{
  "id": "2019-03-03-auburn-university-beauregard-tornado",
  "slug": "auburn-university-beauregard-tornado-2019-03-03",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Auburn University",
    "shortName": "Auburn",
    "state": "AL",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "AU Alert"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2019-03-03",
    "type": "tornado",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Confirmed tornado tracks toward campus while a nearby community suffers a deadly hit",
    "headlinePublic": "Confirmed tornado tracks toward campus while a nearby community suffers a deadly hit",
    "summary": "On the afternoon of March 3, 2019, a violent [EF4 tornado tore through Lee County, Alabama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Beauregard_tornado), killing 23 people in the Beauregard community southeast of Auburn. Auburn University warned the campus that a confirmed tornado was located near Tuskegee and moving northeast at 50 mph, urging the community to take shelter. The [National Weather Service issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation warning](https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_03032019beauregard) for the area.",
    "outcome": "The tornado missed Auburn's main campus but devastated Beauregard, killing 23 and injuring scores more — the deadliest U.S. tornado since 2013. The university's alert helped the campus shelter as the storm passed to the south.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T06:59:53-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "The @NWSBirmingham has updated their forecast which has increased the threat of severe weather for the Auburn area to enhanced.  Main threats are damaging winds and tornadoes.  \nMake sure you have more than one way to receive alerts.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102191868752920577",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 233
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T11:20:31-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "⚠️TORNADO WATCH now in effect.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102257459173969920",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 30
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T11:21:11-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "We will open Greene Hall (Vet Med on Wire Road) and also the RBD Library for the duration of the TORNADO WATCH for those who do not have a more suitable place to seek shelter.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102257624488312832",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 175
    },
    {
      "sequence": 4,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T13:38:23-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "We are closely monitoring the weather in our Emergency Operations Center.  Stay weather aware!",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102292152615354369",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 94
    },
    {
      "sequence": 5,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T14:00:19-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "The tornado warning issued for Lee County, does not include Auburn University.  We continue to monitor the weather and will post updates.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102297672738717696",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (official, verbatim)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 137
    },
    {
      "sequence": 6,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2019-03-03T14:42:52-06:00",
      "channel": "twitter-x",
      "verbatimText": "New tornado warning for Southern Lee County.  This does not include Auburn or Auburn University.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102308380457213952",
      "sourceDescription": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "annotations": [
        "Exact text from Auburn University Campus Safety official X account during Beauregard tornado event."
      ],
      "characterCount": 96
    }
  ],
  "context": "The March 3, 2019 Beauregard tornado was an EF4 with winds up to 170 mph that stayed on the ground for 76 minutes over a 68.6-mile path, per [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Beauregard_tornado). It first touched down around 2:00 p.m. CST near Society Hill and killed 23 people in the Beauregard community of southern Lee County, the deadliest U.S. tornado since the 2013 Moore tornado. The [National Weather Service in Birmingham](https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_03032019beauregard) issued a tornado warning at 1:58 p.m. CST and upgraded it to a Particularly Dangerous Situation as a radar-confirmed tornado moved northeast. Auburn University's campus safety account relayed the warning verbatim, noting the storm was near Tuskegee and moving toward the Auburn community at 50 mph. Auburn's main campus was spared, but the alert demonstrates how a university passes through the NWS impact-based warning during a fast-moving, deadly storm.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "2019 Beauregard tornado - Wikipedia",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Beauregard_tornado",
      "type": "reference"
    },
    {
      "title": "Beauregard-Smiths Station Tornado - March 3, 2019 - National Weather Service Birmingham",
      "url": "https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_03032019beauregard",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "@AuburnSafety X cascade — Beauregard tornado Mar 3 2019",
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102297672738717696",
      "type": "official-social"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102257459173969920",
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102257624488312832",
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102292152615354369",
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102308380457213952",
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "dateAccessed": "2026-07-18"
    },
    {
      "title": "@AuburnSafety on X (verbatim raw t.co)",
      "url": "https://x.com/AuburnSafety/status/1102191868752920577",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "tornado",
    "severe-weather",
    "beauregard",
    "ef4",
    "emergency-notification",
    "alabama",
    "auburn"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-28",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-18",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}