On March 20–21, 1913, a tornado outbreak affected southern parts of the United States, claiming 53 lives and injuring at least 156 people. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, retroactively rated F4 on the Fujita scale, struck Lower Peach Tree, Alabama, killing 27 people and injuring 60. Multiple long-lived tornado families occurred, including a long-tracked F2 in neighboring Mississippi that killed nine. Four other F2s in both these states and Tennessee each caused three deaths. At least a dozen tornadoes hit Arkansas, most of which were unrated. A few days following the outbreak, a much more violent and deadlier event began.

Confirmed tornadoes

A tornado may have wrecked a home just northwest of Lewisburg, Tennessee. Tornadoes may have hit Putnam and Maury counties, Tennessee. 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.

March 20 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, March 20, 1913F#LocationCounty / ParishStateTime (UTC)Path lengthWidthDamage F2W of McGehee to near McArthurDeshaAR15:30–?A tornado destroyed 25 homes. F2Hoxie to Walnut RidgeLawrenceAR15:30–?A tornado wrecked both downtowns, injuring five people. F2Near ParagouldGreeneARA tornado destroyed a house, injuring four people inside. FUGillettArkansasARDetails are unavailable. FUEudoraChicotAR1 death – Details are unavailable. FUBrinkleyMonroeARDetails are unavailable. FUStar CityLincolnARDetails are unavailable. FUNettletonCraigheadARDetails are unavailable. FUNewportJacksonARDetails are unavailable. FUWynneCrossARDetails are unavailable. FUPine BluffJeffersonARDetails are unavailable. FUNear JonesboroCraigheadARTwo injuries occurred.

March 21 event + List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, March 21, 1913F#LocationCounty / ParishStateTime (UTC)Path lengthWidthDamage F2S of Madison to near BuckheadMorganGA06:00–?1 death – A tornado hit five plantations, wrecking 30 buildings and injuring seven people. F2Louisville to N of MaconWinston, NoxubeeMS06:00–06:30>9 deaths – A tornado family destroyed or damaged 25 homes in Louisville, killing a few people and injuring 15. Near Macon it killed seven more, including five family members, and wrecked a church before dissipating. F2Near RulevilleSunflowerMS06:30–?3 deaths – A tornado obliterated homes. F2Rienzi to CorinthPrentiss, AlcornMS06:30–?2 deaths – A strong tornado ravaged Riezi, causing deaths there. 18 injuries occurred. F0+SSW of Wayland Springs to NNE of EthridgeLawrenceTN06:30–?A strong quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) traversed Middle Tennessee, generating multiple tornadoes. This event—possibly a family of up to two tornadoes—unroofed several homes, blew others off their foundations, and leveled five or six barns. An injury occurred. F2Near FlorenceLauderdaleAL07:00–?3 deaths – A tornado destroyed seven barns and 20 homes, killing three children. F0+NNE of Riversburg to BivensGilesTN07:00–?A tornado damaged an orchard, tenant homes, outhouses, and machinery. It also downed fruit trees, ripped off a cupola, tore loose a kitchen, knocked down chimneys, unroofed some homes, and destroyed a pair of buggies. F2W of Decatur to near Trinity to near MeridianvilleMorgan, Limestone, MadisonAL07:30–?3 deaths – A tornado family destroyed outbuildings, a church, and tenant homes, as well as other residences, injuring 20 people. Two of the dead were children. F2SW of Lewisburg to near Verona to S of Chapel HillMarshallTN07:30–?3 deaths – A tornado destroyed or damaged many barns and homes, injuring three people. F2MurfreesboroRutherfordTN08:10–?A tornado hit downtown Murfreesboro, unroofing seven boxcars, felling trees, collapsing stables, and damaging buildings. An injury occurred. F2E of Talladega to HeflinTalladega, Clay, CleburneAL09:00–?An intermittent tornado destroyed 12 homes, leaving 100 people homeless and injuring 10 others. At times multiple tornadoes were observed apart, and parallel damage swaths were reported. F4Scyrene to Lower Peach TreeClarke, WilcoxAL10:30–?27 deaths – A violent tornado impacted 100 homes at Lower Peach Tree, blowing to "splinters" and leveling over 20 well-built houses, according to reports quoted by Grazulis. A pillow was found away. 60 injuries occurred, among them 10 at Scyrene. F2Asahel to E of CamdenWilcoxAL11:00–?1 death – 10 injuries occurred.

See also Dixie Alley List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

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