Summary of the March 2, 2020, Severe Weather Event

Overview

Severe thunderstorms moved across the region on the evening of March 2. A long-track supercell thunderstorm produced accumulating hail in Ballard and McCracken Counties in western Kentucky, large hail up to golf ball size near Paducah, KY, and an EF-1 tornado just south of Crofton, KY, in Christian County. Other severe thunderstorms produced wind damage and large hail in southeast Missouri.

Tornado
Photos & Video
Storm Reports
Additional

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Crofton, KY
CHRISTIAN COUNTY, KY

Date	March 2, 2020
Time (Local)	8:00-8:06 PM CST
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	90 mph
Path Length	5.5 miles
Max Width	400 yards
Injuries/Deaths	Zero/Zero
Summary: Tornado destroyed at least four farm structures and a garage. Several homes lost shingles or siding, and one home had its windows blown out. Two dozen trees were snapped or uprooted.

Track Map

Tornado - Risco, MO
NEW MADRID, KY

Date	March 2, 2020
Time (Local)	10:15-10:18 PM CST
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	? mph
Path Length	3.0 miles
Max Width	est. 50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	Zero/Zero
Summary: A storm chaser captured a picture of a narrow rope-like tornado illuminated by lightning. The tornado lasted approximately three minutes. The track was over flat, open farm fields that were not planted. Visible evidence of damage was not located.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos & Video


Microburst wind damage to a marina in Kuttawa, KY. (NWS Damage Survey)	Large hail in Oxly, MO (Melinda Dasch)	KPAH WSR-88D base reflectivity (left) and storm relative velocity (right) at 8:02 PM CST March 2.	Hail covering the ground in Ballard County, KY. (Dustin Bell)


Tornado east of Malden, MO (Scott Peake)	Wind Damage near Qulin, MO (Alice Wilson )	Possible tornado near Puxico, MO (Chris Conley)	Hail covering ground in Clearwater, MO (Thomas Johnston)


Lightning in Ballard County, KY (Dustin Bell)	Crofton, KY, tornado damage (Mick Pickett)	Hail covering ground in Ellington, MO (Holden Anderson)	Hail in Kevil, KY (Rachel Calhoun)

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Storm Reports

Storm Report Map

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
517 PM CST TUE MAR 3 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0518 PM     HAIL             LA CENTER               37.07N 88.97W
03/02/2020  E0.88 INCH       BALLARD            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

             

0519 PM     HAIL             KEVIL                   37.08N 88.89W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       BALLARD            KY   NWS EMPLOYEE     

             

0545 PM     HAIL             METROPOLIS              37.15N 88.71W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       MASSAC             IL   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            PHOTOGRAPH POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. 

0549 PM     HAIL             2 NNE PADUCAH           37.10N 88.62W
03/02/2020  E1.75 INCH       MCCRACKEN          KY   PUBLIC           

            TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. RELAYED VIA 
            TWITTER. 

0557 PM     HAIL             2 ENE PADUCAH           37.09N 88.60W
03/02/2020  E1.25 INCH       MCCRACKEN          KY   PUBLIC           

            REPORTED IN DOWNTOWN PADUCAH. RELAYED VIA 
            TWITTER. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. 

0602 PM     HAIL             PADUCAH                 37.07N 88.64W
03/02/2020  E0.88 INCH       MCCRACKEN          KY   STORM CHASER     

             

0608 PM     HAIL             3 NNE HUNTER            36.93N 90.84W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       CARTER             MO   PUBLIC           

             

0620 PM     TORNADO          3 NE HUNTER             36.93N 90.81W
03/02/2020                   CARTER             MO   PUBLIC           

            SPOTTED AT 21 SOUTH AND HIGHWAY 60 WEST OF 
            ELSINORE. 

0620 PM     TORNADO          3 NE HUNTER             36.93N 90.81W
03/02/2020                   CARTER             MO   PUBLIC           

            SPOTTED AT 21 SOUTH AND HIGHWAY 60 WEST OF 
            ELSINORE. 

0620 PM     TORNADO          3 NE HUNTER             36.93N 90.81W
03/02/2020                   CARTER             MO   PUBLIC           

            SPOTTED AT 21 SOUTH AND HIGHWAY 60 WEST OF 
            ELSINORE. 

0640 PM     HAIL             EDDYVILLE               37.08N 88.08W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       LYON               KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

             

0655 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KUTTAWA                 37.06N 88.10W
03/02/2020                   LYON               KY   EMERGENCY MNGR   

            NEW MARINA WAS MOVED 20 FEET BY THUNDERSTORM 
            WINDS. A BOAT DOCKED IN THE MARINA WAS 
            DAMAGED. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. 

0705 PM     HAIL             3 NNW CROFTON           37.09N 87.50W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       CHRISTIAN          KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            . 

0706 PM     TORNADO          3 NNE LEEPER            37.11N 90.68W
03/02/2020                   WAYNE              MO   PUBLIC           

            CITIZEN REPORT. 

0706 PM     TORNADO          3 NNE LEEPER            37.11N 90.68W
03/02/2020                   WAYNE              MO   PUBLIC           

            CITIZEN REPORT. 

0706 PM     TORNADO          3 NNE LEEPER            37.11N 90.68W
03/02/2020                   WAYNE              MO   PUBLIC           

            CITIZEN REPORT. 

0711 PM     HAIL             6 S GREENVILLE          37.03N 90.45W
03/02/2020  E1.50 INCH       WAYNE              MO   LAW ENFORCEMENT  

            . 

0717 PM     HAIL             4 N VAN BUREN           37.07N 91.01W
03/02/2020  E0.75 INCH       CARTER             MO   EMERGENCY MNGR   

             

0730 PM     HAIL             3 ENE SHOOK             37.06N 90.26W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       WAYNE              MO   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            INTERSECTION OF P AND TT HIGHWAYS. 

0732 PM     HAIL             1 SW DAWSON SPRINGS     37.17N 87.70W
03/02/2020  U0.75 INCH       HOPKINS            KY   PUBLIC           

            REPORT FROM MPING: DIME (0.75 IN.). 

0743 PM     HAIL             2 SSE GREENVILLE        37.10N 90.44W
03/02/2020  E1.50 INCH       WAYNE              MO   PUBLIC           

            . 

0752 PM     HAIL             4 S ZALMA               37.09N 90.08W
03/02/2020  E0.75 INCH       BOLLINGER          MO   EMERGENCY MNGR   

            PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND. 

0802 PM     TORNADO          1 S CROFTON             37.03N 87.48W
03/02/2020                   CHRISTIAN          KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            TORNADO WITNESSED BY METEOROLOGIST JUST 
            SOUTH OF CROFTON. CARPORT DESTROYED. 
            POSSIBLE ROOF AND SIGN DAMAGE. 

0802 PM     TORNADO          1 S CROFTON             37.03N 87.48W
03/02/2020                   CHRISTIAN          KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            TORNADO WITNESSED BY METEOROLOGIST JUST 
            SOUTH OF CROFTON. CARPORT DESTROYED. 
            POSSIBLE ROOF AND SIGN DAMAGE. 

0802 PM     HAIL             1 S CROFTON             37.03N 87.48W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       CHRISTIAN          KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

             

0827 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 NNE PUXICO            36.98N 90.15W
03/02/2020                   STODDARD           MO   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            DEBRIS ON ROADS AND TREES DOWN, MAINLY P 
            HIGHWAY IN THE ARAB AREA. 

0827 PM     FLASH FLOOD      3 S ZALMA               37.10N 90.08W
03/02/2020                   BOLLINGER          MO   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            P HIGHWAY IMPASSABLE DUE TO FLOODING IN ARAB 
            AREA. 

0908 PM     FLASH FLOOD      ADVANCE                 37.10N 89.91W
03/02/2020                   STODDARD           MO   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            INTERSECTION OF MO 25 AND MO O HIGHWAY. 
            PARTIALLY COVERED O HIGHWAY DIRECTLY OFF 
            HIGHWAY 25. 

0909 PM     HAIL             OXLY                    36.60N 90.69W
03/02/2020  M1.50 INCH       RIPLEY             MO   TRAINED SPOTTER  

             

0935 PM     HAIL             2 W GAGE                37.00N 88.92W
03/02/2020  E0.75 INCH       BALLARD            KY   PUBLIC           

            . 

0935 PM     HAIL             HANSON                  37.42N 87.47W
03/02/2020  E1.00 INCH       HOPKINS            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER  

             

0946 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SE HEATH              37.06N 88.76W
03/02/2020                   MCCRACKEN          KY   PUBLIC           

            REPORT FROM MPING: 1-INCH TREE LIMBS BROKEN; 
            SHINGLES BLOWN OFF. 

1015 PM     TORNADO          5 WNW RISCO             36.57N 89.90W
03/02/2020                   NEW MADRID         MO   STORM CHASER     

            STORM CHASER CAPTURED A PICTURE OF TORNADO 4 
            MILES ENE OF MALDEN, MO IN NEW MADRID 
            COUNTY. TORNADO LASTED APPROXIMATELY THREE 
            MINUTES. PHOTO RELAYED VIA TWITTER. 

1016 PM     TORNADO          4 E MALDEN              36.58N 89.90W
03/02/2020                   NEW MADRID         MO   STORM CHASER     

            NARROW TORNADO REPORTED. 

1022 PM     HAIL             2 W GAGE                37.00N 88.92W
03/02/2020  M0.75 INCH       BALLARD            KY   PUBLIC           

            REPORT FROM MPING: DIME (0.75 IN.).

Warnings Issued

Map of tornado warnings (red), severe thunderstorm warnings (yellow), and flash flood warnings (green) issued March 2, 2020.

Warning Lead Time

Counties & Issuance Time	Lead Time
Tornado - Crofton, KY (Christian County)	40 minutes