This blog post summarizes a major severe weather outbreak that swept through the South, Midwest, and East on March 15–16, 2026. It details the widespread wind damage, the tornado activity, and large-hail reports, drawing on National Weather Service data and the observed impacts in major cities.
Overview of the March 15–16 Severe Weather Outbreak
Across two days, a potent storm system unleashed widespread damaging winds and a volley of tornadoes from eastern Texas to the East Coast. The National Weather Service logged more than 800 reports of wind damage and wind-related hazards, indicating a broad geographic footprint and significant impact on communities and infrastructure.
In addition to damaging winds, meteorologists confirmed a substantial tornado activity and large-hail occurrences. The outbreak’s intensity was notable for the absence of very high-rated tornadoes.
The sheer number of storms and wind events stressed warning systems, emergency management, and local responders across multiple states.
Tornado activity and intensity
- 37 tornadoes confirmed across nine states, with all events rated EF0 or EF1 in strength.
- Illinois reported 17 tornadoes, the highest single-state total in this outbreak; Missouri confirmed seven.
- Other states affected included Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and possibly neighboring areas, illustrating a broad regional footprint.
Wind impacts and hail reports
- More than 800 wind-damage reports from eastern Texas through the Midwest to the East Coast, underscoring the widespread nature of the wind event.
- Extreme gusts observed in key locations: Newark, NJ reached about 71 mph and JFK Airport about 72 mph as storms moved through the New York City tri-state area just after midnight on March 17.
- Specific wind damage included a 75 mph gust tearing shingles from a roof in Jonesboro, AR; a toppled tree injuring a motorist in Brookwood, AL; and a tree falling onto a house in Duval County, FL, illustrating varied and localized hazards.
- Hail reports exceeded 60 large-hail events, with tennis-ball–sized hail documented in San Augustine and Nacogdoches Counties, TX, highlighting another dimension of the storm’s severity.
Geographic footprint and notable impacts
- The outbreak affected multiple major urban centers, including
- Memphis
- St. Louis
- Chicago
- Nashville
- Indianapolis
- Louisville
- Atlanta
- Raleigh
- Washington, D.C.
- Baltimore
- Philadelphia
- New York City
- In the NYC metro area, the storms rolled through just after midnight on March 17.
- Gusts and wind damage tested urban response systems.
- The event was the third severe outbreak in a 12-day span in March 2026.
- It followed outbreaks on March 5–8 and March 10–12, illustrating the clustering risk this season.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
, and
.
Here is the source article for this story: Severe Weather Outbreak Swept Through Midwest, South, East (RECAP)