1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak
|duration= parameter from the infobox header or from another 'History' box instead.A map of that day's tornado tracks | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 27, 1994 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 29 |
| Maximum rating | F4 tornado |
| Duration | 21 hours, 45 minutes |
| Highest gusts | 104 mph (167 km/h) at Randolph AFB, Texas |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 40 |
| Injuries | 491 |
| Damage | $140 million (2005 USD) |
| Areas affected | Southeastern United States |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1994 | |
The 1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak was the third notable US tornado outbreak to occur on Palm Sunday and the second to take place in the Southeastern United States. The outbreak produced 29 tornadoes from Texas to North Carolina, killing 40 people and injuring 491, and causing $140 million in damage. The deadliest storm of the outbreak, as well as in the US in 1994, was an F4 tornado that devastated Piedmont, Alabama. It struck the Goshen United Methodist Church right in the middle of the Palm Sunday service, collapsing the roof on the congregation and killing 20 people inside, including the Rev. Kelly Clem's 4-year-old daughter Hannah. Two other houses of worship were also destroyed mid-service. The supercell that formed this tornado tracked for 200 miles (322 km) to South Carolina.