Tornado outbreak sequence of January 7–11, 2008
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | January 7–11, 2008 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 73 |
| Max. rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 3 days, 11 hours, 48 minutes |
| Fatalities | 4 fatalities (+2 non-tornadic), 62 injuries |
| Damage | $88 million (+ $41 million non–tornadic) |
| Areas affected | Northwestern, Central and Southern United States |
Part of Tornadoes of 2008 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
An unseasonably strong tornado outbreak began on January 7, 2008, and continued for nearly four days across the Central and Southern United States, with the hardest hit area being southwestern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and the surrounding area. In addition, a strong supercell in northern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin produced that region's first January tornadoes since 1967.
More tornadoes occurred across the Mississippi Valley on January 8 and after a break in the activity on January 9, another round of severe weather took place in the Southern United States (primarily Alabama and Mississippi) on January 10. Several damaging tornadoes were reported that day, although no one was killed. A separate, unrelated EF1 tornado also struck the northern suburbs of Vancouver, Washington. In total, over the four-day period, 73 tornadoes were confirmed and four people were killed.