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1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak
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This article is about the 1920 tornado outbreak. For other uses, see Palm Sunday tornado outbreak (disambiguation).
1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak

Date(s)
March 28, 1920
Duration
~9 hours
Tornadoes caused
≥ 37
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
380+
The Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 was an outbreak of at least 37 tornadoes, 31 of which were significant, across the Midwest and Deep South states on March 28, 1920. The tornadoes left more than 380 dead and at least 1,215 injured. Many communities and farmers alike were caught off-guard as the storms moved to the northeast at speeds that reached over 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Most of the fatalities occurred in Georgia (201+), Indiana (56), and Ohio (55), while the other states had lesser totals. Little is known about many of the specific tornadoes that occurred, and the list below is only partial.[citation needed]
Severe thunderstorms began developing in Missouri during the early morning hours. The storms moved quickly to the northeast towards Chicago, Illinois. The first tornado injured five people 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Springfield, Missouri, in Douglas County. This first tornado was a harbinger of things to come as the morning went on and the atmosphere began to destabilize, due to the abundance of sunshine that preceded the cold front in the warm sector, which covered the lower Great Lakes region extending southward well past the Ohio River Valley.[citation needed]



Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 March 28 event
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 La Fox/Elgin, Illinois
3.2 Melrose Park, Illinois
3.3 Townley, Indiana/Swanton–Brunersburg–Raab Corners, Ohio
3.4 Fenton, Michigan
3.5 Other tornadoes
4 Oddities/records
5 See also
6 References 6.1 Bibliography


Meteorological synopsis[edit]
According to meteorologist and weather historian Charles Merlin Umpenhour, climatic conditions were favorable on Palm Sunday 1920 for all the atmospheric ingredients to come together needed to create the classic setup needed for long-track tornadoes. However, forecasting, communications technology, and public awareness about Severe Weather was nearly nonexistent in 1920 and would not begin for another 33 years, when the U.S. Weather Bureau would implement its public Watch (the word ‘forecast’ was used until 1966) and Warning program in 1953.[citation needed]
For the residents of the Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley areas, the only source of weather information was the rather vague forecasts that were issued in the local newspaper the day before or by word of mouth. The use of the word "tornado" was strictly prohibited in public weather forecasting until the 1950s because of the fear and panic it might cause. This policy would come under-fire in the years to come especially after the Tri-State Tornado in 1925 that stands today as the deadliest tornado in American history.[citation needed]
Weather forecasters and the public alike in the Chicago, Dayton, Fort Wayne, Lansing, South Bend, and Toledo areas were unaware that the stage was set that day for a significant tornado outbreak that would follow a balmy and seemingly tranquil Palm Sunday afternoon. The weather maps in use in March 1920 showed a rather large and deep cyclone over northern Iowa that was forecast to move across central Lower Michigan by nightfall with a trailing cold front. Meteorologists knew rain showers and perhaps a thundershower was a good possibility, but were unaware that the helicity, lifted index, and upper level winds were being guided by a strong jet stream with a probable negative-tilt that would create favorable conditions for the development of tornadoes.[citation needed]

Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
≥ 37 5 ? ? 15 8 8 0

March 28 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - May 4, 1960

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Missouri
F2 Near Vanzant Douglas 0830 unknown The first known strong tornado of the outbreak destroyed frail farmhouses in rural areas. Minimal losses were reported.[1]
Michigan
F2 SE of Lansing Ingham unknown unknown A home was reported destroyed near Mason.[1]
F2 S of Free Soil Mason unknown 7 miles (11 km) An F2 tornado destroyed a barn and unroofed one home as it briefly touched down.[1]
F2 SE of Baroda to E of Sodus Berrien 1730 10 miles (16 km) Another F2 tornado destroyed barns on five separate farms and also tore apart one home.[1]
F2 W of Hart to Weare Oceana 2000 10 miles (16 km) 1 death — A tornado began as a waterspout over Lake Michigan. As it moved onshore, it killed a man and destroyed a barn and a small home. May have continued many more miles into Lake and Osceola Counties.[2]
F2 W of Three Rivers to S of Climax St. Joseph, Kalamazoo 2100 30 miles (48 km) Likely a tornado family, this event destroyed barns and killed cattle as it skipped along.[2]
F2 SW of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 2100 unknown A tornado destroyed barns near Kalamazoo before dissipating and reforming in Barry County as an F4 tornado.[2]
F3 S of Mulliken to St. Johns Eaton, Clinton, Gratiot, Saginaw 2130 50 miles (80 km) 1 death — At about 4:30 p.m. CST, a major tornado family touched down south of Mulliken in Eaton County, Michigan. It first destroyed farm buildings north of Wacousta and later continued to do so as it passed east of Mulliken and northeast of Eureka.[2] It then caused possible F4 damage to farms southwest of St. Johns and produced F2 damage in the business district of that town. In downtown St. Johns, the tornado smashed glass windows, tore off roofs, and destroyed walls, causing $250,000 in damage.[3] The tornado was 300 yards (900 ft) wide as it passed through St. Johns.
F4 S of Hickory Corners to near Vermontville Barry, Eaton 2130 20 miles (32 km) 4 deaths — A violent tornado destroyed 35 farms in its path and killed people in farmhouses in the vicinity of Maple Grove. It also carried part of a furnace 12 miles (19 km).[2]
F3 S of Orangeville to ENE of Hastings Barry 2130 15 miles (24 km) 1 death — A tornado immediately destroyed a home as it touched down. Later, it went on to destroy nearly 15 farms. It was a very intense event, possibly an F4 tornado, and may have begun at Alamo in Kalamazoo County.[2]
F2 S of Perry to NE of Morrice Shiawassee 2300 7 miles (11 km) A tornado destroyed barns and killed farm animals along its short-lived path.[2]
F2 W of Saginaw Saginaw 0007 2 miles (3.2 km) A tornado struck four farms in western Saginaw and destroyed barns.[2]
F4 NNE of Fenton Genesee, Oakland ~0030 10 miles (16 km) 4 deaths — See section on this tornado
Illinois
F2 S of Cortland to NE of Sycamore DeKalb 1800 12 miles (19 km) A tornado destroyed many silos and barns along its path.[1]
F3 SE of La Fox to Elgin Kane 1805 20 miles (32 km) 8 deaths — See section on this tornado
F4 N of Channahon to Wilmette Will, Cook 1815 53 miles (85 km) 20 deaths — See section on this tornado — This devastating tornado exited over Lake Michigan.[1]
F2 Bridgeview to WSW of the Chicago Loop Cook 1910 10 miles (16 km) A tornado struck between Cicero and Chicago Midway Airport. It destroyed eight buildings, including a school, and unroofed many others.[1]
F? W of Cornland to N of Lincoln Logan 2200 20 miles (32 km) A tornado passed through the Broadwell area. It damaged farmhouses and buildings and caused significant damage to trees and power lines.[3]
F? NE of Elgin Kane unknown unknown A tornado, part of the Elgin tornado family, destroyed two barns and killed 38 cattle.[3]
F? W of Barrington Lake unknown unknown Another tornado, also part of the Elgin tornado family, substantially damaged farm buildings.[3]
F? Wauconda Lake unknown unknown A funnel was observed with many cattle killed and buildings destroyed. This was also part of the Elgin tornado family.[3]
Wisconsin
F2 E of Elkhorn to W of East Troy Walworth 1815 6 miles (9.7 km) 1 death — A tornado destroyed three barns, killing one woman.[1]
Georgia
F2 N of Milner Pike 1900 2 miles (3.2 km) 1 death — A tornado killed a woman as it destroyed a home and a church.[1]
F3 SE of LaGrange Troup 2245 5 miles (8.0 km) 27 deaths — At 5:45 p.m. EST, a powerful tornado struck the southeast section of LaGrange in Troup County, Georgia. As it passed through the area, it destroyed 75 poorly constructed homes near a mill and a factory. The tornado damaged railroad cars and spilled and ruined much fertilizer in the area, then went on to destroy both the mill and the factory. There, the tornado was up to 800 yards (0.45 mi) wide and may have reached F4 intensity, though only F3 damage could be confirmed.[2] Causing 27 deaths in Troup County, all in LaGrange alone[2]—though some accounts suggested up to 200 "dead and injured" across Troup County[4]—it became the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak this day.
Alabama
F3 W of Jacksonville Calhoun 2000 8 miles (13 km) 1 death — A tornado tore apart a small home, killing a boy near Cedar Springs. It also caused damage to barns and trees southwest of that community.[1]
F2 N of Deatsville Elmore 2030 unknown A tornado destroyed barns and small homes.[2] This was continuous with the next tornado, listed below.[5]
F4 NE of Eclectic to West Point, GA Elmore, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Troup (GA) 2045 50 miles (80 km) 26 deaths — This tornado first developed east of Eclectic between 3:00–3:45 p.m. CST,[5] but most likely around 2:45 p.m. CST according to Thomas P. Grazulis.[2] Some damage occurred to homes, trees, outhouses, and a school[5] before the tornado hit Red Hill.[2] Next, the tornado caused at least 17 deaths and destroyed 60 homes in Alabama, mainly near Agricola, Susanna, and Red Ridge. Afterward, it caused nine deaths and 40 injuries in an industrial and business swath of West Point, Georgia, with 40 homes destroyed in Georgia.[2] It became the second-deadliest tornado to hit this day.
Indiana
F3 S of Mishawaka to NW of Union, MI St. Joseph, Elkhart, Cass (MI) 2015 22 miles (35 km) A tornado caused damage to twelve farms and destroyed a home northwest of Elkhart, Indiana. It then destroyed four more farm buildings in Michigan.[2]
F3 W of Leroy to W of Valparaiso Lake, Porter 2100 7 miles (11 km) 1 death — An F3 tornado destroyed two homes and damaged five, killing a man in his home. This event ended near Beatrice in what is now Porter Township.[2]
F4 NE of Orland to SW of Coldwater, MI Steuben, Branch (MI) 2130 13 miles (21 km) 2 deaths — At 4:30 p.m., the first of at least three F4 tornadoes to hit Michigan began in northern Indiana, northeast of Orland in Steuben County. Prior to the tornado, damaging winds caused minor damage to businesses and homes in Orland.[2] Later, the tornado strengthened as it crossed into Branch County, Michigan. Upon entering Michigan, it produced F4 damage to a farmhouse and killed two people near East Gilead, Michigan.[2] The tornado later dissipated southwest of Coldwater. Another deadly F4 tornado also passed near East Gilead on Palm Sunday of April 11, 1965.
F4 Near Uniondale to SW of Sylvania, OH Wells, Allen, Paulding (OH), Defiance (OH), Henry (OH), Fulton (OH), Lucas (OH) 2215 100 miles (160 km) 23 deaths — See section on this tornado — This powerful tornado family passed south of Ossian and devastated the village of Townley, near the Indiana–Ohio border.[2]
F4 SW of West Liberty to S of Van Wert, OH Jay, Adams, Mercer (OH), Van Wert (OH) 2300 40 miles (64 km) 17 deaths — While the previous F4 tornado dissipated just after reaching the Michigan state line, another tornado developed further south in Indiana and crossed into Mercer and Van Wert Counties, Ohio. Upon touching down in Indiana, the tornado severely impacted West Liberty, Indiana (seven deaths), located north-northwest of Portland, before leveling homes between Geneva and Ceylon.[2] In this area, the tornado partially stripped chickens of their feathers[3]—a common phenomenon known as moulting[2]—and many buildings were swept away with their floors slightly dislodged.[3] Thereafter, it leveled farms and killed three people in neighboring Ohio. In this area, the tornado was very intense and may have even reached F5 intensity,[2] being one of the strongest tornadoes recorded this day. After exiting Adams County, Indiana, this large tornado moved towards the far northwestern part of Mercer County in west-central Ohio, again destroying nearly everything in its path. As the tornado moved on into Van Wert County, three more people died and many would be injured as the storm moved to the south of Van Wert.[6] Some of this same area was hit by another F4 tornado on November 10, 2002.
F3 S of Union City to SW of New Weston, OH Randolph, Darke (OH) 0030 15 miles (24 km) 5 deaths — A tornado destroyed six farms in Ohio, near Lightsville.[7]
F4 W of Fountain City to N of Greenville, OH Wayne, Randolph, Darke (OH) 0100 20 miles (32 km) 8 deaths — The final violent tornado of the outbreak destroyed eight homes near Fountain City before causing F4 damage to farms in Ohio. Its worst effects were observed 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Greenville.[7]
Ohio
F? Grand Lake St. Marys to SW of Lima Mercer, Auglaize, Allen 0030 unknown See section on this tornado
F2 E of Bowling Green to NE of Martin Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa 0030 > 7 miles (11 km) 2 deaths — See section on this tornado — A tornado passed through Genoa, destroying numerous businesses and 20 homes. Fires engulfed some of the homes and two people died.[2]
Sources: Grazulis 1993, Monthly Weather Review

Notable tornadoes[edit]
La Fox/Elgin, Illinois[edit]
Just before the noon hour, severe thunderstorms began forming 50 miles (80 km) west of downtown Chicago. The first storm started to spawn killer tornadoes in DeKalb and then Kane Counties starting at 12:00 p.m. CST. Upon touching down, the tornadoes then moved northeast at about 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[3] The tornado in Kane County apparently first formed about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of La Fox and moved northeast, later passing directly through downtown Elgin.[3] Initially, the tornado destroyed a farmhouse and numerous barns, killing a father and tossing about a baby[3] as it touched down.[1]
Observers occasionally reported a well-defined funnel along the path as the tornado continued into the business district of Elgin, destroying or damaging many structures. It destroyed six businesses, damaged many others, and also "partially wrecked" three churches.[3] Three people died as the rear of a theater collapsed, three more as a brick church tower fell, and one additional as a building façade caved in. Church services had been dismissed just minutes before, saving the lives of parishioners and preventing more deaths in Elgin.[3]
As the tornado left downtown Elgin, it destroyed numerous trees along with 25 homes and damaged 200 other residences. Thereafter, the tornado probably dissipated,[1] only to develop into a new tornado. Both isolated tornado and widespread non-tornadic downburst damage was reported as far as Wauconda, killing cattle, damaging farms, and destroying many buildings.[3] The tornado in Elgin was rated F3 in a study and was the first tornado of the outbreak to cause deaths and to kill more than five people.[1]

Melrose Park, Illinois[edit]



The Melrose Park-Wilmette tornado originated about 12.15 p. m. in Will County, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of the village of Channahon and 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Joliet. The funnel-shaped tornado cloud was first seen and damage was first noted at the farm of John Dison...
Monthly Weather Review[3]
Roughly 15 minutes after the Elgin tornado formed, a violent F4 tornado tore through Will and Cook Counties, producing a path 53 miles (85 km) long in the Bellwood and Maywood areas. The tornado first destroyed five homes,[1] two frame schools, and at least 12 barns[3] as it passed from Channahon to Troy and then Lockport. It skipped thereafter, possibly dissipating and redeveloping into a second tornado, as it caused minor damage in the Romeoville area. Afterward, the tornado funnel was not seen for some time.[3]
Upon reaching the Bellwood-Maywood area, a second tornado probably touched down and produced a continuous damage swath to Lake Michigan, killing 20 people and leveling many homes with F4 damage.[1] 10 of the deaths alone occurred at Melrose Park[1] when the tornado hit the Melrose Park Catholic Church and Convent[3] where people were getting ready for Palm Sunday services.[citation needed] The tornado destroyed 50 other buildings in Melrose Park before moving over less-populated areas, killing six more people in the community of Dunning before passing over Lake Michigan. In all, the tornado partially or completed destroyed 413 buildings and injured about 300 people. It is just one of just six known F4-F5 tornadoes to occur within the Chicago metropolitan area.[1][8]

Townley, Indiana/Swanton–Brunersburg–Raab Corners, Ohio[edit]
The tornadoes that struck the western counties of Darke, Defiance, Mercer, Paulding, and Van Wert in Ohio on March 28, 1920, originated in the Hoosier State, quickly moving across the state line into Ohio.
The first of the tornadoes began in Indiana around 5:15 p.m. CST. Probably part of a tornado family, it touched down near the Wells County community of Ossian. Increasing rapidly in size and intensity, the tornado was reported by eyewitnesses to have resembled a very large, low-hanging mass of turbulent clouds that resembled boiling pot of oatmeal.[6] This may have accounted for the deaths and injuries of so many farmers within its path, since many farmers were usually accustomed to taking shelter during dangerous weather situations.[3] The tornado then hit Edgerton[3] and destroyed farms in Indiana and caused nine deaths before destroying nearly every building at Townley.[2] Four people died there as the entire town was devastated[3] with F4 damage. The powerful F4 tornado leveled at least 100 buildings in Indiana[2] with 13 deaths and $1,000,000 in damage (1920 USD) in the state.[3] It later became the first of three tornadoes to move into Ohio, this time from Allen County, Indiana.
After moving through Paulding County, the tornado alternately lifted and dipped to the ground,[2] possibly even reforming as a separate tornado, as it moved into the Defiance area. Here several homes and a small store were destroyed and six people lost their lives. The violent tornado then moved northeast into Henry and Fulton Counties, tearing through the town of Swanton, located near Brunersburg,[2] and causing major damage.[6] Many factories, shops, and homes were completely demolished. According to the Toledo Blade newspaper, the central business district sustained very heavy damage along Main Street, extending into nearby residential areas, where the damage became more intense. This damage brought out many thieves who looted local businesses and houses that had been hit by the tornado.[6] Continuing on, the tornado then caused isolated damage to farms and trees as it passed into rural areas.[2]
Increasing in size as it moved into northwest Lucas County, the tornado produced increasingly severe damage, as buildings and homes were swept clean of their foundations,[6] before leveling the entire community of Raab Corners (four deaths), also called "Rab's Corners", in Lucas County.[2] Farmhouses and other buildings were leveled as the violent tornado, .5 miles (1 km) wide at this point, moved towards Raab Corners. The residents of Raab Corners were largely unaware of the impending danger as they celebrated Palm Sunday services at the Immaculate Conception and St. Mary's Churches that evening.[6] Just after 7:00 p.m. CST rain and small hail started to come down in torrents. As the power went out churchgoers lighted kerosene lamps to illuminate the interior of their buildings, and to continue their Palm Sunday services, when the winds began to increase followed by large hail that shattered all the windows. Around 7:15 p.m. CST, a solid black wall of swirling clouds proceeded to engulf Raab Corners, destroying everything in its path and killing four[2] people. Local residents decided not to rebuild the town, moving to nearby communities in Michigan and Ohio.[6] Today, only an intersection remains at once was the main four corners.

Fenton, Michigan[edit]
The third and final F4 tornado in Michigan this day touched down west-northwest of Fenton at about 7:30 p.m. CST, shortly before "8 o' clock,"[9] though one estimate suggested a time of 5:00 p.m. CST.[2] The tornado first destroyed a barn, a farmhouse, and a school[10] as it moved northeast.[2] It then struck a cement plant and demolished a smokestack and destroyed the steel-framed kiln room, reportedly warping and twisting the steel bars "so badly...that it is probable that the enclosure will have to be rebuilt." Total losses reached $100,000 at the plant.[9] Afterward, the intensifying tornado leveled farm buildings and killed two horses and several other livestock; it left cows unharmed but pinned under debris.[10] The F4 tornado then struck and completely leveled about 30 lakeside summer homes,[9] many of them large and well-built structures[10] worth $3,000–$6,000 to build at the time.[9] Intense winds lifted boats up to 300 feet (91 m) from their moorings and carried entire homes several hundred feet from their foundations.[9] In the summer, according to the Fenton Independent, there would have been "hundreds of people camping at the lake. Should the accident have occurred at that time there would have been hundreds of deaths."[9] In all, the powerful tornado killed four people and damaged or destroyed 35 buildings near Fenton. One of the deaths occurred in an overturned car, among the earliest tornado-related deaths in an automobile; the earliest known such death was probably on May 19, 1918, in Iowa.[2]

Other tornadoes[edit]
Around 7:30 pm, another tornado developed in eastern Mercer County first appearing as a waterspout over Grand Lake St. Marys. This storm quickly intensified as it moved towards the northeast at 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). The heaviest damage occurred near Moulton, located in Auglaize County, as several farms and homes were destroyed, with only minor injuries reported. This tornado continued on into Allen County, but lifted before striking the city of Lima.[6] Meanwhile, to the north in Wood County, another tornado (some reports say there were two at the same time) touched down east of Bowling Green, Ohio, and moved rapidly northeast into Sandusky County, taking everything in its path with it. Moving into the Ottawa County village of Genoa, the tornado leveled over 36 (some sources say 20[2]) homes and several businesses. In the Clay Township area, two people were killed and 20 people were injured, extending to the small town of Trowbridge. The tornado passed out into Lake Erie before causing any further damage.[6]

Oddities/records[edit]
Newspaper accounts and weather records document over 31 storms of major significance; thus, the probable number of actual tornadoes is higher. The only time prior to 1950 where weather forecasters would conduct an official inquiry is when a single tornado was noteworthy of an extensive investigation such as the infamous Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925. According to Thomas P. Grazulis, head of the Tornado Project, the death tolls in the southern states on Palm Sunday 1920 could have easily been much higher since the deaths of non-whites from natural disasters were often overlooked or omitted in either official or newspaper records.

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965
Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1994
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Grazulis, Significant, p. 767
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 Grazulis, Significant, p. 768
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Mitchell, Charles L. (April 1920). "Tornadoes of March 28, in Northeastern Illinois". Monthly Weather Review (Chicago, Illinois: United States Weather Bureau) 28 (4): 191–196. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1920)48<191b:TOMINI>2.0.CO;2.
4.Jump up ^ "Selected Timeline of Troup County History". Troup County Historical Society. Archived from the original on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c Smyth, P. H. (April 1920). "The Tornadoes of March 28, 1920, in East-Central Alabama". Monthly Weather Review (Montgomery, Alabama: United States Weather Bureau) 48 (4): 200–203. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1920)48<200:TTOMIE>2.0.CO;2.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "Northwest Ohio Is Swept By Tornado; 19 Known Dead". Toledo Blade. Press Pool. March 30, 1920.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Grazulis, Significant, p. 769
8.Jump up ^ Tornado History Project. "Tornado Map". Retrieved 2013-02-02.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Death And Destruction In Wake Of Tornado". Fenton Independent. April 1, 1920.
10.^ Jump up to: a b c "Four Killed in Cyclone". Fenton Courier. April 1, 1920.
Press Pool. "Reconstruction Starts In Storm Area Where 22 Died." Toledo Blade. March 31, 1920. Retrieved on April 17, 2001.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Climatic Data Center / Storm Prediction Center.

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



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Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1920
Tornadoes in Indiana
Tornadoes in Wisconsin
Tornadoes in Alabama
Tornadoes in Ohio
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Palm Sunday tornado outbreaks





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April 1920 tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The April 1920 tornado outbreak was a major severe weather event that affected the Southeastern United States on April 20, 1920. At least seven tornadoes affected the American U.S. states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, six of them rated violent F4 on the Fujita scale. At least one of them likely attained F5 intensity, though this is uncertain. The tornado outbreak killed at least 224 people, 97 of them in Alabama and 126 in Mississippi; of these deaths, 223 were related to the six F4 tornadoes. Each of these F4s caused more than 20 deaths. This distribution of tornadoes causing at least 20 deaths is the largest in a single outbreak, tied with that of the April 11, 1965, Palm Sunday outbreak. The 1920 outbreak is also the third-deadliest outbreak in Alabama, April 27, 2011 (238 deaths in-state), and March 21, 1932 (268 deaths in-state), outbreaks. The Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974, was the fourth deadliest with 86 deaths across the state.
Five of the tornadoes were long tracked, each traveling more than 32 miles (51 km) across Mississippi and into Alabama. A tornado that began in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, crossed into Alabama and lifted over Limestone County, having covered a distance of more than 130 miles (210 km). Along its path, the tornado destroyed entire communities and killed at least 49 people in Alabama, a total that would be matched by a tornado on March 21, 1932. This tied for the deadliest Alabama tornado until an EF5 tornado which killed 72 people in 2011. Additionally, the 1920 outbreak set a single-day record with four violent tornadoes in Mississippi, the highest such total in the state. With three F4s in Alabama, it is the fourth-most intense Alabama outbreak, following the April 3, 1974, Super Outbreak, with four F4–F5, the March 21, 1932, outbreak, with eight F4–F5, and the April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak, with nine EF4–EF5 tornadoes.
In addition to the tornadoes on April 20, other tornadoes associated with the same weather system occurred on April 19 and April 21.[1]



Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table 1.1 April 19
1.2 April 20 event
1.3 April 21
2 Notable tornadoes 2.1 Aberdeen, Mississippi/Waco, Alabama
2.2 Arley/Helicon, Alabama
3 See also
4 References 4.1 Bibliography
5 Notes
6 External links

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
≥ 16 2 0 ? 6 2 6 0

April 19[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Arkansas
F3 Huckleberry Mountain to NNE of Piney Bay Logan, Johnson, Pope 0615 15 miles (24 km) 9 deaths – A tornado passed near New Blaine, destroying a bridge on "North Piney Creek" (part of the Big Piney Creek). Five people died in one family near Lake Piney, and their bodies and cooking utensils, along with their stove, were carried for hundreds of yards.[2]
F3 NE of Stafford to W of Mount Nebo Yell, Logan 0615 10 miles (16 km) 10 deaths – Seven members in one family died in a small section of Logan County, near the "Harkey Valley" community. The tornado was reportedly heard for miles.[2]
F2 S of Harrison Boone 0700 5 miles (8.0 km) A tornado snapped large trees and unroofed homes.[2]
F2 St. Joe Searcy 0800 5 miles (8.0 km) A tornado injured 15 people as it destroyed the business district and a railroad depot. Two deaths may have occurred but were unconfirmed.[2]
F? E of Danville Yell unknown unknown A tornado struck 6 miles (9.7 km) east of town.[2]
Missouri
F2 SW of Union Franklin, St. Charles 2345 12 miles (19 km) A tornado first destroyed many barns and a bridge, then unroofed a shoe factory. Rain drenched 75,000 pairs of exposed shoes in the factory. The tornado became a spectacular-looking waterspout as it crossed the Missouri River.[2]
Sources: Grazulis (1993)

April 20 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Mississippi
F4 N of Ecru to NE of Glen Union, Tippah, Prentiss, Alcorn, Tishomingo 1300 60 miles (97 km) 24 deaths – Beginning in Ingomar, a tornado first killed six people, then continued into six small communities. Homes were leveled or severely damaged in Baker, Keownville, "Five", and Glen (five deaths). Most deaths were in rural, underdeveloped areas, but 180 injuries were distributed throughout the path.[2]
F4 NE of Sturgis to SE of Town Creek, AL Oktibbeha, Clay, Monroe, Itawamba, Marion (AL), Franklin (AL), Colbert (AL), Lawrence (AL) 1400 130 miles (210 km) 88 deaths – See section on this tornado — May have been an F5 tornado.[3] Caused 700+ injuries in very rural areas.[2] Moved parallel to the paths of the Tanner (April 3, 1974) and Hackleburg (April 27, 2011) tornadoes.
F4 NE of Sebastopol to E of Louisville Noxubee, Winston 1430 40 miles (64 km) 27 deaths – 19 of the deaths were in the New Deemer lumber camp south of Philadelphia. There were no shelters in which to seek refuge, which probably heightened the death toll. Extreme damage occurred along much of the path as many rural homes were leveled.[2]
F4 Bay Springs to NW of Russell Jasper, Clarke, Lauderdale 1555 45 miles (72 km) 36 deaths – The last of the four violent tornadoes to form in Mississippi, this was the most damaging in the state.[4] The tornado first touched down in Bay Springs, where it rapidly strengthened, "obliterating" small homes, killing seven people,[2] and throwing an automobile "several hundred yards". Reportedly, all the tires were torn from the rims, and of the three tires that were later found, all had lost their spokes.[4] Documents from Bay Springs were later found 50 miles (80 km) away. As it crossed Jasper County, the tornado killed 14 more people, primarily in the Rose Hill area.[2] In the county alone, 110 injuries were reported and 103 "occupied" buildings were leveled or severely damaged.[4] Near Savoy and north of Enterprise, the tornado produced extreme damage to homes and vegetation, "snapping off large trees like kindling wood" and leveling numerous small homes, most of which "were so completely obliterated as to leave little evidence of their previous existence".[4] Elsewhere along the path, other homes also reportedly vanished without a trace.[4] Afterward, the tornado continued into the Bonita district south of Meridian, killing 11 people in suburban Meridian.[2] Major damage occurred in Bonita, including the destruction of a school, a church, and 25 homes.[4] The tornado later ended between Marion and Russell.
Alabama
F4 SW of Carbon Hill to SE of Falkville Fayette, Walker, Winston, Cullman, Morgan 1600 50 miles (80 km) 21 deaths – See section on this tornado — Areas were reportedly "swept clean" by the tornado.[5]
F4 W of Lacey's Spring to NE of Brownsboro Morgan, Madison before 1830 > 20 miles (32 km) 27 deaths – This tornado, the final F4 of the outbreak, developed from the Arley–Helicon supercell as it approached the Tennessee River. It was first noted about 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Lily Flagg village shortly before crossing the Tennessee River into Madison County.[5] Where the tornado first touched down is disputed, but the funnel was first observed just across the Morgan–Madison County line from Lily Flagg village, south of Huntsville. The tornado was described as a rapidly rotating, "great, black, whirling cloud" as it crossed the river into Madison County near Green Cove.[5] The tornado quickly intensified as it leveled large swaths of forest, swept away farms and tenant homes, and destroyed well-built "country homes".[6] Reportedly, the tornado snapped or removed all fenceposts in its path and also carried trees long distances, first uprooting them and throwing them onto hillsides.[5] Much damage occurred as the tornado passed east of Brownsboro and west of Gurley, where a path 60 yards (180 ft) wide was reportedly "swept clean" of debris.
F? NW of Eva Morgan unknown unknown Minor damage from a brief tornado which formed after the Helicon tornado dissipated. Touched down 6 miles (9.7 km) from where the last dissipated.[5]
Tennessee
F2 SW of Burwood to N of Thompson's Station Williamson, Maury 1630 15 miles (24 km) 1 death – A tornado damaged or destroyed approximately 60 structures, among them six homes.[2]
Sources: Grazulis (1993)

April 21[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
South Carolina
F2 Near Cedar Rock Chester 0800 unknown A tornado destroyed a small home near Cedar Rock, south-southwest of Chester.[6]
F2 Sandy Springs Anderson 0800 2 miles (3.2 km) A tornado damaged most of the structures in Sandy Springs and destroyed barns and tenant homes.[6]
Sources: Grazulis (1993)

Notable tornadoes[edit]
Aberdeen, Mississippi/Waco, Alabama[edit]
A devastating and long-lived tornado developed near Bradley, northeast of Sturgis in Oktibbeha County.[2] The funnel quickly intensified and began producing "devastating"[4] damage as it passed northwest of Starkville, killing seven people.[2] Moving northeast, the tornado killed 10 more people near Cedar Bluff (Cedarbluff) in Clay County, leveling numerous homes. Its path was then 200–300 yards (600–900 ft) wide.[4] Thereafter, the tornado continued intensifying as it entered Monroe County and then proceeded to devastate the western side of Aberdeen. 22 people died there, though this was the only substantial town in the path.[2] Widening to at least 1⁄4 mile (440 yd) wide, the tornado killed five more people in the county before crossing Itawamba County and then moving into Marion County, Alabama.[4] In all, the tornado caused F4 or greater[3] damage and completely leveled more than 200 homes, mostly small, in Mississippi.[2]
Upon entering Alabama, it leveled entire farms south of Bexar, causing nine deaths.[2] One farm alone reported 500 hogs killed. In Marion County alone, the 1⁄2-mile (0.80 km) tornado killed 20 people and injured about 200, leveling 87 homes and damaging 100, especially in the Hackleburg area.[2][5] In one area, a Ford automobile was hurled 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km), and a swath up to 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide was reportedly "swept clean",[5] with many homes completely swept away.[3] In Franklin County, the tornado continued to sweep away many homes near Phil Campbell and Spruce Pine, but most of the deaths were near the "Waco" quarry, east of Russellville, where small homes were said to have been "wiped out" and swept away.[5] 19 people died in and near the "Waco" settlement, nine of them in a single family.[2] Nearby, large oak trees were torn up from the soil, huge stones thrown "like a feather," and half of a large boulder carried to Littleville, about 11 miles (18 km) miles away.[5]
Continuing into southeast Colbert County, the tornado devastated the "Mehama" community south of Leighton. There, four people died,[2] many homes were destroyed, and numerous cattle were killed; among the "freak" phenomena was the destruction of a Ford vehicle that was thrown and lost all its wheel casings.[5] One other home was destroyed nearby at Wolf Springs. Afterward, the tornado finally weakened to less-than-violent intensity, after having maintained its strength for more than 100 miles (160 km).[2] Southeast of Town Creek, the tornado killed one more person before lifting near the Tennessee River, though the exact end of its path is unknown and may have been in Limestone County.[5] Very intense darkness was reported from various points in the path of the parent supercell; one observer near "Waco" noted that there was no daylight and conditions were "dark as midnight."[5]

Arley/Helicon, Alabama[edit]
This intense tornado may have developed from the supercell that produced the F4 tornado near New Deemer in Neshoba County, Mississippi.[5] Very rainy and dark conditions attended the thunderstorm at Tuscaloosa and Greensboro, with each place, respectively, registering 3.08 inches (78 mm) and 2.18 inches (55 mm) of rain. Residents reported that noontime conditions were so dark as to prevent people from reading outside.[5] Starting southwest of Carbon Hill, the tornado widened to 400 yards (1,200 ft) and downed trees[5] as it moved northeast through eight communities, leveling numerous homes.[2][5] It first passed near Pocahontas, near Saragossa, and then north of Manchester. North of Manchester, the tornado destroyed homes and barns in the Bennett and Lamon Chapel communities.[5] Farther northeast, the tornado intensified before hitting the town of Arley, located in Winston County, killing one person and sweeping away many homes[2] and farms. Next, the tornado devastated the community of Helicon; reports from the area reported that only one home remained standing and that entire swaths had been "swept clean" in Helicon and in nearby Nesmith.[5] In the Arley–Helicon area, at least 19 people died.[2] The tornado continued northeast to the Vinemont area, northwest of Cullman, destroying two homes and killing a woman near Lacon. Other homes and barns were unroofed or leveled, at least some of them swept completely away, before the tornado lifted northeast of Wilhite.[5] One other tornado later touched down 6 miles (9.7 km) to the northeast of the endpoint.

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. p. 11. Retrieved 7 June 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 Grazulis, Significant, pp. 769-770
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). F5-F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Jaqua, J. H. (April 1920). "Tornadoes in eastern Mississippi, April 20, 1920". Monthly Weather Review (Meridian, Mississippi: United States Weather Bureau) 48: 203–205. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1920)48<203b:TIEMA>2.0.CO;2.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Smyth, P. H. (April 1920). "Tornadoes of April 20, 1920, in Alabama". Monthly Weather Review (Montgomery, Alabama: U.S. Weather Bureau) 48: 205–210. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1920)48<205:TTOAIA>2.0.CO;2.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Grazulis, Significant p. 770
Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
— (2003). The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0.

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1920
Tornadoes in Mississippi
Tornadoes in Alabama
1920 in the United States




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1922 Austin twin tornadoes
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Question book-new.svg
 This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. (June 2011)
The twin tornadoes that ripped through Austin, Texas on May 4, 1922 are the most violent to ever strike Austin. The storm originally had one funnel cloud, but was eventually separated into two tornadoes. One tore through East Austin, Travis Heights, St. Edward's University, Penn Field, St. Elmo, and Manchaca. Meanwhile, the other devastated the State Institute for Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Colored Youths, Deep Eddy, and Oak Hill.
The west tornado thrashed the University of Texas campus, removing roofs from some buildings and completely destroying others. No one at the University was seriously hurt. The west tornado next destroyed trees and damaged buildings at Deep Eddy. When it reached Oak Hill the west tornado demolished a house killing six people. The other tornado formed in East Austin. The east tornado began uprooting trees in the State Cemetery. The east tornado pounded St. Edward's University, devastating the upper level of a dormitory and damaging the power plant and gymnasium. One student was killed. The tornado that hit the Woodward Manufacturing Company incurred the heaviest damage, knocking a steel water tank to the ground and damaging one frame and four brick buildings. The east tornado was the most destructive of the two. The property damage of the two tornadoes was estimated at $400,000. The death toll of the two tornadoes was thirteen, six at Oak Hill, three at Penn Field, two at Manchaca, one at St. Edward's, and one at St. Elmo. Fifty people total were reported to have been injured by both tornadoes. [1]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Old Oak Hill: Oak Hill Family swept away by Austin's killer tornado of 1922". Oak Hill Gazette. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
 


Categories: Natural disasters in Austin, Texas
Tornadoes in Texas
1922 in Texas
1922 natural disasters





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April 1924 tornado outbreak
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April 1924 tornado outbreak

Date(s)
April 29, April 30, 1920
Duration
~22 hours
Tornadoes caused
> 26
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
110+
The April 1924 tornado outbreak was an outbreak of at least 26 significant tornadoes across the Southern and Southeastern states on April 29 and April 30, 1924. The tornadoes left over 110+ dead, and at least 1,133 injured.
The most severe damage during this outbreak was seen in parts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia on April 30. A tornado produced estimated F2 damage in the town of Lawrenceville, Georgia, in Gwinnett County. The same supercell later produced a tornado or tornado family that left F3 damage along a path from Hartwell, Georgia to south of Spartanburg, South Carolina; this tornado passed through the southern part of the city of Anderson, South Carolina, destroying 100 homes and two cotton mills, and generating $1,500,000 in damage. A last tornado from this storm left minor damage between Union and Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Between two and three hours later, a tornado produced F4 damage as it passed through Macon, Georgia, sweeping away a few homes, damaging an industrial area, and killing 3.
A little over an hour later, the "Horrell Hill" tornado family began near Aiken, South Carolina. This series of storms left an erratic path of F4 damage more than 100 miles long through 6 South Carolina counties. Passing 9 miles south of Columbia, the storms missed most towns in the area, generating $1,000,000 in damage, though 1300 rural buildings were destroyed. 12 deaths were in the community of Horrell Hill, where a school was struck; 39 were killed elsewhere by this series of storms. This series of storms eventually dissipated near Darlington. As this series of storms dissipated, a last violent tornado (F3) passed through parts of Sumter and Florence Counties, killing 14.
Among the last tornadoes of the outbreak were storms that left F3 damage in Pittsboro, North Carolina, where a house was destroyed, and a tornado that nearly levelled large houses on a path that stretched from Robersonville, North Carolina to the Roanoke River. Yet another F3 storm passed just east of Amelia, Virginia, destroying several homes.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[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).
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1924
Tornadoes in Alabama
Tornadoes in Arkansas
Tornadoes in Georgia (U.S. state)
Tornadoes in Louisiana
Tornadoes in North Carolina
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
Tornadoes in South Carolina
Tornadoes in Virginia
1924 in the United States


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1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado
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The 1924 Lorain-Sandusky was a deadly tornado which struck the towns of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio on June 28, 1924. At least 85 people were killed by the tornado, with others killed by tornadoes that struck the northern and eastern half of the state. It is the deadliest single tornado and tornado outbreak ever in Ohio history, killing more people than the more famous 1974 Xenia Tornado during the Super Outbreak and the 1985 United States-Canadian tornado outbreak respectively.


Contents  [hide]
1 Event summary
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

Event summary[edit]
On that day, a low pressure system moved from Iowa towards Michigan and Ontario with temperatures were in the lower 80s across most of northern Ohio which are typically normal late-June temperatures across that area.
The tornado formed over the Sandusky Bay during the late afternoon hours and hit the city of Sandusky killed eight and destroying 100 homes and 25 businesses. After moving east over Lake Erie for several miles, the tornado then struck the town of Lorain just west of Cleveland, killing 72 including 15 inside a collapsed theater which makes it the worst tornado-related death toll from a single building in Ohio. Eight people were also killed inside the Bath House nearly the location where the tornado came onshore.
Over 500 homes were destroyed and 1000 others were damaged in the Lorain area as well as every business in the downtown area. Damage amounts was estimated at the time at $12 million and adjusted for wealth the figure jumps to $1 billion (1997 dollars) which ranks it 10th costliest ever ahead of the Oklahoma City area tornado in 1999. A total of 85 were killed with additional deaths outside the two cities and 300 others were injured. While the Fujita scale was not existent at the time, the damage was estimated to be at around F4.[1][2][3]
There are still some uncertainties on whether the Sandusky-Lorain tornado was a single tornado event due to the 25-mile path of the storm across Lake Erie between Sandusky and Lorain, however many eyewitnesses showed a single severe storm crossing the Lake before coming on-shore again just after 5:00 PM.[4]
At the time, it was the second deadliest tornado ever in the northern United States behind the New Richmond Tornado in northern Wisconsin in 1899 and 13th overall. Today, it is still ranked as the fourth deadliest tornado in the northern States and 22nd overall.
Other tornadoes hit the Castalia (Sandusky County), Huron Township (Erie County) and Geauga Lake (Portage County); additional tornadoes struck northwestern Pennsylvania, producing damage near Erie and Meadville. At least five other people were killed by tornadoes other than the Sandusky-Lorain storm including three others in Ohio.[3]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES
2.Jump up ^ Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1896-1999
3.^ Jump up to: a b 1924: Lorain Tornado
4.Jump up ^ NOTES on the Lorain Tornado of 6-28-24, Avon, Ohio
External links[edit]
Lorain-Sandusky tornado damage gallery

[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
25 deadliest US tornadoes
Rank
Name (location)
Date
Deaths

1
"Tri-State" (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana) March 18, 1925 695
2
Natchez, Mississippi May 6, 1840 317
3
St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois May 27, 1896 255
4
Tupelo, Mississippi April 5, 1936 216
5
Gainesville, Georgia April 6, 1936 203
6
Woodward, Oklahoma April 9, 1947 181
7
Joplin, Missouri May 22, 2011 162
8
Amite, Louisiana and Purvis, Mississippi April 24, 1908 143
9
New Richmond, Wisconsin June 12, 1899 117
10
Flint, Michigan
 June 8, 1953
 116
11
 - - -
Waco, Texas
Goliad, Texas May 11, 1953
 May 18, 1902 114
 114
13
Omaha, Nebraska March 23, 1913 103
14
Mattoon, Illinois May 26, 1917 101
15
Shinnston, West Virginia June 23, 1944 100
16
Marshfield, Missouri April 18, 1880 99
17
 - - -
Gainesville and Holland, Georgia
Poplar Bluff, Missouri June 1, 1903
 May 9, 1927 98
 98
19
Snyder, Oklahoma May 10, 1905 97
20
Worcester, Massachusetts June 9, 1953 94
21
Camanche, Iowa June 3, 1860 92
22
Natchez, Mississippi April 24, 1908 91
23
Starkville, Mississippi and Waco, Alabama April 20, 1920 88
24
Lorain and Sandusky, Ohio June 28, 1924 85
25
Udall, Kansas May 25, 1955 80
Sources: Storm Prediction Center: The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes, SPC Annual U.S. Killer Tornado Statistics, Tornado Project
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1924
Tornadoes in Ohio
1924 in the United States
Lorain County, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Lorain, Ohio


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Tri-State Tornado
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Tri-State Tornado Outbreak
Tri-State Tornado.JPG
Newspaper coverage of the tornado

Date(s)
Wednesday, March 18, 1925
Duration
7 hours
Tornadoes caused
12+ known
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Largest hail
4.5 in (11 cm)
Damages
>$1.4 billion (1997 USD)[1] (Tri-State Tornado only)
Casualties
747+ (695+ from one tornado)
The Great Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, is the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It is the most standout tornado of a major outbreak of at least twelve known significant tornadoes across a large portion of the Midwestern and Southern U.S. The Tri-State Tornado alone inflicted 695 fatalities,[2] the tornado killed more than twice as many as the second deadliest, the 1840 Great Natchez Tornado. The 151 to 235 mi (243 to 378 km) track left by the tornado was the longest ever recorded in the world as it crossed from southeastern Missouri, through southern Illinois, then into southwestern Indiana.[3] Although not officially rated by NOAA, it is recognized by most experts (such as Tom Grazulis[4] and Ted Fujita[5]) as an F5 tornado, the maximum damage rating issued on the Fujita scale.[6]


Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado outbreak
2 Meteorological synopsis 2.1 Single tornado or a series?
3 Tri-State Tornado Family 3.1 Missouri
3.2 Illinois
3.3 Indiana
3.4 Total
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Tornado outbreak[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
12 0 0 2 4 2 1
The tornado was part of a larger tornado outbreak with several other destructive tornadoes the same day in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana, as well as significant tornadoes in Alabama and Kansas. Including additional tornadoes that day, at least 747 people were killed and more than 2,298 were injured. This makes the Tri-State Outbreak the deadliest tornado outbreak, March 18 the deadliest tornado day, and 1925 the deadliest tornado year in U.S. history.[7] There were undoubtedly other less impactful tornadoes, the occurrences of which have been lost to history.[6]
It was a widespread outbreak with severe thunderstorms occurring as far east as Ohio, as far southwest as Louisiana and as far southeast as Georgia. Strong thunderstorms were reported in a broad area that also included parts of Oklahoma, Michigan, Ontario, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Numerous reports of hail and straight-line wind and were reported with up to 4.5 in (11 cm) diameter hail recorded. What began in early-mid afternoon as discrete supercell thunderstorms eventually consolidated into a potent squall line.[8]

[hide]List of significant tornadoes — March 18, 1925

F#

Location

County

Time (local)

Path length

Damage

Kansas
F2 Dearing Montgomery 0510 unknown Homes and gas station damaged at and around Dearing.
Missouri
F5 WNW of Ellington, Missouri to 2.5 mi (4.0 km) SSE of Petersburg, Indiana Shannon; Reynolds; Iron; Madison; Bollinger; Perry; Jackson, IL; Williamson, IL; Franklin, IL; Hamilton, IL; White, IL; Posey, IN; Gibson, IN; Pike, IN 1240 235 mi (378 km)[3] 695 deaths - Deadliest single tornado in US history - See section on this tornado - Very long track multiple-vortex tornado was likely accompanied by satellite tornadoes at times with path segments at the beginning and end likely from separate tornadoes comprising a tornado family;[3][8] 1,200 yd (1,100 m) average path width. 2,027 others were injured.[6]
Alabama
F2 Littleville Colbert 1642 12 mi (19 km) 1 death - Tornado moved northeast in Littleville where damage and casualties at a gas station, homes, and a store occurred; 60 yd (55 m) average path width. 12 others were injured.
Tennessee
F4 Near Buck Lodge, Tennessee to Beaumont, Kentucky Sumner; Allen, KY; Barren, KY; Monroe, KY;, Metcalfe, KY 1700 60 mi (97 km) 39 deaths - Moved ENE from 8 mi (13 km) north of Gallatin, Tennessee. Homes and churches were leveled in many communities, and some were swept away. Possibly a tornado family; 400 yd (370 m) average path width. 95 others were injured.
F3 Kirkland Williamson; Rutherford 1745 20 mi (32 km) 1 death - Major damage to homes in Kirkland incurring all casualties; 200 yd (180 m) average path width. Nine others were injured.
F3 Near Unionville to 2 mi (3.2 km) NE of Fosterville Bedford; Rutherford 1810 12 mi (19 km) 2 deaths - Moved ENE, at least 10 homes destroyed; 300 mi (480 km) average path width. 15 others were injured.
Indiana
F4 Mauckport, Indiana to southern border of Louisville, Kentucky Harrison; Jefferson, KY 1715 18 mi (29 km) 4 deaths - Up to 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, moved ENE, swept away entire farms near Laconia and Elizabeth, Indiana before ending just south of Louisville, Kentucky; 1,200 yd (1,100 m) average path width. 60 others were injured
? Monroe Township to Vernon Township Washington, Jackson ~1746 20 mi (32 km) Likely a continuation of the Tri-State Tornado Family. Large tornado in rural areas caused significant damage to homes and a church; some houses flattened. Several injuries.[3]
Kentucky
F3 Louisville to near Pewee Valley Jefferson; Oldham 1800 10 mi (16 km) ≥3 deaths - Moved NE from east edge of Louisville to near Pewee Valley; at least 12 homes destroyed. 40 others were injured, and the death toll may have been higher.
F3 Western Marion County to Lexington, Kentucky area Marion; Washington; Mercer; Jessamine; Fayette; Bourbon 1830 60 mi (97 km) 2 deaths - Tornado family moved ENE from western Marion County, passing near Springfield, and ending past Lexington; 300 yd (270 m) average path width. 40 others were injured.
Source:[6]
Meteorological synopsis[edit]



 Tri-State Tornado storm track and other tornadoes that day from "Monthly Weather Review" April 1925.[9] The information about the temperature, pressure, and other tornadoes may not be accurate.
During a six year review study of the Tri-State Tornado published in 2013, new surface and upper air data to analyze were obtained and meteorological reanalysis was utilized, adding significantly to knowledge of the synoptic and even mesoscale background of the event. The late winter to early spring of 1925 was warmer and drier than normal over much of the central United States. There apparently was persistent ridging in the western US with a troughing pattern over the central US.[8]
The extratropical cyclone that would set the synoptic stage for the outbreak was centered over northwestern Montana at 7 am CST on March 17. Meanwhile, a diffuse area of surface low pressure was centered near Denver, Colorado in association with a lee trough. Occluded fronts laid from Hudson Bay southwestward into the northern Plains states and into the lee trough. The synoptic cyclone moved south-southeastward across the mountain states to eastern Colorado. A warm front stretched along the Gulf Coast, separating warm, moist air from cool showery weather with areas of fog that extended from Texas to the Carolinas. A well-mixed early season continental tropical (cT) air mass existed over West Texas and northern New Mexico. To the east of this hot, dry air, buoyant maritime tropical (mT) air was advecting from the Gulf of Mexico. Simultaneously, a mid to upper level shortwave trough likely approached the northwest coast of the US and moved rapidly through the persistent ridge then digging southeastward across the Great Basin and central Rocky Mountains and emerging in the Plains over Colorado. This initiated "Colorado low" cyclogenesis.[8]
At 7 am on March 18, the surface low-pressure area at ≈1003 hPa moved to far northeastern Oklahoma and the warm front had shot north into the circulation where the front then extended eastward. A maritime Polar (mP) cold front draped southwestward across eastern Texas with a dry line forming due south of the low. The open shortwave, likely somewhat negatively tilted, was continuing to approach from the northwest and an apparent outflow boundary moved just south of the warm front over northeastern Arkansas and northwestern Tennessee. Several weak pressure troughs were traversing the cool sector over the north-central US. Surface temperatures in the warm sector near the dryline and warm front ranged from 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) and the dew point was 60–65 °F (16–18 °C), with higher values farther south and increasing over time as the deepening low-pressure area continued to pull up Gulf air. This resulted in unstable air and lower cloud bases, or low LCL heights, which is favorable to tornadogenesis. From southeastern Kansas to Kentucky and Indiana, early morning showers and thunderstorms north of the low and warm front cooled and stabilized that air, retarding northward advancement of the front and led to sharp contrast in temperature from north to south. Such baroclinic zones are also associated with tornadic storms. Ahead of the surface dryline, which are uncommon as far east as the Mississippi River, an apparent "dry punch" of air aloft served to further increase instability. Concurrently, a capping inversion likely suppressed storms throughout the warm sector leaving the Tri-State supercell undisturbed by nearby convection.[8]
By 12:00 pm, the deepening surface low was centered over south-central Missouri, the shortwave axis was moving easterly and oriented over eastern Oklahoma, and the dryline was rapidly advancing eastward directly south of the low as the warm front slowly shifted northward situated due east of the low. Morning clouds cleared by midday across much of where the Tri-State Tornado would track. A pronounced pressure trough extended northeast of the low and signaled its future track as a prefrontal trough formed southeast of the low ahead of the dryline. A bulge in the dryline may also have been forming slightly south of the low and southerly to southeasterly surface winds were backing and increasing with time throughout the warm sector. The Tri-State supercell formed in a highly favorable area just ahead of the triple point where the cold front, warm front, and dryline met. The supercell initiated very near the surface low and moved east-northeastward and faster than the low such that the storm gradually deviated east of the low's track. The supercell remained near this "sweet spot" for a prolonged period as it also traveled near the highly baroclinic warm front (likely just across the cool side of the boundary) for several hours.[8]
By 2 pm, the low was centered slightly south-southwest of St. Louis, Missouri as the Tri-State supercell was near the Mississippi River. Other storms in the warm sector, removed from the Tri-State supercell, were initiating around 3 pm. Around 4 pm, the low's central pressure lowered to around 998 hPa centered over south-central Illinois as the Tri-State supercell was moving into Indiana. This pressure is not particularly low compared to many other outbreak setups but the pressure gradient was strong which induced strong gradient winds and significant advection in the warm sector. A very strong low level jet was also in place just above the surface as winds veered with height, resulting in low-level curvature and long hodographs. Strong wind shear thus existed, with pronounced directional shear likely in the vicinity of the warm front, with winds at the 700 hPa height level west-southwesterly around 70 mph (110 km/h) and winds about 90–110 mph (140–180 km/h) at 500 hPa. Theoretical hodographs returned estimated storm relative environmental helicity (SREH) values of 340 m2 s−2 in the vicinity of the Tri-State supercell track. Strong thunderstorms were now scattered throughout the warm sector and a line of severe thunderstorms was occurring near the dryline. The Tri-State supercell appeared to still be discrete and isolated, with a severe storm north of Cairo, Illinois placed well to its south.[8]
By 6 pm, the shortwave axis was over eastern Missouri and was lifting northeast. At 7 pm, the low was placed near Indianapolis, Indiana with numerous thunderstorms east and south of the low and a squall line was moving into the southeastern US. Cold air advection behind the strong cold front fed into the cyclone as snow and sleet fell from eastern Iowa to central Michigan. At 7 am on March 19 the low was deepening and lifting rapidly northeastward into Canada. The Tri-State supercell is thought to have formed around noon about 40 minutes prior to the first tornado reports in Shannon County. It was a classic supercell for the first couple hours of its life gradually transitioning into a high precipitation (HP) supercell in southern Illinois. The very long track tornado period lasted from around 12:40 pm to 4:40 pm. The supercell then likely produced another significant tornado in southeastern Indiana around 6 pm. Convection had gradually increased in the warm sector throughout the supercell's life cycle. It may have become embedded within a line echo wave pattern (LEWP) by the time it reached south-central Indiana. The supercell is assumed to have decayed around 7 pm. These estimated times indicate the supercell's duration as around 7 hours over a calculated ≈413 mi (665 km) path.[3][8]
Single tornado or a series?[edit]
There has long been uncertainty as to whether the originally recognized numbers of a 219 mi (352 km) path over 3.5 hours was one continuous tornado or a tornado family. The sparse quality of tornado data because of the distance in the past and the lack of other tornadoes approaching the Tri-State Tornado path length and duration raised doubts. Furthermore, meteorological theory on tornado and supercell morphology and dynamics suggests such duration is highly improbable.[8] In fact, several other historically very long track (VLT) tornadoes were subsequently found to be tornado families,[10] (notably the Woodward, Oklahoma tornado family of April 1947 and the Charleston-Mattoon, Illinois tornado family of May 1917). In the past several years some VLT tornadoes and supercells did occur with 12 tornadoes exceeding 100 mi (160 km) path lengths from 1980-2012 (and 60 since 1950).[3] Yet the high end estimates of the Tri-State Tornado path length are still around twice as long as the nearest VLT tornado. On the other hand, meteorological analysis reveals no analogous event meaning that the Tri-State Tornado conditions were apparently unique.
Exhaustive research published in 2013 found no definitive resolution but did locate additional tornado sightings and damage 15 mi (24 km) west of the previously known beginning of the tornado and 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the previously known ending. The scientists conclude it is likely that some of the track both at the beginning and ending were indeed separate tornadoes. This segment of the tornado family is 235 mi (378 km) long. They also located a 20 mi (32 km) path (over about 20 min) from a large tornado which was likely spawned from the same supercell and was about 65 mi (105 km) east-northeast of the aforementioned path ending. This brings the known length of the Tri-State Tornado Family to around 320 mi (510 km) over nearly 5.5 hours. The 2013 study concludes that it is likely that the 174 mi (280 km) segment from central Madison County, Missouri to Pike County, Indiana is likely one continuous tornado and that the 151 mi (243 km) segment from central Bollinger County, Missouri to western Pike County, Indiana is very likely a single continuous tornado.[3] The tornado path may have been longer but either of these values still hold the record for longest recorded tornado track. Grazulis in 2001 wrote that the first 60 mi (97 km) of the track is probably resultant of two or more tornadoes and that a path length of 157 mi (253 km) was seemingly continuous.[11] No single factor accounts for the exceptional path length and duration. The fast forward motion of the tornado, which averaged 59 mph (95 km/h) translated to more distance covered.[8]
Tri-State Tornado Family[edit]
Missouri[edit]
The tornado was first sighted as a highly visible and relatively small condensation funnel in the rugged forested hills of Moore Township, Shannon County, Missouri at about 12:40 pm.[3] The first fatality occurred around 1:01 pm, north-northwest of Ellington by which the time the tornado was large. Several homes and other structures were destroyed north of town. The tornado sped to the northeast, causing $500,000 worth of property damage and the near annihilation of Annapolis, where much of the town was leveled, and two people were killed. The tornado then struck the mining town of Leadanna, where mining machinery and several structures were destroyed, and two other people were killed.[12] In Bollinger County, 32 children were injured when two schools were damaged and multiple homes were completely destroyed. Deep ground scouring was observed near the town of Sedgewickville as well. The tornado carried sheets of iron as far as 50 mi (80 km) away. Crossing into Perry County, the tornado reportedly displayed a double funnel as it struck the town of Biehle, destroying many homes in and around the town, and killing four people. Numerous other homes were completely leveled near Frohna as well.[12][13] The town of Cornwall was also hit by the tornado. At least 11 (possibly more) died altogether in Missouri.
Illinois[edit]



 Ruins of the Longfellow School, Murphysboro, Illinois, where 17 children were killed. The storm hit the school at about 2:30 pm
The tornado crossed the Mississippi River into southern Illinois, debarking trees and deeply scouring the ground in rural areas before hitting the town of Gorham, at 2:30 pm, essentially obliterating the entire town, killing 34. Almost every structure in Gorham was leveled or swept away, and railroad tracks were reportedly ripped from the ground.[12] More than half the town's population was injured or killed and seven fatalities occurred at a school.[11] Continuing to the northeast at an average speed of 62 mph (100 km/h) (and up to 73 mph (117 km/h)), the tornado cut a swath almost 1 mi (1.6 km) wide through Murphysboro, completely flattening a large portion of the town. Entire rows of homes were leveled and swept away in some areas.[14] Many other structures were also damaged or destroyed throughout the town, including the M&O railroad shop, where 35 people were killed. Schools in the area were devastated as well, with 17 students killed at the Longfellow School, and 9 others killed at the Logan School.[12] After the tornado passed, large fires ignited and swept through the rubble, burning many of the trapped survivors alive.[15] In Murphysboro, a total of 234 were killed, the most tornadic deaths in a single city in U.S. history.
The tornado then struck the nearby town of De Soto, which was also devastated. 69 people were killed in De Soto, and many homes were swept away. 33 of the deaths were students that were killed in the partial collapse of the De Soto School, the worst tornadic death at a single school in US history.[15] The tornado continued northeast and impacted the small village of Bush, killing seven people there. Several homes were leveled, and pieces of wood were speared into the town's water tower. Heavy railroad axles were reportedly lifted and scattered across the railyard.[15] Further east, the mining town of West Frankfort was also devastated by the massive tornado, with 152 fatalities occurring in that area. The tornado struck the northwest side of town, leveling many businesses and sweeping away entire subdivisions.[12] At the Orient Mine, a large multi-ton coal tipple was blown over and rolled by the tornado. Extreme damage continued east of town, as a railroad trestle was torn from its supports, and 300 ft (91 m) of railroad track was ripped from the ground and blown away. Several small mining villages in the area were obliterated, resulting in numerous fatalities.[14] The tornado then completely destroyed the small town of Parrish, where 22 people were killed, and the town was never rebuilt. Severe damage and several fatalities also occurred in the Olga area.[12] Within 40 minutes, 541 lives were lost and 1,423 were seriously injured. The tornado proceeded to devastate rural areas across Hamilton and White counties, claiming 65 more residents before crossing into Indiana. An estimated 613 people died in Illinois, the most deaths within a state in U.S. history.
Indiana[edit]



 Ruins of the town of Griffin, Indiana, where 26 people were killed.
Crossing the Wabash River into Indiana, the tornado struck and completely demolished all of Griffin, where most structures were leveled, and some were swept away. 26 people were killed there. The tornado then devastated rural areas, and clipped Owensville, resulting in two fatalities in that town. The tornado then roared into Princeton, destroying half the town and killing 45 people. Large sections of neighborhoods in Princeton were leveled, and a Heinz factory was badly damaged.[12] The tornado traveled more than 10 mi (16 km) to the northeast before finally dissipating at about 4:38 pm around 2.5 mi (4.0 km) south-southeast of Petersburg. In Indiana, at least 71 (and probably more) perished.[16]
Total[edit]
In all, at least 695 died and 2,027 were injured, the majority in southern Illinois. Three states, thirteen counties, and more than nineteen communities, four of which were effectively effaced (several of these and other rural areas never recovered), were in the path of the record 3.5 hour duration tornado. Approximately 15,000 homes were destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado.[17] Total damage was estimated at $16.5 million; adjusted for increases population/wealth and inflation the toll is approximately $1.4 billion (1997 USD), surpassed in history (through 2010) only by two extremely destructive tornadoes in the City of St. Louis in 1896 and 1927.[1]



 Track of the Tri-state tornado
Nine schools across three states were destroyed in which 69 students were killed. More schools were destroyed and more students killed (as well as the single school record of 33 deaths in De Soto, Illinois) than in any other tornado in U.S. history.[6] Deaths occurred at many rural schools. Counting those returning home from schools and those that died in schools, the toll was 72 students.[11]
The very swift moving tornado at times exhibited an unusual appearance due partially to its size and the probable low cloud base of its parent thunderstorm. The tornado was frequently described by witnesses as an amorphous rolling fog or boiling clouds on the ground, and fooled normally weather-wise farm owners (in addition to people in general) who did not sense the danger until the storm was upon them. The condensation funnel was also reportedly sometimes wrapped in copious dust and debris, making it obscured and less recognizable. The parent supercell apparently transitioned to a high-precipitation (HP) variety by the time it was striking West Frankfort, meaning that the tornado wasn't readily visible, as it was often shrouded in heavy rain and hail. The rural death toll of 65 in Hamilton and White counties in southeastern Illinois is unprecedented. The tornado killed at least twenty farm owners in southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, more than the combined total of the next four deadliest tornadoes in the history of the U.S.[11]
The tornado was often accompanied by extreme downburst winds throughout the entirety of its course; the tornado and accompanying downburst increased the width of damage from an average of 0.75 mi (1.21 km) (though at times over 1 mi (1.6 km) wide) to an area 3 mi (4.8 km) wide at times.[6]
In addition to the dead and injured, thousands were left without shelter or food. Fires erupted, exacerbating the damage. Looting and theft, notably of the property of the dead, was reported. Recovery was generally slow with the event leaving a lasting blow to the region.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tri-State Tornado.
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of tornado-related deaths at schools
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Brooks, Harold E.; C.A. Doswell (February 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Wea. Forecast. 16 (1): 168–76. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2.
2.Jump up ^ Gibson, Christine (Aug–Sep 2006). "Our 10 Greatest Natural Disasters". American Heritage 57 (4).
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Johns, Robert H.; D. W. Burgess, C. A. Doswell III, M. S. Gilmore, J. A. Hart, and S. F. Piltz (2013). "The 1925 Tri-State Tornado Damage Path and Associated Storm System". E-Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology 8 (2).
4.Jump up ^ Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). F5/F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films.
5.Jump up ^ Fujita, T. Theodore (1973). "Tornadoes Around the World". Weatherwise 26 (2): 56–83. doi:10.1080/00431672.1973.9931633.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
7.Jump up ^ "2011 tornado information". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2012. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Maddox, Robert A.; M. S. Gilmore, C. A. Doswell III, R. H. Johns, C. A. Crisp, D. W. Burgess, J. A. Hart, S. F. Piltz (2013). "Meteorological Analyses of the Tri-State Tornado Event of March 1925". E-Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology 8 (1).
9.Jump up ^ NOAA Photo Library
10.Jump up ^ Doswell, Charles A., III; D. W. Burgess (1988). "On Some Issues of United States Tornado Climatology". Mon. Wea. Rev. 116 (2): 495–501. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1988)116<0495:OSIOUS>2.0.CO;2.
11.^ Jump up to: a b c d Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3258-2.
12.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Schuman, Shawn (June 10, 2013). "March 18, 1925 — The Tri-State Tornado". Retrieved 2014-03-25.
13.Jump up ^ Grazulis, Tom (2013). "#1: The Tri-State Tornado". Descriptions of the Top Ten US Killer Tornadoes. The Tornado Project. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Johns, Bob (2012). The 1925 Tri-State Tornado's Devastation In Franklin County, Hamilton County, And White County, Illinois. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. ISBN 978-1468560961.
15.^ Jump up to: a b c Mason, Angela (2011). Death Rides the Sky: The Story of the 1925 Tri-State Tornado. Rockford, IL: Black Oak Media. ISBN 978-1-61876-001-2.
16.Jump up ^ "Tornado Track". 1925 Tri-State Tornado: A Look Back. NWS Paducah. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
17.Jump up ^ "Startling Statistics". 1925 Tri-State Tornado: A Look Back. NWS Paducah. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
Flora, Snowden D. (1953). Tornadoes of the United States. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0806102627.
External links[edit]
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)
aerial film of damage path
BooksFelknor, Peter S. (1992). The Tri-State Tornado: The Story of America's Greatest Tornado Disaster. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press. ISBN 0-8138-0623-2.
Akin, Wallace E. (2002). The Forgotten Storm: The Great Tri-state Tornado of 1925. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-607-X.

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Categories: F5 tornadoes
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Williamson County, Illinois
Franklin County, Illinois
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1929 Rye Cove, Virginia tornado outbreak
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1929 Rye Cove, Virginia tornado outbreak

Date(s)
May 1–2, 1929
Duration
unknown
Tornadoes caused
unknown
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
44[1]
The 1929 tornado at Rye Cove, Virginia was the deadliest among a potent tornado outbreak that swept from southwest to northeast along the Appalachian mountains from Alabama to Maryland in May 1929. This outbreak is notable as one of the worst to affect the states of Maryland and Virginia, and as one of the few observed, intense tornado outbreaks affecting Appalachia.
The Rye Cove tornado is the deadliest in Virginia history.[2] 13 people were killed and many others were injured when the tornado struck and destroyed the community school at midday, including 12 students and one teacher. All of the fatalities and most of the damage from the tornado occurred at the school.
Apart from the Rye Cove tornado, destructive tornadoes associated with this outbreak also struck Morgantown, WV, and in a series from Woodville (Rappahannock County), VA to the Frederick, MD area.[3] Western Virginia was particularly hard-hit, with additional tornadoes confirmed in Alleghany, Bath, Culpeper, Fauquier and Loudoun Counties. One of these tornadoes (near Culpeper) also destroyed a school, but the storm struck during the evening after classes had been dismissed for the day.
The Carter Family recorded a song about the Rye Cove tornado in the early 1930s.[4]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Virginia's Worst tornadoes
2.Jump up ^ VAEmergency.com > Newsroom & Archives > Virginia Tornado History
3.Jump up ^ AMS Online Journals - Journal - Table of Contents
4.Jump up ^ www.blueridgeinstitute.org: ballads, "Rye cove"



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Categories: Tornado outbreaks with no Fujita scale ratings given
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