The tornado outbreak of May 19, 1983
18 tornadoesLouisiana, Alabama, Georgia and 3 more states
18 tornadoes touched down across 6 states between 3:30 AM and 12:35 AM the next day CDT, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 1 people were killed.
Watch the day unfoldTornado outbreak · May 19, 1983
How the day unfolded
Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.
The day in numbers
- Tornadoes
- 18
- on Thursday, May 19, 1983
- F3 or stronger
- 6
- None rated F4 or F5
- Killed
- 1
- Along all the paths
- Injured
- 62
- Along all the paths
- Path miles
- 95
- All the paths end to end
- First and last
- 3:30 AM to 12:35 AM the next day
- Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time
Hour by hour
Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.
Every tornado
In order of touchdown.
| 3:30 AM | F2 | Cullman County, Morgan County AL | 0 |
| 4:00 AM | F2 | Madison County MS | 0 |
| 4:45 AM | F1 | Scott County, Leake County MS | 0 |
| 10:25 AM | F2 | Clarke County AL | 0 |
| 3:35 PM | F1 | Marshall County AL | 0 |
| 5:15 PM | F3 | DeKalb County AL | 0 |
| 6:45 PM | F1 | Walker County GA | 0 |
| 7:00 PM | F0 | Iosco County MI | 0 |
| 7:00 PM | F1 | Whitfield County GA | 0 |
| 7:27 PM | F2 | Macomb County MI | 0 |
| 7:35 PM | F0 | Val Verde County TX | 0 |
| 9:43 PM | F0 | Martin County TX | 0 |
| 10:36 PM | F3 | Sabine Parish LA | 0 |
| 11:00 PM | F3 | Natchitoches Parish LA | 0 |
| 11:35 PM | F3 | Winn Parish LA | 0 |
| 12:05 AM | F3 | St. Helena Parish, LaSalle Parish LA | 1 |
| 12:20 AM | F3 | Caldwell Parish LA | 0 |
| 12:35 AM | F2 | Franklin Parish LA | 0 |
By state
Tornadoes in 1983 · 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.