From April 4–7, 2022, a major tornado outbreak occurred within the Southeastern United States, producing numerous strong to violent tornadoes. The outbreak capped off an extremely active period of tornado activity for the Southeast, following two separate outbreaks during the second half of March.
On April 4, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued an enhanced risk for severe thunderstorms from Texas to Mississippi. That afternoon, a mesoscale convective system and numerous discrete supercells produced a swath of severe weather and several tornadoes in the Southeastern United States, including several strong, long tracked tornadoes. Several tornadoes were confirmed around the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex late on April 4, including an EF2 tornado that damaged multiple homes and injured one person near Egan. As the line progressed eastward, numerous tornadoes occurred across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina spawned by embedded circulations and supercell thunderstorms that formed within the squall line. An EF3 tornado damaged or destroyed several homes in Bonaire, Georgia while a large EF3 tornado prompted a tornado emergency for Allendale and Sycamore, South Carolina. A violent EF4 tornado in Black Creek, Georgia resulted in one fatality as it destroyed several neighborhoods, and another large EF3 tornado caused widespread heavy tree damage northeast of Ulmer, South Carolina.
More severe storms occurred across a large portion of the Southeast ahead of a cold front on April 6–7, with more tornadoes reported in South and Central Georgia and further south into Florida, all of which were weak. Along with the one tornadic death, trees felled by straight-line winds killed one person each in Louisiana and Texas. In all, 89 tornadoes were confirmed as a result of this outbreak, along with one tornadic fatality, two non-tornadic fatalities, and at least 16 injuries.
Meteorological synopsis April 4–5
For the third time in a three-week period, environmental conditions across the Southeastern United States became favorable for a widespread severe weather and tornado outbreak during the early days of April. For days, forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center advertised the eastward progression of a broad upper-level trough into the South Plains region. As this occurred, they forecasted the development of an area of low pressure in northwestern Texas along a stalled front. To the south of this northward-propagating boundary, surface temperatures rose to around while rapidly-cooling air aloft led to the development of 1,500–2,000 J/kg mid-level convective available potential energy (CAPE). With modest advection of warm air and an eroding capping inversion, widespread convective development overspread northwestern Texas and southwestern Oklahoma, with a primary risk of very large hail and damaging wind gusts. Farther southeast in the vicinity of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, forecasters warned of the potential for a higher tornadic threat given an approaching shortwave trough, better northward transport of moisture, and a strengthening of low-level wind fields. A long-lived embedded supercell developed south of the metroplex, producing multiple tornadoes. One of tornadoes reached EF2 intensity near Egan, causing severe damage and injuring one person. Otherwise, widespread convective activity congealed into a southeast-moving mesoscale convective system across eastern Texas and Louisiana through the overnight hours, where the SPC had placed a level 3 Enhanced risk for the threat of damaging winds. Dozens of severe wind gusts were recorded.
Into the morning hours, the progressive squall line lost some of its intensity as it moved across the Ark-La-Tex region. However, with increasing wind fields and deeply moist dew points above , the SPC anticipated re-intensification of this feature through the afternoon, plus an attendant risk for discrete supercells in advance of the line. Accordingly, they yet again outlined a level 3/Enhanced risk of severe weather, including a more substantial threat for tornadoes, some EF2 or stronger, from the Mississippi–Alabama border eastward to the coastal border of Georgia and South Carolina. Despite only modest mid-level cooling, the environment became increasingly unstable as temperatures warmed in excess of , resulting in mid-level CAPE into the 500–1,500 J/kg range. A bowing complex evolved across southern Alabama into Georgia while leading supercells evolved in advance of the line, resulting in widespread damaging winds and numerous tornadoes, including multiple strong tornadoes. One high-end EF3 tornado embedded within the line destroyed multiple homes in Bonaire, Georgia, causing an injury. Farther northeast across South Carolina, a south-southwesterly low-level jet up to overspread an unstable and moist environment, leading to the concern for supercells capable of producing strong tornadoes. Indeed, multiple discrete storms developed ahead of the advancing squall line in the warm sector across eastern Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry. These cells quickly intensified as they overspread the region, and produced multiple significant tornadoes, including multiple long-track, strong wedge tornadoes. A low-end EF3 tornado prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency for Allendale, South Carolina, while a violent EF4 tornado destroyed numerous homes and caused a fatality in Black Creek, Georgia. A high-end EF3 tornado then touched down in Allendale County near Ulmer a few hours later, before continuing into Bamberg and Orangeburg counties, causing substantial tree damage along its path. An EF2 tornado also inflicted heavy damage along in the western, northwestern, and northern parts of Manning, South Carolina. By the evening hours, these cells began to merge with the progressive squall line as it shifted into a more stable air mass and approached the Atlantic coastline.
April 6–7
After the previous days' storms advanced into the Atlantic Ocean, a new severe weather system developed over many of the same areas in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Remnants of storms from the previous day gave way for abundant moisture overspreading the area. This, combined with the presence of upper 60s F dew points and CAPE values of 2000-3000 J/kg, created a highly unstable atmosphere, conductive for severe weather. Given the favorable parameters for severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center issued a large Enhanced risk area, encompassing areas centered around Georgia, central and northeastern portions of Alabama, eastern Tennessee, extreme western North Carolina, and southern South Carolina. The outlook highlighted the high probabilities of damaging wind gusts to be the primary threat of the event, but a 10%, unhatched corridor for tornadoes was also situated along central Georgia.
As the evening advanced, destabilization in the area kept growing, and a long chain of thunderstorms developed along a corridor in central and southern Georgia. As such, the SPC issued a large tornado watch for central counties in Georgia, discussing the moderate possibilities for tornadoes to develop, but strong tornadoes were not thought to be likely. As this line segmented on the early evening, multiple supercell thunderstorms developed and matured on the area as they entered the favorable environment in central Georgia. As such, multiple tornadoes developed as a result. An EF1 tornado that developed in Lee County was documented by multiple storm chasers as it caused damage near the town of Cordele. Multiple other weak tornadoes were reported from these supercells along with numerous reports of damaging winds. More severe storms formed in Florida and the Eastern Carolinas during the afternoon of April 7, but no tornadoes were reported. The severe threat ended after the storms either moved offshore or weakened below severe limits.
Confirmed tornadoes
Ulmer–Bowman, South Carolina
This long-tracked and intense EF3 tornado first touched down in Allendale County at 5:03 p.m. EDT, just north of Highway 301 across a farm just west of Well Branch Road. Near this area, the tornado tossed a grain silo and flipped multiple farm trailers and vehicles . The tornado then continued into Bamberg County near an intersection of Highway 321 and Highway 301. In Bamberg County, the tornado through a large forest primarily consisting of softwood pine trees, with some hardwood oak trees also in some parts of the forest.
As it approached Popeye Road, the tornado strengthened into a strong EF3 with winds estimated at . Remarkable damage was done to both softwood and hardwood trees in this forest, with an estimated of 80-100% forest blowdown. In one section of the forest, the tornado scoured the ground and stripped pine needles off of young trees. Additionally, many younger pine trees in this area were debarked and delimbed. On either side of this were sections of pine and oak that had been snapped low, at or below 5 feet, to the ground. Numerous hardwood trees were also debarked and stripped down to large branches in Popeye Road and parts of the forest that extended northwest of Wild Flower Road. The tornado then began to weaken as it approached and crossed Alligator Road, however, the tornado also reached its peak width of in this area. The tornado would then strike a more residential area along Carver road. Here, one mobile home was completely destroyed, with a home having its roof completely removed and some partial wall collapses. On either side of the center of the track, other homes sustained different degrees of damage to their roofs and siding. The tornado continued northeastward and maintained EF2 strength, primarily causing damage to trees. Much of the damage on Macedonia Church Rd was from trees falling on homes .
The tornado continued to weaken as it entered Orangeburg County, and approached the North Fork of the Edisto River where numerous more hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado also impacted some homes across Orangeburg County, causing minor damage. The tornado continued to weaken gradually as it approached Bowman, finally dissipating about north of the town .
Pembroke–Ellabell–Black Creek, Georgia
This large, violent wedge tornado touched down just southwest of Pembroke at 5:18 p.m. EDT (21:18 UTC) and quickly strengthened to EF2 intensity as it moved into town. It inflicting significant damage to the Bryan County Courthouse, the Bryan County Jail, the Bryan County Planning and Zoning office, destroyed a couple of older wood-frame homes, damaged multiple other structures and several vehicles, and downed many trees and power lines. Moving east-northeast, the tornado exited the town and maintained EF2 intensity as it crossed over a wooded, marshy area, flattening a swath of trees, destroying an outbuilding, and heavily damaging a house. After moving north of Ellabell and entering the small community of Black Creek, the tornado rapidly intensified and moved through George D. Hendrix Park at EF3 intensity. A large recreation center building was heavily damaged, reinforced concrete light poles were snapped, multiple large trees were snapped, denuded, and partially debarked, and turf at a football field in the park was also damaged. The tornado then grew to its peak width and reached its peak intensity of mid-range EF4 as it struck the Park Place subdivision. Several well-built homes here were destroyed, four of which were leveled, including two that were completely swept away with only their bare concrete slab foundations remaining. Multiple other homes sustained major damage, cars were tossed and damaged, and a large portion of the roof from the recreation center at George D. Hendrix Park landed on a house in this area, approximately away from where it originated. Multiple serious injuries occurred, some of whcich had to be rescued from their destroyed.