National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Severe Thunderstorms and Heavy Rainfall in the Southern Plains; Heat Continues in the West

Strong to severe thunderstorms may bring areas of excessive rainfall and flooding over parts of the southern Plains today through Friday. Hot to dangerously hot temperatures are forecast across portions of the Pacific Northwest and southern Great Basin today. Gusty winds, dry, and hot conditions will bring critical fire weather to parts of central Washington state today. Read More >

March 31, 1979
Counties:  Barren
F-scale:  F3
Deaths:  1
Injuries:  19
Path width:  100 yards
Path length:  13 miles
Time:  4:25pm
Grazulis narrative:  Moved southeast from three miles southeast of the intersection of I-65 and the Cumberland Parkway.  A child was killed when a concrete block grocery store caved in.  Two trailers, two cars, and ten barns were destroyed.
Noted discrepancies:  SPC and NCDC rank this as an F3, Grazulis calls it an F2.  SPC and NCDC give a path length of 13 miles, Grazulis gives 12 miles, Storm Data says 8 miles.