Tornado history Wikipedia pages

March 1952 Southern United States tornado outbreak
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March 1952 Southern United States tornado outbreak

Date(s)
March 21–22, 1952
Duration
~24 hours
Tornadoes caused
33
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
209
The March 1952 Southern United States tornado outbreak was the ninth deadliest tornado outbreak in the history of the United States.[1][2] Affecting the American South, it produced 209 deaths, 50 of which were related to a single tornado in Arkansas. The outbreak produced 11 violent F4 tornadoes across the Southern United States, which is the fourth-largest number of F4–F5 events produced by a single outbreak.[2][3] Only the 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak, the April 3, 1974, Super Outbreak, and the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak surpassed this number. The severe weather event resulted in the fourth-largest number of tornado fatalities within a 24-hour period since 1950.[4][2] The weather system associated with the outbreak also produced several inches of snow across the central and northern Great Plains and the upper Midwest. Blizzard conditions affected Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.[5]


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 March 21
3.2 March 22
4 Non-tornadic effects
5 See also
6 References
7 Notes
8 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
On March 21, 1952, a significant surface low progressed across Oklahoma and Arkansas. Southerly winds transported dewpoints in excess of 64°F across portions of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Strong upper level wind speeds moved eastward and intersected the warm, moist air mass.[6]

Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Alabama 4 Morgan 4
Arkansas 112 Cross 4
Howard 7
Lonoke 11
Mississippi 2
Poinsett 3
Prairie 6
White 50
Woodruff 29
Missouri 17 Pemiscot 17
Mississippi 9 Marshall 9
Tennessee 67 Carroll 1
Chester 23
Dyer 16
Fayette 7
Gibson 2
Hardeman 4
Henderson 11
Hickman 3
Totals 209 
All deaths were tornado-related

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
33 2 0 1 6 11 11 0

Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
March 21[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Arkansas
F4 W of Center Point to SE of Umpire Howard 2040 13 miles
 (20.8 km) 7 deaths – The funnel struck the edge of Dierks, destroying 22 homes, most of which were frail.[7]
F3 SW of Paron to E of Ferndale Saline 2200 17.7 miles
 (28.3 km) The tornado was reportedly produced by the same storm that hit Dierks.[5] Near Paron, a church, a home, and barns were destroyed. Homes also lost roofs.[7]
F4 SE of Searcy to W of Russell White 2250 14.6 miles
 (23.4 km) 50 deaths – Reportedly produced by the same supercell that struck Dierks.[5] 30 people alone were confirmed dead in Judsonia. The tornado passed through the business district of Judsonia. In the town, 385 homes were destroyed and 560 exhibited damage. The tornado killed 10 people in the eastern portions of Bald Knob, and nine fatalities were reported in rural locales. A person also died near Russell.[7] The tornado became the fourth deadliest in the U.S. state of Arkansas.[8]
F2 S of Mayflower Faulkner 2300 Unknown Small homes were demolished near Mayflower. Three homes were damaged and three were destroyed near Saltillo.[7]
F4 Wattensaw area Lonoke 2300 7.6 miles
 (12.2 km) 2 deaths – A tornado hit near Wattensaw, killing two people. The tornado may have continued on to Georgetown and Hickory Ridge, for a total path length of 65 mi (105 km).[9]
F3 SW of Allport to SW of Hazen Lonoke 2300 16.2 miles
 (25.9 km) 9 deaths – Nine people were killed near the town of England. 40 homes were destroyed, most of which were poorly constructed. The path may have been continuous—70 mi (110 km) long—with those of the Tollville and Cotton Plant tornadoes.[9]
F2 Hickory Plains to NE of Jasmine Prairie 2320 13.3 miles
 (21.3 km) 5 deaths – Two deaths occurred at Hickory Plains.[9]
F? W of Tollville Prairie 2320 Unknown 1 death – This tornado occurred south of Hazen.[9] 15 homes were destroyed and 27 received damage.[5] One source cites two fatalities.[9]
F3 Georgetown to McCrory Woodruff 2330 17.6 miles
 (28.2 km) The village of Georgetown was nearly completely destroyed.[5]
F4 Cotton Plant to Hillemann Woodruff 2330 13.1 miles
 (21 km) 29 deaths – All deaths occurred at Cotton Plant. The northwestern portion of the town was devastated[9] and received F4 damage. Portions of Hillemann also sustained extensive damage.[5] The funnel likely dissipated after striking Hillemann.[9]
F3 SW of Blackville to W of Cash Jackson, Poinsett, Craighead 2340 28.5 miles
 (45.6 km) Seven homes were destroyed and eight received damage in Jackson County.[5] The tornado produced a skipping damage swath, passing near Lake City.[9]
F4 Hickory Ridge Cross 0000 Unknown 4 deaths – All deaths occurred in the town of Hickory Ridge. 30 homes were destroyed and 86 were damaged.[9]
F3 Fisher to Trumann Poinsett, Mississippi 0045 Unknown 3 deaths – In Fisher, where one person may have died, 21 homes were damaged or destroyed. Additionally, there were two deaths north of Harrisburg. In Trumann, 24 buildings were damaged or destroyed. The third death also occurred at Trumann.[9]
F3 S of Marked Tree to E of Lepanto Poinsett 0045 9.4 miles
 (15 km) 1 death – A small home was destroyed and 22 other homes were damaged.[9]
F3 Trumann to Blytheville Mississippi 0100 39.7 miles
 (63.5 km) 1 fatality – One person died near Milligan Ridge. This tornado dissipated in the Blytheville area, but may have redeveloped into a new tornado near Yarbro.[9]
Tennessee
F4 S of Lapata Dyer 0000 4.7 miles
 (7.5 km) 2 deaths – 12 homes were demolished near Bonicord, while five others were destroyed near RoEllen. Rating disputed, ranked F3 by Grazulis.[9]
F3 SE of Dyersburg to E of Newbern Dyer 0230 18.1 miles
 (29 km) 10 deaths – The worst damage affected the community of Unionville.[5] The damage path extended through the eastern section of Dyersburg. At the Dyersburg airport, the tornado destroyed a hangar, numerous planes, and a new administration building.[5] Nine rather than 10 people may have died.[9]
F4 S of Owl Hoot Dyer 0230 2 miles
 (3.2 km) 4 deaths – Four people died near Owl Hoot. One resource states that at least eight deaths were attributable to the tornado. This event may have represented a continuation of the path of the Cooter, Missouri, F4 tornado.[9]
F2 Medina Gibson 0445 Unknown 
F3 SE of Milan Carroll 0450 Unknown This tornado passed through the Milan Arsenal, damaging 30 buildings and 59 vehicles. Barracks were also damaged. Damage estimates reached $500,000 (1952 USD).[9]
F2 W of Leach Carroll 0500 Unknown 1 death – 12 homes were destroyed south of Huntingdon.[9]
F1 Carthage Smith 0515[9] 0.3 miles
 (0.5 km) A large building was unroofed and destroyed in the downtown region of Carthage. According to one publication, the tornado attained F2 intensity.[9]
F3 S of Hollow Rock to NE of Bruceton Carroll 0517 5.1 miles
 (8.2 km) The business district of Bruceton was destroyed,[5] and three homes were demolished.[9]
F4 NE of Bolivar to W of Darden Hardeman, Chester, Henderson 0530 46.8 miles
 (74.9 km) 38 deaths – This tornado descended in Hardeman County. It touched down northeast (possibly southwest) of Bolivar and moved northeast to the Darden area.[9] Four fatalities occurred in the northern section of Bolivar, where 14 homes were demolished. In Henderson, 120 homes were destroyed and 260 received damage in the northern half of the town. 23 people died in Henderson. The remaining 11 fatalities were reported from north of Jacks Creek to the vicinity of Darden.[9] The total path length may have been 65 mi (105 km).
F2 SE of Only Humphreys 0555 0.3 miles
 (0.5 km) Three farm houses were unroofed and barns were demolished. The tornado affected the Squeeze Bottom area,[9] which was situated near Buffalo.
Missouri
F4 E of Holland Pemiscot 0200 6.5 miles
 (10.4 km) 17 fatalities – Farms and tenant homes were devastated in the vicinity of Cooter. One source indicates that this tornado began in Arkansas, traversed the Mississippi River, and entered Tennessee, causing eight additional fatalities in Tennessee (25 deaths total).[9] The parent supercell thunderstorm was accompanied by hail. 70 homes were destroyed and 130 received damage.[5]
Mississippi
F? N of Madison Madison 0230 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) A brief tornado was observed. One person was injured.[5]
F4 E of Byhalia to SE of Pattersonville, TN Marshall, MS; Fayette, TN 0400 29.6 miles
 (47.4 km) 16 deaths – This tornado may have merged with a second, undocumented tornado upon touching down.[5] 22 homes were destroyed in Mississippi, while 16 were destroyed in Tennessee. The majority of the deaths were documented in Mississippi. The tornado passed northwest of Moscow in Tennessee.[9] It was formerly classified at F5 intensity, but an extensive study did not ascertain F5 damage. A concrete block building was destroyed, but the integrity of the construction was unknown. The Storm Prediction Center officially reduced the intensity to F4 status.[10] One publication lists seventeen fatalities.[9]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

March 22[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Kentucky
F3 S of Hodgenville Larue 0605 2.7 miles
 (4.3 km) Nine cottage buildings and the county fairgrounds were destroyed. 12 homes were unroofed, and approximately 40 received minor damage. Two children were thrown several hundred yards by the tornado, but survived with minor injuries.[9]
Tennessee
F2 SE of Spot Hickman 0620 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 3 deaths – Seven homes were destroyed and two were damaged. 11 families were impacted.[5]
Alabama
F4 W of Falkville to S of Huntsville Morgan 2100 21.6 miles
 (34.6 km) 4 deaths – The tornado developed near Massey and moved northeast, traveling west of Falkville. Thirty-five homes were destroyed, and some structures received F4 destruction. The funnel also passed through the Redstone Arsenal.[9]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

Non-tornadic effects[edit]
A significant blizzard affected the Great Plains. In Kansas, 15 inches (38 cm) of snow were recorded. On March 22, Charles City, Iowa, documented 11.6 inches (29 cm), which was the town's greatest 24-hour snowfall record at the time. Minnesota reported 17 inches (43 cm), while Bergland, Michigan, reported 2 feet (61.0 cm) of snowfall. Heavy snow and strong winds disrupted highways and road traffic. Flash floods also affected Sumner and Clay counties, Tennessee.[5]

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Grazulis, p. 38
2.^ Jump up to: a b c National Climatic Data Center. "NCDC Storm Events Database". Retrieved 2009-05-22.
3.Jump up ^ Grazulis, p. 37
4.Jump up ^ Evans, Jeffry S. (2008). "Forecasting the Super Tuesday Tornado Outbreak at the SPC". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o U.S. Department of Commerce (1952). Climatological Data: National Summary (March 1952). U.S. Weather Bureau.
6.Jump up ^ Finch, Jonathan D. "Historical Tornado Cases for North America: 1950-1959". Retrieved 2009-05-22.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d Grazulis, p. 962
8.Jump up ^ The Tornado Project. "The United States' Worst Tornadoes". Retrieved 2009-05-22.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Grazulis, p. 963
10.Jump up ^ Gordon, John D.; Bobby Boyd; Mark A. Rose; Jason B. Wright (2000). "The Forgotten F5: The Lawrence County Supercell During the Middle Tennessee Tornado Outbreak of 16 April 1998". National Weather Digest (National Weather Association) 24 (4): 3–10. "The authors sent a detailed letter to the SPC recommending the two tornadoes from 1974, and the 1952 tornado mentioned above, be downgraded to F4. The SPC agreed to all three of these changes. The SPC database now reflects the conclusions of Professor Fujita's map of 1974, and Grazulis 1952 tornado report (1993). ... The authors suggested that the three former F5 tornadoes in Tennessee should be reclassified as F4. These changes have been adopted, making the 16 April 1998 Lawrence County tornado the only documented F5 in the history of Tennessee."
External links[edit]
Judsonia tornado damage photographs
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1952
Tornadoes in Alabama
Tornadoes in Arkansas
Tornadoes in Mississippi
Tornadoes in Missouri
Tornadoes in Tennessee
1952 in the United States


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1953 Waco tornado outbreak
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 The lead section of this article may need to be rewritten. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and read the layout guide to make sure the section will be inclusive of all essential details. (May 2013)
Waco tornado
Dr Pepper Museum.jpg
The Dr Pepper Museum, showing damage from the tornado

Date(s)
May 9–11, 1953
Duration
~2 days
Tornadoes caused
33
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Casualties
144 dead, 597 injured


Contents  [hide]
1 Confirmed tornadoes 1.1 May 9 event
1.2 May 10 event
1.3 May 11 event
2 Event summary
3 Waco tornado
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
33 3 13 7 4 5 1
May 9 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - May 9, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

South Dakota
F1 N of Huron Beadle 0005 1.9 miles (3.1 km) ever body dead 
F1 N of Bryant Clark, Hamlin 0100 6.8 miles (10.9 km) 
Nebraska
F0 SW of Randolph Wayne 0300 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F3 W of Belvidere to Milford Thayer, Fillmore, Saline, Seward 0345 46.9 miles (75.5 km) 5 deaths - Homes, airplanes, and hangars were destroyed. The tornado struck Hebron, Nebraska, destroying 50 homes and 40 businesses, some of which were leveled. A church was leveled as well, and the top of the high school was torn off. May have been an F4.[1]
F2 NE of Sumner Dawson 0500 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F0 SW of Staplehurst Seward 0710 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Kansas
F3 N of Courtland to NE of Republic Republic 0310 13.5 miles (21.7 km) One house was destroyed.[1]
Oklahoma
F1 E of Vinson Harmon 0700 3.6 miles (5.8 km) 
F1 SE of Russell Greer 0715 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 SW of Mangum Greer 0715 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F1 N of Thomas Custer 0720 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Source: Tornado History Project - May 9, 1953 Storm Data
May 10 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - May 10, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Kansas
F1 W of Bentley to S of Udall Sumner, Ness 0800 42.5 miles (68.4 km) 
F3 SW of Elmdale to S of Keene Chase, Morris, Lyon, Wabaunsee 1000 52.2 miles (84.0 km) 
F1 N of Cambridge Cowley, Elk 1030 6.9 miles (11.1 km) 
F1 E of Bassett Allen 1130 0.5 miles (0.80 km) 
Oklahoma
F2 NE of Renfrow to S of Udall, KS Grant, Sumner (KS), Ness (KS) 0900 38.8 miles (62.4 km) 13 farms were damaged.[1]
Nebraska
F1 E of Humboldt Richardson 1200 9.7 miles (15.6 km) 
F0 S of Nebraska City Otoe 1930 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Arkansas
F2 Russellville area Pope 1810 2.3 miles (3.7 km) 
Missouri
F1 SE of Kindersport Texas 2000 0.2 miles (320 m) A large barn was destroyed.[1]
Iowa
F4 N of Millerton Wayne 2115 6.4 miles (10.3 km) A house was leveled.[1]
F4 E of Garner to S of Silver Lake Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Worth 2210 26.6 miles (42.8 km) 3 homes were destroyed and 28 were damaged. 200 farm buildings were damaged or destroyed. 3 people were injured, 2 seriously.[1]
F2 SE of Haven Tama 2230 0.1 miles (0.16 km) All barns and outbuildings were destroyed on a farm.[1]
F4 SW of Chester to S of Prentice, WI Howard, Fillmore (MN), Olmsted (MN), Winona (MN), Buffalo (WI), Trempealeau (WI), Eau Claire (WI), Chippewa (WI), Taylor (WI), Price (WI) 2330 162 miles (261 km) 2 deaths - The tornado was actually a family of tornadoes. Hundreds of farms were destroyed and livestock was killed.[1]
F3 E of Froelich Clayton 0000 6.6 miles (10.6 km) A tornado struck 8 farms, destroying barns and silos, and killing 60 livestock. A farmer was thrown 700 feet through the air, and survived with minor injuries.[1]
Minnesota
F2 NW of Clontarf to N of Cyrus Pope 2155 17 miles (27 km) More than 33 barns and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed and livestock was killed.[1]
F2 Maple Island Freeborn 2300 6.9 miles (11.1 km) 6 deaths - Buildings were destroyed on dozens of farms. A large shack for housing migrant farmers was destroyed, resulting in the fatalities.[1]
Wisconsin
F4 SW of River Falls to E of Gordon Pierce, St. Croix, Polk, Burnett, Washburn, Douglas 0030 105.7 miles (170.1 km) 4 deaths - Numerous homes and barns were destroyed along the track. This was probably a family of tornadoes. 21 people were injured.[1]
Source: Tornado History Project - May 10, 1953 Storm Data
May 11 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - May 11, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Texas
F4 N of San Angelo Tom Green 2015 9.9 miles (15.9 km) 13 deaths - Listed as a "near-F5" by Grazulis. A 15-block area of San Angelo was devastated. Approximately 320 homes were destroyed and 197 damaged. Nineteen businesses were hit, including a theater that was demolished. A high school was destroyed and 150 vehicles were hit. There were 13 deaths and 159 injuries. Damage totalled $3.25 million, which is $25.407 million in 2008 dollars.[1]
F5 Waco to Mount Calm McLennan 2210 20.9 miles (33.6 km) 114 deaths - 196 businesses and factories were destroyed; 217 sustained major damage, and 179 sustained lesser damages. 150 homes were destroyed, 250 sustained major damage, and 450 sustained lesser damages. Over 2000 cars were damaged or destroyed and the First United Methodist Church was severely damaged. Over half the dead - 61 - were in a single city block bounded by 4th and 5th streets and Austin and Franklin avenues. This tornado tied the 1902 Goliad tornado for the deadliest in Texas and 11th deadliest in the United States. 597 additional people were injured and the tornado caused up to $41.2 million in property damage.[1]
F2 W of Corinth Leon 0030 9.5 miles (15.3 km) 
Oklahoma
F1 W of McAlester Pittsburg 2100 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 N of Wynnewood Garvin 2230 2 miles (3.2 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - May 11, 1953 Storm Data
Event summary[edit]



 Map track of Waco Tornado
The Waco Tornado struck at 4:36 p.m. The tornado, over two blocks wide, hit the downtown area. Many people on the streets crowded into local businesses for shelter. However, few of the buildings were constructed sturdily enough to withstand the winds, and they collapsed almost immediately. The best-known example was the six-story R.T. Dennis furniture store, which crumbled to the ground and killed 30 people inside[citation needed]. Newer buildings with steel reinforcement, including the 22-story Amicable office building (now called the ALICO Building) just across the street, weathered the storm.
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Minnesota 8 Fillmore 1
Freeborn 6
Olmsted 1
Nebraska 5 Thayer 5
Texas 127 McLennan 114
Tom Green 13
Wisconsin 4 Burnett 1
Polk 2
St. Croix 1
Totals 144 
All deaths were tornado-related
Waco tornado[edit]
According to an old Huaco Native American legend, tornadoes could not touch down in Waco. Most storms in the area travel from west to east and split around the Waco area due to the bluffs around the Brazos River, making tornadoes and extreme weather relatively rare and mild in the city. The 1953 storm, however, traveled against the prevailing winds, and the tornado approached Waco from the south-southwest.
Due to a thunderstorm that was pounding the city with rain, the people of Waco were packed into department stores, banks, and other downtown buildings.
Located on Fifth Street, the five-story Dennis Building was quickly filling with people who came in to escape the rain. When the tornado struck, it first knocked a large water tank off the roof, then blew in the windows onto the terrified customers and employees. Beatrice Ramirez, an employee just one year out of high school, stood still knowing that there was nowhere safe to hide. Ten seconds after the tornado struck, the building was destroyed, leaving dozens of people trapped beneath its ruins. Beatrice was able to crawl out of the rubble into the rain. Many others would not be so lucky that day - twenty-two people died in the Dennis Building alone[citation needed]. Remarkably, eighteen hours after the rescue efforts started and all hope had been lost, rescue workers recovered a survivor: Lillie Matkin, who was a switchboard operator for the store, was saved by a mattress that fell on her.
The tornado's next target was the ten-story Professional Building. The windows were blown out and the roof was taken off. One woman had a very lucky escape from death. Right before the tornado hit, the rain calmed down and Bobbye Bishop decided to make a dash to her car. She reached the car just as the tornado struck. Her car was thrown up into the air, then fell back to the ground. Seconds later a two-ton vehicle was thrown on top of her car, pinning her inside it. Due to the weight of both vehicles, the tornado was unable to lift her car and she was also protected by flying debris due to being pinned inside.
Twelve people were killed in cars crushed in the street, one of which was crushed by a traffic light to only 18 inches (460 mm) in height. The Dr Pepper bottling plant, today the Dr Pepper Museum, was severely damaged.
Bricks from the collapsed structures piled up in the street to a depth of five feet. Some survivors were trapped under rubble for fourteen or more hours, and it took several days to remove the bodies from the rubble.
114 people were killed in the Waco area, with 597 injured and up to $410.2 million in property damage. 196 businesses and factories were destroyed, 217 sustained major damage, and 179 sustained lesser damages. 150 homes were destroyed, 250 sustained major damage, and 450 sustained lesser damages. Over 2000 cars were damaged or destroyed and the First United Methodist Church was severely damaged. Over half the dead - 61 - were in a single city block bounded by 4th and 5th streets and Austin and Franklin avenues. Some in the African-American community saw the tornado as divine retribution for the lynching of Jesse Washington over thirty years prior.[2]
The Waco Tornado remains tied with the 1902 Goliad Tornado as the deadliest in Texas history and the eleventh-deadliest in US history. The storm was one of the primary factors spurring development of a nationwide severe weather warning system.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
2.Jump up ^ Carrigan 2006, p. 198.
External links[edit]
Full map of Waco outbreak Tornado History Project
NWS Fort Worth page of Waco Tornado
(http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/TT/ydt1.html)
(http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=waco+tornado++&btnG=Search+Archives&hl=en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&scoring=t&as_ldate=1953&as_hdate=1953)
http://dspace.udel.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/19716/1309/1/MR32.pdf

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1953
Tornadoes in Iowa
Tornadoes in Kansas
Tornadoes in Minnesota
Tornadoes in Nebraska
Tornadoes in Texas
Tornadoes in Wisconsin
History of Waco, Texas
1953 in the United States









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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Waco_tornado_outbreak










1953 Flint–Beecher tornado
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  (Redirected from 1953 Flint – Beecher tornado)
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Flint-Beecher Tornado

F5 tornado
1953 Beecher tornado.jpg
Tornado damage in Beecher, Michigan

Date
June 8, 1953
Time
started 8:30 pm EST (UTC−01:30)
Casualties
116
Damages
$19 million (1953 USD)[1]
Areas affected
Flint, Michigan, Beecher, Michigan (part of a larger outbreak)
The 1953 Flint-Beecher Tornado occurred on Monday, June 8, 1953 and ranks as one of the top ten single deadliest tornadoes in United States history.[2] Rated as an F5 on the Fujita Scale, the tornado touched down in Genesee County, Michigan at 8:30 p.m. (01:30 UTC) and continued on a 27 mile (43 km) path causing 116 fatalities, 844 injuries and an estimated $19 million (1953 USD) in damage.[1][3] Most of the casualties and damage occurred in the unincorporated community of Beecher, a suburb on the northern edge of the city of Flint, Michigan. The tornado was one of eight tornadoes that touched down the same day in eastern lower Michigan and northwest Ohio.[3] It was also part of the larger Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak of severe weather that began over Nebraska and Iowa, before moving east across the upper Great Lakes states and Ontario, and on to New York and New England causing more deadly tornadoes.


Contents  [hide]
1 Event
2 Aftermath
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 June 8, 1953 event
4 1953 tornado season in perspective
5 See also
6 Notes
7 External links

Event[edit]
Just prior to the tornado touching down eyewitness accounts recalled that an approaching thunderstorm with several intense lightning strikes turned the northwest sky a dark “black-yellow-green” color.[4] The US Weather Bureau (predecessor of today's National Weather Service) observations that evening recorded a temperature of 78°F (25.5°C) with a dew point of 71°F (21.6°C) and a barometric pressure reading that fell to 28.89 inHg (inches of mercury) (978.32 mb).[1] Surface map analysis showed a frontal system associated with a strong low pressure moving west across lower Michigan.[5] At 7:30pm (00:30 UTC) the Weather Bureau’s Severe Storms Unit issued a Severe Weather Bulletin alerting of the threat of hazardous weather for southeast lower Michigan.[3]
At approximately 8:30 p.m. the tornado touched down in Mt. Morris Township north of Flushing near the intersection of Webster and Coldwater Roads. The first reported observation from the Weather Bureau’s Flint station came just minutes after the tornado touched down, "…unconfirmed Tornado reported 2 mi N Flushing heading ENE possibly hitting Flint 2033 E.”[1] It began to take a path directly east down the Coldwater Road corridor entering the residential neighborhoods of the Beecher district, a Flint suburb. Moving at approximately 35 mph (56.3 km/h) the tornado cut a path 833 yards (761.69 m) wide.[3] At a time before severe storm and tornado warnings the residents of Beecher had almost no advanced warning other than by sighting the tornado heading towards them. Victims recalled hearing the incredible roar from the tornado and seeing its black funnel before heading for shelter in home basements.[6] The densely populated Beecher neighborhoods took a direct hit with several single family houses being completely destroyed. Witnesses recalled that the tornado’s massive funnel resembled black smoke and was accompanied by smaller multiple vortices.[6] Others reported seeing fireballs within the debris of the tornado.[7] Beecher High School was heavily damaged as it was also directly hit by the tornado. The tornado’s path also came close to the North Flint Drive-in theater. Patrons evacuated the drive-in in their vehicles. Some got into vehicle crashes in the ensuing panic to flee while others inadvertently drove into the path of the tornado after leaving the theater. The theater itself received only minor damage.[6][8]
After leaving Beecher the tornado took an east-northeast path following just south of the Flint River where it ravaged farms causing more casualties and destruction near the rural communities of Genesee, Richfield Center and Columbiaville.[3][9] The tornado stayed on the ground for 27 miles (43 km) and finally dissipated north of Lapeer near Five Lakes Road in Lapeer County’s Deerfield Township. Within minutes a second tornado formed near where the original Flint-Beecher Tornado left the ground. That tornado reached F4 wind speeds and continued east through rural farm lands in Lapeer and St. Clair Counties causing more injuries and damage before moving out over Lake Huron.[3]
Aftermath[edit]
While most of the tornado’s 27 mile path went through rural farmland, most of the devastation was concentrated in the Beecher district.[3] 113 of the 116 fatalities from the tornado occurred in Beecher. Multiple deaths occurred in 20 families and the victims ranged in age from 5 months to 80 years-old. Eight area hospitals, including three in Saginaw, were involved in treating victims.[1] Some accounts recalled employees of Flint’s automobile industry leaving factories to head to the site to discover whether or not their families had survived.[7] Large sections of neighborhoods were completely blown away, with only building foundations left. Nearly every home in the Coldwater Road corridor between Clio Road and Dort Highway including the adjacent Kurtz Avenue were destroyed. The tornado’s force left huge trees debarked or ripped from the ground and vehicles thrown and mangled. Aerial surveys revealed intense helical ground scouring marks in rural areas.[10] In all 340 homes were completely destroyed and 260 homes were damaged. Another 66 farm and commercial buildings were destroyed or damaged.[1]
A monument was erected with the names of the victims in Beecher at Coldwater Road and Saginaw St near Beecher High School. The tornado remains the single deadliest tornado to occur in Michigan. It remained the deadliest single tornado in modern records (beginning in 1950) until it was surpassed by the Joplin, Missouri tornado on May 22, 2011. The last F5 tornado in Michigan was the Hudsonville-Standale tornado of April 3, 1956.[1] It was debated in the U.S. Congress at the time whether recent atomic bomb testing in the upper atmosphere had caused tornadoes including this one. Congressman James E. Van Zandt (R-Penn.) was among several members of Congress who expressed their belief that the June 4th bomb testing created the tornadoes, which occurred far outside the traditional tornado alley. They demanded a response from the government. Meteorologists quickly dispelled such an assertion, and Congressman Van Zandt later retracted his statement.
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
46 11 9 14 6 5 1
This chart shows the number of tornadoes spawned from the initial storm system.
June 8, 1953 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — June 8, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Michigan
F4 NE of Temperance Monroe 2315 5.4 miles
 (8.6 km) 4 deaths 15 houses destroyed and 14 more damaged. Trucks and cars were hurled through the air.
F3 SW of Ann Arbor Washtenaw 0030 11.3 miles
 (18.1 km) 1 death A large tree landed on one house. One house was destroyed along with three barns
F3 W of Milford Livingston, Oakland 0030 9.1 miles
 (14.6 km) 
F3 E of Sand Lake to N of Oscoda Iosco 0040 16.6 miles
 (26.6 km) 4 deaths 5 vacation cabins leveled, and 6 others badly damaged.
F2 S of Spruce Alcona 0108 1.8 miles
 (2.9 km) 5 large barns were destroyed and livestock were killed.
F5 N of Flushing to N of Columbiaville Genesee, Lapeer 0130 27 miles
 (43 km) 116 deaths See section above.
F0 SW of Caseville Huron 0300 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F4 N of Kings Mill to N of Port Huron Lapeer, St. Clair 0330 33.8 miles
 (54.1 km) Two homes and several barns were blown away
Ohio
F4 N of Deshler to Cleveland Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga 0000 118 miles
 (188.8 km) 18 deaths-Was likely a tornado family according to Grazulis, with the first one touching down near Deshler, and striking Cygnet, where homes were swept away at possible F5 intensity, and 8 people were killed. The second touched down east of Kimball, passed south of Ceylon and ended near Vermillion, destroying multiple homes along the path and killing one person. The third tornado touched down south of Elyria, and tore across west Cleveland. It killed 7 and destroyed at least 100 homes before moving offshore into Lake Erie
Source: Tornado History Project - June 8, 1953 Storm Data



 tornado track map, showing the times and paths of the June 8, 1953 tornadoes in the Flint, Michigan area, and around Lake Erie, in northern Ohio.
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Michigan 125 Genesee 116
Iosco 4
Monroe 4
Washtenaw 1
Nebraska 11 Valley 11
Ohio 17 Cuyahoga 6
Erie 2
Henry 5
Lorain 1
Wood 3
Totals 247 
All deaths were tornado-related
1953 tornado season in perspective[edit]



 An F4 tornado on June 8, 1953 near Erie, Michigan.
 Photo courtesy of NOAA
The year 1953 saw some of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history, including the Waco Tornado that hit on May 11, the Flint tornado of June 8, and the Worcester tornado on June 9. These 3 storms were also unique in occurring within a 30-day period.
Other severe tornadoes of 1953 hit Warner Robins, Georgia in April, San Angelo, Texas in May (same day as Waco), Port Huron, Michigan also in May, Cleveland in June (same day as Flint), and Vicksburg, Mississippi in December. There was also an F4 which touched down in Smith Creek Michigan on May 29th 1953, traveled East crossing the St. Clair River and leveled downtown Sarnia Ontario. this storm took 6 lives and caused over 5 million dollars in damage.
See also[edit]
Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Notes[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g title=1953 Beecher Tornado Facts|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2.Jump up ^ title=Wall Street Journal
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g [1]
4.Jump up ^ [2]
5.Jump up ^ [3]
6.^ Jump up to: a b c [4]
7.^ Jump up to: a b Keen, Richard A. Michigan Weather. 1993. American and World Geographic. ISBN#1560370467
8.Jump up ^ http://www.fpl.info/gallery/beechertornado/accounts/rachor.shtml
9.Jump up ^ [5]
10.Jump up ^ http://extremeplanet.me/2013/01/17/the-indefinitive-list-of-the-strongest-tornadoes-ever-recorded-pre-1970/
External links[edit]
Full map of Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak Tornado History Project
Video interview of tornado survivor (and nurse) who tended to injured
Beecher Tornado - Flint Public Library Archive
Beecher Tornado - Flint Journal Beecher Tornado Anniversary
Flint and Other Towns, MI and OH Tornadoes, June 1953 at GenDisasters.com

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1953
Tornadoes in Michigan
1953 in the United States
Flint, Michigan


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1953 Worcester tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from 1953 Worcester Tornado)
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"Worcester tornado" redirects here. For the baseball team, see Worcester Tornadoes.
1953 Worcester tornado

F4 tornado
Worcester tornado damage.jpg
Damage at Assumption College in Worcester

Date
June 9, 1953
Time
4:25 pm—5:43 pm (EST)
Casualties
90 official,[1] 94 unofficial[2]
Damages
$52 million (1956 USD)
 $464 million (2014 USD)
Areas affected
Worcester County, Massachusetts
The 1953 Worcester tornado was an extremely powerful tornado that struck the city and surrounding area of Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953. It was part of the Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence, which occurred over a three-day period from June 6—9, 1953. The storm stayed on the ground for nearly 90 minutes, traveling 48 miles across Central Massachusetts. In total, 94 people were killed, making it the 21st deadliest tornado in the history of the United States.[1] In addition to the fatalities, over 1,000 people were injured and 4,000 buildings were damaged. The tornado caused $52 million in damage, which translates to $349 million today when adjusted for currency inflation. After the Fujita scale was developed in 1971, the storm was classified as "F4", the second highest rating on the scale.
At approximately 4:25 pm (EST), the tornado touched down in a forest near the town of Petersham, and proceeded to move through Barre, where two people were killed.[3] It then moved through the western suburbs of Worcester, where 11 more people were killed. The storm then passed through Worcester, where it destroyed Assumption College and several other buildings, killing 60. After striking Worcester, it killed 21 more people in the towns of Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Westborough, before dissipating over Framingham. According to National Weather Service estimates, over 10,000 people were left homeless as a result of the tornado.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis 1.1 Buildup to storm
1.2 Tornado event
2 Sources
3 References
4 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
Buildup to storm[edit]



 Air pressure map of the New England Region, June 9, 1953.
On June 7, 1953, an area of high pressure developed over much of the Northern United States. This high-pressure air mass collided with a low pressure mass that was centered over Nebraska, creating favorable conditions for severe thunderstorm development.[4] This collision of systems spawned several tornadoes in the states of Michigan, Ohio, and Nebraska, most notably the Flint-Beecher tornado on June 8.[5] The storm killed 118 people in the towns of Flint and Beecher, and injured 844.[5] In addition, seven other tornadoes across the region caused 52 more injuries and nine more fatalities. After the use of the Fujita scale began, the Flint-Beecher tornado was rated an F5.[5] The air mass continued to sit over the region throughout that night, further contributing to the outbreak.
Overnight, the cold air mass, along with a cold front, moved eastward into New York and the New England area.[6] In the days before the storm, the New England region was experiencing significant heat, with a high culminating at 90 °F (32 °C) on June 6.[6] However, the cold air mass, an unusually strong one, lowered temperatures across the region. The temperature in Worcester dropped over 15 degrees to 74 °F (24 °C) on June 8.[6] The presence of the air mass created the chance for warm air from the Southern United States to clash with the cold front.[7] This phenomenon, which is the way most tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are formed, is something that would not normally happen in the New England region.[8]
Forecasters at the National Weather Service office in Boston believed that there was a possibility for tornadic activity in the area, but decided not to include it in their forecast for the day in fear that they would cause panic among local citizens.[6] 1953 was the first year that tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were used, so forecasters compromised and issued the first severe thunderstorm watch in the history of Massachusetts.[6] Because of this, the tornado struck with little to no warning for residents.[9]
Tornado event[edit]
The tornado descended over the Quabbin Reservoir in Petersham, Massachusetts, at 4:25 P.M., and was witnessed by boaters on the reservoir - three funnels were seen at the beginning, with rapid dissipation of one of them.[citation needed] After brushing Petersham (occasionally with twin funnels several hundred feet apart), the tornado tracked southeastwards and slammed into the rural towns of Barre and Rutland, with two fatalities occurring at each of these locations.[10] The now massive tornado then tore directly through suburban Holden, completely wiping out the Brentwood Estates subdivision, resulting in multiple fatalities.[11]
At 5:08 P.M., the tornado entered Worcester and grew to an unprecedented width of 1 mi (1.6 km). Damage was phenomenal in Worcester (second-largest city in Massachusetts) and in some areas equaled the worst damage in any U.S. tornado.[10] Hardest-hit areas included Assumption College (building is now home to Quinsigamond Community College), where a priest and two nuns were killed. The main building's 3-foot (0.91 m)-thick brick walls were reduced by three floors, and the landmark tower lost three stories.[10] A nearby storage tank, weighing several tons, was lofted and tossed across a road by the tornado.[12] The nearby Burncoat Hill neighborhood saw heavy devastation (especially on its western slope), but it was the Uncatena-Great Brook Valley neighborhoods to the east of Burncoat Hill that were utterly leveled, with the tornado possibly reaching F5 intensity in this area.[10] Houses simply vanished and debris was swept clean from the sites. Entire rows of homes were swept away in some areas. Forty people died in the Uncatena-Great Brook Valley areas alone. A 12-tonne (12,000 kg) bus was picked up, rolled over several times and was thrown against the newly constructed Curtis Apartments in Great Brook Valley, resulting in the deaths of two passengers. The Curtis Apartments blueprints were blown all the way to Duxbury (near Plymouth), 75 miles (121 km) away. Across Boylston St. from the Curtis Apartments, the Brookside Home Farm (a city-operated dairy facility and laundry) sustained total damage, with six men killed and the loss of its herd of 80 Holsteins. Houses and bodies were blown into Lake Quinsigamond. The six fatalities at Brookside were the most in any one building in the tornado's path.[11]
The funnel maintained a 1-mile (1.6 km) width throughout much of Shrewsbury (12 killed), and was still doing maximum damage when it moved through downtown Westborough (five deaths), where it began curving towards the northeast in its final leg. In the storm's final moments, three people perished in the collapse of the Fayville Post Office in Southborough.[11] Coincidentally, around the time it ended at 5:45 P.M., a tornado warning was issued, although by then it was too late. A separate F3 tornado also struck about the same time the warning was issued, in the nearby communities of Sutton, Northbridge, Mendon, Bellingham, Franklin, Wrentham and Mansfield in Massachusetts, injuring 17 persons. Another tornado did minor damage and caused several injuries in Fremont and Exeter in Rockingham County, New Hampshire; other smaller tornadoes occurred in Colrain, Massachusetts and Rollinsford, New Hampshire.
Baseball-size hail was reported in a score of communities affected by the Worcester supercell. Airborne debris was strewn eastward, reaching the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory 35 mi (56 km) away, and even out over Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The farthest documented distance of tornado debris was an item that blew from Holden to Eastham on Cape Cod, a distance of 110 miles (180 km). Some debris was found in the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the greatest such instances in a U.S. tornado.[10]
The Worcester tornado was a milestone in many regards. Besides its enormous size and unusual geographic location, at the time it was the nation's costliest tornado in raw dollars. Its 1,300 injuries were the 3rd worst in U.S. history (until the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado bumped it to number 4, where it still stands). The tally of 10,000 homeless stood unchallenged for 26 years until the '79 Wichita Falls storm.
However, the Worcester tornado's greatest effect on the nation was its being the principal catalyst for the Storm Prediction Center's reorganization on June 17, 1953, and subsequent implementation of a nationwide radar/storm spotter system. The results proved successful: since June 9, 1953, no single U.S. tornado had killed over 100 people until the Joplin, Missouri tornado of May 22, 2011.
The severity of this epic storm remained in dispute for a long period within the meteorological community. Official observations classified this tornado as F4, but damage was consistent with an F5 tornado in five of the affected towns (Rutland, Holden, Worcester, Shrewsbury and Westborough). As a result of this debate, the National Weather Service took an unprecedented step and convened a panel of weather experts during the spring of 2005 to study the latest evidence on the wind strength of the Worcester tornado. The panel considered whether to raise its designation to F5, but decided during the summer of 2005 to keep the official rating as a strong F4. The reasoning for this was that the anchoring techniques used in many of the destroyed or vanished homes could never now be ascertained with certainty, and some of these structures (many of recent postwar construction) were possibly more vulnerable to high winds than older homes. Without a proper engineering qualification, it would be nearly impossible to determine with 100% accuracy which damage was F5 and which was F4, as appearances would be similar.
Sources[edit]
Pletcher, Larry (2006). Massachusetts Disasters: True Stories of Tragedy and Survival. Globe Pequot. p. 240. ISBN 0-7627-3988-6.
Chittick, William F. (2003). The Worcester tornado: June 9, 1953. W.F. Chittick. p. 19.
Wallace Anthony F.C. 1956. Tornado in Worcester; an exploratory study of individual and community behavior in an extreme situation. NAS. http://www.archive.org/details/tornadoinworcest00wallrich Wallace's classic study on the impact of the Worcester tornado ]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b "The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes". National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
2.Jump up ^ A Look Back: The Worcester Tornado of 1953 Slide 45. National Weather Service, Taunton, Massachusetts
3.Jump up ^ Pletcher 2006, p.157
4.Jump up ^ "A Look Back: The Worcester Tornado of 1953". National Weather Service. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c "1953 Beecher Tornado: Aftermath". National Weather Service. Retrieved 31 July 2010.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Heidorn, Keith, C (June 1, 2003). "The Worcester Tornado of 1953". TheWeatherDoctor. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
7.Jump up ^ Pletcher 2006, p. 159
8.Jump up ^ Pletcher 2006, pp. 160—161
9.Jump up ^ Pletcher 2006, pp. 155-156
10.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
11.^ Jump up to: a b c O'Toole, John (1993). Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives. Chandler House Press. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
12.Jump up ^ The Evening Gazette (June 10, 1953). "Tornado". The Evening Gazette. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
External links[edit]
 KML file (edit) Display on Google Maps
Display on Bing Maps


Video of before the tornado, and damage following it (YouTube)
Slideshow of damage (City of Worcester)
Tornado in Worcester National Academy of Sciences: National Research Council
Video of the tornado in the Southborough area (YouTube)


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Categories: Tornadoes of 1953
Tornadoes in Massachusetts
1953 in Massachusetts
History of Worcester, Massachusetts



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Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak
1953 Beecher tornado near Lake Erie.jpg
An F4 tornado near Erie, Michigan.
Photo courtesy of NOAA

Date(s)
June 7–9, 1953
Duration
3 days
Tornadoes caused
46
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
$2.56 billion (2006 USD)
Casualties
245
The 1953 Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence was a devastating tornado outbreak sequence spanning three days, two of which featured tornadoes each causing at least 90 deaths—an F5 occurring in Flint, Michigan, on June 8, 1953, and an F4 in Worcester, Massachusetts, on June 9.[nb 1][nb 2] These tornadoes are among the deadliest in United States history and were caused by the same storm system that moved eastward across the nation. The tornadoes are also related together in the public mind because, for a brief period following the Worcester tornado, it was debated in the U.S. Congress whether recent atomic bomb testing in the upper atmosphere had caused the tornadoes. Congressman James E. Van Zandt (R-Penn.) was among several members of Congress who expressed their belief that the June 4th bomb testing created the tornadoes, which occurred far outside the traditional tornado alley. They demanded a response from the government. Meteorologists quickly dispelled such an assertion, and Congressman Van Zandt later retracted his statement.
The Flint-Worcester Tornadoes were the most infamous storms produced by a larger outbreak of severe weather that began in Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin, before moving across the Great Lakes states, and then into New York and New England. Other F3 and F4 tornadoes struck other locations in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire and Ohio.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Confirmed tornadoes 1.1 June 7 event
1.2 June 8 event
1.3 June 9 event
2 Flint tornado
3 Worcester tornado
4 1953 tornado season in perspective
5 See also
6 References 6.1 Bibliography
7 Notes
8 External links

Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
46 11 9 13 7 5 1
This chart shows the number of tornadoes spawned from the initial storm system.
June 7 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — June 7, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Kansas
F1 E of Morland Graham 1900 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 S of Hill City Graham 1900 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 S of Edmond Graham 1900 10.9 miles (17.5 km) 
F0 NE of Tampa to SW of Herington Marion, Dickinson 0445 12.6 miles (20.3 km) 
Colorado
F1 W of Julesburg Sedgwick 2000 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 N of Julesburg Sedgwick 2000 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 SW of Julesburg (1st tornado) Sedgwick 2200 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 SW of Julesburg (2nd tornado) Sedgwick 2200 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 NW of Julesburg Sedgwick 2200 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Nebraska
F2 NE of Mason City Custer, Sherman, Valley 2030 6.6 miles (10.6 km) Farm houses were destroyed and livestock were killed. Barns were leveled as well.
F2 NW of Giltner Hamilton 2100 6.6 miles (10.6 km) Tornado struck three farms, and roofs were torn off homes.
F0 S of Phillips Hamilton 2100 4.1 miles (6.6 km) 
F1 NE of Rising City to NW of Linwood Butler 2100 22.7 miles (36.5 km) Barns were destroyed on a dozen farms.
F4 NW of Loup City to SW of Ord Sherman, Valley 2115 15 miles (24 km) 11 deaths - Homes were completely leveled and a car was thrown a quarter mile through the air. Worst damage occurred near Arcadia, where a farm was swept away, killing a family of 10. Bodies were thrown up to half a mile away from the residence. Farm machinery was thrown as well.[3]
F2 E of Scotia to SW of Spalding Greeley 2200 20.1 miles (32.3 km) 
F2 NE of Octavia Butler 2200 6.9 miles (11.1 km) 
F3 NW of Albion Boone 2215 8 miles (13 km) A house was destroyed along with multiple barns. Paint was stripped from a tractor and livestock were killed.
F0 SE of Upland Franklin 2230 9 miles (14 km) 
F1 E of Macon Franklin 2300 15 miles (24 km) 
F2 SW of Battle Creek to S of Pierce Madison 2300 16.6 miles (26.7 km) 
F2 SW of Pierce to SW of Laurel Pierce, Cedar 2300 31 miles (50 km) Barns and outbuildings were destroyed on a dozen farms. Caused $31,000 in damage.
F1 N of Breslau Pierce 2310 8.2 miles (13.2 km) 
F0 SW of Martinsburg Dixon 2340 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F2 NW of Blair Washington 0045 4.1 miles (6.6 km) 
F0 S of Hooper Dodge 0100 1 mile (1.6 km) Farm buildings and barns were destroyed.
South Dakota
F0 N of Mitchell Davison 2345 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
Iowa
F2 NE of Westfield Plymouth 0015 11.3 miles (18.2 km) Barns were destroyed.
F2 N of Ida Grove to E of Fenton Ida, Sac, Pocahontas, Kossuth 0130 49.2 miles (79.2 km) Barns were destroyed
F2 N of Gowrie to SW of Olaf Webster, Hamilton, Wright 0300 49 miles (79 km) A church was lifted up and set down again. Barns were destroyed as well.
F3 W of Pomeroy to SE of Bode Calhoun, Pocahontas, Humboldt 0315 30.7 miles (49.4 km) 
F2 NE of Winterset to E of Walford Madison, Warren, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson 0315 116 miles (187 km) Several barns were destroyed.
F1 E of Boxholm Boone, Hamilton 0330 2.3 miles (3.7 km) 
Minnesota
F1 SE of Trimont to SE of Grogan Martin, Watonwan 0100 19.1 miles (30.7 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - June 7, 1953 Storm Data(Grazulis, 1993)[2]
June 8 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — June 8, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Michigan
F4 NE of Temperance Monroe 2315 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 4 deaths - 15 houses destroyed and 14 more damaged. Trucks and cars were hurled through the air.
F3 SW of Ann Arbor Washtenaw 0030 11.3 miles (18.2 km) 1 death - A large tree landed on one house. One house was leveled along with three barns.
F3 W of Milford Livingston, Oakland 0030 9.1 miles (14.6 km) Caused damage to several buildings at the GM Proving Grounds 5 miles west of Milford.
F2 E of Sand Lake to N of Oscoda Iosco 0040 16.6 miles (26.7 km) 4 deaths - Five vacation cabins were leveled, and six others were badly damaged. Rating disputed, ranked F3 by Grazulis.
F3 S of Spruce Alcona 0108 1.8 miles (2.9 km) Five large barns were destroyed and livestock were killed. Rated F2 by Grazulis.
F5 N of Flushing to N of Columbiaville Genesee, Lapeer 0130 18.9 miles (30.4 km) 116 deaths - See section on this tornado
F0 SW of Caseville Huron 0300 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F4 N of Kings Mill to N of Port Huron Lapeer, St. Clair 0330 33.8 miles (54.4 km) 1 death - Formed after the Flint tornado dissipated. Several homes and barns were blown away. One man was killed and several family members seriously injured near the St. Clair County line when their home was destroyed.
Ohio
F4 N of Deshler to Cleveland Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga 0000 118 miles (190 km) 18 deaths - Was likely a tornado family according to Grazulis, with the first one (F4+) touching down near Deshler, and striking the north edge of Cygnet, where homes were swept away at possible F5 intensity, and 8 people were killed. This first tornado destroyed a steel and concrete bridge as it passed near Jerry City. The second tornado (F3) touched down east of Kimball, passed south of Ceylon and ended near Vermilion, destroying multiple homes along the path and killing one person. The third tornado (F3) touched down south of Elyria, and tore across west Cleveland. It killed 7 and destroyed at least 100 homes before moving offshore into Lake Erie.
Source: Tornado History Project - June 8, 1953 Storm Data, NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993[2]
June 9 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — June 9, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Massachusetts
F4 W of Petersham to NE of Fayville Worcester 2025 34.9 miles (56.2 km) 90 deaths - See section on this tornado
F3 E of West Millbury to SE of Foxborough Worcester, Norfolk, Bristol 2130 28 miles (45 km) Cars and trucks were overturned and numerous trees were downed. Homes sustained roof and wall damage.
New Hampshire
F3 N of Exeter Rockingham 2120 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Fifteen homes and businesses had their roofs torn off in the Jady Hill area. The Exeter Country Club lodge was destroyed.
F1 W of South Berwick Strafford 2200 1 mile (1.6 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - June 9, 1953 Storm Data, NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993[2]
Flint tornado[edit]
Main article: 1953 Flint – Beecher tornado



 tornado track map, showing the times and paths of the June 8, 1953 tornadoes in the Flint, Michigan area, and around Lake Erie, in northern Ohio.
An F5 tornado hit Flint, Michigan on June 8, 1953.[4] The tornado moved east-northeast 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Flushing and devastated the north side of Flint and Beecher. The tornado first descended about 8:30 p.m. on a humid evening near a drive-in movie theater that was flickering to life at twilight time. Motorists in the drive-in began to flee in panic, creating many auto accidents on nearby roads. The tornado dissipated near Lapeer, Michigan. Nearly every home was destroyed on both sides of Coldwater Road. Multiple deaths were reported in 20 families, and it was reported that papers from Flint were deposited in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, some sixty miles east of Flint. Large sections of neighborhoods were completely swept away, with only foundations left. Trees were debarked and vehicles were thrown and mangled. One hundred and sixteen were killed,[5] making it the tenth deadliest tornado in U.S. history.[6] The death toll was surpassed by the 2011 Joplin tornado.[7] It is also one of only four F5 tornadoes ever to hit in Michigan. Another F5 would hit in Hudsonville on April 3, 1956.[2]
Worcester tornado[edit]
Main article: 1953 Worcester Tornado



 Damage at Assumption College
The storm system that created the Flint tornado moved eastward over southern Ontario and Lake Erie during the early morning hours of June 9. As radar was still primitive (or nonexistent) in 1953, inadequate severe weather predictions resulted.(Even during the Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974, weather radar was still not up to this task; that outbreak resulted in a technological upgrade.) The Weather Bureau in Buffalo, New York merely predicted thunderstorms and said that "a tornado may occur." As early as 10 A.M., however, the Weather Bureau in Boston anticipated the likelihood of tornadic conditions that afternoon but feared the word "tornado" would strike panic in the public, and refrained from using it. Instead, as a compromise, they issued New England's first-ever severe thunderstorm watch.[8]
Rain fell across Worcester County throughout the day on June 9.[9] In New York, a strong cluster of thunderstorms began to build, moving eastward into Massachusetts. At approximately 4:25 pm (EST), a funnel cloud formed near the Quabbin Reservoir near New Salem.[10] Very soon after, a tornado spawned from the funnel cloud, touching down in a forest outside of the rural community of Petersham. The tornado then proceeded to pass through a farm field, where it struck a farmhouse and killed two people. As the storm moved eastward at approximately 35 mph (58 km/h), it hit the towns of Rutland and Holden, where 11 people were killed in total.[8](Grazulis, 1993)[2]
At about 5:00 pm, the tornado moved into the city of Worcester, alarming many residents. According to eyewitness accounts, the storm moved in extremely quickly, shocking the townsfolk. "I saw it grow noticeably darker," said eyewitness George Carlson, "Then it hit. Houses tumbled, trees fell, and it was all over. The tornado was definitely discernible. Like when you can see the lines of rain in an approaching rainstorm," he added.[11] The tornado, which had grown to a mile (1.6 km) wide, destroyed several structures in Northern Worcester, including parts of Assumption College. Other major structures included a newly built factory and a large residential development. Residential areas were devastated, where entire rows of homes swept away at possible F5 intensity.[2]
The funnel maintained its 1-mile width as it passed throughout much of Shrewsbury, and still did a high amount of damage when it moved through downtown Westborough, where it began curving towards the northeast in its final leg.[12] In the storm's final moments, 3 were killed when Fayville Post Office in Southborough collapsed.[12] Around the time it ended 5:45 pm, a tornado warning was issued, although by then it was too late.[12]
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Massachusetts 90 Worcester 90
Michigan 125 Genesee 116
Iosco 4
Monroe 4
Washtenaw 1
Nebraska 11 Valley 11
Ohio 17 Cuyahoga 6
Erie 2
Henry 5
Lorain 1
Wood 3
Totals 247 
All deaths were tornado-related
1953 tornado season in perspective[edit]



 Damage in Beecher, Michigan
The year 1953 saw some of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history, including the Waco Tornado that hit on May 11, the Flint tornado of June 8, and the Worcester tornado on June 9. These 3 storms were also unique in occurring within a 30-day period.
Other severe tornadoes of 1953 hit Warner Robins, Georgia in April, San Angelo, Texas in May (same day as Waco), Port Huron, Michigan also in May, Cleveland in June (same day as Flint), and Vicksburg, Mississippi in December.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Harold E. Brooks; Joseph T. Schaefer. "Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875-2003)". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
3.Jump up ^ http://www3.gendisasters.com/kansas/5276/arcadia,-ne-tornado-destroys-farm-house,-june-1953
4.Jump up ^ "Southeast Michigan Tornado Climatology". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
5.Jump up ^ "1953 Beecher Tornado". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
6.Jump up ^ "The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes". National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
7.Jump up ^ "Joplin, Mo., single deadliest tornado since 1950". CBS News.
8.^ Jump up to: a b O'Toole, John (1993). Tornado! 84 Minutes, 94 Lives. Chandler House Press. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
9.Jump up ^ Pletcher 2006 p. 155
10.Jump up ^ http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/through_history_massachusetts.html
11.Jump up ^ Wheeler, James R. (June 10, 1953). "Randall Street homes grim reminders of death, destruction". Worcester Telegram. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
12.^ Jump up to: a b c Chittick, William F. (2003). The Worcester tornado: June 9, 1953. W.F. Chittick. p. 19.
Bibliography[edit]
Chittick, William F. (2003). The Worcester Tornado, June 9, 1953. Bristol, RI: Private Publication.
Chittick, William F. (2005). What Is So Rare As A Day In June: The Worcester Tornado, June 9, 1953. Bristol, RI: Multimedia Presentation.
O'Toole, John M. (1993). Tornado! 84 minutes, 94 lives. Worcester: Chandler House Press. ISBN 0-9636277-0-8

Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) modern records that began in 1950, is defined as, at most, two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
2.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1953 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
External links[edit]
Full map of Flint-Worcester tornado outbreak Tornado History Project
Video interview of tornado survivor (and nurse) who tended to injured
Beecher Tornado - Flint Public Library Archive
Beecher Tornado - Flint Journal Beecher Tornado Anniversary
1953 Worcester Tornado Slideshow - City of Worcester
Worcester Telegram and Gazette site on Worcester tornado
The Worcester Tornado of 1953
June 7-9, 1953 — The Flint – Worcester Outbreak (Shawn Schuman)
Worcester, MA Terrible Tornado Death and Damage, June 1953 at GenDisasters.com
Flint and Other Towns, MI and OH Tornadoes, June 1953 at GenDisasters.com

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1953
Tornadoes in Massachusetts
Tornadoes in Michigan
Tornadoes in Nebraska
Tornadoes in Ohio
Tornadoes in New Hampshire
1953 in the United States
History of Worcester, Massachusetts
Flint, Michigan


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1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi tornadoes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The 1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi tornadoes were a deadly severe weather event that affected northeastern Louisiana, southeastern Arkansas, and western Mississippi on December 5, 1953. At least four confirmed tornadoes touched down; one of the tornadoes produced F5 damage on the Fujita scale as it moved through the city of Vicksburg, causing 38 deaths in the area. It remains the fourth-deadliest tornado to affect the U.S. state of Mississippi, behind the 1840 Natchez tornado, the 1936 Tupelo, Mississippi, tornado, and the March 3, 1966, tornado in Jackson, Mississippi. It is one of just four F5 tornadoes recorded in Mississippi since 1950.


Contents  [hide]
1 Summary
2 Tornado table 2.1 December 5 event
3 References

Summary[edit]
The first tornado touched down near Bernice, Louisiana, and moved northeast to the Mount Union area, injuring 16 people.[1] The second tornado featured the longest continuous track of the event, traveling 58.3 miles (93.8 km) across northeastern Louisiana and southeastern Arkansas.[1] Both tornadoes caused damage equivalent to F2 intensity. The third tornado became the deadliest event during the outbreak. It touched down over the Mississippi River and moved northeast across the city of Vicksburg, dissipating south of Villanova, Mississippi. The tornado was preceded by heavy rains as it moved through the city.[1] Twelve blocks of the city's business district were affected by the tornado, and fires also burned cotton.[2] The tornado broke the city's gas line, and it remained out of service after repairs.[3] Residents were forced to avoid cooked food as temperatures dropped to 31°F overnight on December 6.[3] In total, 270 people received injuries.[1] The tornado is officially estimated to have been a F5 tornado on the Fujita scale; however, the rating is questionable, since the tornado demolished frail structures.[4] The final tornado of the day produced F2 damage and caused 11 injuries near the Mississippi River in Coahoma County, Mississippi.[1] In addition, severe thunderstorm winds injured seven people near Clarksdale, Mississippi.[5]
Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
4 0 0 3 0 0 1
December 5 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - December 5, 1953

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Louisiana
F2 S of Bernice to S of Mount Union Union 2200 9.7 miles (15.6 km) 
F2 N of Spencer to NNW of Cosgrove, AR Union, Morehouse, Ashley (AR) 2300 58.3 miles (93.8 km) Heavy damages to homes were reported near Spencer and Rocky Branch. 11 injuries were confirmed.[6] 21 or more homes destroyed in Louisiana and nine west and northwest of Montrose, Arkansas. Possibly F3 in intensity as one source indicates.[4]
Mississippi
F5 Vicksburg to S of Villanova Warren 2345 9 miles (14 km) 38 deaths - The tornado destroyed electrical services to the city, and it also initiated several fires.[6][7] Buildings were "shambles" along four city blocks, and the downtown business district was adversely affected. Many automobiles were submerged by debris.[6] 937 buildings were demolished or received damage, while nearly 1,300 people lost their homes. Damages approached $25 million (1953 USD). F5 rating is disputed due to the frail nature of the structures destroyed.[2][4]
F2 SW of Sherard to SE of Ragan Coahoma 0215 8.2 miles (13.2 km) 
Sources: NCDC Storm Event Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e "NCDC Storm Event Database". Archived from the original on 2008-08-12. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
2.^ Jump up to: a b The Associated Press (1953). "28 Killed, 230 Hurt as Twister Shakes City of Vicksburg". Beckley Post-Herald. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
3.^ Jump up to: a b The Associated Press (1953). "Tornado". Newport Daily News. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films.
5.Jump up ^ "230 Injured as Tornado Rips Vicksburg, Miss.". Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c "More Than 100". Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
7.Jump up ^ "Vicksburg Storm". Charleston Daily Mail. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1953
Tornadoes in Louisiana
Tornadoes in Mississippi
Tornadoes in Arkansas
1953 in the United States
1953 in Louisiana
1953 in Arkansas
1953 in Mississippi


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1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak
55Udalltornadodamage.JPG
Damage from the Udall Tornado

Date(s)
May 25–26, 1955
Duration
~1¼ day
Tornadoes caused
46
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
unknown
Casualties
102
The 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck the southern and central U.S Great Plains States on May 25–26, 1955. It produced at least 46 tornadoes across seven states including two F5 tornadoes in Blackwell, Oklahoma, and Udall, Kansas. The outbreak killed 102 from three tornadoes while injuring hundreds more. Unusual electromagnetic activity was observed, including St. Elmo's fire.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table 1.1 May 25 event
1.2 May 26 event
2 Blackwell-Udall tornadoes
3 Other tornadoes
4 See also
5 References
6 Bibliography
7 External links

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
46 11 17 13 3 1 2
Sources: [1], [2]

May 25 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — May 25, 1955

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Texas
F4 SW of Aberdeen to S of Dempsey, OK Collingsworth, Wheeler, Roger Mills (OK) 2117 45.1 miles (72.6 km) 2 deaths - 13 farm homes were destroyed, some of which were swept away. 100 cattle were killed and a car was carried 700 feet (0.13 mi). Damage $500,000 with F4 damage in both Oklahoma and Kansas (Grazulis 1991).
F0 SE of Sterling City Sterling 0000 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 E of Rotan Fisher 0430 0.3 miles (480 m) 
F2 SW of Benjamin Knox 0530 11.9 miles (19.2 km) Tornado destroyed a barn and also caused damage to two homes (Grazulis 1991).
F2 Wichita Falls area Wichita 0738 1.3 miles (2.1 km) 
Oklahoma
F1 E of Shattuck Ellis 0000 4.9 miles (7.9 km) 
F1 NE of Rush Springs Grady 0000 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 NE of Mayfield Beckham 0005 3.8 miles (6.1 km) 
F1 NE of Kingfisher Kinfisher 0100 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 NE of Camargo Dewey 0230 5.1 miles (8.2 km) Tornado hit homes, destroying five, as well as an occupied trailer. It destroyed the trailer and severely injured its occupant (Grazulis 1991).
F3 S of Deer Creek Grant 0300 13.3 miles (21.4 km) A house and several rural buildings were destroyed. One person was injured. Tornado may have been only F2 in intensity (Grazulis 1991).
F2 NE of Tonkawa Kay 0300 2.7 miles (4.3 km) Tornado destroyed four or more homes plus numerous barns and granaries. May have been as strong as F3 in intensity (Grazulis 1991).
F5 NE of Tonkawa to South Haven, KS Kay, Sumner (KS) 0326 28.4 miles (45.7 km) 20 deaths - See section on this tornado
F5 E of Peckham to NE of Atlanta, KS Kay, Sumner (KS), Cowley (KS) 0400 56.4 miles (90.8 km) 80 deaths - See section on this tornado
F1 W of Martha Jackson 0500 6.2 miles (10.0 km) 
Kansas
F1 NW of Antonino Ellis 0140 0.1 miles (160 m)
Source: Tornado History Project - May 25, 1955 Storm Data, Grazulis 1991
May 26 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes — May 26, 1955

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Oklahoma
F0 Velma area Stephens 0830 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 N of Chickasha Grady 0830 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 South Oklahoma City area Oklahoma 0900 0.5 miles (800 m) 
F1 E of Moore Cleveland 0900 11.6 miles (18.7 km) 
F0 SW of Shawnee Pottawatomie 0930 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 Cushing area Payne 1000 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 Durant area Bryan 1120 4.5 miles (7.2 km) 
F1 Sallisaw to NE of Stony Point Sequoyah 1245 14.2 miles (22.9 km) 
Missouri
F1 Joplin area Jasper 1300 2.7 miles (4.3 km) 
F1 SW of Clarksburg Moniteau 1545 0.2 miles (320 m) 
F0 N of Norborne Carroll 0000 0.2 miles (320 m) Tornado unroofed and shifted a farmhouse 20 feet (6.7 yd) off its foundation. Touchdown was very brief, may have caused F2 damage due to its removing of the roof (Grazulis 1991).
F1 SW of Koshkonong Howell 0100 2 miles (3.2 km) 
F1 SW of Linneus (1st tornado) Linn 0100 0.2 miles (320 m) 
F0 SW of Linneus (2nd tornado) Linn 0100 0.2 miles (320 m) 
F2 N of Worthington Schuyler 0200 11.7 miles (18.8 km) Tornado snapped hundreds of trees and destroyed many homes on five separate farms. A couple were injured as their home was nearly leveled, indicating possible F3 damage (Grazulis 1991).
Texas
F0 Corsicana area Navarro 1430 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Illinois
F2 E of Coatsburg Adams 1750 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F2 SE of Pekin Tazewell 2049 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F1 Burbank area Cook 2200 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F1 W of Filckerville to W of Beecher Kankakee, Will 2230 18.7 miles (30.1 km) 
Kansas
F2 E of Osage City to Leavenworth Osage, Douglas, Leavenworth 0627 66.2 miles (106.5 km) Tornado leveled barns and produced $200,000 in rural farm damage. It followed a skipping path and thus may have been a tornado family (Grazulis 1991).
F0 N of McPherson McPherson 1900 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 W of St. Joseph, MO Doniphan 2330 0.1 miles (160 m) 8 buildings on a farm were destroyed. 2 other farms were also damaged.
F0 S of Redfield Bourbon 0030 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 NW of Baxter Springs Cherokee 0100 0.1 miles (160 m) 
Arkansas
F3 Jessieville area to NW of Pinnacle Garland, Saline 2245 28.8 miles (46.3 km) Tornado caused damage to 23 homes, primarily in the community of Blakely. Total losses $200,000. Tornado may have only reached F2 intensity (Grazulis 1991).
F2 SE of Pleasant Valley Perry 2320 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Tornado hit 11 barns, destroying five of them (Grazulis 1991).
F2 SW of Weldon Woodruff, Jackson 0220 7.5 miles (12.1 km) Tornado destroyed six homes and damaged 25 in its path (Grazulis 1991).
Nebraska
F1 SE of Hubbard Dakota 2300 4.3 miles (6.9 km) 
F2 NE of Wayne Wayne 2330 6.5 miles (10.5 km) The tornado hit five farm sites, destroying buildings on each of them (Grazulis 1991).
Source: Tornado History Project - May 26, 1955 Storm Data, Grazulis 1991
Blackwell-Udall tornadoes[edit]
The Blackwell tornado formed in Noble County at around 9:00 PM CDT before crossing through the eastern portions of the Kay County town of Blackwell as an F5 wedge tornado. Then about 400 yd (0.23 mi) wide (Grazulis 1991), It claimed the lives of 20 people in Blackwell and injured over 200 before crossing into and dissipating over Cowley County, Kansas. Along with destroying nearly 200 homes,[2] the tornado also demolished the town's main employers including the Acme Foundry and the Hazel Atlas Glass plant. 400 homes were destroyed or swept away, and 500 other homes were damaged.[2] 60 businesses were also destroyed and the local hospital also sustained major damage. Most of the western half of the town was spared the worst of the damage.[2]
30 minutes later, the same supercell that spawned the Blackwell tornado produced another violent tornado just east of the first tornado track near the Kansas/Oklahoma border. It proceeded northward across Sumner and Cowley Counties. The town of Udall was especially hard hit with F5 damage that included the disintegration of numerous structures and homes all across the town. Even the town's water tower was toppled. The funnel, about 1,300 yd (0.74 mi) wide, hit Udall at around 10:30 PM CDT. Half of the town's population was killed or injured. Numerous homes and businesses were destroyed, many of which were swept away. Vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition, including a pickup truck that was wrapped around a tree and stripped of everything but its frame and tires.[2] The Udall public school building sustained major damage, with beams snapped and blown away.[3][4][5] The tornado later dissipated after traveling over 50 mi (80 km) from the Oklahoma border to southeast of Wichita. This tornado was the deadliest in the state's history with 80 fatalities and over 200 injured.
In addition NWS officials confirmed an additional F2 tornado near Tonkawa which may have been either part of the Blackwell tornado or a satellite tornado. Other tornadoes in the region occurred on May 27 near the same region but did little damage. Among them were those produced by a thunderstorm which traveled through the Oklahoma City area, where it produced weak tornadoes with minimal damage in the towns of Norman and Chickasha.
Other tornadoes[edit]
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Kansas 80 Cowley 75
Sumner 5
Oklahoma 22 Kay 20
Roger Mills 2
Totals 102 
All deaths were tornado-related
Another deadly tornado occurred south of Woodward and at Cheyenne in Roger Mills County in southwestern Oklahoma, killing two people. This storm originated from the Texas panhandle. The final tornado in the hardest-hit region occurred during the early morning hours of May 26 when a weak tornado occurred in Salisaw in Sequoyah near the Arkansas border.
Numerous tornadoes occurred across the Midwestern states from Arkansas to Illinois. The strongest tornado was located near the Little Rock area but no fatalities were reported with this tornado or any other on May 26.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of F5 tornadoes
Radio atmospheric
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Storm Electricity Aspects of the Blackwell/Udall Storm of 25 May 1955 - Don Burgess, University of Oklahoma (CIMMS)
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
3.Jump up ^ "The Indefinitive List of the Strongest Tornadoes Ever Recorded (Pre-1970): Part II |". Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-06-23.
4.Jump up ^ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/udall/udall.php
5.Jump up ^ http://www.kansas.com/2010/02/10/1174869/1955-udall-tornado.html
Bibliography[edit]
Thomas P. Grazulis (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991, A Chronology and Analysis of Events. The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-00-7 (hardcover).
External links[edit]
Tornado Table from NWS Norman, Oklahoma
Outbreak Summary from NWS Norman, Oklahoma
NWS Wichita, Kansas page on the Udall tornado
Full map of 1955 Great Plains tornado outbreak Tornado History Project

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1955
Tornadoes in Kansas
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
1955 in the United States


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April 1956 tornado outbreak
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Jump to: navigation, search

April 1956 tornado outbreak

Date(s)
April 2–3, 1956
Duration
~2 days
Tornadoes caused
47 confirmed
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Casualties
40
The April 1956 tornado outbreak was a large, deadly tornado outbreak that affected the Great Plains, parts of the South, and the upper Midwest in the contiguous United States. Occurring from April 2–3, 1956, the outbreak produced 47 tornadoes, including an F5 tornado that devastated the Hudsonville and Standale areas in the U.S. state of Michigan on April 3. It was one of three tornadoes to move across southwest Lower Michigan on that day. A fourth tornado struck north of the Manistee area. The Hudsonville-Standale tornado killed 18 and injured 340. In addition to confirmed tornadoes, there were several unconfirmed but possible tornadoes. An F2 may have hit east of Ogdensburg, Wisconsin, destroying a general store and a rural school. Nine barns were damaged or destroyed as well.[1] A tornado may have also overturned two buildings and uprooted trees near Pana, Illinois.[2] In addition to a confirmed F2 tornado near Topeka, Indiana, two other unconfirmed tornadoes may have hit northwest of LaGrange and at Emma, destroying or damaging numerous buildings, including a home and a barn that were blown down, and throwing (but not injuring) two people from a horse and buggy.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 April 2
3.2 April 3
4 Notable tornadoes 4.1 Hudsonville/Standale, Michigan
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References 7.1 Bibliography
8 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
Outbreak death toll
State
Total
County
County
 total
Kansas 2 Cowley 1
Elk 1
Kentucky 1 Webster 1
Michigan 20 Benzie 2
Kent 4
Ottawa 14
Oklahoma 5 Creek 5
Tennessee 3 Henderson 3
Wisconsin 9 Portage 2
Green Lake 7
Totals 40 
All deaths were tornado-related
Tuesday, April 3, 1956, was a warm and humid day across most of the Midwestern U.S., the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Temperatures in the areas affected by the worst of the outbreak were well into the 70s°F, approaching 80°F with high dew points. A low pressure system with a strong cold front located across the western Great Lakes was moving to the northeast. The front was already responsible for deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas on April 2 in which seven people were killed by the storms. Early on the afternoon of April 3, thunderstorms were already starting to form across Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, with the first deadly tornado reported in Wisconsin. A powerful F4 tornado struck the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, in which seven people were killed and a large portion of Berlin destroyed. Prior to the arrival of the storms in the Midwest, schools had closed earlier than usual due to the threat of severe weather.[3]
Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
47 1 4 9 18 9 5 1
These tornadoes were part of a tornado outbreak that took place on April 2–3, 1956, across the U.S Midwest and the Great Lakes regions. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Berlin, Wisconsin, three people were killed in Tennessee, one person in Kentucky and two more people in Wisconsin. In total, 40 were killed during the entire event.
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
April 2[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 2, 1956

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Missouri
F1 SE of Allendale Worth 0700 2.7 miles (4.3 km) A tornado hit three farms, destroying outbuildings at several locations.[2]
Illinois
F1 Wilmette Cook 0730 2 miles (3.2 km) Brief touchdown documented by drop in barometric pressure.[2]
Oklahoma
F1 Owasso Tulsa 1630 0.3 miles (480 m) Two outbuildings were destroyed in a brief touchdown.[2]
F3 NW of Dacoma to Burlington Woods, Alfalfa 0105 20 miles (32 km) A tornado damaged 11 farms in its path. Five homes were destroyed and 15 were damaged near Hopeton. 11 boxcars were overturned as well.[4]
F2 W of Kremlin to SW of Medford Garfield, Grant 0145 18.4 miles (29.6 km) A tornado developed north of Enid, striking eight farms in its path. One home was destroyed at the end of the path. According to tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis, the tornado was at least F3 in intensity, as two of the farms reportedly sustained near-F4-level damage.[4]
F2 W of Tonkawa Kay 0245 0.1 miles (160 m) All buildings except the farmhouse were destroyed on a farm. Chickens were killed, and farm machinery was destroyed.[2] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[4]
F1 N of Tishomingo Johnston 0329 8 miles (13 km) Many outbuildings, a metal fence, and a concession stand at a drive-in theater were destroyed.[2]
F2 Skedee to E of Fairfax Pawnee, Osage 0330 12.6 miles (20.3 km) One home was destroyed and two homes had their roofs torn off. Barns were destroyed and livestock were killed as well.[4] The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis.
F4 NE of Kildare to Gridley, KS Kay, Cowley (KS), Chautauqua (KS), Elk (KS), Greenwood (KS), Woodson (KS), Coffey (KS) 0330 108.3 miles (174.3 km) 2 deaths – A long-tracked tornado family of at least two tornadoes—both of which were themselves tornado families—began near Newkirk, Oklahoma.[4] The first tornado (F4) quickly intensified to near-F5 intensity just south of the Oklahoma–Kansas state line. In the area, one home was completely swept away and many trees were debarked.[4] A savings bond from that home was found near Williamsburg, Kansas—more than 100 mi (160 km) from its origin. In Kansas, the F4 tornado passed south of Maple City, east of Grenola, and northwest of Howard.[4] Near Maple City and Otto, a plastic belt was found embedded in a broken tree.[2] F4 damage was reported south of Grenola before the tornado lifted near Howard. The second tornado (F4) formed southwest of Toronto, leveling a seven-room home just north of town.[4] A trailer was destroyed as well, killing a baby inside. Its body was allegedly found 1 mi (1.6 km) away.[4]
F3 E of Fowler to Drumright Lincoln, Creek 0333 42.6 miles (68.6 km) 5 deaths – A long-tracked tornado began near Jacktown and moved north-northeast to Davenport.[4] Eight members of a family were injured in Davenport. The tornado passed west of Stroud and continued into Drumright.[4] In Drumright, 63 homes were destroyed and 203 damaged, with five deaths, four of which were in one family. A church and numerous rural farms were destroyed as well.[4] The tornado was rated F4 by Grazulis.
Kansas
F0 NW of Pawnee Rock Barton 0000 0.1 miles (160 m) A farm was damaged.[2]
F3 NW of Claflin to W of Holyrood Ellsworth 0045 5.4 miles (8.7 km) A tornado touched down at 6:45 p.m. CST northwest of Claflin, damaging communication lines outside town.[2] The tornado then struck an oil camp near State Highway 4, damaging small homes.[4] Near Holyrood, the tornado shifted five homes on their foundations, and a gymnasium and bleachers were "torn apart."[4] The tornado produced minimal F2 damage according to Grazulis.
F0 NW of Attica Harper 0110 0.1 miles (160 m) A brief tornado "twisted" buildings and uprooted trees.[2]
F? N of Hunter Mitchell 0130 3.4 miles (5.5 km) A tornado damaged farm buildings and transmission lines.[2]
F3 Ellinwood to NW of Holyrood Barton, Rice, Ellsworth 0230 20.1 miles (32.3 km) This tornado touched down on the northwest side of Ellinwood at 8:30 p.m. CST, where it caused F1 damage[4] to six planes and two hangars, resulting in $30,000 damage.[2] This storm followed the same path as the first Holyrood event.
F1 NE of Whitewater to SE of Florence Butler, Marion 0330 22.9 miles (36.9 km) Barns were destroyed and had their debris scattered for miles.[4] A stone weighing 90 pounds (41 kg) was dropped through a roof.[2] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.[4] This tornado may have been in the same family as the next event.[2]
F3 E of Florence to E of Effingham Marion, Chase, Lyon, Wabaunsee 0330 127 miles (204 km) This long-tracked tornado family of five or more tornadoes began near Cedar Point, where it unroofed a home and destroyed a barn.[4][2] The first member of the family lifted near Cedar Point, and the second tornado developed west of Strong City. Near Strong City, a car was thrown 250 feet (83 yd), injuring the driver.[4] This tornado then lifted and reformed into a third tornado that passed west of Bushong, west of Harveyville, and north of Dover. South of Bushong, a boy was blown through a window and injured his leg.[4] Near Dunlap, the tornado destroyed 16 cottages on Lake Kahola. A fourth tornado likely developed east of Harveyville and passed west of Auburn and through Seabrook.[2] In Seabrook, the tornado broke glass, blew out bricks, and damaged trees and TV aerials. This tornado soon dissipated, and a fifth tornado (F3) touched down near Meriden, passing east of Rock Creek and east of Valley Falls before lifting northwest of Nortonville.[4] F3 damage only occurred in the final 20 mi (32 km) of the path as the tornado destroyed farms and killed cattle, including 19 in a single barn. Damage near Nortonville reached $250,000.[4]
Nebraska
F2 SE of Auburn Nemaha 0445 2.3 miles (3.7 km) A garage was destroyed.[2] The tornado was not listed as significant by Grazulis.[4]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 3[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 3, 1956

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Oklahoma
F3 SE of Sobol Pushmataha 0605 2 miles (3.2 km) All buildings on a farm were destroyed and a school was damaged. This event was listed as an F2 by Grazulis.[4]
F4 SW of Narcissa to Baxter Springs, KS to SE of Carterville, MO Ottawa, Cherokee (KS), Jasper (MO) 0610 41.8 miles (67.3 km) A large, violent, long-tracked tornado touched down just after midnight local time and struck the towns of Miami, Quapaw, and Baxter Springs.[4] F4 damage occurred in Miami and Quapaw, with 46 injuries[2] and 56 homes damaged or destroyed in Miami alone.[4] The tornado destroyed five more homes in Quapaw, with total Oklahoma losses estimated at $500,000.[2] The tornado then crossed the Oklahoma–Kansas state line into Baxter Springs, destroying 14 homes, damaging 13, and causing $125,000 damage, with six injuries reported.[4] A baseball grandstand was destroyed, and trees were uprooted as well.[2] The tornado crossed into Missouri west of Joplin and passed through Webb City,[4] damaging 30 homes and several businesses.[2]
Missouri
F1 NW of Sulphur Springs McDonald 0630 8.8 miles (14.2 km) Homes sustained roof damage and five barns were destroyed.[4] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
Wisconsin
F2 SE of Avoca Iowa 1700 3 miles (4.8 km) A tornado leveled two barns, one of which had its cement block foundation torn out.[1]
F2 N of Plainfield to NW of Amherst Junction Portage 1850 18.2 miles (29.3 km) 2 deaths – Homes and barns were destroyed at eight different locations. The deaths were each in separate buildings. The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis.[1]
F4 SW of Berlin to NW of Omro Green Lake, Waushara, Winnebago 1945 11.5 miles (18.5 km) 7 deaths – A factory and at least 20 homes were destroyed, some of which were leveled. Light items from Berlin were found up to 75 miles (121 km) away.[1]
Arkansas
F2 N of Thebes Ashley 1825 2.1 miles (3.4 km) A tornado damaged a home and destroyed a barn and some sheds.[2] The tornado was not listed as significant by Grazulis.[1]
F2 NE of Portland Chicot 1900 1 mile (1.6 km) Two homes were destroyed and two others were damaged. Barns and outbuildings were destroyed as well.[1]
Mississippi
F2 W of Sunflower to Saltillo Sunflower, Leflore, Grenada, Yalobusha, Calhoun, Lee 2030 124.9 miles (201.0 km) A long-tracked tornado family began near Lynn, southwest of Ruleville, where at least one home was destroyed.[1] A separate touchdown near Chesterville passed through Belden and Saltillo, destroying four homes and a school gymnasium.[5]
F2 Cedarbluff to W of West Point Clay 0130 5.1 miles (8.2 km) Two churches along with several homes and barns were destroyed. Livestock was killed as well.[5]
Illinois
F2 Lawrenceville Lawrence 2030 3.3 miles (5.3 km) A "large building" was destroyed and a concrete building was damaged, with lumber scattered.[2] Several windows were broken as well.[2] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[1]
F2 SE of Kempton Ford 2200 2 miles (3.2 km) A chicken coop was destroyed, a barn was unroofed, windows were broken, and other buildings were damaged.[2] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[1]
F2 SW of Weldon to E of De Land De Witt, Piatt 2208 9.5 miles (15.3 km) Roofs were torn off homes. Buildings were destroyed on four farms as well.[1]
F1 SE of Cadwell to SE of Arthur Moultrie, Douglas 2300 4.5 miles (7.2 km) 
Kentucky
F3 NE of Dixon to Zion Webster, Henderson 2200 22.9 miles (36.9 km) 1 death – One home and several barns were destroyed. Livestock were killed as well. The lone victim was thrown 350 feet (117 yd) from her home.[1]
F0 SW of Pride Union 2330 0.1 miles (160 m) A brief tornado, probably spawned by the same storm that hit Zion, damaged several residences, a barn, and a garage.[2]
Tennessee
F4 Lexington area Henderson 2245 11.6 miles (18.7 km) 3 deaths – A violent tornado destroyed 46 homes and two businesses in Lexington. In the town, 20 businesses and 250 homes were damaged. Bodies were thrown 100 yards (91 m) from a home that "'exploded'."[5]
F1 W of Sulphura Sumner 0145 0.2 miles (320 m) Several homes and two barns were destroyed.[2]
Indiana
F2 SW of Poland Tippecanoe 2300 0.1 miles (160 m) A brief tornado unroofed a barn and tore off some roof shingles from a farmhouse. A window was blown out as well.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[5]
F2 W of Salem Washington 2345 0.1 miles (160 m) A brief tornado touched down just west of Salem, shifting a large bridge. It destroyed or damaged more than 100 structures in Salem and destroyed numerous barns.[5] One of the victims later died in another tornado on March 19, 1963. The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis.[5] The tornado may have continued to Canton, hitting a church and a school. A freezer was reportedly thrown .5 mi (0.80 km).[5]
F3 NE of Gilead Kosciusko 0104 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Five cottages were leveled and five others were damaged. The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.[5]
F2 E of Delong Fulton 0130 4.1 miles (6.6 km) Many barns were damaged.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[5]
F1 SW of Wawaka Noble 0150 0.1 miles (160 m) A brief tornado damaged or destroyed six barns, lifting one onto a highway. Another barn "'disintegrated'."[5] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
F2 SW of Lagrange LaGrange 0205 0.1 miles (160 m) Homes were moved, damaged, and unroofed, and four barns were destroyed.[5] As many as three tornadoes may have hit LaGrange County.[2]
F2 W of Boston Wayne 0230 0.1 miles (160 m) Homes and farms were damaged.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[5]
Michigan
F5 Saugatuck to Hudsonville to S of Lakeview Allegan, Ottawa, Kent, Montcalm 2240 58.8 miles (94.6 km) 17 deaths – See section on this tornado – Officially listed as a single tornado, but may have been a tornado family of two or more tornadoes, one of which was an F4 and the other an F5.[6] The first (F4) tornado may have lifted near Holland, passing aloft over Zeeland[7] before touching down as a second (F5) tornado just east of town.[8] The second tornado then continued northeast before lifting northeast of Trufant.
F4 NW of Onekama to E of Suttons Bay Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau 2335 50.3 miles (81.0 km) 1 death – This possible tornado family destroyed 13 homes and at least 26 barns before ending over Grand Traverse Bay.[6][5] Two homes in Benzie County were leveled to the ground, one of which was a multi-story building in which one person died.[6] Other homes were reported destroyed in Lake Ann, southeast of Solon, and in Cedar Run.[6] One barn was also destroyed at Bear Lake.[5] Two people (officially only one) may have died.[5] The tornado affected very rural areas for most of its life, and was rated F3 by Grazulis.[5]
F3 S of Bangor to S of Lowell Van Buren, Allegan, Barry, Kent 0015 60.6 miles (97.5 km) This "minimal"[5] F3 tornado began on the south side of Bangor and gradually intensified. Near the Van Buren–Allegan County line, it leveled a farmhouse and swept away several small cottages.[6] The tornado also hit the edge of Bloomingdale.[5] In Allegan, the tornado mostly unroofed a factory and a road commission building, and at least 12 farms reported severe losses to livestock.[6] Afterward, the tornado weakened, turned to the right, and lifted before reforming into a new tornado, as no structural damage occurred and damage to vegetation was lighter than elsewhere along the path.[6][5] The second tornado then re-intensified before badly damaging many farms in Barry and Kent Counties before dissipating near Lowell.[6] In all, the tornado (or tornado family) destroyed 29 homes,[5] one of which was totally leveled in F4 fashion but could not be rated as such due to lack of information about construction quality.[6]
Ohio
F0 Jenera Hancock 0130 0.1 miles (160 m) Brief touchdown was originally only listed as a funnel cloud aloft.[2]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

Notable tornadoes[edit]
Hudsonville/Standale, Michigan[edit]
By late afternoon, the cold front crossed over the western Great Lakes including Lake Michigan. Just before 5:00 PM CST, a tornado touched down on the beach near Saugatuck, Michigan, and proceeded 9 mi (14 km), producing F4 damage and injuring seven people while destroying barns, outbuildings and garages.[7][6] The tornado destroyed multiple homes, some of which were swept away. The historic lighthouse on the shore near Saugatuck was also leveled by the winds.[6] Some reports indicate that the tornado dissipated near Holland and formed into a new, more powerful tornado southwest of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area at around 6:30 PM.[7][8] Officially, however, a single continuous track is listed. Beginning in Vriesland in Ottawa County, the F5 tornado moved northeast for 52 mi (84 km) over areas just north and west of Grand Rapids, causing extensive devastation to Hudsonville, Standale and suburban areas of Grand Rapids.[8] Homes in the Hudsonville area were cleanly swept away from their foundations, with only small pieces of debris recovered in some locations. At least one home was so obliterated that all the floor tiles had been completely scoured from the foundation.[6] Vehicles nearby were tossed hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was observed, and hundreds of trees were snapped and debarked as well.[8] In all, the tornado destroyed numerous homes and businesses, especially in Standale. Some homes in this area were swept away as well.[6] The tornado continued northeast, destroying a mobile home park before dissipating.[8] Officially, 17 (possibly 18)[5] people were killed and hundreds injured by the storm. This was the last F5 (confirmed and/or possible) in the U.S. state of Michigan and occurred three years after the Flint Tornado that killed 116.
The tornado that struck the Grand Rapids area was the inspiration for the La Dispute song HUDSONVILLE, MI 1956.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of F5 tornadoes
Rooms of the House

Notes[edit]


References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Grazulis 1993, p. 994
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 7 (4): 106–114. 1956.
3.Jump up ^ "The April 3, 1956 Tornado Outbreak: Overview of the Event". crh.noaa.gov. Grand Rapids, Michigan: National Weather Service. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Grazulis 1993, p. 993
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Grazulis 1993, p. 995
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Ostuno, E. J. (2008). "A Case Study in Forensic Meteorology: Investigating the 3 April 1956 Tornadoes in Western Lower Michigan". E-Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology 3 (1): 1–33. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c "The Saugatuck to Holland Tornado". crh.noaa.gov. Grand Rapids, Michigan: National Weather Service. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Vriesland to Trufant". crh.noaa.gov. Grand Rapids, Michigan: National Weather Service. 28 September 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2014.

Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0

External links[edit]
A Case Study in Forensic Meteorology: Investigating the 3 April 1956 Tornadoes in Western Lower Michigan
Hudsonville-Standale tornado — WOOD-TV 8
"Tornado took out century-old lighthouse" Holland Sentinel
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1956
Tornadoes in Michigan
1956 in the United States





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1956 McDonald Chapel, Alabama tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from April 1956 Birmingham tornado)
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The 1956 McDonald Chapel, Alabama tornado was a deadly tornado that took place during the afternoon of April 15, 1956, across the Greater Birmingham area in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. Retroactively rated an F4 on the Fujita scale, which was not invented until 1971, the tornado killed 25 people and injured 200 others. While only two known tornadoes touched down across the Southeastern United States (the other occurred in northern Georgia) on that day, the Birmingham tornado produced major devastation across areas west and north of downtown Birmingham.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 April 14
3.2 April 15
4 Notable tornadoes 4.1 McDonald Chapel/Sayreton, Alabama
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References 7.1 Bibliography


Meteorological synopsis[edit]
At 5:15 a.m. CST on April 15, the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Birmingham, Alabama, issued a bulletin that warned of the possibility that a "tornado or two" would touch down in an area covering western Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama—namely, Lauderdale, Limestone, Lawrence, Colbert, and Morgan Counties, plus parts of Marion, Winston, Cullman, and Madison Counties.[1] An update at noon local time highlighted the prospects for severe thunderstorms over west-central Alabama between 1:00–7:00 p.m. CST. Hail and gusts to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) were expected to remain the primary hazards.[1]

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
5 0 0 3 1 0 1 0
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
April 14[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 14, 1956

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Michigan
F1 Morenci Lenawee 0000 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A barn was shifted off its foundation.[2]
Kansas
F1 SE of Minneola Clark 0100 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A barn and a cattle shed were destroyed.[2]
Texas
F1 Midlothian Ellis 0200 1 mile (1.6 km) Residences and barns were unroofed, and some small buildings were destroyed. The tornado path was 200 yards (183 m) wide.[2]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 15[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 15, 1956

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Alabama
F4 Pleasant Grove to NW of Trussville Jefferson 2100 21.3 miles (34.3 km) 25 deaths – At least 200 people were injured. 48 people were still listed as hospitalized on April 17, two days after the tornado.[1] Total damage reached $1.5 million.[3][nb 1]
Georgia
F2 SW of Dallas to Cumming Paulding, Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth 2330 46.8 miles (75.3 km) About 25 homes were damaged, and others were unroofed near Dallas and Cumming.[3] 29 broiler houses were damaged or destroyed as well. F1 damage occurred south of Acworth and north of Woodstock.[3] Widespread downburst activity was reported along the path.
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

Notable tornadoes[edit]
McDonald Chapel/Sayreton, Alabama[edit]
The tornado started shortly before 3:00 PM CDT in Pleasant Grove, where a tornado "roar" was heard. Damage between Pleasant Grove and McDonald Chapel indicated that trees were felled in a single direction, so the damage was not listed as tornadic at first, but was considered part of the tornado in posthumous analysis.[1] Next, the tornado struck McDonald Chapel with a path 200–300 yards (183–274 m) wide, devastating the community.[3] Almost total destruction occurred in a swath 150–200 yards (137–183 m) wide. As it passed through McDonald Chapel, eyewitnesses described the tornado funnel as appearing filled with fire and smoke.[1] Many homes in McDonald Chapel were leveled, several of which were swept completely away. The most intense damage appeared to be F5 in intensity, but an F4 rating was rewarded because the homes were very poorly constructed.[3] One of the homes reportedly had almost all of its brick foundation swept away,[1] and a few larger homes were also leveled.[3] The tornado continued across parts of Fultondale, Edgewater, Pratt City, Village Creek, and Tarrant before lifting northwest of Trussville, near the Jefferson-St. Clair County line.[1] The tornado passed just one to two miles north of downtown Birmingham as well as the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. About 400 homes across northern Jefferson County were either damaged or destroyed.[3] Most of the 25 deaths occurred at McDonald Chapel.[1]
The tornado event is similar to other deadly tornadoes on April 4, 1977 and April 8, 1998. Those two tornadoes which were rated F5 killed 22 and 32 people, respectively, across most of the same areas that were hit in 1956. With 25 fatalities, the McDonald Chapel F4 was the deadliest tornado of 1956, surpassing the Grand Rapids F5 that killed 18 people on April 3.

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1956 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "McDonald Chapel F-4 Tornado - Jefferson County April 15, 1956". Birmingham, Alabama: National Weather Service. 2013 13 February. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 7 (4): 120–122. 1956.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Grazulis 1993, p. 996

Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0



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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1956_Birmingham_tornado











Early-April 1957 tornado outbreak sequence
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Jump to: navigation, search

Early-April 1957 tornado outbreak sequence
1957 Dallas multi-vortex 1 edited.JPG
The 1957 Dallas tornado with multiple vortices observed at the time as it approaches the city

Date(s)
April 2–5, 1957
Duration
~3 days
Tornadoes caused
72
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
unknown
Casualties
21
The Early-April 1957 tornado outbreak sequence[nb 1][nb 2] was a deadly tornado outbreak sequence that struck most of the Southern United States from April 2–5, 1957. The outbreak killed at least 21 people across three states and produced at least 72 tornadoes from Texas to Virginia. The outbreak was most notable due to a tornado that hit a densely populated area of the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area, killing 10 people and injuring 200 or more. The tornado, highly visible for most of its path, was at the time the most observed and best-documented tornado in recorded history; hundreds of people photographed or filmed the F3 tornado as it moved just west of Downtown Dallas. The film of this tornado is still known for its unusually high quality and sharpness, considering the photography techniques and technology of the 1950s. Damage from the Dallas tornado reached as high as $4 million (1957 USD). Besides the famous Dallas tornado, other deadly tornadoes struck portions of Mississippi, Texas, and Oklahoma. Two F4 tornadoes struck southern Oklahoma on April 2, killing five people. Three other significant, F2-rated tornadoes that day killed two people in Texas and one more in Oklahoma. An F3 tornado struck rural Mississippi on April 4, killing one more person. In addition to confirmed tornadoes, a possible tornado hit Ballard County, Kentucky, on April 3, unroofing homes, destroying a drive-in theater, and uprooting trees. A loud roaring noise was heard.[2] Two other brief tornadoes may have hit near Westlake and at Tallulah, Louisiana, late on April 4.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table 2.1 April 2 event
2.2 April 3 event
2.3 April 4 event
2.4 April 5
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 Dallas, Texas
4 Oddities/records
5 See also
6 Notes
7 References 7.1 Bibliography
8 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
On April 2, a low pressure system was situated over the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles with a warm front stretching into central Arkansas and a cold front stretching into western Texas east of El Paso, Lubbock, and Amarillo.[3] Temperatures on that day reached the 70s in northern Texas with dewpoints in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. A strong upper-level jet, abundant instability in the atmosphere, and substantial wind shear provided additional fuel for the development of supercells across the region.[4]

Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Mississippi 1 Smith 1
Oklahoma 6 Bryan 3
Marshall 2
Murray 1
Texas 12 Dallas 10
Delta 1
Lamar 1
Totals 19 
All deaths were tornado-related

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
72 3 16 20 25 6 2 0

April 2 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Texas
F? NW of Ponder Cooke, Denton 0900 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado touched down near Denton Creek. More than one tornado was reported.[2]
F2 SE of Howe Grayson 2100 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado damaged one home near Howe and blew cars off a road. North of Van Alstyne, two homes, including a farmhouse, were destroyed, and a couple were thrown 50 yards (46 m), critically injuring the woman.[5] Nearby barns were also destroyed, and many trees were blown down.[2] This or a related tornado may have also destroyed a home in the "Woodlawn" community, near Sherman.[2] The tornado is not listed as significant (F2 or greater) by Grazulis.[5]
F2 SW of Spanish Fort Montague 2125 2 miles (3.2 km) A tornado destroyed three houses, a church, and a warehouse. One woman was mildly injured when the roof over her head collapsed.[5]
F0 NE of Grapevine Tarrant 2150 0.3 miles (0.48 km) Brief touchdown produced minimal damage.[2]
F0 S of Pottsboro Grayson 2200 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A brief tornado destroyed two homes, damaged one home, and damaged numerous barns. The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis, who also lists a path length of 5 mi (8.0 km).[5][2]
F3 Near Melissa to Van Alstyne Collin, Grayson 2220 10.7 miles (17.2 km) This tornado may have first touched down east of McKinney,[2] but officially struck the east side of Melissa and then continued to the west side of Anna. Early in its path, the tornado destroyed 12 barns, scattering debris for 3 mi (4.8 km).[5] 15 homes and a church were damaged in Melissa,[2] and seven homes were destroyed nearby.[5] The tornado later destroyed eight homes near Anna before dissipating.
F3 SE of Redbird Airport to Oak Cliff to Dallas Love Field Dallas 2230 17.2 miles (27.7 km) 10 deaths – See section on this tornado
F2 W of Roxton Lamar 0000 6.5 miles (10.5 km) 1 death – A tornado damaged about a dozen homes, including two in Ambia, where a man was fatally crushed beneath debris in his home. The tornado may have continued much farther than officially listed, to near Hugo in Oklahoma.[2][6]
F2 N of Wheeler Wheeler 0005 0.3 miles (0.48 km) A tornado severely damaged a home and swept away a barn.[7]
F3 N of Briar Wise 0015 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado produced damage in Dido and Newark. Many buildings were destroyed in both communities, including 11 homes, one of which was thrown 70 feet (21 m) against a school building.[7] The Newark School lost its roof and school buses were tossed. The Dido community center was flattened, and National Guard buildings were damaged.[7] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
F? NE of Stony Denton, Cooke 0030 1.5 miles (2.4 km) A tornado dipped three times, causing damage to two barns and outhouses. It removed part of a roof as well.[2]
F2 NW of Ben Franklin Lamar 0030 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A brief tornado destroyed one home and badly damaged other buildings on a ranch. The tornado also damaged an arena, farm machinery, another home, and a garage.[2]
F2 Ben Franklin area Delta 0151 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 1 death – A tornado destroyed six homes and damaged several others in Ben Franklin.[2][6]
Oklahoma
F1 W of Healdton Jefferson 2130 2 miles (3.2 km) A brief tornado destroyed or damaged several homes north of Ringling.[2]
F2 W of Hickory to S of Stratford Murray, Garvin 2250 11.7 miles (18.8 km) A tornado nearly leveled a farm at "Corley," 3 mi (4.8 km) south of Stratford. The tornado damaged or destroyed 18 homes and 10 barns. The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis, who reported "near-F4" damage to three homes.[6] The tornado may have been a family of two separate, parallel tornadoes.
F2 W of Dougherty Murray 2255 2 miles (3.2 km) 1 death – A large tornado threw a pickup truck 75 yd (69 m), killing the driver, and also threw a car 300 yd (274 m). A 340-to-360-foot (104 to 110 m) television tower was destroyed, and a television transmission center lost its roof.[2][6] The tornado was rated F3 by Grazulis.
F4 N of New Woodville to SE of Cumberland Marshall 2329 5.2 miles (8.4 km) 2 deaths – A fishing camp and 15 homes were destroyed near Little City; two of the larger homes were swept away. A car was thrown 200 ft (61.0 m), resulting in a fatality. One other person died at an oil refinery camp.[6]
F4 Calera to SW of Armstrong Bryan 2358 7.9 miles (12.7 km) 3 deaths – This tornado first touched down on the northeast side of Calera, but may have been observed as a funnel over Denison, Texas. In Calera, the tornado destroyed a drive-in theater and a large "stock barn."[7] After hitting Calera, the tornado struck Durant, destroying nine blocks and damaging 20 others. The tornado damaged or destroyed roughly 135 homes and 25 businesses.[7] A service station collapsed, killing two people, and nearly every building at Southeastern State College (now Southeastern Oklahoma State University) sustained roof damage. One person also died in a home that "exploded."[7]
F2 E of Altus to W of Mountain View Jeackson, Kiowa 0030 43.7 miles (70.3 km) This tornado skipped west of Friendship and near Roosevelt. A house had its roof torn off and barns were destroyed. A truck was destroyed as well, and one person was injured.[7]
F0 W of Asher Pottawatomie 0040 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Brief touchdown reported.[2]
F0 S of Altus to SE of Friendship Jackson 0105 8.8 miles (14.2 km) Tornado hit Altus Air Force Base and moved into rural areas.[2]
F1 SE of Grant to SE of Spencerville Choctaw 0115 16.8 miles (27.0 km) This tornado passed east of Hugo, damaging or destroying several homes and barns.[7] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
F2 W of Bengal to McCurtain Latimer, Haskell 0300 23.3 miles (37.5 km) This tornado struck the towns of Red Oak and McCurtain. 28 homes and several stores were damaged or destroyed. An old high school was torn apart, and two people were injured.[7]
F2 Haileyville to NW of Patterson Pittsburg 0305 11.7 miles (18.8 km) This tornado struck Haileyville, destroying a barn and tearing the roofs off a drugstore and two other businesses.[7]
F1 NE of Broken Bow McCurtain 0330 11.2 miles (18.0 km) A tornado destroyed 3,000,000 board feet (7,079 m3) of timber.[2]
F0 Poteau area Le Flore 0350 0.1 miles (0.16 km) No damage reported.[2]
F0 The Village area Oklahoma 0430 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Grain standing in a field was flattened.[2]
F1 SW of Courtney Love 0545 0.1 miles (0.16 km) One home was swept away. Numerous tornadoes were reported nearby.[2]
Source: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 3 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Oklahoma
F0 N of Davenport Lincoln 0615 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Funnel was observed aloft. Later confirmed to have been a touchdown.[2]
Texas
F? Terrell Kaufman 0715 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Brief touchdown reported.[2]
F1 NE of Nesbitt Harrison 1628 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Brief touchdown.[2]
F0 SE of Krugerville Denton 1630 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado hit an open field, causing no damage.[2]
F0 Fort Worth area Tarrant 1645 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F0 Duncanville area Dallas 1650 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F2 NE of Cedar Springs Morris 1700 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed one building and damaged six others.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F2 SW of Woodlawn Harrison 1730 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado wrecked a shed, damaged two outbuildings, and uprooted trees. A home was partly unroofed as well.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F1 Orange area Orange 1845 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A 50-by-40-foot (15 by 12 m) portion of a roof was ripped from a school.[2]
F2 W of Patroon Shelby 1930 2 miles (3.2 km) A small home and two barns were destroyed.[7]
Missouri
F1 SE of Caruth Dunklin 1800 1 mile (1.6 km) A tornado damaged a cotton gin and buildings.[2]
F0 E of Dogwood Mississippi 1930 0.3 miles (0.48 km) A tornado damaged farm buildings.[2]
Arkansas
F2 E of Paragould Greene 1805 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A garage was destroyed.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F3 E of Cash to N of Finch Greene, Craighead 1805 22.6 miles (36.4 km) A tornado destroyed several buildings and severely damaged a rice dryer.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F1 W of Little River Mississippi 1830 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado damaged two homes.[2]
Illinois
F2 Cairo to Urbandale to SE of Mounds Alexander, Pulaski 2000 6.8 miles (10.9 km) A tornado unroofed three "substantial" buildings and caused minor to moderate farm damage.[2] The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.[7]
Kentucky
F1 E of Woodburn Warren 2330 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A funnel cloud was observed and later confirmed to be a touchdown.[2]
Louisiana
F0 Jonesboro Jackson 0000 0.5 miles (0.80 km) A brief touchdown near Hodge caused minor damage.[2]
Mississippi
F1 SW of Hollandale Washington 0115 11.9 miles (19.2 km) A tornado damaged or destroyed 20 homes. It also destroyed and scattered a church and a cotton gin.[7] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
Source: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 4 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Mississippi
F2 NE of Vernon to W of Forreston Winston, Noxubee, Lowndes 0615 40.7 miles (65.5 km) A tornado destroyed rural farms and outbuildings.[7]
F3 Sanatorium to SW of Penantly Simpson, Smith, Jasper 0700 40.2 miles (64.7 km) 1 death – This tornado first struck the Mississippi Tuberculosis Sanatorium (now Boswell Regional Center), injuring 30 of 200 patients in a dormitory. Nearby, the tornado also damaged or destroyed 10 homes. West of Bay Springs, the tornado killed a person and injured 15 others who had sought shelter in a school bus.[7] The tornado also struck the rural "Ted" and "Warren Hill" communities, near the Smith–Jasper county line, before dissipating.[2]
Tennessee
F2 SE of Middle Fork Henderson 0710 0.1 miles (0.16 km) This brief tornado destroyed two homes. It also damaged four other homes and numerous barns.[7]
F3 SE of Ramer to Eastview to NE of Gravel Hill McNairy 0715 7.3 miles (11.7 km) This tornado destroyed nine homes and nine barns. It also damaged 13 other homes.[7] The tornado was rated F2 by Grazulis.
Arkansas
F1 SE of Lonoke Lonoke 2330 0.3 miles (0.48 km) A tornado damaged 20 acres (8.1 ha), destroying a grain bin and knocking down fences and light poles.[2]
Source: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 5[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Georgia
F0 Barnesville Lamar 0800 1.3 miles (2.1 km) A tornado damaged utility lines and trees in Barnesville. Several barns were reported destroyed, and porches were blown away as well.[2]
F2 SW of Ellaville to S of Gordon Schley, Macon, Peach, Houston, Twiggs, Wilkinson 0900 75 miles (121 km) 2 deaths – A family of three or more tornadoes began with an F2 touchdown near Ellaville, damaging or destroying 85 homes across Schley County. Two children died near the border of Macon County, and 37 homes were damaged or destroyed in the "Lowe" community.[7] In Twiggs County, another F2 touchdown leveled a small home near Jeffersonville. A third, weaker touchdown in Wilkinson County damaged roofs and uprooted trees.[2]
F2 Thomson to SW of Appling Warren, McDuffie, Columbia 1200 23.3 miles (37.5 km) This family of three or more tornadoes may have begun southwest of Warrenton, where homes and barns were destroyed, but is officially plotted as having started near Thomson, where more homes and barns were destroyed at F2 intensity.[2][7] In "Leah," a second F2 tornado touched down, destroying a church and seven homes.[2] A third F2 touchdown destroyed a home in the "Pumpkin Hill" community between Appling and Harlem.[8]
F0 E of Moultrie to NW of Sparks Colquitt, Cook 1330 13.7 miles (22.0 km) A tornado destroyed homes and two barns. Trees were uprooted as well.[2]
F1 N of Waycross Ware 1600 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed one home and damaged trees and other structures in "Jamestown," near Blackshear.[2]
F0 Hutchinson Island Chatham 1634 0.3 miles (0.48 km) A tornado damaged roofs and small structures. Many trees were uprooted as well.[2]
South Carolina
F2 E of Monetta to N of Lexington Lexington 1245 21.3 miles (34.3 km) One home was destroyed and several others were damaged. A large recreation hall was badly damaged.[2]
F1 Prosperity Newberry 1314 3.3 miles (5.3 km) 
F1 NE of Springdale Lancaster 0130 1 mile (1.6 km) 
Indiana
F1 SW of Union City Randolph 1800 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F2 Muncie Delaware 1805 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F0 NE of Fairmount Grant 1830 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F2 NW of Heltonville Lawrence 1830 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F1 N of Lizton Lawrence 1845 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F2 NE of Redkey Jay 1915 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F2 SE of Middletown Henry 2000 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
Virginia
F1 Big Stone Gap Wise 1840 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
North Carolina
F1 SE of Elizabeth City Pasquotank, Camden 2130 6.1 miles (9.8 km) 
F1 NW of Yadkinville Yadkin 2310 4.7 miles (7.6 km) 
F1 High Point Guilford 0135 4.7 miles (7.6 km) 
Source: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993
Notable tornadoes[edit]
Dallas, Texas[edit]
At around 3:00 PM CST, the first tornadoes touched down north of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. At around 4:30 PM CST (some sources say 4:15 PM),[5] a tornado touched down in southern Dallas County (south of modern-day Interstate 20) and traveled northward for about 45 minutes through the Dallas neighborhoods of Oak Cliff, Kessler Park, West Dallas (only 2.5 mi (4.0 km) west of Downtown Dallas)[5] and Love Field before lifting over Bachman Lake (west of Dallas Love Field Airport) just after 5:00 PM CST.[5] As it first touched down, the tornado was barely visible, with only a debris cloud showing at the base of the thin funnel cloud.[3] 13 minutes later, the tornado funnel became more visible and was seen clearly to touch the ground.[3]
The tornado reached its maximum intensity, likely in the upper range of the F3 category, as it approached the Trinity River.[3][9] In this area, between Singleton Boulevard and Riverside Drive, homes were completely swept off their foundations, and nearby railroad cars were overturned; while the damage appeared to be F4 in appearance, the homes had been poorly constructed, lacking wall studding and being "set on piers 8–12 ft (2.4–3.7 m) on center."[9] Thus the tornado was officially rated F3, which is consistent with photogrammetric estimates of 175-mile-per-hour (282 km/h) peak winds in the worst damaged area.[5][9][10] Some time after crossing the Trinity River, the tornado weakened, and shortly afterward passed over a parking lot about .75 mi (1.21 km) west of the U.S. Weather Bureau office at Love Field Airport.[4][5] The funnel then entered the rope stage and dissipated just north of Bachman Lake.[3][4]
In all, the Dallas tornado killed 10 and injured at least 200 (some sources say 216)[5] others. Damage was estimated at around $1.5–4 million (1957 USD).[4][5] The tornado completely destroyed about 131 (some sources say 154) homes, badly damaged 111, and mildly damaged 287. Nearly 600 (some sources list 574) structures and more than 500 homes were damaged, including between nine and 28 permanent apartment buildings that were completely destroyed.[5][11] Some businesses and schools were also damaged, but the Parkland Memorial Hospital was narrowly spared, as was Dallas Love Field. Another, though officially unconfirmed, tornado in Collin County, north of the city, may have briefly touched down just east of the dissipating Dallas tornado and caused damage.[6][11]

Oddities/records[edit]
The Dallas tornado was heavily documented, filmed, and photographed by several eyewitnesses as it was clearly visible throughout most of its 17-mile (27 km) path through residential and commercial areas of Dallas up to near Love Field Airport. At that time, it was the most observed tornado in recorded history: 125 observers produced thousands of photographs and hours of high-quality, 16-mm film measuring 2,000 ft (610 m) in length.[5][10] The tornado was highly visible due to its slow, 30-mile-per-hour (48 km/h) forward speed, a lack of precipitation, and its coincidence with ideal, late-afternoon lighting.[3][5] Occurring shortly before the end of the workday, the tornado passed just west of Downtown Dallas and was seen by many business and factory workers. Many TV studios had time to position their cameras on rooftops to film the tornado.[3]
A researcher from the Severe Weather Forecast Unit in Kansas City noticed that several old theories were proven false during the Dallas tornado. One of the theories was that all air and debris flow inward into the funnel and then upward, but on the outside edges of the funnel debris and people were even lifted.[3] WFAA-TV in Dallas produced a 30-minute documentary about the tornado about one week later.[3] The tornado became the subject of several scientific papers analyzing the life cycle of and wind speed speeds in a tornado.[5][12] Among the studies was the first-ever photogrammetric analysis of wind speeds in a tornado.[10] The film of the tornado is still regarded as being of exceptionally high quality and sharpness.[5]
Additionally, another major tornado event struck the densely populated areas of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex on March 28, 2000, when F3 tornadoes struck Downtown Fort Worth as well as Arlington, killing at least three people and injuring dozens of people while damaging or destroying several structures, including several office towers. Additional tornadoes that touched down near the Metroplex area the following morning in Fort Worth and other areas but no additional fatalities were reported.

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) modern records that began in 1950, is defined as, at most, two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
2.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1957 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Harold E. Brooks; Joseph T. Schaefer. "Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875–2003)". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 8 (4): 106–112. April 1957.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Mahaney, Chip (May–June 1997). "April 2, 1957: Dallas' Date with Disaster". Storm Track (StormTrack.org). Retrieved 30 December 2013.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Dallas Tornadoes of April 2, 1957". Dallas: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on 2004-06-13. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Grazulis 1993, p. 1000
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Grazulis 1993, p. 1001
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Grazulis 1993, p. 1003
8.Jump up ^ Grazulis 1993, p. 1004
9.^ Jump up to: a b c Grazulis 1993, p. 99
10.^ Jump up to: a b c Grazulis 1993, p. 98
11.^ Jump up to: a b Butsch, Robert (5 April 2012). "The 1957 Dallas tornado". Retrieved 30 December 2013.
12.Jump up ^ Grazulis 2003, p. 31

Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0

External links[edit]
Narrative Description of the 1957 Dallas Tornado
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1957
Tornadoes in Texas
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
Tornadoes in Mississippi
1957 in the United States


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early-April_1957_tornado_outbreak_sequence











April 1957 Southeastern United States tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

April 1957 Southeastern United States tornado outbreak
April 8, 1958 outbreak.jpg
April 8, 1958, outbreak

Date(s)
April 7–8, 1957
Duration
~16 hours
Tornadoes caused
18
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
7
The April 1957 Southeastern United States tornado outbreak of April 7–8, 1957, was one of a handful of notable severe weather and tornado outbreaks to strike the southern and southeastern United States during April, 1957. This outbreak was responsible for producing seven deaths and 171 injuries across five Southeastern states and one Mid-Atlantic.



Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 April 7
2.2 April 8
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References 5.1 Bibliography


Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
18 0 3 8 5 2 0
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
April 7[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Arkansas
F2 N of Waldron Scott 0505 4.7 miles (7.6 km) A tornado damaged three barns and many roofs.[1] The tornado is not listed as significant by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis.[2]
Alabama
F2 N of Red Bay Franklin 0535 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado unroofed one home and ripped off the porches of several others. Barns and garages were destroyed as well.[2]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 8[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Mississippi
F2 W of Shannon to SW of Verona Lee 0910 9 miles (14 km) A tornado destroyed one home.[2]
F1 SE of Bruce Calhoun 1400 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed or badly damaged two homes.[1]
Tennessee
F2 N of Woody Cumberland 1200 2.7 miles (4.3 km) A tornado damaged three barns, five homes, and numerous outbuildings. Trees were uprooted as well.[1] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[2]
F2 S of Bowmantown Washington 2130 3 miles (4.8 km) A grain storage house was unroofed, and 20 large trees were blown down.[1] A barn was shifted 3 feet (1 yd) off its foundation, and flying debris damaged a home.[1]
Alabama
F3 S of Hamilton to N of Piney Grove Marion, Winston, Lawrence 1546 51.4 miles (82.7 km) This long-tracked tornado was probably a tornado family. A few small houses were leveled at the end of the path.[2] Trees were damaged along a path up to 1 mi (1.6 km) in width, and a car was carried 0.25 mi (0.40 km).[2] Five people may have been injured, but are not officially counted.[1][2]
F3 NE of Battleground to N of Cottonville Morgan, Marshall 1615 38.8 miles (62.4 km) 2 deaths – A tornado hit between Florette and Oleander. Over 150 homes were damaged or destroyed in the small, rural communities of Rock Creek, Lawrence Cove, Briddle Mountain, and Cotaco Valley—all in southern Morgan County.[2] At least 90[1] (perhaps 125)[2] people were injured.
F3 S of Hulaco to NE of Warrenton Cullman, Morgan, Marshall 1630 16.3 miles (26.2 km) Numerous, small homes and barns were destroyed. The tornado followed a path similar to that of the preceding tornado.[2] The tornado is rated F2 by Grazulis.
Georgia
F2 NE of Plainville to NE of Calhoun Gordon 1900 10.3 miles (16.6 km) A tornado struck a trailer park, injuring five (perhaps 20)[1][2] people. 70 buildings were damaged or destroyed.[2]
F1 SE of Chula to Douglas Tift, Irwin, Coffee 2100 41.3 miles (66.5 km) One large home lost its roof and others were "shifted."[2] A barn and a lumber mill were destroyed. The tornado is rated F2 by Grazulis.[2]
F3 N of Jacksonville Telfair 2130 14.7 miles (23.7 km) 1 death – A truck was thrown 100 ft (30 m), killing the occupant. Two homes and a church were destroyed as well. A refrigerator was thrown 250 yd (750 ft).[2]
F2 E of Benevolence to N of Brooksville Randolph 2330 5.2 miles (8.4 km) Three homes, two barns, and a church were destroyed.[2]
South Carolina
F2 Cross Keys to S of Santuc Union 2100 15.2 miles (24.5 km) A tornado struck near Cross Anchor. Three homes were destroyed and 57 others were damaged.[1][2]
F4 NE of Heath Springs to Jefferson to Roseboro, NC Lancaster, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Scotland (NC), Robeson (NC), Cumberland (NC), Sampson (NC) 2200 121.4 miles (195.4 km) 4 deaths – This was a long-lived tornado family containing at least two separate tornadoes, both of which may have been tornado families themselves. The first (F3) tornado touched down near Flat Creek and moved into the town of Jefferson, tearing apart 23 of 25 buildings on Main Street and destroying or damaging 141 homes and 156 other structures.[2] Continuous damage of F2 and F3 intensity extended from Jefferson to near Cheraw and Wallace. The tornado destroyed or damaged 25 homes in Wallace.[2] Pieces of a cotton gin were carried over 10 mi (16 km). The second (F4) tornado touched down near McColl and crossed into North Carolina near Johns and east of Maxton.[2] A gas station, small homes, and several barns were destroyed.[2] The only F4 damage occurred between Roseboro and Parkersburg, where four people died and about 20 homes were leveled.[2] Well over 397 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed along the path, including more than 100 in Sampson County alone.
Virginia
F1 SW of Ocean View Norfolk 2220 1 mile (1.6 km) This tornado was originally listed as a strong wind in Storm Data. Two people were injured.[1]
North Carolina
F4 Pembroke area Robeson 0100 0.8 miles (1.3 km) 100 buildings were damaged, 25 of which were "destroyed." Some of the homes were flattened.[2] The tornado is rated F3 by Grazulis.
F3 SE of Concord Duplin 0200 8 miles (13 km) Nine homes were leveled and 12 others were damaged near Rosehill and Magnolia. Debris was strewn over many acres, and at least one home had its concrete foundation cracked "as if by heavy sledge hammer."[2][1]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

Notes[edit]


References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 8 (4): 116–118. 1957.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Grazulis 1993, p. 1004

Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0



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Categories: F4 tornadoes
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May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak)
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May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak
Eastern Missouri May 21 1957 tornadoes.GIF
Map of tornadoes on May 21, 1957.

Date(s)
May 19-May 21, 1957
Duration
3 days
Tornadoes caused
57 confirmed
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Not yet available
Casualties
59
The May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak sequence was a tornado outbreak sequence that took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957.[nb 1][nb 2] The most destructive tornado of the outbreak was rated at F5, the highest level, and is often called the Ruskin Heights tornado. The worst of the damage occurred in the Ruskin Heights area, a suburb and housing development south of Kansas City, Missouri. 57 tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak, including 44 in the Ruskin Heights tornado.
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Kansas 7 Franklin 3
Miami 4
Missouri 52 Carter 7
Jackson 37
St. Francois 8
Totals 59 
All deaths were tornado-related


Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 May 19 event
2.2 May 20 event
2.3 May 21 event
3 See also
4 References 4.1 Bibliography
5 Notes
6 External links

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
57 12 14 20 7 3 1
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
May 19 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Nebraska
F1 NW of Bayard Scotts Bluff 0130 1.7 miles
 (2.7 km) A home was pushed off of its foundation and had its roof torn off. Outbuildings were destroyed as well.[2]
F2 N of Northport Scotts Bluff 0330 5.1 miles
 (8.2 km) Tornado destroyed two outbuildings and partially unroofed a farmhouse. Low-end F2 damage, perhaps not even F2 in intensity.[2]
F1 W of Gurley Cheyenne 0400 2 miles
 (3.2 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - May 19, 1957 Storm Data
May 20 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Colorado
F0 W of Burlington to NW of St. Francis, KS Kit Carson, CO, Sherman, KS, Cheyenne, Rawlins 1700 70.1 miles
 (112.2 km) 
Kansas
F0 Phillipsburg area Phillips 1755 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 
F0 N of Downs Osborne 1915 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F0 SW of Hunter Mitchell 1925 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 N of Burr Oak Jewell 2005 5.7 miles
 (9.1 km) 
F4 E of Glasco to N of Morrowville Cloud, Republic, Washington 2050 44.6 miles
 (71.4 km) Wedge tornado produced "near-F5" damage on several farms and was observed with multiple satellite tornadoes. Several different tornadoes may have produced the damage, perhaps a tornado family.[2]
F2 NW of Aurora Cloud 2050 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) Satellite tornado to the Glasco tornado. A barn was leveled.[2]
F2 W of Huscher (1st tornado) Cloud 2050 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) Satellite tornado to the Glasco tornado. One barn was destroyed.[2]
F2 W of Huscher (2nd tornado) Cloud 2050 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F3 NE of Rice Cloud 2050 6.1 miles
 (9.8 km) Tornado destroyed one barn east of Hollis. May have been only F2 in intensity. Was a satellite tornado to the Glasco tornado.[2]
F0 S of Hartford Lyon 2345 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F0 NW of Madison Greenwood 0015 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 
F5 SW of Williamsburg to E of Raytown, MO (SE Kansas City) Franklin, KS, Miami, Johnson, Jackson, MO 0015 69.4 miles
 (111 km) 44 deaths - Tornado began near Williamsburg, and moved NE through several counties. Major damage occurred in rural areas near Ottawa and Spring Hill, where homes were completely leveled and several fatalities occurred. The tornado continued into the southern suburbs of Kansas City, tearing through Martin City, Raytown, Hickman Mills, and Ruskin Heights. Entire blocks of homes were completely leveled, many of which were swept cleanly away. Many businesses including a grocery store, a shopping center, and restaurants were completely destroyed. A few of the businesses at the shopping center sustained F5 damage. Vehicles were thrown through the air and destroyed, and the steel-reinforced Ruskin Heights High School was badly damaged. A canceled check from Hickman Mills was found 165 miles away in Ottumwa, Iowa.[2][3]
F3 Homewood area Franklin 0137 5.6 miles
 (9 km) 
Nebraska
F0 N of Red Cloud Webster 2015 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 NE of Broken Bow Custer 2017 2.7 miles
 (4.3 km) 
F0 E of Guide Rock Nuckolls 2020 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 SW of Anselmo Custer 2100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 W of Reynolds to E of Palmyra Thayer, Jefferson, Salnie, Lancaster 2200 75.3 miles
 (120.5 km) Homes had their roofs torn off near Alexandria and multiple outbuildings were destroyed. Over 500 turkeys were killed on one farm.[2]
F2 Doniphan to NE of Phillips Hall, Hamilton 2300 18.2 miles
 (29.1 km) Three farms were damaged by the tornado.
F2 NE of Friend to N of Emerald Saline, Gage, Lancaster 2320 23.9 miles
 (38.2 km) Barns were destroyed on two farms.[2]
South Dakota
F1 N of Rockerville Pennington 2100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Missouri
F2 W of Weatherby DeKalb 2300 9.8 miles
 (15.7 km) Barns and outbuildings were destroyed.
F2 SW of Richmond Jackson, Ray 0137 12.8 miles
 (20.5 km) 
Oklahoma
F0 N of Pawnee Pawnee 2300 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F2 NE of Hominy Osage 2345 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 NW of Prague Lincoln 0000 unknown Tornado damaged eight farms near Prague.
F0 NW of Kiefer Creek 0100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F0 E of Hogshooter Nowata 0100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Broken Arrow area (SE Tulsa) Tulsa 0130 3.6 miles
 (5.8 km) Tornado moved through the town causing roof damage to at least 200 homes, one of which lost its roof entirely.[2]
F0 SW of Beggs Okmulgee 0204 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 W of Chelsea Rogers 0430 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 NW of Centralia Craig 0500 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 NE of Vinita Craig 0500 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F3 NW of Garland to NE of Sallisaw Mayes, Delaware 0510 20.4 miles
 (32.6 km) Barns were destroyed by the tornado. 40 buildings were damaged in and around Spavinaw. One home was destroyed near Lone Chapel as well.[2]
Source: Tornado History Project - May 20, 1957 Storm Data
May 21 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Minnesota
F1 NE of Staples Todd, Cass 1800 3.8 miles
 (6.1 km) A barn and a garage were destroyed. Pine trees were snapped as well.[2]
F4 E of Rush City Chisago 1900 9.2 miles
 (14.7 km) Eight barns and four homes were destroyed. One home was completely swept away with near-F5-level damage.[2]
Missouri
F3 E of Doss Dent 2100 10.2 miles
 (16.3 km) Three homes were destroyed, one of which was leveled. Two other homes were damaged.[2]
F2 S of Squires Taney, Douglas 2115 14.5 miles
 (23.2 km) Homes and one school was destroyed. The teacher and 11 students survived by driving to a farmhouse with a basement.[2]
F1 NE of Mill Spring Wayne 2130 13 miles
 (20.8 km) Homes had their roofs torn off and buildings were damaged on four farms.[2]
F1 S of Centerville Reynolds 2145 0.2 miles
 (0.32 km) 
F3 SW of Sunlight to Desloge Washington, St. Francois 2145 22.2 miles
 (35.5 km) 8 deaths Multiple homes and 24 barns were destroyed. 20% of the town of Belgrade was destroyed.[2]
F4 Fremont area Carter 2153 9.1 miles
 (14.6 km) 7 deaths - Fremont was devastated, with homes, businesses, and schools destroyed on the east side of town. Damage also occurred on the south side of Van Buren. May have been an F5.[2]
F2 N of Burfordville Cape Girardeau 2300 5.1 miles
 (8.2 km) Several farms were damaged by the tornado. Barns were destroyed and a house had its roof torn off.[2]
F2 E of Lewistown Lewis 2330 7.4 miles
 (11.8 km) Struck the northwest side of Monticello. Four homes were destroyed and a three-story apartment building was badly damaged.[2]
F1 E of Cardwell to N of Deering Dunklin, Pemiscot 0545 23.7 miles
 (37.9 km) Tornado caused roof and barn damage.
F2 W of Kennett Dunklin 0545 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Illinois
F2 S of Columbia to SE of Shiloh Monroe, St. Clair 2150 19.7 miles
 (31.5 km) 
F2 SE of Claremont Richland 2300 3.6 miles
 (5.8 km) Four farms were struck by the tornado.[2]
F3 S of Makanda Union, Jackson 0007 8.5 miles
 (13.6 km) 25 structures and over 5,000 fruit trees were destroyed.[2]
F3 N of Good Hope McDonough 0140 13.7 miles
 (21.9 km) Two homes were destroyed on the southeast edge of Colmar.
Iowa
F2 W of Stockton Cedar, Muscatine, Scott 2300 8.9 miles
 (14.2 km) Several barns and a grain elevator were destroyed.
Indiana
F2 SW of Pelzer Warrick 0203 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) A home was spun 150 feet (50 yd) off its foundation. The roof was carried 500 feet (170 yd). Two people were injured.[2]
Kentucky
F2 W of English Carroll 0700 0.8 miles
 (1.3 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - May 21, 1957 Storm Data
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Harold E. Brooks; Joseph T. Schaefer. "Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875-2003)". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
3.Jump up ^ "55th Anniversary of the Ruskin Heights-Hickman Mills Tornado". Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved 2013-07-13.
Bibliography[edit]
Caught in the Path, (ISBN 0-9655774-0-6) by Carolyn Glenn Brewer.

Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) modern records that began in 1950, is defined as, at most, two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
2.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1957 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
External links[edit]
Ruskin Heights Tornado website
NOAA page of Carter County, Missouri tornado
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1957
Tornadoes in Kansas
Tornadoes in Missouri
1957 in the United States


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Late-May 1957 tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Late-May 1957 tornado outbreak

Date(s)
May 24–25, 1957
Duration
+19 hours
Tornadoes caused
37 confirmed[1]
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown (at least $650,000)
Casualties
4[2]
The late-May 1957 tornado outbreak occurred from eastern New Mexico to Oklahoma, western Arkansas, southern Kansas, eastern Colorado, and southeastern Wyoming on May 24–25, 1957. 37 tornadoes touched down over the area, most of which took place across northern and western Texas, in addition to southern Oklahoma. The strongest tornado was rated at F4 status south of Lawton. Unusually, some tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours, whereas most Plains tornadic systems are nocturnal.[3] Four deaths were attributed to the tornadic activity. The tornado outbreak was related to the arrival of a strong shortwave trough.[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 May 24
2.2 May 25
3 Notable tornadoes
4 References
5 Notes

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
An upper-level trough moved over the central United States. Subsequently, a tornado outbreak took place over portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma on May 20. Cold upper air temperatures and marginal low level moisture produced severe weather across the southern and central Great Plains. On May 21, this shortwave trough and a deep surface low produced an additional violent (F4)[1] tornado in Minnesota, while tornadoes killed 15 people in Missouri. On May 22, another area of low pressure was centered over southwest Oklahoma in attendance with a front, which extended from central New Mexico to Missouri. A weakening Pacific cold front dissipated near Del Rio. In Texas, low-level moisture, originating from the Gulf of Mexico, remained abundant during the four days that preceded the May 24 outbreak.[3] Eventually, lifted index values increased to -10, which correlated with surface-based CAPE values near 3,500 j/kg.[4] On May 23, dewpoints rose across western Texas, and temperatures reached 77°F in the warm sector. On May 24, high moisture levels surged into southeastern New Mexico on both sides of a warm front. A new surface low pressure area also developed over New Mexico.[1][3] Later, fog developed northward to Amarillo, in tandem with exceptionally high dew points. The tornadoes that occurred formed along and just north of the warm front.[3]
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
37 5 10 11 7 3 1 0

May 24[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

New Mexico
F2 E of Melrose to SE of Bellview Curry 1100 36.5 miles (58.7 km) This tornado may have developed between 3:30–4:30 a.m. (MST),[3] though it was first noted at 5:00 a.m. MST. It may have formed in Roosevelt County. Some barns were destroyed. This event may have consisted of a sequential series of tornadoes; therefore, it may have constituted a tornado family. At least six funnels may have been involved.[2]
Texas
F2 S of Bovina to Bushland area Parmer, Delta, Randall, Potter 1630[2] 70.1 miles (112.8 km) Buildings were destroyed on the grounds of eight farms near Friona, and homes near Black were also damaged. Funnel clouds instigated traffic accidents in Hereford, injuring three people. Several funnels were reported from Clovis, New Mexico, to the Amarillo area.[2]
F0 N of Enochs Bailey 1719 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Rural power poles and electrical wires sustained damage.[5]
F0 Hereford area Deaf Smith 1730 1 mile (1.6 km) The tornado was originally observed near Hereford, where it produced no damage.[5] A separate funnel cloud was observed northwest of Wildorado around 11:17 a.m. (1717 UTC). The funnel may have also developed in Death Smith County. The sighting occurred in rural areas.[3]
F3 Olton area Lamb 1838 1.9 miles (3.1 km) 77 homes were destroyed in Olton. The southern section of the town received the most severe damage. Rural farm buildings, located southwest and northeast of Olton, were also destroyed. Three injuries were attributed to the tornado; however, residents were informed by advance warnings.[2]
F3 Tahoka area to NE of Ralls Lynn, Lubbock, Crosby 1900 37.3 miles (60.0 km) Roof damage affected 100 buildings in Tahoka. In Wilson four homes received damage. Buildings also incurred roof damage in the Robertson area. In Savage, twelve homes were destroyed or unroofed. Two homes and two barns were destroyed west and north of Ralls. The damage patterns suggest that the event was a tornado family. One source cites a path length of 50 miles (80 km), which differs from official records.[2]
F0 NW of Halfway[5] Hale 1900[5] 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Houses, barns, and trailers were destroyed. The tornado also caused livestock deaths. The tornado formed from the same storm that produced the Olton tornado.[5][2]
F? Cotton Center area to SW of Plainview[3] Hale 1930 10.5 miles (16.9 km) One home, located north of Cotton Center, was shifted 100 feet (30 m) off its foundation. Three homes were unroofed or destroyed near the termination of the path. Nine homes also received minor damage. Four funnel clouds were reported nearby.[3][2]
F0 W of Cliffside Potter 1950 0.3 miles (0.48 km) Brief touchdown. Continuation of the Bushland tornado family.[5]
F3 WNW of Midland to Lenorah area[2] Midland, Martin[2] 2030[2] 30 miles (48 km)[2] About 50 power poles were downed near State Highway 158. The funnel stalled for 20 minutes prior to the resumption of northeast movement. Farm houses were reportedly destroyed northwest of Stanton. In Lenorah, five homes were impacted, but only one home was destroyed. Two or three tornadoes may have been present in this tornado family.[2]
F2 NNW of Midland Martin 0028 2 miles (3.2 km) Another tornado touched down and remained over sparsely populated areas.[3] One source disputes the F2 rating.[2]
F? SW of Seymour Baylor 0230 unknown A tornado was observed to move southwest.[5]
Oklahoma
F1 NW of Durant Bryan 1640 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 20 boat stalls and several boats were mangled.[5]
F1 S of Davidson to N of Frederick Tillman 2230 9.7 miles (15.6 km) Farms were extensively damaged. Utility lines and power poles were downed.[5]
F4 Cookietown area to SE of Lawton Cotton, Comanche 2330 21.6 miles (34.8 km) 4 deaths – Two couples were killed when their homes were destroyed. The swath of F4 damage occurred south of Lawton. About 12 homes were destroyed, and 70 cattle were killed. One car was transported for 100 yards (0.05 miles). Although the vehicle crashed in a pond, the driver was not injured.[2] The tornado completely destroyed several farms.[3] The tornado dissipated southeast of Lawton.[2]
F2 SW of Wynnewood to SE of Pink Garvin, McClain, Pottawatomie[2] 0000 30.8 miles (49.6 km) One of the outbreak's most damaging Oklahoma tornadoes affected Wynnewood and surrounding environs.[6] The tornado originated southwest of Wynnewood and destroyed one barn. Subsequently, the tornado was elevated as it passed through Wynnewood. An oil refinery experienced damage. The funnel destroyed a school, four homes, and several barns southeast of Pauls Valley. The funnel may have remained aloft until it encountered Wanette and destroyed frame buildings.[2][6] The final report of damage was a destroyed barn northwest of Macomb. Official records list a maximum intensity at F2 status, while another source claims that the tornado attained F3 intensity.[2]
F0 Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Comanche 0200 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado observed in a remote, mountainous area.[5]
F2 W of Marlow Stephens 0300 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado struck the Denton community west of Marlow, killing 100 turkeys and destroying a barn and a "brooder house" on a farm. A bus was thrown into a ditch, but the passengers were uninjured. Nearby farms also reported extensive damage, and a farmhouse was destroyed.[5][2]
F1 SW of Purcell McClain 0300 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado unroofed a barn, blew down trees, and damaged outbuildings on a farm.[5]
F1 Quapaw/E of Picher Ottawa 0400 1 mile (1.6 km) A tornado caused minor damage in Quapaw and destroyed a mining derrick east of Picher.[5] An EF4 tornado also hit the Picher area in 2008.
F2 Duncan area Stephens 0425 2.5 miles (4.0 km) A tornado struck downtown Duncan, breaking tree branches, almost destroying a $5,700 (1957 USD) trailer home, and damaging TV antennae.[5]
F0 NE of Morris to N of Boynton Okmulgee, Muskogee 0425 10.8 miles (17.4 km) A tornado was reported on the ground near Morris and Boynton.[5]
F0 NE of Vernon Okmulgee 0543 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado was reported by highway patrol 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Henryetta.[5]
F0 SW of Checotah McIntosh 0545 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado was sighted, but no damage was reported.[5]
Wyoming
F1 N of Yoder Goshen 2100 2.5 miles (4.0 km) Numerous funnel clouds and/or tornadoes were reported, but only one touchdown was confirmed. A tornado damaged farm buildings near Yoder and destroyed a trailer home south of Torrington.[5]
Colorado
F? NW of La Junta Otero 2130 unknown A small outbuilding was lifted up and set down.[5]
F1 N of Burlington Kit Carson 2200 0.4 miles (0.64 km) A small tornado destroyed a chicken coop 9 miles (14 km) north of Burlington.[5]
F1 E of Pierce Weld 2200 4 miles (6.4 km) An empty farmhouse was destroyed, along with haystacks and farm machinery. The tornado hit 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Pierce.[5]
F1 W of Pierce Weld 2200 0.1 miles (0.16 km) An empty farmhouse was leveled. The tornado struck 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Pierce.[5]
Kansas
F1 SW of Belle Plaine Sumner 2305 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A brief tornado touched down and then lifted.[5]
F0 SE of Mulvane Sumner 0400 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F? Baxter Springs Cherokee 0400 unknown 
Nebraska
F? WNW of Grant Perkins 0130 unknown Tornado reported.[5]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

May 25[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Oklahoma
F2 Coleman area Johnston 0605 1 mile (1.6 km) A new school was unroofed and damage was extensive to buildings and trees. Two funnels were seen.[5]
F1 W of Lehigh Coal 0610 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed sheds and damaged a house and a barn.[5]
F1 S of Steedman to Allen area[2] Pontotoc, Hughes[2] 0615 11.5 miles (18.5 km) In Allen, a single home was unroofed and one barn was destroyed. There is a disparity between the ratings of the official database and Thomas P. Grazulis' Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991, of which the latter source lists a designation at F2 intensity.[2]
Arkansas
F0 Hot Springs Garland 1200 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Scattered damage occurred.[5]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

Notable tornadoes[edit]
After a six-hour gap, two tornadoes developed near Bovina and Enochs. The former tornado moved northeast across Parmer County and traveled nearly 40 miles to a point west of Amarillo. It destroyed eight farms near Friona, while storm-associated funnel clouds caused injuries near Hereford. The second tornado moved east-northeast and lifted over northern Hale County. It dismantled 77 homes near Olton and caused $650,000 (1957 USD) in damages.[3] Subsequently, four tornadoes developed over the next three hours. One tornado, sighted around 11:17 a.m. (CDT), occurred 20 miles northwest of Wildorado. It remained over rural areas and inflicted no damage.[3] Officially, this tornado was not recorded in the National Weather Service database.[1] Another tornado, touching down around 1:00 p.m. (CDT), affected Lynn County. It formed near Tahoka, where roof damage occurred. The funnel skipped north-northeast. In Wilson, four homes incurred damage. Homes were demolished in Slayton, and twelve homes were destroyed in Savage. The event, comprising a tornado family, dissipated east of Cone.[3] Officially, the event is recorded as a single tornado. The strong tornado attained F3 intensity on the Fujita scale. Eventually, tornadoes affected seven states and caused four fatalities. Additionally, at least one undocumented tornado was reported southeast and east of Midland around 6:30–7:15 p.m. (0030–0115 UTC).[3] A brief tornado also may have touched down near Moore in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, breaking tree branches and windows.[5]
References[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
Notes[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d Tornado History Project. "Tornado Map". Retrieved 2007-08-29.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Grazulis, p. 1008
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Jonathan D. Finch. "The May 24, 1957 Tornado Outbreak". Retrieved 2007-08-29.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Jonathan D. Finch. "Historical Tornado Cases for Lubbock Warning Area". Retrieved 2009-03-14.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 8 (5): 165–207. May 1957.
6.^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Department of Commerce (1957). Oklahoma Climatological Data: May 1957. U.S. Weather Bureau.
 


Categories: F3 tornadoes
F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1957
Tornadoes in Texas
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
1957 in the United States


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1957 Fargo tornado
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1957 Fargo Tornado
1957 Fargo tornado.jpg
Picture of the F5 tornado as it nears Hector International Airport.

Date(s)
June 20–23, 1957
Duration
3 days, 7 hours, 30 minutes
Tornadoes caused
1
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
$25.883 million (1957 USD) $198.16 million (2008 USD)
Casualties
10
The 1957 Fargo tornado was a violent and deadly tornado that struck Fargo, North Dakota on Thursday, June 20, 1957. The tornado struck the north Fargo (Golden Ridge) area in the early evening, causing major devastation. Damage was extensive including 100 blocks of Fargo. The worst residential damage occurred in the Golden Ridge Subdivision, much of which was swept away and scattered across a nearby farm field. Approximately 329 homes were destroyed and some of them were completely swept off their foundations - a classic example of F5 damage. Another 1035 homes were damaged. Fifteen farm homes were destroyed and 25 damaged. Four churches and Shanley High School were destroyed and two schools were damaged. Fifteen businesses were destroyed and 30 suffered major damage. These were mainly small local shops. Two hundred automobiles were destroyed and 300 damaged.[1]
In the end, ten people lost their lives. After 1971, when Dr. Ted Fujita introduced his scale that rates tornadoes based on the damage they cause, the Fargo tornado received an F5 rating, the most severe level. The tornado had a long track which started in North Dakota, traveled 27.4 miles to the Minnesota border and continued for another 25 miles. The total track length of the tornado was 57.4 miles and at its widest, it was almost a mile across. This tornado was part of a family of tornadoes that was spawned by a supercell thunderstorm that moved through most of North Dakota and into parts of Minnesota.[2] It was the northernmost confirmed F5 tornado until the Elie, Manitoba Tornado on June 22, 2007. The Fargo area has also been hit by three F3 tornadoes on June 13, 1950, August 30, 1956 and most recently June 15, 1973 but none of these caused any fatalities.[3]
Debris from the tornado was found as far as western Minnesota, over 50 miles (80 km) east of Fargo in Becker County.
This tornado is considered the most devastating in North Dakota history, and was one of only two F5 tornadoes that have struck the state, the other occurring four years earlier in 1953.
In June of 2007, the 50th anniversary of the tornado was commemorated by the Fargo Forum, which ran a week-long series of stories on the tornado.
In 2010, North Dakota Associate Poet Laureate Jamie Parsley authored a book about the Fargo tornado entitled Fargo, 1957: An Elegy, which was published by the Institute for Regional Studies at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Herschel Lashkowitz Photograph Collection - Image, Institute for Regional Studies, Fargo
2.Jump up ^ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fgf/?n=fargojune1957f5 NOAA page commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Fargo tornado
3.Jump up ^ http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/search/basic
External links[edit]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euORCKG38Ts Video of Fargo Tornado
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1957
Tornadoes in North Dakota
1957 in the United States


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Southern Illinois tornado history
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Listed below are confirmed killer tornadoes listed by date. Modern record keeping in the region began in the 1880s, although there were undoubtedly many other deaths that have been lost to history. It is important to note that before the 1950s tornadoes were not officially ranked. The current rakings are an estimation due to the accounts of witnesses.
Southern Illinois tornadoes by death toll[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
17 0 0 3 4 8 2

[hide]March 19, 1883

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 Alton to Bunker Hill Monroe Unknown Unknown 33 deaths

[hide]November 6th, 1885

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F3 SE of Sacramento to N of Carmi White 1645 16 miles (26 km) 1 death

[hide]April 22, 1887

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 Mt. Carmel to near the White River, IN Wabash Illinois - Gibson, Pike 1800 30 miles (48 km) 5 deaths

[hide]June 3, 1887

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F1 Old Shawneetown Gallitan Unknown Unknown 3 deaths

[hide]February 19, 1888

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 Mt. Vernon Jefferson 1630 20 miles (32 km) 24 deaths The southern half of Mt. Vernon was destroyes. 300 homes and 50 businesses were destroyed or damaged

[hide]March 27, 1890

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 NW of Shawneetown to N of Carbondale Cape Girardeau, Perry Missouri - Jackson Illinois 1620 30 miles (48 km) 7 deaths
F4 NW of Thebes to Stonefort Scott Missouri - Alexander, Union, Johnson, Williamson Illinois 1645 55 miles (89 km) 2 deaths
F3 W of Sparta to ENE of Nashville Randolph, Washington 1715 40 miles (64 km) 2 deaths
F4 Metropolis to West Louisville Massac Illinois - McCracken, Pope, Livingston, Crittenden, Webster, McClean, Daviess Kentucky 1715 95 miles (153 km) 21 deaths Likely a family of tornadoes
F2 W of Carmi to Crossville White 1800 5 miles (8.0 km) 1 deaths

[hide]May 27, 1896

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 St. Louis, Missouri to East St. Louis, Illinois St. Louis City, Missouri - St.Clair, Illinois Unknown Unknown 118 deaths in Southern Illinois
282+ deaths overall - See section on this tornado


[hide]March 18, 1925

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F5 NNW of Ellington, Missouri to 10 mi (16 km) NE of Princeton, Indiana Reynolds, Iron, Madison, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Missouri - Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Illinois - Posey, Gibson, Pike, Indiana 1301 234 miles (377 km) 613 deaths in Southern Illinois
695 deaths overall Deadliest single tornado in US history. Most extreme tornado in recorded history. Holds the record longest path length (219 miles, 352 km), longest duration (about 3.5 hours), and fastest forward speed for a significant tornado (73 mph, 117 km/h). Unlike other earlier tornadoes on this list, this tornado is now believed to be one single tornado, not a tornado family See section on this tornado


[hide]December 18, 1957

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F5 N of Du Quoin to W of Sesser Perry 1635 5 miles 1 death. 6 injuries. Caused $50,000-$500,000 in damages. Touched down in a mostly rural area.
F4 Murphysboro to rural Franklin County Jackson, Williamson, Franklin 1645 Unknown 11 deaths
F4 Mt. Vernon area Jefferson 1555 Unknown 1 death

[hide]March 30, 1982

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F2 Ina area Jefferson 2030 0.8 miles 1 death

[hide]May 29, 1982

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 WNW of Carterville to E of Marion Williamson 1405 17 miles 10 deaths 52 businesses and 300 homes were destroyed, 324 homes were damaged, and over 200 cars destroyed. Over 200 were injured and 1,000 left homeless. See section on this tornado

[hide]December 2, 1982

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F3 New Baden area Clinton 2110 11 miles 1 death

[hide]April 5, 1985

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F2 SW of Clarmin area Randolph 458 1.8 miles 1 death

[hide]June 2, 1990

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 N of Aden to Mt. Carmel Hamilton, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash 1720 43 miles 1 death

[hide]April 21, 2002

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F3 1.5 mi NE of Bluford to Ellery Clinton, Wayne 1449 31.5 miles 1 death
F3 W of Wayne City to Ellery Wayne 1451 30 miles
 (52.8 km) 1 death Vehicles were picked up and deposited in houses. Well-constructed houses lost roofs and some walls. Weaker structures, including a tavern near Sims, were demolished.
F3 9 W Dongola to 7 E Dongola Union 0018 16 miles 1 death A train was blown off the tracks. Several wood houses were demolished, and seven double-wide trailers were destroyed. Approximately 75 homes were damaged. A recreational vehicle was tossed across Lake Dongola and impaled into the ground.

[hide]May 6, 2003

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F4 N of New Grand Chain to N of Golconda Pulaski, Massac, Pope 2032 33 miles
 (52.8 km) 2 deaths Several homes were destroyed while several others sustained minor to severe damage while other structures including frame homes (including being swept away from its foundation), mobile homes, two businesses, outbuildings and a campground were destroyed. A Conservation Area sustained severe damage to its facilities. Thirteen people were also injured. See section on this tornado

[hide]April 2, 2006

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

F2 SW of Fairview Heights to 4 mi NE of Fairview Heights St. Clair 1615 7 miles 1 death
See also[edit]
Climate of Illinois
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
St. Louis tornado history
External links[edit]
The Tri-State Tornado (The Tornado Project)
1925 Tri-State Tornado (NWS Paducah, KY)
The Weather Channel's Storm of the Century list - #7 The Tri-State Tornado
The Great Tri-State Tornado (RootsWeb Genealogy)
Newspaper Coverage of the Tri-State Tornado Ravage of Murphysboro (NIU Library)
Tri-State Tornado: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, March 1925 (Popular Mechanics)
The 1925 Tornado (Carolyar.com Genealogy)
1925 Monster Tornado Killed Hundreds Led to Development of Warning System
BooksThe Tri-State Tornado: The Story of America's Greatest Tornado Disaster, by Peter S. Felknor. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press, 1992. 131 pages. ISBN 0-8138-0623-2.
The Forgotten Storm: The Great Tri-state Tornado of 1925, by Wallace E. Akin. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press, 2002. 173 pages. ISBN 1-58574-607-X.

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1925
Tornadoes in Illinois
Perry County, Missouri
Jackson County, Illinois
Williamson County, Illinois
Franklin County, Illinois
Hamilton County, Illinois
Union County, Illinois
Wayne County, Illinois
Massac County, Illinois
Pulaski County, Illinois
History of St. Clair County, Illinois
Monroe County, Illinois
1925 in the United States


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December 1957 tornado outbreak sequence
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December 1957 tornado outbreak sequence

Date(s)
December 18–19, 1957
Duration
~1½ day
Tornadoes caused
37
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Highest winds
60 miles per hour (97 km/h) (estimated) at Hannibal, Missouri
Largest hail
.75 inches (1.9 cm) in diameter in St. Francois County, Missouri on December 18
Casualties
19
The December 1957 tornado outbreak sequence[nb 1][nb 2] was a significant tornado outbreak sequence that affected the southern Midwest and the South of the contiguous United States on December 18–19, 1957. The outbreak began on the afternoon of December 18, when from the west a low pressure area approached the southern portions of Missouri and Illinois.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table 2.1 December 18 event
2.2 December 19 event
2.3 December 20
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 Mt. Vernon, Illinois
3.2 Gorham–Murphysboro–DeSoto, Illinois
4 Non-tornadic effects
5 Aftermath
6 Oddities/records
7 See also
8 References 8.1 Bibliography
9 Notes
10 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
At 6:00 a.m. CST/12 UTC on December 18, 1957, a vigorous shortwave trough[2] entered the Great Plains with a cold front moving east across Oklahoma and Kansas.[3] A dissipating stationary front over Oklahoma underwent frontolysis[3] and later redeveloped as a warm front which extended across central Illinois.[4] By 3:00 p.m. CST, surface dew points reached the low 60s °F across portions of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, including the St. Louis area. Although most areas were then recording overcast weather conditions,[4] a strong upper-level jet stream helped impart synoptic-scale lifting,[2] a factor that favors updrafts, and little vertical mixing occurred, so instability remained favorable for thunderstorm development. Additionally, very cold temperatures[2] following a surface cyclone[3] raised the lifted index to -6 due to high adiabatic lapse rates.[4] Wind speeds at the middle level of the atmosphere, just under 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the ground, were close to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) as well.[4] Conditions were therefore very conducive to a large tornado outbreak on the afternoon of December 18.
Similarly favorable conditions occurred a day later, as a warm and moist air mass spread northward from the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, temperatures in the Mississippi Valley and the upper Midwest approached record highs for December. St. Louis and Detroit, Michigan, recorded afternoon highs of 57 °F, while Chicago, Illinois, measured 56 °F, only eight degrees lower than the local record high for December 19. Local residents and meteorologists described temperatures as being "springlike" for the time of year, even though meteorological winter was due to begin on December 23. Farther south, temperatures along the Gulf Coast reached the low 70s °F. Just as on December 18, a second tornado outbreak occurred in a broad warm sector from Arkansas to Illinois and south to Alabama.[5]

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
37 0 8 16 9 3 1

December 18 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Missouri
F1 Truxton Lincoln 1830 0.3 miles (0.48 km) Tornado injured one person as it unroofed three homes and removed one of them from its foundation. It is officially rated F1 but one authority accepts an F2 ranking (Grazulis 1993).
F2 NE of Knob Lick St. Francois 1950 2.7 miles (4.3 km) 1 death – The first deadly tornado to form on December 18 developed at 1:50 p.m. CST near Knob Lick,[6] about 15 miles (24 km) north of Fredericktown in St. Francois County, Missouri.[7] It killed an infant as its home was destroyed, injured one person, and leveled barns and silos along its path.[6] The parent thunderstorm likely produced the later tornado at McBride, Missouri,[7] and the second F3 tornado to hit near Chester, Missouri.[6] The Knob Lick tornado is officially rated F2 but is believed by some sources to have been F3 in intensity.[6]
F2 McBride Perry 2100 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Tornado hurled an occupied elementary school in the air, but the 32 students then in attendance escaped injuries. 15 to 20 buildings were damaged in the area.[7] The tornado was part of the same thunderstorm that produced the second tornado near Chester, Illinois. It is officially ranked F2 but may have been F3 in intensity at McBride.
F2 SW of Millersville to NE of Pocahontas Cape Girardeau 2245 15.8 miles (25.4 km) Tornado injured one person and hit five farms along its path, leveling the home and barns on at least one site. It is officially rated F2 but damage descriptions suggest that it may have reached F3 intensity (Grazulis 1993).
F2 N of Altenburg Perry 2300 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado was initially assumed to have occurred at the same time as the McBride tornado but this assessment was changed.[7] It is officially ranked F2 but may have been weaker and is thus not treated as significant by Grazulis (1993).
F2 Chaffee Scott 2322 0.5 miles (0.80 km) 3 deaths – At least one tornado wrecked downtown Chaffee as it unroofed and destroyed homes and businesses along with a shoe factory (Grazulis 1993). Though two or more tornadoes may have been involved, only one was officially recorded. All three deaths occurred in a small home. There may have been four injuries rather than the one officially listed.
Illinois
F3 N of Chester to N of Conant Randolph, Perry 2040 20.2 miles (32.5 km) Tornado damaged or destroyed buildings on 10 farm sites. Damage path skipped and was not continuous. Was the first of two tornadoes to hit near Chester, this one hitting north of the town. The next event hit southeast of Chester.
F3 SE of Chester to NW of Denmark Randolph, Perry 2115 17.7 miles (28.5 km) Second Chester tornado caused near-F4 damage to a home outside Chester and later damaged or destroyed 24 homes at Willisville. The local brick high school at Willisville was also destroyed.[7] The tornado was part of a tornado family that began at McBride, Missouri, with total losses from both tornadoes reaching $100,000.
F2 SE of Wood River Madison 2120 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado damaged or destroyed nine buildings in south Wood River. One authority unofficially ranks the tornado at F3 intensity (Grazulis 1993).
F1 Mason City Mason 2135 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado caused minimal damage to three or four buildings. One person was injured.[7]
F3 N of Cutler Perry 2135 2.5 miles (4.0 km) Tornado injured one person and damaged or destroyed six homes in a community at the intersection of Illinois Routes 154 and 150. Cars were blown off the highways and destroyed.[7]
F2 N of Boyd to S of Dix Jefferson 2145 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Tornado injured two people while unroofing or severely damaging eight buildings.
F4 E of Radom to Mt. Vernon to NW of Bluford Jefferson 2155 16.8 miles (27.0 km) 1 death – See section on this tornado
F2 N of Ava Jackson 2200 5.4 miles (8.7 km) Tornado damaged three or four homes.[7] It is not listed as an F2 event by Grazulis (1993).
F3 Rockwood area Randolph 2215 5.7 miles (9.2 km) Tornado flipped freight cars and damaged nearby buildings.[7] It is not listed as a significant (F2–F5) event by Grazulis (1993).
F2 E of Woodlawn to Mt. Vernon Jefferson 2230 11.6 miles (18.7 km) Second tornado to hit Mt. Vernon struck the north side of town, hitting and damaging 12 buildings, including six farms and six homes. Tornado is unofficially rated F3 by Grazulis (1993).
F5 N of Sunfield Perry 2235 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 1 death – At 4:35 p.m. CST on December 18, the only F5 tornado of the outbreak sequence destroyed the entire community of Sunfield in Perry County, Illinois. The powerful tornado touched down at the intersection of U.S. Route 51 and Illinois Route 154, which was then the location of Sunfield. The extreme damage only occurred in the small settlement, which reportedly completely vanished.[6][7] As of 2012, the community is now located to the south of the intersection, perhaps due to the tornado. One man who could not seek shelter in time died in an exposed location.[6] Six other people were injured. The thunderstorm that generated the Sunfield tornado continued moving east-northeast and may have also produced the tornado that hit Dahlgren, 32 miles (51 km) east-northeast of Sunfield.[7]
F4 Gorham to Murphysboro to SE of Zeigler Jackson, Williamson, Franklin 2245 28.3 miles (45.5 km) 11 deaths – See section on this tornado
F3 E of Orchardville to Clay City Wayne, Clay 2300 19.6 miles (31.5 km) Tornado injured one person and destroyed buildings on 20 different farm sites. The most intense damage occurred as the tornado touched down, then became less severe and discontinuous.[7] It dissipated just south of downtown Clay City. Another, unconfirmed tornado may have hit the same area at 2330 UTC.[7]
F2 Carbondale Jackson 2325 1.5 miles (2.4 km) Tornado touched down near Southern Illinois University and injured five people. It destroyed 15 trailers and caused damage to three other homes.[7] It is not regarded by Grazulis (1993) as being F2–F5 in intensity.
F3 W of Ste. Marie Jasper 2325 4.5 miles (7.2 km) Tornado damaged four farms and destroyed one or more barns between Boos and Ste. Marie.
F3 Dahlgren Hamilton 2335 2.5 miles (4.0 km) Tornado destroyed homes in parts of Dahlgren and caused F3 damage along its very short path. It may have been produced by the same thunderstorm that spawned the F5 Sunfield tornado.[7]
F3 SW of Springerton to NW of Grayville Hamilton, White, Edwards 0000 19.8 miles (31.9 km) Tornado injured four people as it destroyed four or more barns and a home along its path.
F2 E of Karnak Johnson 0000 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado destroyed one church and struck a school and two farms. Two tornadoes were probably involved but the event is not officially listed as such.
F1 SE of Sidell to W of Indianola Vermilion 0040 3 miles (4.8 km) Tornado was apparently heard to produce a "'roaring'" noise with minimal damage.[7]
Sources: Tornado Data for December 18, 1957, Grazulis 1993

December 19 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Arkansas
F4 E of Waldo to N of Stephens Columbia, Ouachita 1844 17.7 miles (28.5 km) 2 deaths – Tornado produced F4 damage as it touched down at "Cotton Belt," a community between Waldo and McNeil. There, five homes were leveled and a boy killed and thrown 250 yards (750 ft) from his home. Elsewhere, the tornado damaged five other homes. The tornado also threw and rolled a car 600 yards (0.34 mi) just before dissipating, having caused nine injuries and destroyed eight buildings.[7]
F3 Sherrill to SE of Tucker Jefferson 2140 3.8 miles (6.1 km) Tornado caused damage to two farm sites as it passed near Sherrill[7] and then struck the Tucker State Prison Farm.
Tennessee
F1 S of Milan Gibson 2100 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado destroyed four tenant homes on a farm in the Sitka community, south of Milan.[7]
F2 Humboldt Gibson 0315 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Tornado completely unroofed a hotel and partly ripped the roof from the Humboldt city hall. It also leveled one warehouse, four tenants, and a "concrete block" garage (Grazulis 1993). Also, the tornado badly damaged a cotton gin, downed electrical wires and TV antennas, and moved and damaged a building. Flying debris damaged numerous structures.[7]
F1 Milan Gibson 0320 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Second tornado to hit the Milan area injured two people by flying debris while damaging roofs, windows, and antennae. It may have originated from the storm that caused the Humboldt tornado.[7]
Missouri
F2 SE of Golden City Dade 2210 6.6 miles (10.6 km) Tornado damaged five different farm sites while alternately lifting and touching down again. Several funnels were reported, so more than one tornado may have been involved.[7] Tornado is not listed by Grazulis (1993) as being F2 or greater in intensity.
Illinois
F2 Waltonville Jefferson 2350 1 mile (1.6 km) Tornado severely damaged one farm and lightly damaged other buildings.[7] Not rated F2 or higher by Grazulis (1993).
F2 Pankeyville Saline 0300 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Tornado damaged a barn and other buildings south of Harrisburg.[7] Not rated F2 or higher by Grazulis (1993).
Alabama
F1 S of Winfield Fayette 0430 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado destroyed one home along with outbuildings.[7]
F2 Littleville Colbert 0515 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado destroyed three homes, damaged 12, and also damaged seven businesses and the city hall in Littleville. Damage was high-end F2 in intensity.[6]
Sources: Tornado Data for December 19, 1957, Grazulis 1993

December 20[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Alabama
F1 Clanton Chilton 0853 0.1 miles (0.16 km) Tornado caused much damage to 35 homes and a cotton mill.[7] May have been F2 according to Grazulis (1993).
F1 E of Castleberry Conecuh 0900 0.8 miles (1.3 km) Tornado produced two separate damage areas about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from each other. It destroyed two homes and one barn.[7] Possibly F2 according to Grazulis (1993).
Sources: Tornado Data for December 19, 1957, Grazulis 1993

Notable tornadoes[edit]
Mt. Vernon, Illinois[edit]
The second deadly tornado to develop on December 18 became one of two tornadoes to strike Mt. Vernon in Jefferson County, Illinois. The first tornado was the strongest and formed at 3:55 p.m. CST about 10 miles (16 km) west-southwest of downtown Mt. Vernon, whence local police patrol vehicles and radio reports monitored its movement.[7] As the tornado approached downtown Mt. Vernon, it completely leveled small, "prefabricated," ranch-style homes in southwest Mt. Vernon;[7] damage in this area was later rated F4 by meteorologists.[6] Thereafter, the tornado weakened as it neared downtown Mt. Vernon and may have even dissipated before reforming as a separate tornado to the north. It then continued on a skipping path and caused less severe damage to older homesites northeast of Mt. Vernon.[7] In Mt. Vernon, the tornado damaged or destroyed about 15 to 20 buildings, including the Block Grade School, where students left only 30 minutes beforehand. The funnel was described as being "swirling black clouds," filled with debris, that vanished northwest of downtown Mt. Vernon.[8]

Gorham–Murphysboro–DeSoto, Illinois[edit]
The deadliest tornado of the entire tornado outbreak sequence closely followed part of the March 18, 1925, Tri-State Tornado path,[6] and indeed affected the same towns of Gorham, Murphysboro, and De Soto that were hit in 1925.[8] It may have touched down in eastern Missouri but was first observed at 4:45 p.m. CST (some sources say 4:30 p.m. CST[7]) in Gorham, destroying or damaging 40 homes there.[6] As it neared and passed through the southeast side of Murphysboro, the tornado paralleled the Big Muddy River, moving east-northeast.[7] It produced the worst damage, posthumously rated F4, in this area, destroying old buildings;[7] however, the most intense damage only affected a small section of southeast Murphysboro, where 10 of the 11 deaths occurred.[6] Afterward, the tornado continued on to damage parts of De Soto, Hurst, and Bush.[6] Murphysboro was powerless for almost three days as most utilities were in the worst-hit area. The tornado injured 200 people along its path.[6]

Non-tornadic effects[edit]
Severe thunderstorms in connection with the outbreak on December 18 produced hail up to .75 inches (1.9 cm) in diameter in St. Francois County, Missouri.[7] Severe winds estimated at up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) also affected the Hannibal area in that state, downing power lines and wires. In addition to the six known tornadoes in Missouri, unconfirmed reports of tornadoes occurred in Jefferson County, along with many reports of funnel clouds elsewhere in the state.[7] Other unconfirmed tornadoes were reported in other states, including an alleged tornado that hit Rockville, Indiana.[8] On December 19, a dust storm with 50-mile-per-hour (80 km/h) wind gusts tossed three roofs onto vehicles and reduced visibility to just 0.50 miles (0.80 km) in Dallas, Texas. In addition to the three confirmed tornadoes that hit the state that day, severe winds in Tennessee, reportedly unrelated to tornado activity, destroyed farm buildings, tore off roofs, and downed trees and electrical wires; though these may have been due to tornadoes, none was confirmed.[7] In addition to two confirmed tornadoes, unconfirmed reports of tornado damage arrived from Royalton and Elkville, Illinois;[5] though attributed to thunderstorm winds, these damages may have been due to tornadoes.[7] Additionally, severe thunderstorm activity on December 18–19 contributed to severe flood conditions across parts of southern Illinois and in Missouri.[7][5]

Aftermath[edit]
After severe weather left the Murphysboro area in Illinois, police officers, firefighters, deputies, and other assistance were called out to the worst-hit subdivisions, Country Heights and Crown View.[8] Then-Illinois Director of Public Health Dr. Roland Cross also sent for the hard-hit Mt. Vernon area.[8] Then-Illinois Governor William G. Stratton directed Illinois state police to the affected areas of southern Illinois and also readied the Illinois National Guard for possible deployment to the region.[8]

Oddities/records[edit]
According to official Storm Data records from the Storm Prediction Center, the outbreak sequence was the most intense December severe weather event in U.S. history based on the number of intense tornadoes. The outbreak on December 18, in terms of F2–F5 tornadoes, was the most intense ever to affect the U.S. state of Illinois—and also, with 13 deaths in the state, the deadliest to affect Illinois in meteorological winter—even though the strongest tornadoes affected a relatively limited area of the state. The entire tornado outbreak sequence produced 37 recorded tornadoes, and fully 78.4% of them were rated as significant, F2–F5 events based upon damage estimates by the Fujita scale. Of these, 20 occurred in Illinois on December 18 alone, the largest such number of F2–F5 tornadoes in that state by a single outbreak. The second-highest total was 10 F2–F5 events in the outbreak of April 19, 1996, and the third-highest was seven such events on June 5, 2006. The tornado outbreak sequence was also responsible for the largest number of F2–F5 tornadoes in a December outbreak nationwide, including the highest number of violent, F4–F5 tornadoes by a tornado outbreak in December—both records having been achieved by midnight CST/0600 UTC on December 18. The outbreak remains only the second of two to produce an F5 tornado in December, the other being the December 5, 1953, tornado outbreak in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
Southern Illinois tornado history
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Harold E. Brooks; Joseph T. Schaefer. "Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875-2003)". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Finch, Jonathan D. "Historical Tornado Cases for Saint Louis County Warning Area of Eastern Missouri and SW Illinois". Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "U.S. Daily Weather Maps Project". NOAA. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d Finch, Jonathan D. "Historical Tornado Cases for North America, 1950-1959". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c "2 Die in Arkansas in New Tornadoes". New York Times. 20 December 2012. p. 56.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Grazulis, p. 1012
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (United States Department of Commerce) 8 (12): 522–531. December 1957.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Tornadoes Kill 8 in Midwest Area". New York Times. United Press. 19 December 1957. p. 63.
Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 978-1-879362-03-1.
— (2003). The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0.

Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) modern records that began in 1950, is defined as, at most, two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
2.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1957 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
External links[edit]
Inflation calculator
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1957
Tornadoes in Missouri
Tornadoes in Illinois
Tornadoes in Arkansas


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_1957_tornado_outbreak_sequence#Mt._Vernon.2C_Illinois







April 1958 Florida tornado outbreak
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Jump to: navigation, search

The April 1958 Florida tornado outbreak[1] was a severe weather event that primarily affected the Florida peninsula on April 15, 1958. A total of five tornadoes touched down in the state of Georgia between 12–5 p.m. EST. 80 percent of the tornadoes were recorded in Florida, while 75 percent of the Florida events attained F3 intensity or greater. The strongest tornado produced F4 damage on the Fujita scale in Polk County, Florida, becoming one of only two F4 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. state of Florida.[2] The second F4 tornado occurred on April 4, 1966, in Polk County near Gibsonia and Galloway.[3] In total, 65–72 people were injured during the 1958 outbreak,[3][4] but no deaths were directly related to the tornadoes.[2] In addition to confirmed tornadoes, an unconfirmed tornado was also reported near Wimauma, Florida.[5]



Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table
2 Confirmed tornadoes
3 Non-tornadic effects
4 See also
5 References

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
5 0 2 0 2 1 0
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Florida
F4 Bereah area Polk 1700 5 miles
 (8 km)[3] The first tornado of the day produced severe damage in rural Polk County. Nine small homes were destroyed near Bereah, but only one residence was well constructed. 7–12 injuries occurred,[3][4] and a water tank containing 2,500 gallons was thrown for more than one mile (1.6 km).[3] Rating disputed, ranked F3 by Grazulis.
F1 Ruskin area Hillsborough 1720 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) The second tornado of the day touched down west of Ruskin, Florida,[2] where it crossed Mullet Key.[5]
F3 N of Saint Augustine Saint Johns 1720 3.6 miles
 (5.8 km) The third tornado touched down in Saint Johns County and affected neighborhoods north of Saint Augustine,[3] producing F3 damage.[2] The tornado destroyed six homes in multiple subdivisions north of Saint Augustine.[3] In addition, 8–10 homes received damage,[4] and 8–10 people were injured.[3][4] Rating disputed, ranked F2 by Grazulis.
F3 Fort Pierce Saint Lucie 1809 14.8 miles
 (23.8 km) The fourth tornado became the most destructive event of the outbreak,[2] touching down near U.S Route 441[6] west of Fort Pierce in Saint Lucie County.[2] It moved east through the city's business district[3] and moved offshore over the Atlantic Ocean.[6] A total of 28 homes were demolished or received damage in the Fort Pierce area, while 200 additional buildings were destroyed or damaged as well. In addition, nine small residences were destroyed outside the city. Initial estimates placed damages near $5,000,000 (1958 USD),[3][6] but these estimates were deemed too high by the General Adjustments Bureau.[6] Final estimates placed damages near "over half million"[6] or $0.6 million.[2] Martial law was declared after the tornado struck the city, but it was lifted on April 16.[5] Grapefruit was tossed from the trees, but growers salvaged the majority of the fruit from the ground.[6] Most of the 50 injuries were inflicted by flying glass in the city's downtown business district.[3]
Georgia
F1 Riddleville area Washington 2130 0.8 miles
 (1.3 km) Tornado leveled three homes, all unoccupied, as well as a barn. It also damaged two additional homes.[7]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis


Non-tornadic effects[edit]
One B-47 bomber departing from MacDill Air Force Base was destroyed when it encountered the parent thunderstorm. The plane unsuccessfully attempted to fly at lower altitudes and avoid it.[4] The four crew members aboard were not found.[5]

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Hagemeyer, Bartlett C. (1997). "Peninsular Florida tornado outbreaks". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 12: 399–427. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(1997)012<0399:PFTO>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "NCDC Storm Event Database". Archived from the original on 17 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Tornadoes Wreck Homes, Injure 60 In Florida". Tucson Daily Citizen (Tucson, Arizona). The Associated Press. April 16, 1958.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d "City in Florida is Battered by Freak Twister". Moberly Monitor-Index (Moberly, Missouri). The Associated Press. April 16, 1958.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Campbell, Scotty (April 17, 1958). "Tornado Damage Loss Estimates Drop". Fort Pierce News-Tribune (Fort Pierce, Florida).
7.Jump up ^ "Storm data and unusual weather phenomena". Climatological Data National Summary (United States Department of Commerce) 9 (4): 107–129. April 1958.
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
F3 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1958
Tornadoes in Florida
1958 in the United States


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1958 Colfax, Wisconsin tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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1958 Colfax, Wisconsin tornado outbreak

Date(s)
June 4, 1958
Duration
~4 hours
Tornadoes caused
9
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
$10 million [1]
Casualties
28
The 1958 Colfax, Wisconsin tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck portions of northwestern Wisconsin on June 4, 1958. The outbreak which started in central Minnesota killed at least 28 people, all in Wisconsin as part of one of the worst tornado outbreaks ever to have struck the state.


Contents  [hide]
1 Event
2 Tornado table 2.1 Confirmed tornadoes
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Event[edit]
Tornadoes first touched down during the second half of the afternoon across central Minnesota west of St. Cloud destroying barns and toppling trees but no fatalities were reported.[2] The thunderstorms raced eastward at 50 mph (80 km/h) through the Twin Cities area and intensified shortly after crossing the Minnesota-Wisconsin State line after 5:00 PM CDT.[3]
The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was an F5 that struck the Colfax area in Dunn County at 7:04 PM CDT. The tornado touched down south of Interstate 94 near Baldwin in St. Croix County the same county affected by the New Richmond Tornado on June 12, 1899, which killed 117. The F5 storm traveled for about 33 miles (53 km) across St. Croix and Dunn Counties passed through or near the Wilson, Knapp, Tainter Lake, Cedar Falls and Norton areas just north Menomonie before producing the worst damage in Colfax. A few minutes later the tornado dissipated just west of US Route 53 near Bloomer.
The F5 tornado itself killed at least 21 and injured 74, making it the deadliest tornado since 1950 and one of the deadliest of all-time in Wisconsin.[4] 12 of the fatalities were in Colfax alone where damage was estimated at $2 million including about half of the buildings in that town flattened.[2] About 432 farms were damaged or destroyed while another 1032 buildings were also damaged or destroyed. 24 of the 25 homes in Cedar Falls were completely demolished as well. Debris was found as far as 75 miles (121 km) away in Sheldon. The same area was also hit by a deadly tornado in 1930 which however struck the center of Menomonie slightly to the south of the 1958 tornado track. That tornado killed at least six. An F3 tornado on May 24 also affected the immediate region causing heavy damage but no fatalities.[5][6]
Seven other people in Wisconsin were killed by two other tornadoes bringing the total death toll for that day to 28 with damage estimated at $10 million. The first one occurred just 7:00 PM CDT north of Eau Claire in the Chippewa Falls area. The F4 tornado lasted 11-mile (18 km), killed three people, and injured 50. The second one, also an F4 affected areas east of Eau Claire before 8:00 PM CDT. The storm traveled for nearly 60 miles (97 km) across Eau Claire, Clark and Marathon counties before lifting near Wausau killing four. The last tornado of the outbreak touched down in Rusk and Sawyer Counties north of Ladysmith shortly after 8:00 PM CDT.[3]
The storms, in addition to the fatalities and destruction, also cut utility and communication services through the region thus isolating many communities until help was provided from several areas including from the Twin Cities region about an hour west of the affected areas.[6]
Then Governor of Wisconsin Vernon Thomson ordered three groups of National Guard troops in the affected area for rescue and rehabilitation duties.[2]
It was the first official F5 tornado to strike the state since records were made official in 1950 although the New Richmond Tornado of 1899 produced damage similar to an F5. The next F5 tornado to strike Wisconsin was on June 7, 1984, when a tornado completely destroyed Barneveld killing nine.[7]
Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
9 2 1 2 1 2 1
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Minnesota
F2 S of Albany to N of St. Joseph Stearns 2220 13.3 miles
 (21.3 km) 
F1 W of St. Martin Stearns 2220 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) Three barns were destroyed.[8]
F0 N of Roscoe Stearns 2220 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Wisconsin
F5 SW of Woodville to NE of Colfax St. Croix, Dunn 2330 33.7 miles
 (53.9 km) 21 deaths Severe damage on the northern edge of Menomonie and in Colfax and Cedar Falls. Many homes were destroyed, some of which were swept away. Cars were picked up and thrown, one of which was found wrapped around the side of a small steel-and-concrete bridge that collapsed during the tornado. Telephone poles were snapped and trees were debarked as well.[8]
F4 Chippewa Falls Chippewa 0045 11.1 miles
 (17.8 km) 3 deaths Severe damage in the town of Chippewa Falls. Farms northeast of town were leveled as well.[8]
F3 Cadott area Chippewa 0100 4.3 miles
 (6.9 km) One home was destroyed just west of town.[8]
F4 NE of Fall Creek to W of Wien Eau Claire, Clark, Marathon 0130 59.2 miles
 (94.7 km) 4 deaths Several farm houses were destroyed by the tornado.[8]
F2 NE of New Brighton Rusk, Sawyer 0210 13.8 miles
 (22.1 km) Barns were destroyed and acres of forest were leveled.[8]
Nebraska
F0 W of Milford Seward 0100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Source: Tornado History Project - June 4, 1958 Storm Data
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ http://www.cvmuseum.com/r-1958tornado.pdf
2.^ Jump up to: a b c Various Towns in Northwest WI, Terrible Tornado, June 1958 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods
3.^ Jump up to: a b Tornado Database, Tornado Maps, Tornado Paths
4.Jump up ^ Tornado Database, Tornado Maps, Tornado Paths
5.Jump up ^ Tornado History Project - Tornado Map
6.^ Jump up to: a b Our Story, Vol V - Colfax tornado cuts deadly swath
7.Jump up ^ F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States - 1950-present (SPC)
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
External links[edit]
Damage images of the 1958 Colfax tornado
News Briefs of the Colfax tornado
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1958
Tornadoes in Wisconsin
1958 in the United States


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Colfax,_Wisconsin_tornado_outbreak