March 1997 tornado outbreak
|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default.|duration= parameter from the infobox header or from another 'History' box instead.| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 1–2, 1997 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 39 confirmed |
| Maximum rating | F4 tornado |
| Duration | 32 hours |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 27 deaths, 464 injuries |
| Damage | $115 million-$120 million (1997 USD) |
| Areas affected | Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee |
Part of the tornadoes of 1997 | |
The March 1997 tornado outbreak was a major tornado outbreak that struck portions of the central and southern United States on March 1–2, 1997. Affecting areas mostly from Arkansas to Kentucky, the outbreak produced 58 tornadoes, including three violent (F4) tornadoes, and killed at least 27 people, including 25 in Arkansas alone and one death each in Mississippi and Tennessee. This was Arkansas' deadliest tornado outbreak since May 15, 1968, when 34 were killed in Jonesboro. Severe flooding also occurred across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, resulting in 16 Ohio counties and 44 Kentucky counties being declared disaster areas. The flash floods and damaging wind elsewhere caused 34 deaths across six states including 19 in Kentucky, five in Ohio, five in Tennessee, two in Texas and three in West Virginia. Damage estimates were about $1 billion (1997 USD) while 75,000 homes were damaged.