March 2006 Tornado Outbreak Sequence - Meteorological Synopsis

Meteorological Synopsis

The period of active weather started with a major derecho event on March 9 across the South Central United States, that also included several tornadoes, although straight-line winds did most of the damage. Numerous injuries and at least two fatalities were reported, but mostly due to the thunderstorm winds. The two fatalities were as a result of a weather-related automobile accident and a fire started by lightning. Tens of thousands of people also lost electricity throughout the region.

Activity calmed down on March 10 with little severe weather reported, but picked up again the next day.

On the evening of March 11, 18 tornadoes developed across the region. One of them flattened a mobile home park and left many people injured and at least 2 dead in Perry County, Missouri. Several other tornadoes left heavy damage in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. The tornadoes were accompanied by very large hail, some as large as softballs.

More severe weather developed in the morning of March 12. The Kansas City Metropolitan Area was hardest hit, with significant wind and hail damage to many homes and businesses, but only two tornadoes in the far northwestern part of the area. Significant damage was also reported at the University of Kansas in Lawrence and at the Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Water Park. Numerous airplanes also flipped over at the Kansas City Downtown Airport.

March 12 would be the most prolific day of the outbreak, and one of the most active days in recent history, with at least 62 confirmed tornado touchdowns. In addition, microburst winds exceeding 90 mph (145 km/h) and hail as large as softballs have been reported. Several major tornadoes were reported in Missouri (along Interstate 70 near Columbia MO-there was also an F4 tornado to the north/northeast of Columbia and just to the north of the St. Louis Viewing Area. Pike County Missouri (to the north of St. Louis) also had a tornado as well as central Illinois, leaving significant destruction along their paths.

One supercell thunderstorm produced many of the tornadoes of the day, tracking from northern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas in the morning, across Missouri during the afternoon and early evening, across Illinois during the mid-to-late evening, into Indiana during the late evening, before finally losing severe characteristics in Michigan nearly 800 miles (1290 km) and more than 17.5 hours after it first formed. This is the longest path and duration supercell on record. The city of Springfield, Illinois saw two strong tornadoes track directly through the city from this storm. It also did damage near Sedalia, Columbia, and Mexico, Missouri. The strongest tornado, spawned by a different supercell, was a rare double tornado rated F4, but fortunately it remained in rural countryside.

Fifteen more tornadoes - all of them weak - were reported on March 13 in Alabama and Mississippi before the system finally weakened and the severe weather came to an end.