A widespread and deadly tornado outbreak affected the Southeastern United States on Easter Sunday and Monday, April 12–13, 2020. Several tornadoes were responsible for prompting tornado emergencies, including the first one to be issued by the National Weather Service in Charleston, South Carolina. A large squall line formed and tracked through the mid-Atlantic on April 13, prompting more tornado warnings and watches. A total of 15 watches were produced during the course of the event, two of which were designated Particularly Dangerous Situations.
Throughout the two-day outbreak, a total of 141 tornadoes touched down across 10 states, inflicting widespread and locally catastrophic damage. The outbreak ranks 4th for producing the most tornadoes in a 24-hour period, with 132 tornadoes occurring between 14:40 UTC April 12–13; that tally is surpassed only by the Tornado outbreak of March 31 – April 1, 2023 with 134, the 1974 Super Outbreak with 148 and the 2011 Super Outbreak with 219. The strongest tornado of the outbreak occurred in Southern Mississippi, and was given a high-end EF4 damage rating after producing estimated winds of , reaching a width of , and causing eight deaths. With a total of 32 tornado-related fatalities, the Easter outbreak was the deadliest tornado outbreak since April 27–30, 2014. To assist with recovery efforts, governors of five states declared a state of emergency. Relief efforts were complicated by social distancing requirements amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meteorological synopsis
Background
For weeks throughout March and into April, an expansive area of high pressure built across the Southeast United States, contributing to abnormally warm temperatures across much of the country. The United States as a whole experienced its seventeenth warmest March, continuing the pattern that persisted throughout winter. In particular, many locations along the U.S. and Mexican Gulf coasts saw record warmest temperatures for the month. Calm weather associated with the high-pressure area induced rapid warming of the Gulf of Mexico waters to their highest values in the modern record—greater than above the 1971–2010 average—as well as a moistening of the air near the surface. Increased instability associated with anomalously warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico has been associated with an increased risk of severe weather and tornado activity.