40 Dead in Severe Weather Rampage

UNITED STATES (March 14-16) — The Ides of March was particularly deadly on Friday and Saturday with an estimated 40 people dying as severe weather rampaged across seven states. Tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, an earthquake and even a dust storm in Kansas added to the body count when a 71-vehicle pile-up on I-70 killed eight people.

Compared to its neighbors, Tennessee was very fortunate. As of Sunday, the Tennessee Department of Health had not reported any weather-related fatalities. For the most part, West Tennessee was spared from destruction, as indicated in the map of the storm tracks provided by WBBJ.

WBBJ Meteorologist Joel Barnes had this to say, “...To say we were blessed this time in West Tennessee would be an understatement. Sometimes, you just get lucky, we might not be so lucky next time. I know these setups cause a lot of anxiety and people get frustrated with the forecast when it doesn’t always work out exactly as predicted. Just know, we do our best to keep you prepared. [...] Say a prayer for the folks who lost everything, including their lives, who were not as fortunate as us in West Tennessee.”

According to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), The National Weather Service (NWS) issued more than 60 watches and warnings for tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and flooding during March 14-15, 2025.

NWS Nashville confirmed an EF-1 tornado struck Bedford and Rutherford counties near Christiana on March 15. Survey teams determined the tornado traveled 4.5 miles between US 41A and US 231 with winds reaching 95 mph.

Numerous areas across the state have reported downed trees and weather-related flooding. Officials recommend checking the Tennessee Department of Transportation SmartWay website for road closures and travel impacts.

Multiple counties are currently assessing damage. TEMA advises residents with property damage to photograph affected areas before cleanup and report damage to their local emergency management agency.

As of 5 p.m. CDT on Sunday, there were less than 4,100 reported power outages across the state.

Nationally, 40 fatalities were reported across seven states: Missouri lost 12, Kansas lost 8, Arkansas 3, Mississippi 6, Alabama 3, Texas 4 and Oklahoma 4.

The deadly storms ripped apart houses and businesses and entire neighborhoods are unrecognizable. Parts of Missouri and Mississippi experienced some of the worst of the extreme weather.

Twelve of the 15 deaths from Friday’s severe weather outbreak happened in Missouri, with six reported at several campgrounds in Wayne County, according to CNN.

In Mississippi, a tornado tore through Tylerstown Saturday evening killing three people. Two died in the same home in Jefferson Davis County and another death was reported in Covington County. Three additional people are still missing.

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake rattled central Mississippi at the same time the first tornado hit Taylorsville, adding to the chaos.

The National Weather Service in Little Rock reported damage consistent with an EF-4 tornado near Diaz in Jackson County, with estimated winds of up to 190 mph.

Oklahoma officials reported more than 130 blazes across 44 counties. Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a morning press conference that more than 170,000 acres burned and 293 homes and buildings were damaged. Stitt also reported one death related to wildfire smoke, and credited the low death toll to the success of evacuation alerts. Stitt said his own ranch burned down in the wildfires but vowed to rebuild.

In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey stated: “We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured. And we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now.”

In Kansas, a 71-vehicle pileup on I-70 killed 8 people due to near-zero visibility from a dust storm. Goodland Fire Chief Brian James described it as “the toughest and most emotional draining experience in my 22 years of being in the fire service.”

Calera Baptist Church in Alabama had its roof torn off, but the city reported no injuries.

Nearly 1,100 flights were canceled across the nation between Friday and Saturday.

More than 500 reports of severe weather have been recorded across the Plains, Gulf Coast and Midwest since Friday.

History Tidbit: The phrase "Beware the Ides of March" was a warning from a soothsayer to Caesar in Shakespeare’s "Julius Caesar."

On March 15 in the year 44 BC, Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators, including Brutus and Cassius, who feared Caesar was working to establish a monarchy.

What is an “ides?” The Latin root of “ides,” a singular word, means “to divide.” So, the ides of any month falls in its middle. The Roman calendar set ides on the 15th in March, May, July and October or on the 13th in the other months. The ides of a month usually falls on the first day of a full moon.

There was a full moon on Friday, March 14.