1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak
A map of that day's tornado tracks
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| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 27, 1994 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 29 |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 21 hours, 45 minutes |
| Highest gust | 104 mph (167 km/h) at Randolph AFB, Texas |
| Largest hail | 4.5" (11.43 cm) |
| Damage | $140 million (2005 USD) |
| Casualties | 40 fatalities, 491 injuries |
| Areas affected | Southeastern United States |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
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 on that day. 40 people were killed and 491 were injured in the outbreak. In all, 29 tornadoes struck Texas, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, causing $140 million in damage. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was rated F4 on the Fujita scale; it was the deadliest tornado in the U.S. in 1994. The storm devastated the Goshen United Methodist Church near Piedmont, Alabama, collapsing the roof on the congregation during a Palm Sunday service 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.
The SPC started forecasting the outbreak on March 26, highlighting the risk of severe thunderstorms over the area that would eventually be impacted, issuing a "severe" forecast for most of the southern states, and some states in the Mid-Atlantic, forecasting "the potential for supercell storms, along with the possibility of tornadoes."
By the morning of March 27, it was apparent that a very strong and potent airmass had set up over the Gulf states, with the SPC issuing a moderate risk for most of Alabama, the southern half of Mississippi, and most of Louisiana in their morning outlook.
The 6 AM CST (1200 UTC) 500 MB analysis showed a strong southwest flow of near 80 knots over the southern U.S., while at the 850 MB level, there existed winds of near 50 knots coming out of the state of Louisiana. At the surface, temperatures in Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia were in the low 70's Fahrenheit, with dewpoints were in the upper 60's to low 70's.CAPE values at Centreville, Alabama were nearing 1,200 j/kg with no cap to speak of. A surface front left by rain during the previous evening was situated over northern parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.
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