The Storm Prediction Center first outlined on April 1 an enhanced risk in areas from north Texas to eastern Illinois, encompassing much of the central United States.

In the afternoon hours of the same day, supercell thunderstorms began to develop across northern Texas, moving northeastward and producing large hail.

On March 28, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) first delineated a risk of organized severe weather across the Central and Southern Plains, as well as the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys for the beginning of April.

The impetus for the severe weather setup came as a large, positively tilted upper-level trough progressed eastward from the Southwestern United States into the Central Plains region.

[7] Within the warm sector of this low, an unstable environment was expected to develop, with averaged instability values of 2,000–3,000 J/kg, dewpoints in the mid- to upper-60s °F, very strong wind shear throughout the atmosphere, and rapidly cooling temperatures with height.

In this area, the capping inversion aloft was expected to erode throughout the afternoon, giving way to multiple supercells capable of producing large hail in excess of 3 in (7.6 cm).

[8] Through the afternoon hours, semi-discrete supercells developed across north and central Texas, contributing to widespread reports of large hail the size of baseballs, in addition to hurricane-force wind gusts upwards of 90 mph (140 km/h).

[9] Further to the northeast, isolated severe weather occurred in Oklahoma, though it was curtailed by persistent cloud cover and a broad rain shield across the risk area.

[12] In spite of modest instability, strong vertical wind shear maintained organized convective activity as it spread eastward from southern Illinois and eventually into West Virginia during the pre-dawn and early morning hours.

[17] As the derecho tracked from Missouri to West Virginia early on April 2, another widespread outbreak of severe weather and tornadoes was expected to occur across the broader Ohio River Valley region.

Despite questions about the influence of widespread morning thunderstorms, forecasters felt there was sufficient confidence that the atmosphere would recover over subsequent hours, contributing to discrete or clusters of storms capable of producing damaging winds, large hail, and multiple significant tornadoes.

[18] By the afternoon hours of April 2, forecasters expressed concern that morning convection would stunt the degree of destabilization across portions of the risk area, particularly in Ohio.

[21] As convective activity to the north continued eastward into a drier and more stable environment,[22] a cluster of storms developed farther south across Alabama and Georgia, which contributed to additional tornadoes.

The building had parts of its roof section pulled and twisted and a 5,000 lb (2,300 kg) salt pod was lifted up over a 4 ft (1.2 m) concrete barrier and thrown down a hill approximately 40 yd (37 m).

[42][90] As it entered Jefferson County, the tornado widened and reached its peak intensity of EF2 as it moved into Prospect and struck the Beechland Beach neighborhood.

Three well-built two-story homes suffered significant roof damage, had broken windows had air conditioner units twisted and torn from the sides of them.

The tornado finally exited Prospect, weakened to EF0 strength as it crossed KY 1694, and turned northeast, striking the southern portion of a golf course, uprooting trees and damaging barns.