Southern U.S. Left Reeling After Weekend of Severe Weather and Tornadoes

Posted: March 27, 2023 2:19 pm

Spring certainly roared across the South with great intensity last week. A rash of severe weather, including several tornadoes, left over two dozen people dead and served as a reminder of the unpredictability of this season. Now that the cleanup is underway, the picture of the destruction is becoming more clear. Here is a recap of the worst of the impacts as well as a look ahead to what the upcoming week may bring to the area.

Taking a Look Back

Friday, March 24, was a particularly deadly day of storms, notching several tornadoes over six states. The activity got started in Texas in the morning before moving to the east. A massive tornado leveled the town of Rolling Fork, Mississippi shortly after the sun went down, killing over 20 people.

Saturday ushered in calmer conditions, however, the storms fired up again early Sunday. Thunderstorms broke out across the Southeast, triggering a handful of severe weather warnings in Alabama and Mississippi. Large hail the size of golf balls damaged roofs and vehicles throughout the region.

The National Weather Service (NWS) also confirmed a likely touchdown of a tornado in LaGrange, Georgia. Located about 65 miles southwest of Atlanta, radar picked up a potential funnel at about 7 am local time. Multiple reports of injuries began coming into local officials about an hour later. Early reports have confirmed damage to up to 100 structures in the town.

This was all in addition to damaging winds that swept across the Gulf Coast and beyond.

What Lies Ahead

The severe weather is coming as a result of a stalled front. Monday is set to bring another round of severe storms in the Southeast. Potential impacts include hail, strong winds, heavy rain, and isolated tornadoes.

Those tired of the wet and stormy weather pattern are not likely to see much of a break as the week marches on. The heaviest rains will fall along the boundary of the stalled front through Tuesday. Cities in the line of fire include Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

The significant rain over the last few days will put the region at a greater risk of flash flooding as the water continues to build. As usual, poor drainage areas are most at risk of experiencing flooding.

Rainfall will amount to about 1 – 2 inches in this part of the Gulf Coast and Southeast with some isolated pockets from central Mississippi into eastern Georgia picking up as much as 4 inches by the end of the day Tuesday.

Although the rain has been coming in droves for much of the region, there are still some areas that are trailing behind their historical rainfall amounts over the last few weeks. For instance, Charleston, South Carolina has only seen 39% of its historical average of rain for the month of March. Other cities that are below average for the month include Atlanta and Birmingham.

More Severe Weather by End of the Week

Residents will be able to take a breather on Wednesday before another storm system builds later in the week. The storm system that is gearing up to impact California with heavy rain and snow will move to the east throughout the week and supply the fuel needed for more severe weather for the Plains and the South.

The system will lose steam as it crosses the mountain ranges in the West, however, it will begin to pick up energy as it moves into Colorado and merges with the cold air in place over the Rockies and the warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This dynamic storm system will bring the threat of snow, severe storms, and flash flooding.

Forecasters are still pinpointing what track this storm will take. This will determine what parts of the region see snow and which areas experience severe weather. The activity as of late is in line with what the long-range forecast for March predicted for the Plains and the Gulf Coast.

Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later.

Recent Posts