The tornado outbreak of March 15, 2008

47 tornadoesSouth Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina

47 tornadoes touched down across 4 states between 9:47 AM and 8:44 PM CDT, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger, and 2 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · March 15, 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 47 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 Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 47; 89th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
EF3 or stronger: 3; None rated EF4 or EF5
Killed: 2; Along all the paths
Injured: 23; Along all the paths
Path miles: 383; All the paths end to end
First and last: 9:47 AM to 8:44 PM; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown.

Tornadoes of March 15, 2008

9:47 AM	EF2	Blount County AL	6.0	675	0	0
10:50 AM	EF2	Cherokee County AL	3.6	50	0	0
11:25 AM	EF3	Polk County, Floyd County and 1 more GA	16.9	880	2	2
1:44 PM	EF0	Franklin County, Hart County GA	3.2	20	0	0
2:43 PM	EF0	Abbeville County SC	0.5	20	0	0
3:10 PM	EF0	Fairfield County SC	4.6	80	0	0
3:19 PM	EF2	Elbert County GA	8.0	100	0	0
3:20 PM	EF1	Kershaw County SC	19.6	80	0	0
3:25 PM	EF3	Newberry County, Richland County SC	27.5	1,320	0	2
3:28 PM	EF0	Lincoln County GA	1.1	110	0	0
3:30 PM	EF2	Kershaw County SC	23.0	660	0	0
3:34 PM	EF1	McCormick County SC	11.5	440	0	0
3:47 PM	EF1	Chesterfield County SC	7.0	110	0	0
4:02 PM	EF2	McCormick County, Edgefield County and 1 more SC	32.7	660	0	0
4:22 PM	EF2	Kershaw County SC	6.9	1,230	0	2
4:33 PM	EF0	Kershaw County SC	0.5	100	0	0
4:37 PM	EF0	Aiken County SC	0.5	100	0	0
4:41 PM	EF2	Lexington County SC	8.3	440	0	0
4:43 PM	EF1	Richland County SC	3.7	660	0	0
4:48 PM	EF0	McDuffie County GA	4.6	110	0	0
4:48 PM	EF0	Dillon County SC	1.4	75	0	0
4:53 PM	EF1	Columbia County GA	5.3	440	0	2
5:10 PM	EF2	Calhoun County SC	24.4	440	0	0
5:11 PM	EF0	Edgefield County SC	3.7	220	0	0
5:15 PM	EF0	Butts County GA	4.4	100	0	0
5:15 PM	EF2	Jefferson County, Burke County GA	22.1	880	0	0
5:16 PM	EF0	Columbus County NC	0.0	10	0	0
5:18 PM	EF2	Aiken County, Barnwell County SC	25.5	1,760	0	0
5:25 PM	EF1	Florence County SC	13.4	100	0	3
5:52 PM	EF2	Lee County SC	14.1	440	0	0
5:54 PM	EF0	Barnwell County SC	0.6	100	0	0
5:58 PM	EF1	Clarendon County SC	8.6	220	0	0
6:05 PM	EF1	Burke County GA	15.2	440	0	0
6:05 PM	EF1	Bamberg County SC	2.0	220	0	0
6:12 PM	EF2	Allendale County SC	18.0	1,320	0	0
6:13 PM	EF0	Horry County SC	0.3	25	0	0
6:17 PM	EF1	Williamsburg County SC	2.5	75	0	0
6:25 PM	EF1	Bamberg County SC	3.8	660	0	0
6:29 PM	EF3	Orangeburg County SC	10.1	1,320	0	0
6:36 PM	EF1	Williamsburg County SC	4.0	75	0	0
6:54 PM	EF0	Georgetown County SC	0.0	20	0	0
6:56 PM	EF1	Pender County NC	2.0	100	0	0
7:08 PM	EF1	Dorchester County SC	2.2	40	0	0
7:25 PM	EF1	Berkeley County SC	0.6	180	0	7
7:36 PM	EF1	Berkeley County SC	1.2	135	0	0
8:34 PM	EF2	Effingham County GA	7.0	440	0	5
8:44 PM	EF2	Effingham County GA	0.5	100	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, March 15, 2008

South Carolina	32	2	0
Georgia	11	1	2
Alabama	2	0	0
North Carolina	2	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.