Tri-State Tornado 80th Anniversary

[isobar]

This was such an extraordinary weather event. The supercell that formed the tornado occurred very near the surface low instead of further south along the cold front, which may account for its incredible forward speed and longevity. Some of the smaller towns along its path cannot be found on any map today. They were just never rebuilt.

I'm reading the below book by Wallace Akin, who was 2 years old when the tornado relocated his house in Murphysboro, IL. It's a great read.

Stats from NWS and links below.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/1925/

NOAA/NWS 1925 Tri-State Tornado Web Site--Startling Statistics

On March 18, 1925, the Great Tri-State Tornado tore across Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Southwest Indiana. With its rapid movement, monstrous size, and long track, the tornado took hundreds of lives and injured thousands. By all means, the Tri-State Tornado was a rare event—an event that few people will ever experience in their lifetime. To give you some idea of this tornado’s magnitude, this section is devoted to a list of incredible statistics on the tornado.

3 states affected (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana)
13 counties affected, including:
Missouri: Reynolds, Iron, Madison, Bollinger, Perry

Illinois: Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Hamilton, White

Indiana: Posey, Gibson, Pike

19+ communities affected, including:
Missouri: Ellington, Redford, Leadanna, Annapolis, Cornwall, Biehle, Frohna

Illinois: Gorham, Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush, Zeigler, West Frankfort, Eighteen, Parrish, Crossville

Indiana: Griffin, Owensville, Princeton

219 mile path length
¾ mile average path width (some accounts of 1 mile wide—a record width)
3 ½ hours of continuous devastation
1:01 p.m.—tornado touched down 3 miles NNW of Ellington, Missouri
4:30 p.m.—tornado dissipated about 3 miles SW of Petersburg, Indiana
N 69° E heading maintained for 183 of the 219 miles
62 mph average speed
73 mph record speed between Gorham & Murphysboro
F5 tornado on the Fujita Scale, with winds perhaps in excess of 300 mph
28.87" lowest pressure measured on a barograph trace at the Old Ben Coal Mine in West Frankfort, Illinois
695 deaths—a record for a single tornado
234 deaths in Murphysboro—a record for a single community from such a disaster
33 deaths at the De Soto school—a record for such a storm (only bombings and gas explosions have taken higher school tolls)
2,027 injuries
15,000 homes destroyed

http://www.bookfinder.us/review8/158574607X.html

[Skywatch_NC]

Hi Donna,

My maternal grandmother was raised in Owensville, IN (near Princeton) and she was 7 yrs-old when the Tri-State Tornado occurred.

She's told me some about that event in the past and said the daytime sky was black as night as that storm system headed toward Princeton!!

Eric

[ChiTownMC]

Hi Donna,

She's told me some about that event in the past and said the daytime sky was black as night as that storm system headed towards Princeton where it finally dissipated!!

Eric

My great grandmother told me the same thing. She was located in a small coal mining town called Johnson City, IL.

[Indystorm]

My father was 12 years old and living in Carterville, Illinois in Williamson County March 18, 1925. He had a strong t storm at his location that damaged a shed on his property but could see very black sky to the northwest. My grandparents were very glad they didn't live a few miles to the west and north! It was hearing of this tornado event from my relatives as a boy that sparked my initial interest in weather.

[Stormsfury]

Just thought I'd bring up a strange oddity WRT to the Tri-State Tornado.

The tornado occurred on 3/18 ... on the ground for 3 hours, 18 minutes.

SF

[Guest]

Just thought I'd bring up a strange oddity WRT to the Tri-State Tornado.

The tornado occurred on 3/18 ... on the ground for 3 hours, 18 minutes.

SF

Correct me if I am wrong, but another little tidbit, the strongest wind ever recorded in a tornado is 318 mph (I believe that was the OKC-Moore Torndoes of May 3 1999).

[Aslkahuna]

That was a measurement from the DOW and was located a few hundred feet above the ground so friction would have resulted in less wind at the surface. For the record there is NO wind record for the Tri-State any quoted winds would be an estimate.

Steve

[P.K.]

The longest track ever recorded here for a tornado was only 107km, with a further 52km as a funnel cloud.

[Aslkahuna]

There's a number of factors, storm structure, appearance, intensity and colocation with the surface as well as point of origin that suggests that the Tri-State was a very rare and unique storm.

Steve