They Never Knew What Hit Them
Posted: Mar 18, 2010 9:34 AM
Updated: Mar 22, 2010 9:32 AM
85 years ago today, 695 lives were lost, and thousands were left injured or homeless in Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. It's been called "The Great Tri-State Tornado" and it dropped from blackened skies in the early afternoon of March 18, 1925. A very powerful spring storm system pulled warm, moist, tropical air from the Gulf, and cold dry air from Canada. The collision of these two air masses, combined with a powerful jet stream aloft spawned strong thunderstorms, including one supercell that developed near Ellington, Missouri. Minutes later a tornado formed and annihilated the town of Annapolis, killing 2. For the next three and a half hours, the tornado would cut a 219 mile long path of death and destruction.
In 1925, mining towns stretched across much of southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana. Weather forecasting was still in its primitive stages. In fact the Weather Bureau, which was the predecessor to the National Weather Service, wasn't allowed to use the word "Tornado" in their forecasts because it was believed that using such harsh terms would frighten the public, disrupting the normal flow of everyday life. The word "Tornado" was only used in reviews of weather events that had already occurred.
This tornado was screaming across the landscape at forward speeds of up to 73 miles per hour, more than twice the speed of the average tornado. It would sweep clean a mile long path in less than a minute. Furthermore, the tornado lacked the standard visual characteristics of a normal funnel. Because it was so wide, it appeared to be rolling, bubbling clouds close to the ground. This appearance fooled normally weather savvy farmers and rural residents until the storm was upon them and it was too late. In 1925, television hadn't been invented, radio was in its infancy with stations only in larger cities like St. Louis. Telephone or telegraph communications were luxuries that most folks couldn't afford. Warning towns in the path of this storm was nearly impossible because the places that were hit were virtually wiped off the map, and before people could struggle out from under the rubble, the next town was already being ripped apart. After devastating at least six towns in Missouri and killing 11, the tornado set its sights on Illinois.
Crossing the Mississippi River, the tornado had matured to a mile and a half wide monster as it plowed into the town of Gorham killing 34 people. By this time, the power of the tornado had reached F5 strength with wind speeds approaching 300mph. A tornado of this magnitude doesn't just destroy, it disintegrates! Everything in its path is finely shredded and taken along to the next town "sandblasting" it until there is nothing left. The twister continued across southern Illinois striking the cities of Johnson City, Murphysboro, and West Frankfort in addition to countless smaller communities and farms. In just under two hours, the tornado had cut a 100 mile path across Illinois killing 613 people. Still the record holder for the most killed in one state from a single tornado. 234 people were killed in the city of Murphysboro, the most in any single city...ever. Sadly, nine schools were in the tornado's path, killing 69 children. 33 young lives were cut short at a school in Desoto, Illinois, another standing record for the most lives lost in a single school from a tornado.
Three hours of horror had gone by, and the tornado still wasn't finished. It crossed into Indiana near the town of Griffin, destroying it. The cities of Owensville and Princeton would become victims of the tornado, and it would continue for an additional 40 miles killing 71 people before dissipating near the city of Petersburg.
In all, nearly 20,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed costing $16.5 million in 1925. Adjusted for inflation, the cost would be nearly $2 Billion today. At least four towns disappeared from the landscape, never to recover again. The tornado covered a record 219 miles! There has been some speculation over the years that this may have not been a single tornado, but a series of tornadoes produced by a single supercell storm. But that theory has never been proven. Even with the technology today, and the large number of surveys conducted, scientists still cannot find a break in its path. Therefore the continuous 219 mile record still stands today. It's not just a U.S. record, but a world record. Some recent surveys suggest the tornado may have traveled even further! The death toll from this tornado is more than double the number of second place, the Natchez Tornado of 1840. Out of the top 10 deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history, the Tri-State Tornado is the only twister on the list. Seven hurricanes, the San Fransisco Earthquake of 1906, and the Johnstown, Pennsylvania flood are the others in the top 10.
Certainly, we wouldn't expect a death toll that high from a similar tornado if it were to happen in 2010. With satellites, Doppler radar, and advanced communication such as radio, television, Internet, phone, and other wireless devices, early warnings would have in place. Even with the tornado moving at such a fast rate, our ability to send information outpaces the speed of the storm. Our understanding of how these systems develop and move is so more advanced than in 1925. Stronger buildings, and safety procedures in businesses, schools, or other government facilities should be able to prevent the carnage that we saw 85 years ago. If it were to happen today, how would the forecasts, updates, and warnings play out in a similar situation? The National Weather Service Office in Paducah, Kentucky put together a great interactive site of the Tri State Tornado including survivor stories, pictures, statistics, and how we would cover such an event today. Clicking the link below will open a new window to the site.
