 Aerial view of damage from an EF2 tornado in Branson, Missouri. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | February 28–29, 2012 |
| Highest winds |
|
| Tornadoes confirmed | 42 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | EF4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 26 hours, 17 minutes |
| Largest hail | 3.00 in (7.6 cm) in Cherryvale, Kansas on February 28. |
| Fatalities | 15 fatalities, 193 injuries |
| Damage | $475 million[1] (estimated) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The 2012 Leap Day tornado outbreak was a significant and deadly tornado outbreak on February 28 and February 29, 2012. It is so called because the second day was a leap day. It caused severe damage in several regions, especially the Great Plains and Ohio Valley regions. It also resulted in several tornadoes in the Central Plains, a rarity for the time of year. The most destructive and deadly tornado was a violent early-morning EF4 that hit Harrisburg, Illinois, killing 8 people. In total, 15 people died in the outbreak. Just two days later, a larger and deadlier outbreak devastated the Ohio Valley and Southern United States.
- ^ Jeff Masters (April 9, 2012). "First U.S. billion-dollar disaster of 2012: March 2-3 tornado outbreak". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on April 9, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.