The Tornado outbreak of April 27–28, 2002 was a widespread outbreak that affected areas of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska on April 27, 2002. More tornadoes were reported in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia on the following day, April 28. Generally, tornado reports were widely scattered in each state, but significant to severe damage was noted in multiple states. Overall, the outbreak was responsible for 7 deaths, 256 injuries, and tornado damage totaling in excess of $224 million, with wind and hail adding to the damage total.
Tornado table
Confirmed tornadoes
April 27 event
April 28 event
Central states (April 27)
A total of six tornadoes, all rated F0 or F1 in strength were confirmed in these states. These first reported tornadoes of the outbreak – on the afternoon of the 27th – caused little or no damage. 3 tornadoes were reported later in the day in Missouri. An F2 tornado produced damage in Willow Springs, Missouri, and a large F3 tornado struck the Marble Hill, Missouri area in Bollinger County, Missouri shortly before midnight. This storm caused the first fatality of the outbreak, and produced $4 million in property damage. Tornado reports began in Illinois late on the 27th and continued overnight into the 28th. Six tornadoes were reported in Illinois, 10 in Kentucky and one in Indiana. In Illinois, F3 damage was seen at Dongola, Illinois and Dixon Springs, Illinois, with over 50 homes damaged or destroyed in Dongola. F2 to F3 damage was also noted with a long track tornado that moved from Tobinsport, Indiana through Meade County, Kentucky, south of Brandenburg, Kentucky.
Tennessee saw four tornadoes reported during the pre-dawn hours on the 28th, with a 5th tornado reported shortly after noon. The most substantial damage was seen at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where 31 injuries and $2.3 million in property damage was reported. The same supercell spawned an additional F2 tornado at Bradyville, Tennessee. Sporadic but strong tornadoes were reported in all four states on the afternoon of the 28th. A strong F2 tornado produced $45 million in damage in and around Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio, and additional tornadoes were reported across southwest Pennsylvania, southwest New York, and at Saint Joseph, West Virginia. The Saint Joseph supercell produced large hail a considerable time before this tornado occurred, and the parent supercell later produced the most severe weather recorded during this outbreak, after crossing into Virginia and Maryland. The worst damage of the outbreak was seen in parts of Virginia and Maryland. A supercell thunderstorm that had earlier produced the St. Joseph, West Virginia tornado crossed the central Appalachian mountains, producing numerous hail and wind damage reports. The supercell has also spawned an F2 tornado in Shenandoah County, Virginia, blowing multiple vehicles and trucks from Interstate 81. Shortly thereafter, funnel clouds were reported within the same supercell in Fauquier County, Virginia and Prince William County, Virginia. The supercell then spawned a series of destructive tornadoes while crossing the Potomac River into Maryland, that moved along a nearly continual path starting south of Indian Head, Maryland and continuing into La Plata, Maryland, devastating La Plata's business district. Multiple homes were reduced to bare slabs by the La Plata tornado, and the damage was unintentionally rated as an F5. Further surveys revealed that the homes that were swept away were not attached to their foundations, and the tornado was then downgraded to an F4. Very large hail was also reported with these storms. Much of La Plata had previously been decimated by an F4 tornado on November 9, 1926. Farther south, tornadoes also produced damage in the City of Bedford, Virginia, and near Emporia, Virginia, along I-95 just north of the North Carolinastate line. A total of $125 million in damage, four fatalities, and 122 injuries were directly caused by the Maryland storms. Another $8 million in damage, along with 17 injuries were reported in Virginia.
