section_path: March/March 13–16 (United States)
section_name: March 13–16 (United States)
paragraph_text: March 13–16 (United States)
  
  A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak occurred across mainly portions of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States between March 13–16. On March 13, a trough moved through the West Coast, spawning a high-end EF0 tornado in the Los Angeles area. The Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk for severe weather for parts of the Midwest and Southeast on March 14 as the trough moved west over the Rockies. The Day 2 outlook was upgraded to a tornado-driven high risk area for portions of Mississippi and Alabama, making it the third ever issuance of a Day 2 high risk, with the previous two being for April 7, 2006 and April 14, 2012.
  
  On March 14, a moderate risk for severe weather was issued for the much of Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, with a 15 percent risk for significant tornadoes centered around Southern Illinois and Southeastern Missouri. In the early evening, a PDS tornado watch was issued for portions of Southeast Missouri, Northeast Arkansas, Northern Mississippi, and more. Among the tornadoes that touched down that day were a long-track, high-end EF3 tornado that tracked through southern Missouri and prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency for Fremont and Van Buren, an EF2 tornado that moved into the Greater St. Louis area, notably crossing a St. Louis Lambert International Airport runway while a plane was taking off, a high-end EF4 tornado that caused catastrophic damage to rural neighborhood northwest of Diaz, Arkansas, a very long-track, low-end EF4 tornado that struck near Fifty-Six and Franklin, Arkansas, an EF3 tornado that killed three people in Bakersfield, Missouri, a long-track, high-end EF3 tornado that went through Cushman and Cave City, Arkansas, killing three, and a low-end EF3 tornado that killed one person after ripping through a trailer park near Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Overall, 10 people in Missouri and three more in Arkansas were killed by tornadoes on the 14th.
  
  On March 15, the high risk area continued into the Day 1 Outlook, including a 30 percent risk for significant tornadoes in central Mississippi and Alabama. In the late morning, a PDS tornado watch was issued for parts of Louisiana and nearly all of Mississippi and later much of Alabama as a tornado outbreak featuring "significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent," was expected throughout the afternoon and evening. In the early afternoon, a tornado emergency was issued for parts of Walthall, Lawrence, Marion, and Jefferson Davis counties in Mississippi as a large, violent, long-track EF4 tornado was moving through the area; at least five people were killed and at least three others were injured by this tornado. An EF2 tornado would intersect its path just 41 minutes later. Another deadly EF3 tornado also tracked just east of the path of the long-track EF4 tornado, touching down while the latter was still on the ground. Tornadoes continued in Mississippi and Alabama throughout the afternoon and evening, including an EF2 tornado that struck Winterboro, Alabama, damaging a high school and killing one person, and an EF3 that killed two people near Plantersville, Alabama. Overall, seven people were killed in Mississippi and three more were killed in Alabama from tornadoes on the 15th.
  
  On March 16, a slight risk for tornadoes was issued for the South Atlantic States as several weak tornadoes touched down across the East Coast. In all, 118 tornadoes were confirmed in the outbreak, making this the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded in the month of March. In addition, 42 people were killed from this outbreak, including 23 tornadic deaths: 10 in Missouri, seven in Mississippi, and three in Arkansas and Alabama.