On March 21–22, 1932, a deadly tornado outbreak struck the Midwestern and Southern United States. At least 38 tornadoes—including 27 deadly tornadoes and several long-lived tornado families—struck the Deep South, killing more than 330 people and injuring 2,141. Tornadoes from that Monday into Tuesday affected areas from Mississippi north to Illinois and east to South Carolina, but Alabama was hardest hit, with 268 fatalities; the outbreak is considered to be the deadliest ever in Alabama, and among the worst ever in the United States, trailing only the Tri-State tornado outbreak in 1925, with 751 fatalities, and the Tupelo–Gainesville outbreak in 1936, with 454 fatalities. The 1932 outbreak is believed to have produced 10 violent tornadoes, eight of which occurred in Alabama alone.

Background and impact At 7 a.m. CST (13:00 UTC), a low-pressure area of about was over eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, with warm air moving north from the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi Valley. Conditions in Alabama and Mississippi were mostly cloudy with early thunderstorm activity, yet temperatures were already in the low 70s and upper 60s °F in Mississippi and western Tennessee. By afternoon, temperatures rose to the middle to upper 70s °F across most of the area. As a cold front approached Alabama, forecasters predicted afternoon thunderstorms and an end to the warm temperatures but did not anticipate the magnitude of the severe weather that later hit most of the state from north of Montgomery to the Tennessee and Georgia borders.

As the outbreak progressed, ten F4 tornadoes struck Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia. In Alabama, within four hours of the first F4 tornado, 18 people were killed near the Cullman area in Cullman County; 14 in the Columbiana area in Shelby County; 41 in Coosa and Talladega counties near Sylacauga; and 38 people in other small communities in Northeastern Alabama, mostly in Jackson County. One of the tornadoes followed the deadly Jemison event by one hour and passed just to the southeast, killing 31 people in and around the Clanton area in Chilton County.

Outside Alabama, six people were killed near Pulaski, Tennessee, in Giles County. 13 people in the state died from this and six other strong tornadoes. In Georgia and Tennessee, a large tornado near the state line left a mile-wide damage path, and killed 15 people from Beaverdale, Georgia, to Conasauga, Tennessee. Two other tornadoes in Georgia killed a combined 16 people and were on the ground almost simultaneously. On March 22, tornadoes continued after midnight CST (06:00 UTC) as four more strong tornadoes struck Georgia and South Carolina until 2:00 a.m. CST (08:00 UTC). One of them passed near the University of Georgia in Athens and killed 12 people.

Confirmed tornadoes

Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991. 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments. Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.

+ List of confirmed tornadoes in the tornado outbreak of March 21–22, 1932F#LocationCounty / ParishStateDateTime (UTC)Path lengthWidthDamage F2Near StrongMonroeMississippi20:00–?A strong tornado unroofed and wrecked three homes. F2Carrier Mills to W of HarrisburgSalineIllinois21:00–?A tornado damaged eight houses and destroyed a barn. F3Southeastern DemopolisMarengo, Greene, HaleAlabama21:15–?3 deaths – This intense tornado destroyed or damaged approximately 15 homes. Nine people were injured. F3Near SpurgeonPikeIndiana21:30–?This intense tornado destroyed or damaged five farmhouses. One of them was completely swept away, along with its contents, and the others were unroofed. One person was injured. The tornado neared F4 intensity. F2SW of Linden to FaunsdaleMarengo, PerryAlabama21:30–?3 deaths – 12 people were injured. F4Near Ralph to northwestern Tuscaloosa to NorthportTuscaloosaAlabama22:00–?37 deaths – This violent tornado destroyed 98 houses, damaged at least 300 others, and left 2,000 people homeless. It leveled the Tuscaloosa Country Club and caused sporadic F2-to-F3-level damage in the city. At least 200 people were injured. F3Western Mitchell to E of BedfordLawrenceIndiana22:15–?This intense tornado destroyed 12 barns and seven or more homes. Three of the homes incurred borderline-F4 damage. Six people were injured. F4S of Cullman to W of ArabCullman, Morgan, MarshallAlabama22:30–?18 deaths – This violent tornado impacted rural communities and farmlands, leveling numerous small homes and scores of outbuildings. The hardest-hit areas were in and near Phelan, Bolte, Berlin, and Fairview. 74 houses were wrecked in Cullman County, the site of all known fatalities. Six of the deaths occurred in a single home. At least 100 people were injured. F4N of Marion to Cox to Union GrovePerry, Bibb, Chilton, Shelby, CoosaAlabama22:30–?49+ deaths – This violent, long-tracked tornado—the first in a series that paralleled each other—was the deadliest on record in Alabama until the Hackleburg–Phil Campbell EF5 on April 27, 2011. Rural communities were reportedly obliterated, small homes swept away, and entire families extirpated; one family lost seven members. 150 injuries were reported, and additional fatalities may have occurred. F2LewisTennessee23:00–?This strong tornado destroyed a tenant house, injuring eight people. F2Near Hunt City to near Kibbie to AnnapolisJasper, CrawfordIllinois23:00–?This tornado generated only F1-level damage in Jasper County, wrecking a chicken coop and partially unroofing a house. As it entered Crawford County the tornado unroofed another house and damaged four farmsteads. Only one person was injured along the path. F4Southwestern ColumbianaShelby, TalladegaAlabama23:10–?14 deaths – This narrow-but-violent tornado damaged or destroyed more than 240 houses, 20 of which were leveled. Farmsteads were damaged as well. 75 people were injured. F4W of Plantersville to Marble ValleyPerry, Chilton, CoosaAlabama23:30–?31+ deaths – This violent, long-lived tornado killed 19 people in and near Stanton and Lomax, injured at least 200 others, and destroyed numerous homes, many of which were obliterated. Both the Cox–Union Grove F4 and this may have been tornado families; as in the first event, whole families were killed. F4W of PulaskiGilesTennessee23:30–?6 deaths – This violent tornado, as severe on hilltops as in valleys, leveled 10 houses. One of the homes was reportedly swept away. At least 18 people were injured. F2SW of Leiper's Fork to W of Hunters PointWilliamson, Davidson, WilsonTennessee00:00–?3 deaths – This strong tornado damaged or destroyed homes and barns on five farmsteads. One of the farms abutted a neighboring property that featured a death in a separate tornado on April 29, 1909. Eight people were injured. F3S of Lewisburg to NE of BelfastMarshallTennessee00:00–?1 death – This intense tornado destroyed 13 or more houses and injured 20 people. A rug was carried away and left in a treetop. F2Northeastern EvansvilleVanderburghIndiana00:15–?This brief-but-strong tornado destroyed a garage; unroofed a house and a furniture store; and shifted four houses off their foundations. F2UniontownUnionKentucky00:15–?2 deaths – This tornado destroyed 15 small houses, a hotel, and four businesses. Seven people were injured. F4Near Beaverdale (GA) to near Conasauga (TN)Whitfield (GA), Murray (GA), Polk (TN)Georgia, Tennessee00:15–?15 deaths – This large, exceptionally violent tornado, up to in width, leveled houses beside the Conasauga River, killed a family of five, and injured 50 people. Small homes were reportedly obliterated in both Tennessee and Georgia. F3N of Seney to western Rydal to ENE of FunkhouserPolk, Floyd, BartowGeorgia00:30–?12 deaths – This intense tornado destroyed or damaged 60 houses, injuring 80 people. Most of the fatalities occurred in the Macedonia community. Parts of a church were carried away. F3Near Taylorsville to SalacoaBartow, CherokeeGeorgia00:30–?4 deaths – This intense tornado paralleled the preceding event and destroyed or damaged 20 homes, including a nine-room residence. At least 30 people were injured. F2ENE of WoodburyCannonTennessee01:00–?2 deaths – This strong tornado destroyed 10 houses in and near Sugar Tree and Mount Ararat. 10 people were injured. F2GreensboroHale, PerryAlabama01:00–?1 death – This tornado unroofed part of a high school and several houses. One person was injured. F3W of Faunsdale to near Laneville to Scotts PrairieMarengo, Hale, PerryAlabama01:00–?10+ deaths – This intense tornado, which may have reached F4 intensity, leveled temporary housing on a plantation and swept away a well-built farmhouse. Numerous barns were wrecked as well. The number of dead unofficially ranged from 12 to 20, and 30 other people were injured. Losses from three tornadoes in Marengo County totaled $400,000. F4Gantts Quarry to northwestern Sylacauga to Chandler SpringsTalladegaAlabama01:10–?41+ deaths – This violent tornado likely formed from the same storm as the Stanton–Marble Valley F4. It destroyed or damaged 635 houses and left 1,300 people homeless, primarily in Sylacauga but also in a number of remote communities. At least 325 people were injured. F2Piney GroveLawrence, MorganAlabama01:30–?4 deaths – This tornado destroyed small houses and injured 10 people. F3Near Corinth to near BattlegroundWinston, Cullman, MorganAlabama01:30–?8 deaths – This intense tornado injured 25 people and destroyed approximately 30 houses. One of the dead was reportedly carried away. F2W of HuntsvilleScottTennessee01:50–?A strong tornado destroyed small houses and injured 13 people. Items of clothing were found in trees more than distant. F3Southeastern Charleston to eastern CalhounBradley, McMinnTennessee01:50–?1 death – This intense tornado destroyed 20 houses. Debris was found away. At least 21 people sustained injuries. F4ENE of Sylacauga to NewellTalladega, Clay, RandolphAlabama02:00–?13 deaths – This long-tracked, violent tornado destroyed 75 houses, as well as structures on 110 farms, in the communities of Bulls Gap, Quenelda, Hassell Gap, and Bellview. Many small homes were leveled along the path. Nearly 400 people were left homeless by the tornado, and at least 150 others were reportedly injured. F4SW of Lacey's Spring (AL) to Ladds (TN)Morgan (AL), Madison (AL), Jackson (AL), Marion (TN)Alabama, Tennessee02:00–?38+ deaths – This long-tracked tornado family likely consisted of up to three tornadoes. It injured 500 others and destroyed 125 houses, but mainly impacted very remote areas. Personal items were found away. F2Near Green HillLauderdaleAlabamaA cotton mill and a home were wrecked. FURosebloomTallahatchieMississippiDetails are unknown. FUGoodmanHolmesMississippiDetails are unknown. F2FairmontSpartanburgSouth Carolina06:00–?2 deaths – This tornado destroyed 20 tenant houses and injured 30 people. F2E of Cowpens to NW of GaffneyCherokeeSouth Carolina06:30–?1 death – Five people were injured. F3Southern Athens to PaoliClarke, MadisonGeorgia06:45–?12 deaths – This intense tornado passed near the University of Georgia and destroyed or damaged approximately 100 houses. At least 35 people were injured. F2Jones, BaldwinGeorgia08:00–?1 death – A strong tornado destroyed seven houses, including a historic structure. Most of the homes were small. Five people were injured.