The tornado outbreak of May 8, 2009

46 tornadoesMissouri, Tennessee, Illinois and 4 more states

46 tornadoes touched down across 7 states between 7:53 AM and 10:46 PM CDT, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger, and 2 people were killed.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · May 8, 2009

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 46 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: 46; 94th of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
EF3 or stronger: 2; None rated EF4 or EF5
Killed: 2; Along all the paths
Injured: 25; Along all the paths
Path miles: 175; All the paths end to end
First and last: 7:53 AM to 10:46 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 May 8, 2009

7:53 AM	EF1	Dade County MO	1.9	100	0	0
8:05 AM	EF1	Greene County MO	3.9	100	0	0
8:14 AM	EF1	Greene County MO	1.8	75	0	0
8:16 AM	EF1	Polk County MO	8.6	250	0	0
8:21 AM	EF0	Greene County MO	3.5	100	0	0
8:25 AM	EF1	Taney County, Christian County and 1 more MO	12.3	880	0	0
8:38 AM	EF1	Webster County MO	3.8	400	0	0
8:39 AM	EF2	Douglas County MO	2.3	1,320	0	0
8:39 AM	EF2	Douglas County MO	2.5	880	0	0
8:41 AM	EF2	Dallas County MO	4.2	400	0	2
8:48 AM	EF1	Douglas County MO	1.1	200	0	0
8:48 AM	EF1	Ozark County MO	1.6	440	0	0
9:07 AM	EF1	Wright County MO	3.8	440	0	0
9:19 AM	EF0	Texas County MO	6.8	200	0	0
9:25 AM	EF2	Laclede County MO	2.0	440	0	0
9:28 AM	EF3	Howell County MO	2.2	800	0	0
9:35 AM	EF2	Howell County, Texas County and 1 more MO	27.9	880	0	2
9:35 AM	EF1	Howell County MO	10.8	880	0	0
9:40 AM	EF1	Texas County MO	3.5	440	0	0
10:25 AM	EF1	Reynolds County MO	1.8	440	0	0
11:20 AM	EF0	Perry County MO	2.2	50	0	0
11:30 AM	EF1	Jackson County IL	3.1	100	0	0
11:32 AM	EF0	Jackson County IL	0.4	30	0	0
12:05 PM	EF0	Madison County MO	0.5	50	0	0
12:10 PM	EF1	Madison County MO	0.5	30	0	0
1:12 PM	EF0	Jackson County IL	0.1	40	0	0
1:18 PM	EF0	Franklin County IL	0.3	40	0	0
1:40 PM	EF0	Clay County IA	0.2	50	0	0
1:45 PM	EF1	Franklin County, Williamson County IL	5.5	150	0	0
3:04 PM	EF1	Barren County, Metcalfe County KY	5.8	30	0	0
3:55 PM	EF3	Garrard County, Madison County KY	21.1	150	2	15
4:02 PM	EF0	McMinn County TN	0.1	20	0	0
4:15 PM	EF1	Fentress County TN	2.6	50	0	0
4:18 PM	EF0	Estill County KY	0.2	50	0	0
4:58 PM	EF2	Scott County TN	4.5	200	0	0
5:40 PM	EF0	Union County TN	0.8	20	0	0
6:15 PM	EF2	Claiborne County TN	2.2	100	0	0
6:36 PM	EF1	Grainger County, Hancock County TN	9.4	100	0	0
7:45 PM	EF0	Washington County TN	0.1	20	0	0
8:00 PM	EF0	Dickenson County VA	0.6	100	0	0
8:14 PM	EF0	Warren County IL	0.5	25	0	0
8:45 PM	EF2	Wise County VA	1.7	120	0	0
9:25 PM	EF0	Russell County VA	0.1	20	0	0
9:27 PM	EF2	Russell County VA	1.1	250	0	0
10:44 PM	EF2	Alleghany County NC	4.9	200	0	6
10:46 PM	EF1	Alleghany County NC	0.3	30	0	0

By state

Tornadoes by state, May 8, 2009

Missouri	23	1	0
Tennessee	7	0	0
Illinois	6	0	0
Virginia	4	0	0
Kentucky	3	1	2
North Carolina	2	0	0
Iowa	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 2009 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days · The day’s damaging winds

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.