Damaging, deadly tornadoes struck Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama—including the Nashville and Huntsville metropolitan areas.
The outbreak began when a powerful area of low pressure formed across the Great Plains on April 1 and moved into Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.
According to the NWS, the severe weather on April 1 spurred appropriate protective measures a few days later, and consequently "many lives were saved.
"[3] Peak wind gusts reached 69 mph (111 km/h) in the strongest thunderstorms, over Daviess County, Kentucky.
[40] The largest hailstones peaked at 3 in (7.6 cm) in circumference, as measured in Washington County, Mississippi.