The tornado outbreak of March 27, 1994

29 tornadoesGeorgia, Alabama, South Carolina and 2 more states

29 tornadoes touched down across 5 states between 1:05 AM and 11:50 PM CST, 9 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 40 people were killed. The 23rd-deadliest tornado day since 1950.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 27, 1994

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 29 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: 29; on Sunday, March 27, 1994
F3 or stronger: 9; 2 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 40; 23rd-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 491; Along all the paths
Path miles: 440; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:05 AM to 11:50 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 27, 1994

1:05 AM	F0	Bexar County TX	0.5	30	0	0
10:55 AM	F4	St. Clair County, Calhoun County and 1 more AL	50.0	880	22	150
11:02 AM	F2	Marshall County AL	6.0	400	0	30
11:14 AM	F4	Floyd County, Bartow County and 2 more GA	49.0	1,760	3	20
11:32 AM	F3	DeKalb County AL	23.0	700	0	20
11:55 AM	F0	Walker County GA	1.5	50	0	1
11:55 AM	F0	Walker County GA	0.7	23	0	0
11:57 AM	F0	Blount County AL	2.5	150	0	1
12:15 PM	F1	Walker County GA	1.0	40	0	0
12:17 PM	F3	Dawson County, Lumpkin County and 2 more GA	44.0	2,613	3	45
12:30 PM	F0	Floyd County GA	2.5	220	0	0
1:01 PM	F3	Bartow County, Gordon County and 2 more GA	40.0	2,613	9	70
1:23 PM	F3	Lumpkin County, White County GA	23.0	1,320	3	15
1:35 PM	F2	Bartow County GA	2.0	440	0	0
1:42 PM	F0	Dawson County GA	4.0	220	0	0
2:04 PM	F3	Habersham County, Rabun County and 1 more GA, SC	28.0	1,760	0	37
2:55 PM	F2	Spartanburg County, Cherokee County and 2 more SC, NC	45.4	100	0	13
3:30 PM	F1	Spartanburg County, Cherokee County SC	33.0	100	0	4
3:40 PM	F1	Greenville County, Spartanburg County SC	18.0	50	0	0
4:02 PM	F1	Tuscaloosa County AL	2.0	100	0	0
5:01 PM	F3	Polk County, Floyd County GA	21.0	880	0	30
5:04 PM	F1	Floyd County GA	9.3	110	0	0
5:27 PM	F3	York County, Gaston County and 1 more SC, NC	18.5	200	0	2
5:31 PM	F2	Shelby County AL	12.0	300	0	53
5:40 PM	F0	Alamance County NC	0.1	10	0	0
6:00 PM	F0	Randolph County NC	0.1	10	0	0
6:35 PM	F1	Haralson County GA	2.0	220	0	0
7:10 PM	F0	Cobb County GA	1.2	150	0	0
11:50 PM	F0	Greenville County SC	0.1	30	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 27, 1994

Georgia	15	6	18
Alabama	6	2	22
South Carolina	5	1	0
North Carolina	2	0	0
Texas	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1994 · 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.