
7:40 PM	F3	Labette County, Cherokee County KS	30.0	167	1	6
8:17 PM	F0	Cherokee County KS	0.1	10	0	0
8:45 PM	F3	Jasper County, Crawford County MO, KS	9.0	400	0	0
9:45 PM	F3	Benton County MO	14.0	700	0	1
10:30 PM	F2	Morgan County MO	5.0	600	0	0
10:45 PM	F1	Moniteau County MO	5.0	150	0	0
11:05 PM	F0	Callaway County MO	24.0	200	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 15, 1982

Oklahoma	10	1	1
Kansas	9	4	4
Missouri	4	1	0
Alabama	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1982 · 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.