South faces highest possible risk of tornadoes amid deadly severe weather outbreak

Last Updated: March 15, 2025By

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A deadly, multiday severe weather outbreak across the eastern U.S. continues Saturday, with the risk of a tornado outbreak even higher than it was Friday.

The storm has already killed at least three people in Missouri, according to officials. A man and a woman were killed in the Bakersfield area in Ozark County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol early Saturday morning. About 130 miles to the east in Butler County, another fatality was confirmed to FOX Weather by Robbie Myers, director of Butler County Emergency Management.

Additionally, Wright County, northwest of Hartville, has also reported structural damage. As daylight breaks, more damage will be visible, revealing the full extent of the devastation across the region, troopers said. Officials are investigating multiple other areas of suspected storm and tornado damage across Missouri and Arkansas.

On Saturday, attention turns to the Deep South, where the Storm Prediction Center has outlined a Level 5 risk on its five-point severe weather risk scale for portions of Alabama and Mississippi.

THE SPC 5-POINT SEVERE THUNDERSTORM RISK CATEGORY SCALE EXPLAINED

Three-hour radar loop. Warning boxes are color coded as: Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in yellow, Tornado Warnings in red, Tornado Warnings with confirmed tornado in purple, Flash Flood Warnings in green, and Flash Flood Emergencies in pink.
(FOX Weather)

 

“Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected on Saturday afternoon and evening,” forecasters at the SPC wrote in a discussion posted Friday.

All told, about 72 million people in the eastern third of the U.S. – from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast – face the threat of severe weather Saturday.

The severe weather outlook for March 15, 2025.
(FOX Weather)

 

In addition to tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail are likely with any severe storms that develop. 

Current Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Watches
(FOX Weather)

 

Storms threaten I-95 corridor Sunday

The end of the multiday severe weather outbreak will happen Sunday when nearly 70 million people from the Northeast to Florida face a risk of severe weather. 

The worst of the storms is expected from Virginia to Florida.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

The severe weather outlook for March 16, 2025.
(FOX Weather)

 


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