The tornado outbreak of May 11, 2008

42 tornadoesGeorgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and 4 more states

42 tornadoes touched down across 7 states between 2:36 AM and 7:27 PM CDT, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger, and 2 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 11, 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 42 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: 42; on Sunday, May 11, 2008
EF3 or stronger: 3; 1 rated EF4 or EF5
Killed: 2; Along all the paths
Injured: 33; Along all the paths
Path miles: 231; All the paths end to end
First and last: 2:36 AM to 7:27 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 May 11, 2008

2:36 AM	EF1	Cleburne County AL	3.8	1,000	0	0
2:47 AM	EF1	Cleburne County AL	2.3	150	0	0
3:08 AM	EF2	Carroll County GA	0.1	100	0	0
3:08 AM	EF2	Troup County GA	1.0	150	0	0
3:09 AM	EF0	Edgefield County SC	4.0	80	0	0
3:18 AM	EF2	Troup County, Meriwether County GA	3.8	300	0	0
3:25 AM	EF2	Carroll County GA	0.1	100	0	0
3:31 AM	EF0	Aiken County SC	3.5	60	0	0
4:17 AM	EF2	Clayton County, Henry County and 2 more GA	17.5	100	0	0
4:28 AM	EF0	Aiken County SC	1.0	50	0	0
4:50 AM	EF2	Bibb County, Twiggs County GA	18.4	100	0	0
5:07 AM	EF0	Aiken County SC	7.8	50	0	0
5:15 AM	EF1	Twiggs County, Wilkinson County GA	24.8	100	0	0
5:36 AM	EF2	Laurens County GA	13.8	250	2	2
5:44 AM	EF1	Laurens County, Johnson County GA	10.1	581	0	5
5:45 AM	EF0	Washington County, Jefferson County and 1 more GA	33.6	440	0	0
5:58 AM	EF1	Laurens County GA	0.4	200	0	0
6:01 AM	EF2	Johnson County, Emanuel County GA	7.5	880	0	3
6:11 AM	EF3	Treutlen County, Montgomery County GA	7.7	150	0	0
6:20 AM	EF2	Toombs County GA	1.1	150	0	3
6:33 AM	EF0	Jenkins County GA	1.7	1,200	0	1
6:35 AM	EF3	Toombs County, Tattnall County GA	7.3	200	0	2
7:10 AM	EF1	Bulloch County GA	2.2	300	0	0
7:25 AM	EF0	Madison County IN	0.1	10	0	0
7:30 AM	EF0	Hampton County SC	0.2	25	0	0
8:15 AM	EF1	Whitley County KY	1.6	400	0	0
8:52 AM	EF4	McIntosh County GA	11.0	700	0	9
9:20 AM	EF1	Carter County KY	1.3	100	0	0
9:27 AM	EF1	Leslie County KY	0.2	70	0	0
12:10 PM	EF0	Madison County, Franklin County OH	1.8	20	0	0
1:40 PM	EF1	Glynn County GA	5.2	200	0	0
3:30 PM	EF0	Burke County NC	0.1	20	0	0
3:48 PM	EF0	Lincoln County NC	0.1	20	0	0
5:03 PM	EF0	New Hanover County NC	0.1	10	0	0
5:12 PM	EF2	Charleston County SC	12.0	1,760	0	0
5:19 PM	EF0	Cabarrus County NC	0.1	20	0	0
5:25 PM	EF2	Bertie County NC	15.0	200	0	2
5:57 PM	EF2	Onslow County, Jones County NC	5.0	100	0	6
6:28 PM	EF0	Onslow County NC	0.2	20	0	0
7:06 PM	EF1	Carteret County NC	2.7	30	0	0
7:17 PM	EF0	Carteret County NC	0.3	30	0	0
7:27 PM	EF0	Carteret County NC	0.1	10	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 11, 2008

Georgia	19	3	2
North Carolina	10	0	0
South Carolina	6	0	0
Kentucky	3	0	0
Alabama	2	0	0
Indiana	1	0	0
Ohio	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.