The tornado outbreak of February 5, 2008

62 tornadoesTennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and 6 more states

62 tornadoes touched down across 9 states between 3:26 PM and 11:52 PM CST, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger, and 48 people were killed. The 18th-deadliest tornado day since 1950.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · February 5, 2008

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 62 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; EF3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for EF3 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: 62; 45th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
EF3 or stronger: 7; 3 rated EF4 or EF5
Killed: 48; 18th-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 374; Along all the paths
Path miles: 524; All the paths end to end
First and last: 3:26 PM to 11:52 PM; Touchdowns, Central Standard Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Standard Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 4 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of February 5, 2008

3:26 PM	EF1	Ashley County AR	0.6	50	0	0
4:04 PM	EF0	Chicot County AR	1.1	50	0	0
4:27 PM	EF0	Phillips County AR	0.2	25	0	0
4:45 PM	EF0	Bolivar County MS	3.4	50	0	0
4:49 PM	EF4	Sharp County, Conway County and 5 more AR	121.8	1,320	13	139
4:50 PM	EF1	Smith County TX	1.0	300	0	0
5:00 PM	EF2	Shelby County, Tipton County TN	8.1	150	0	1
5:02 PM	EF2	Marion County, Baxter County AR	12.5	880	1	36
5:18 PM	EF0	Tipton County TN	0.2	50	0	0
5:18 PM	EF0	DeSoto County MS	2.6	100	0	0
5:23 PM	EF1	Tipton County TN	0.7	50	0	0
5:31 PM	EF0	Yell County AR	0.6	30	0	0
5:32 PM	EF1	Tipton County TN	0.3	50	0	0
5:32 PM	EF2	DeSoto County, Shelby County MS, TN	10.2	440	3	13
5:53 PM	EF0	Panola County MS	0.2	25	0	0
5:55 PM	EF1	Weakley County, Henry County TN	5.1	150	0	0
5:57 PM	EF1	Lafayette County MS	6.9	25	0	0
5:57 PM	EF3	Lafayette County MS	7.2	1,000	0	14
6:02 PM	EF0	Shelby County, Fayette County TN	4.9	50	0	0
6:12 PM	EF0	Marion County IL	0.1	40	0	0
6:12 PM	EF0	Marion County IL	0.2	30	0	0
6:21 PM	EF3	Fayette County, Haywood County and 1 more TN	31.1	600	3	14
6:25 PM	EF1	Calloway County KY	1.4	150	0	0
6:36 PM	EF0	Tippah County MS	1.4	50	0	0
6:45 PM	EF1	Trigg County KY	0.1	40	0	0
6:50 PM	EF0	Tippah County MS	2.5	50	0	0
6:50 PM	EF1	Trigg County KY	5.6	150	0	0
6:56 PM	EF1	Alcorn County MS	2.6	100	0	4
6:59 PM	EF4	Madison County TN	7.6	125	0	51
7:05 PM	EF1	Faulkner County, White County AR	5.5	100	0	0
7:09 PM	EF2	Christian County KY	14.1	275	0	2
7:13 PM	EF2	Madison County TN	0.4	150	0	0
7:13 PM	EF1	McNairy County TN	8.9	150	0	0
7:19 PM	EF0	St. Francis County AR	0.1	25	0	0
7:20 PM	EF1	Randolph County, Ripley County AR, MO	31.9	200	0	4
7:30 PM	EF0	Union County AR	7.0	100	0	0
7:40 PM	EF4	Hardin County TN	16.2	880	3	5
7:44 PM	EF3	Muhlenberg County KY	18.1	375	3	24
7:48 PM	EF0	Monroe County AR	8.0	75	0	0
7:59 PM	EF0	Lee County AR	0.1	25	0	0
8:03 PM	EF1	Butler County MO	3.4	300	0	0
8:05 PM	EF1	Benton County TN	2.0	50	0	0
8:07 PM	EF2	Benton County, Houston County TN	6.6	440	0	0
8:10 PM	EF1	Perry County, Lewis County and 1 more TN	22.9	200	0	0
8:10 PM	EF1	Wayne County, Perry County TN	10.1	50	0	0
8:15 PM	EF1	Greene County IN	2.0	50	0	0
8:18 PM	EF2	Butler County, Stoddard County MO	13.9	200	0	0
8:40 PM	EF2	Hickman County, Williamson County TN	25.3	300	0	1
10:02 PM	EF3	Sumner County, Trousdale County and 3 more TN, KY	50.3	880	22	63
10:54 PM	EF1	Meade County KY	6.5	350	0	0
11:17 PM	EF0	Catahoula Parish LA	1.5	50	0	0
11:21 PM	EF2	Hardin County KY	7.1	400	0	0
11:27 PM	EF2	Hardin County KY	1.0	300	0	0
11:32 PM	EF1	Hart County KY	10.5	150	0	0
11:38 PM	EF0	Spencer County KY	0.7	220	0	0
11:38 PM	EF2	Nelson County KY	1.3	300	0	0
11:41 PM	EF0	Perry County TN	0.1	20	0	0
11:43 PM	EF0	Spencer County KY	0.6	220	0	1
11:46 PM	EF2	Shelby County KY	7.0	250	0	0
11:50 PM	EF2	Nelson County KY	0.8	300	0	2
11:51 PM	EF0	Hickman County TN	0.1	20	0	0
11:52 PM	EF0	Shelby County KY	0.3	125	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, February 5, 2008

Tennessee	19	4	28
Kentucky	15	1	3
Arkansas	12	1	14
Mississippi	9	1	3
Illinois	2	0	0
Missouri	2	0	0
Indiana	1	0	0
Louisiana	1	0	0
Texas	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 2008 · 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.