The tornado outbreak of April 28, 2002

38 tornadoesPennsylvania, Kentucky, Maryland and 8 more states

38 tornadoes touched down across 11 states between 1:07 AM and 7:28 PM CDT, 6 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 5 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 28, 2002

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 38 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 Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 38; on Sunday, April 28, 2002
F3 or stronger: 6; 1 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 5; Along all the paths
Injured: 235; Along all the paths
Path miles: 292; All the paths end to end
First and last: 1:07 AM to 7:28 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. One has a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of April 28, 2002

1:07 AM	F2	Saline County IL	7.5	200	0	3
1:18 AM	F3	Union County, Johnson County IL	19.3	400	1	10
1:46 AM	F2	Johnson County IL	7.0	400	0	2
1:59 AM	F3	Pope County, Moultrie County IL	22.0	200	0	1
2:29 AM	F0	New Madrid County MO	0.1	70	0	0
2:35 AM	F1	Crittenden County KY	2.0	100	0	0
2:39 AM	F1	Crittenden County KY	1.0	200	0	0
2:40 AM	F1	Lake County TN	3.5	75	0	0
2:49 AM	F3	Crittenden County, Webster County and 1 more KY	22.0	880	0	26
3:05 AM	F2	Perry County, Breckinridge County and 1 more IN, KY	32.3	150	1	19
3:40 AM	F1	Ohio County KY	9.5	100	0	0
3:55 AM	F1	Hardin County KY	2.0	60	0	0
4:00 AM	F0	Henry County TN	5.0	50	0	0
4:35 AM	F1	Edmonson County KY	3.0	100	0	0
7:34 AM	F3	Rutherford County TN	3.2	350	0	31
7:45 AM	F2	Cannon County TN	0.9	30	0	0
12:58 PM	F2	Stark County OH	7.2	440	0	2
1:35 PM	F0	Mercer County PA	6.0	50	0	0
1:45 PM	F1	Mercer County, Venango County PA	16.0	200	0	0
1:50 PM	F0	Erie County NY	0.7	25	0	0
2:01 PM	F1	Butler County PA	7.0	50	0	0
2:15 PM	F1	Marshall County WV	1.0	150	0	0
2:45 PM	F0	Armstrong County, Indiana County PA	4.0	150	0	0
2:50 PM	F2	Allegany County NY	6.5	300	0	0
3:00 PM	F2	Indiana County PA	5.0	250	0	1
3:10 PM	F1	Indiana County PA	2.0	100	0	1
3:31 PM	F1	Bedford County VA	0.5	100	0	0
3:42 PM	F0	Maury County TN	0.1	10	0	0
3:43 PM	F2	Bedford County, Campbell County VA	10.0	150	0	12
3:55 PM	F2	Shenandoah County VA	4.0	75	0	2
4:55 PM	F1	Columbia County PA	6.0	30	0	0
5:13 PM	F1	Lebanon County PA	1.5	150	0	0
5:56 PM	F4	Charles County, Calvert County MD	38.0	650	3	122
6:02 PM	F2	Charles County MD	3.0	100	0	0
6:35 PM	F1	Greensville County VA	6.0	150	0	3
6:42 PM	F1	Calvert County MD	5.0	50	0	0
6:55 PM	F3	Dorchester County MD	18.0	150	0	0
7:28 PM	F0	Wicomico County MD	4.0	100	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 28, 2002

Pennsylvania	8	0	0
Kentucky	6	1	0
Maryland	5	2	3
Tennessee	5	1	0
Illinois	4	2	1
Virginia	4	0	0
New York	2	0	0
Indiana	1	0	1
Missouri	1	0	0
Ohio	1	0	0
West Virginia	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 2002 · 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.