2002 Veterans Day weekend tornado outbreak
The 2002 Veterans Day weekend tornado outbreak was an unusually severe and expansive severe weather event across portions of the Central and Eastern United States from the evening hours of November 9 into the early morning hours of Veterans Day, November 11, 2002. A series of troughs tracked eastward across the United States, providing strong wind shear, while anomalously warm and unstable air surged northward into the Ohio River Valley. As a result, multiple tornadoes occurred across Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri on November 9. A far more widespread and severe event occurred the following day, with three distinct tornado outbreaks focused across areas from Illinois to Pennsylvania; Tennessee and Kentucky; and areas from Mississippi to South Carolina. The most intense tornado of the outbreak was a violent F4 tornado that occurred near Van Wert, Ohio. A total of 76 tornadoes occurred during the 3-day period, collectively resulting in 36 deaths and 303 injuries. As of 2022, the event ranks as the third-largest tornado outbreak on record in November.
Map of mesocyclone paths and approximate points of F2+ tornadoes on November 10. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | November 9–11, 2002 |
| Highest gust | 91 mph (146 km/h) in Sweetwater, Tennessee |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 76 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 31 hours, 22 minutes |
| Largest hail | 2.5 in (64 mm) in Canal Lewisville, Ohio |
| Fatalities | 36 fatalities, 303 injuries |
| Damage | $1.2 billion |
| Areas affected | Southeast U.S. and Ohio Valley |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |