Excited to announce that we have published our first ebook! These are stories that are also available to
@Patreon
members but we will start to release some of these narratives as ebooks!
The Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland EF4 Tornado-April 27, 2011: Stories from the April 25-28,
April 9, 1953: A hook echo was seen on radar for the first time; it was captured as a
#tornado
passed near Champaign, IL. The SPC lists this as an F3 that moved for 156 miles through IL & IN. Photo via the Illinois State Climatology Office.
#ilwx
The Pilger, NE
#Tornado
Family – June 16, 2014! 5 tornadoes from one supercell, 4 rated EF4. Tornadoes 2 and 3 (known as Pilger & Pilger East) became 2 photogenic twins, at times moving around each other, & crossing paths. We document the event here:
#newx
#OldPhotoFriday
– Moville, IA F3
#tornado
on May 30, 1899. This extremely slow-moving twister cut a 12-mile path from near Moville and Kingsley. Only 3 farms were hit. It is one of only a few known tornado photos from the 19th century and the first in Iowa. Image from IAGenWeb:
NEW From Tornado Talk! A comprehensive overview of the Xenia, OH F5
#Tornado
- April 3, 1974!
On a day that has lived in infamy, the city of Xenia, OH, fell victim to the deadliest of 148 twisters during the April 3-4, 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak. Its track began southwest of
#Tornado
History for December 10-11, 2021
The events of just 2 years ago were on the minds and hearts of everyone yesterday as we watched significant tornadoes once again across portions of the south.
We have a very special summary about the 2021 outbreak. The article
April 25-28, 2011: The Historic Super Outbreak!
“The individual
#tornado
paths from the April 25-28, 2011, Super Outbreak added up to an almost unfathomable 3,200 path miles, by far the greatest of any U.S. outbreak. This total path was over 600 miles longer than the April
#OldPhotoFriday
– Deshler, OH, F4
#tornado
on June 8, 1953. This mighty twister trekked at least 60 miles across northwestern Ohio, killing 8 and injuring 48. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes noted that damage near Cygnet may have been of F5 intensity. It was part of a
The Immeasurable Cost of the Dec 10-11, 2021
#Tornado
Outbreak: Last year, many of us watched as storms tore apart lives & communities across AR, MO, TN, IL & KY. These are the stories of the 92 people who died & the 23 significant tornadoes that formed.
Bridge Creek-Moore F5
#Tornado
– May 3, 1999! This devastating tornado was 1 of 14 produced by a supercell in Central OK during the Great Plains Outbreak. 38 mile path. A mile wide. 36 killed, 580+ injured. 1st ever tornado emergency issued.
#okwx
Plainfield, IL F5
#Tornado
– Aug 28, 1990! 16.4 mile path. Total of 470 homes destroyed and another 1000 damaged. 29 people were killed and 350 more were injured. Only F5/EF5 tornado on record (since 1950) in the U.S. during the month of August.
#ilwx
May 31, 1985
#Tornado
Outbreak!
When you hear the term “violent tornado outbreak,” you probably think of Tornado Alley or Dixie Alley, not Pennsylvania. But on May 31, 1985, a violent tornado outbreak swept through northeastern Ohio and Pennsylvania. 89 people were killed, 64
Overview of the April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak! 362 Confirmed
#Tornadoes
, 4 Rated EF5. 11 Rated EF4. 21 Rated EF3. 324 Fatalities. Over 3100 Injuries. This overview contains links to all of our Super Outbreak summaries! Image from
@USTornadoes
Tragedy in Alabama: The Guin, AL F5
#Tornado
– April 3, 1974!
This detailed overview explores this destructive twister, one of the strongest of the outbreak and with one of the longest paths. It claimed 32 Alabamian lives and traveled over a hundred miles. Most notably, the
Kanopolis Lake, KS EF4
#Tornado
– Apr 14, 2012! 50.28 mile path. In Ellsworth Co, the tornado scoured & dug out a section gravel road about 4 to 5 inches deep. Home was swept off foundation & destroyed with small stair case remaining in center.
#kswx
#OTD
Kanopolis Lake, KS EF4
#Tornado
– April 14, 2012!
Per the SPC, 83 tornadoes occurred on this day. Just over half of them (42) were in the state of KS. The strongest tornado for the day was one of the 42: It was an EF4 that traveled through parts of Rice, Ellsworth, McPherson
Greensburg, KS EF5
#Tornado
– May 4, 2007!
Was the first to be given an EF5 rating under the new Enhanced Fujita Scale. The supercell that generated the EF5 also produced more than 20 other tornadoes across parts of SW KS during an 8-hour period. The max width of the
#OldPhotoFriday
– Louisville, Kentucky F4
#tornado
on April 3, 1974. This tornado carved a nearly 19-mile path through the Louisville metro, killing 3 and injuring 225. It was part of the infamous 1974 Super Outbreak. This photo was taken by Larry Spitzer of the Courier Journal
The Hackleburg-Phil Campbell, AL EF5
#Tornado
– Apr 27, 2011. One of four EF5s that hit during the
#2011SuperOutbreak
. A 132 mile continuous track was determined by the NWS Offices. Max width = 1.25 mi. 72 fatalities. Summary:
#alwx
#tornadohistory
#SummarySunday
We have a collection of summaries from meteorologists, chasers and survivors describing in their own words how they remember the Super Outbreak of April 25-28, 2011! Here is an excerpt from Chris Darden, Meteorologist-In-Charge at
@NWSBirmingham
:
"The days
#OldPhotoFriday
– The Marion, IL, F4
#tornado
on May 29, 1982. This twister devastated the town of Marion, killing 10 and injuring 181. It was widely visible and photographed by numerous people. Per Storm Data and the NWS Paducah, 648 homes and hundreds of businesses were damaged
The April 25-28, 2011 Super Outbreak! We have been working to document some of the
#tornado
events from the outbreak. Here is our overview page showing the summaries completed & the ones to come. We hope we have honored every community impacted.
#wxhistory
April 27, 2011 - It is a day etched in the minds of so many. There are stories of tragedy and heartbreak. But also hope and heroism.
In 2021, we captured some of those stories for over 25
#tornadoes
from the April 27 outbreak. We still have a few to explore. It is important to
A devastating F5 tornado crossed through parts of Lubbock, TX during the late evening of May 11, 1970. It was actually the 2nd tornado of two that hit the Lubbock area that evening. The first tornado moved over the northeast section of the city between 8:10 and 8:45 pm. The
The Xenia, OH F5
#Tornado
– April 3, 1974! The deadliest tornado of the Super Outbreak! 36 killed, over 1100 injured. The Arrowhead Subdivision was leveled. Most of the downtown business area & the high school was destroyed/heavily damaged.
#ohwx
Parkersburg-New Hartford, IA EF5
#Tornado
– May 25, 2008!
Close to a 41 mile path. 9 were killed and 70 injured. Within 8 minutes, the tornado had grown to almost 3/4 of a mile wide as it moved into the southern end of Parkersburg. A third of the town experienced tremendous
We wanted to give an update on our April 3-4, 1974 Project!
Over the past year, Tornado Talk has embarked upon 3 major trips to do research for detailed narratives on this outbreak. We have been overwhelmed with the amount of information, photos, videos, interviews we have
NEW on our website! Guest writer Nelson Tucker presents a detailed summary on the April 27, 2011 Smithville, MS EF5
#Tornado
. He examines the tornado, the extreme damage & the impact to the Smithville community. Read this excellent summary:
#mswx
The Pilger, NE
#Tornado
Family – June 16, 2014!
Say the words “Pilger” and everyone in the weather community knows what you’re talking about. On the afternoon of June 16, 2014, a supercell thunderstorm would produce 5 tornadoes, one rated EF-0 and four rated EF4, across
NEW From Tornado Talk! An Overview of The Guin, AL F5
#Tornado
– April 3, 1974!
On April 3, 1974, an unprecedented number of violent tornadoes raged through the Ohio River Valley. By evening, over a hundred had died in the Midwest. Even as the sun went down and activity in
The April 3-4, 1974 Super Outbreak! 148 Twisters in 24 Hours. 95 rated F2 or stronger on the Fujita scale & 30 were F4 or F5. 15 Tornadoes occurring simultaneously at the height of the event. 2500+ miles of damage path. 335 fatalities. 6000+ injuries.
Xenia, OH F5 – Apr 3, 1974! Deadliest of Superoutbreak. In top 10 of costliest tornadoes on record. Per
@sigtor2019
- “...was the most publicized tornado of the day and perhaps the most well-studied tornado in history, from a wind-engineering perspective.”
#OldPhotoFriday
– The Alfalfa, OK, F3
#tornado
on April 11, 1927. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, this massive twister killed one and injured six along a 55-mile path in central Oklahoma. Photo from the Library of Congress.
Read about more tornado history events on
Apr 27, 2011: 207
#tornadoes
, most ever in a 24-hour period. We have a series of free & premium summaries covering some of the major events not only for Apr 27 but the entire outbreak. This overview provides links to each of them. Image via
@USTornadoes
-
Roanoke, IL F4
#Tornado
– July 13, 2004! An F4 tornado developed rapidly in a highly unstable atmosphere and devastated everything along its 9.6 mile path through Woodford County, IL on July 13, 2004. It began 1.75 miles NNE of Metamora and traveled generally in a southeasterly
The Pilger, NE
#Tornado
Family – June 16, 2014! A NEW detailed summary by "The Tornado Talk Crew"! They explore the 4-EF4 tornadoes that struck this area including the photogenic twins!
#newx
#tornadohistory
Edmonton, Alberta F4
#Tornado
– July 31, 1987! Known as "Black Friday" - It is the deadliest known tornado for Alberta and the second-deadliest for the country. 27 killed. 300 injured. Led to the development of Alberta’s Emergency Public Warning System.
Greensburg, KS EF5
#Tornado
– May 4, 2007! First to be given an EF5 rating under the new Enhanced Fujita Scale. Winds approx 205 mph. Max width 1.7 miles. 1 of 4 extremely large tornadoes
#OTD
. Destroyed nearly 95% of Greensburg. 11 killed.
#kswx
Teton Wilderness, WY F4
#Tornado
– July 21, 1987! 24 miles. No fatalities or injuries.
This tornado’s most impressive feat was the fact that it crossed the continental divide at over 10,000 ft. This is the highest elevation that a violent (F4/F5) tornado has ever occurred on
Laramie, WY EF3
#Tornado
– June 6, 2018!
Wyoming isn’t typically renowned for grand, photogenic twisters. With just an average of twelve per year, most, if not all, are small, weak, short-lived, and unremarkable. It is easy to see why folks don’t recognize the state as tornado
An F5
#tornado
struck Topeka, KS on June 8, 1966. 17 people were killed and 550 were injured as entire neighborhood were leveled. Washburn University was torn apart. Here is our archived
#podcast
on this event! -
#kswx
#OTD
Chandler, MN F5
#Tornado
– June 16, 1992! 16 mile path. 35 injuries, 1 fatality. 40 homes were destroyed in the town. 47 homes, 5 businesses, a church and a school were damaged. A check from Chandler was found in Willmar, about 95 miles to the NNE.
#mnwx
The Wichita Falls F4 “Terrible Tuesday”
#Tornado
! Part of the The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak. 46.9 mile path. 42 killed, over 1700 injured. Over 3000 homes were destroyed and 600 were damaged. 1000+ apartment units & condos demolished.
#txwx
#lawx
The Wichita Falls F4 “Terrible Tuesday”
#Tornado
- April 10, 1979! Part of the The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak!
#txwx
#lawx
“The damage path was one of the widest I have ever seen, and its intensity was almost equal to that of the giant storm that leveled Xenia, Ohio,
Worcester, MA F4
#Tornado
– June 9, 1953! Deadliest & most destructive tornado to ever hit the New England area. 94 killed, 1200+ injured. ~4,000 buildings damaged/destroyed. Debris was found in the Boston Area and on Cape Cod (over 100 miles away).
#mawx
November 7, 2011: An EF4
#tornado
developed in Wilbarger Co, TX & moved NE for 17 miles through Jackson & Tillman Counties in OK. The Oklahoma State University Agronomy Research Station was leveled and nearby trees were splintered/debarked. The Tipton Mesonet was destroyed.
#okwx
The South Dakota
#Tornado
Outbreak of August 28, 1884! Detailed summary from
@TornadoStudy
about this outbreak. One of these twisters would become the second earliest photographed in history. Premium summary:
#OldPhotoFriday
- The Xenia, OH F5 Tornado – April 3, 1974! Photo taken from the Greene Memorial Hospital by Fred Stewart via
@NWSILN
summary of the event. Our summary:
Huntsville, AL F4
#Tornado
– November 15, 1989! A devastating event. 21 people were killed, 18 died in the tornado and three others later from injuries. 57% of the deaths occurred in automobiles. 259 homes, 80 businesses, 2 schools destroyed.
#alwx
Ruskin Heights F5
#Tornado
– May 20, 1957!
This F5 is commonly known as the “Ruskin Heights Tornado” because of the tremendous damage inflicted there. It has also been called “The Kansas-Missouri Tornado” and “The Ottawa-Kansas City Tornado”. It developed southwest of
#OldPhotoFriday
- The large, violent, tornado as it passed near Corry, PA during the May 31, 1985 Outbreak. Photograph by Tom Atkins, WJET/Fox 66. Our summary of the outbreak:
#pawx
Marion, ND F4
#Tornado
– July 18, 2004! 12 mile path. The strongest of 8 tornadoes to occur
#OTD
. It annihilated a farmstead near Marion. This tornado produced what is arguable the most intense damage from any tornado in the 2000s.
#ndwx
Tomorrow is the anniversary of The May 20, 2013 Newcastle/South OKC/Moore EF5
#Tornado
. Path of 14 mi. 24 fatalities, 200+ injuries. Max width over 1 mile. 4000+ structures damaged or destroyed. Sending summary early due to severe threat tomorrow:
#okwx
Tallulah, LA Across Yazoo City to NE Mississippi Long Track EF4 – April 24, 2010!
149 mile path. Actual time on the ground: 2 hours and 44 minutes. In Yazoo County, MS, the twister reached its maximum width of 1.75-miles – the widest in the state’s recorded history at the
May 31, 1985
#Tornado
Outbreak! 44 tornadoes across parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. This summary focuses on the PA twisters. There were 20 of them, 8 of which were violent (F4-F5).
#pawx
#OTD
Anchor-Okolona-Chapel Grove-Wren, MS EF3
#Tornado
– April 27, 2011! 51.45 mile path. 4 were killed and 25 injured. The predecessor to the infamous Smithville tornado. We dug deep into both the stories and the damage. What we found was astounding.
#mswx
#OldPhotoFriday
-
#Tornado
in Shelby County, AL during the March 21, 1932 Deep South Outbreak. Photo by W.M. Russell. Found on this Jefferson County, Ala. history site.
#OldPhotoFriday
– Guin, AL, F5
#Tornado
– April 3, 1974. We’re just a few days away now from the 50th anniversary of the momentous 1974 Super Outbreak. This small shelter was built by Robert Baker after a 1956 tornado damaged his home. While he and others nearby hunkered inside
Oakfield, WI F5
#Tornado
– July 18, 1996! 13.3 mi. path. 12 injured, no fatalities.
There were 12 confirmed tornadoes in the state of Wisconsin on July 18, 1996. The most devastating was given a rating of F5. It crossed just over 13 miles through Fond du Lac county striking the
The Bridge Creek-Moore F5
#Tornado
– May 3, 1999. This violent tornado was one of 58 to hit Oklahoma
#OTD
. It traveled 38 mi. leaving behind total devastation. Max width was 1 mile. There were 36 direct fatalities (5 indirect).
Summary:
#okwx
#history
It was deemed "The Night of the Tornadoes" - Most deadly
#tornado
outbreak in Florida
#history
occurred during the nighttime hours of Feb 22-23, 1998. 7 tornadoes, 3 rated F3. 42 were killed. 3,000 structures damaged, 700 destroyed.
#flwx
@NWSMelbourne
Xenia, OH F4
#Tornado
– Sept 20, 2000! Some of the same areas struck by the 1974 Xenia F5 were hit again. 9 mile path. 1 killed, 100 injured. 250 homes, 40 businesses were damaged/destroyed. 4 semis were thrown up to 400 yards near the fairgrounds.
#ohwx
March 13, 1990 outbreak: 2-F5 tornadoes occurred! 2 killed, 60 injured. The Hesston Tornado damaged/destroyed 226 homes, 21 businesses. The Goessel Tornado formed 1 mile north of town & ran parallel to the Hesston twister for 2 miles before merging.
#kswx
Marion, ND F4
#Tornado
– July 18, 2004! One of the most intense of the 2000s! Also know as the "The Noot Farm" Tornado - nearly everything on the property was demolished. At one point, the swath of ground scouring reached a max of 700 yards.
#ndwx
June 12, 1899: An F5
#tornado
devastated the town of New Richmond, WI. 117 people were killed, and 200 were injured. This ranks as the 8th deadliest tornado in US history. Image via University of Wisconsin Madison Libraries.
#wiwx
#OTD
#OldPhotoFriday
– Tulsa, OK, F3
#tornado
on December 5, 1975. Despite the short 1.5 mile track, this twister was intense and caused extensive damage in NE Tulsa. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes several homes swept clean from their slabs, and lists it as an F4.
Pampa, TX F4
#Tornado
– June 8, 1995! Part of a tornado family. 3 mile path. 7 injuries, 0 fatalities. 100+ homes & 50 businesses damaged/destroyed. This tornado moved machinery that weighed more that 30,000 pounds.
#txwx
@NWSAmarillo
Belvidere, Lake Zurich, and Oak Lawn, IL F4
#Tornadoes
– April 21, 1967!
It is considered Northern Illinois’ Worst Tornado Disaster.
Belvidere, IL F4: 24 killed and 450 injured. 13 of the deaths were at Belvidere High School. The tornado moved into the bus loading areas as
On This Day In
#Tornado
History! February 5, 2008!
The second-largest February tornado outbreak since 1950 occurred during the evening of February 5 and the early morning of February 6, 2008. The event began on Super Tuesday, while 24 U.S. states held primary elections and
Fargo, ND F5
#Tornado
– June 20, 1957! A newer section in NW part of the city was hit. All property in an area 5 city blocks wide & 20 blocks long destroyed. 1300+ homes damaged/destroyed, some were leveled and swept away. There were 10 fatalities.
#ndwx
How a Legendary Storm Chaser Changed the Face of Tornado Science - In 2013, Tim Samaras died in one of the epic storms he’d spent decades chasing. A new book chronicles his harrowing last days - via
@SmithsonianMag
#OTD
in
#Tornado
#History
- Ruskin Heights, MO F5 Tornado – May 20, 1957. Developed SW of Williamsburg, KS, moved ~70 miles, ended near Knobtown, MO. Hit south side of Martin City, large part of Ruskin Heights & Hickman Mills. 44 fatalities.
#kswx
#mowx
🚨 🚨 🚨Tornado Talk is hitting the road! We've plotted the paths of some of the most impactful tornadoes of the April 3-4, 1974 Super Outbreak & will be traveling to many of these areas to do extensive research for the 50th Anniversary. Read more here:
#Tornado
#History
! Bridge Creek-Moore F5 Tornado – May 3, 1999! 36 killed, 583 injured. The first “Tornado Emergency” was issued by the NWS Norman office during this event. 1800 homes destroyed, and 2500 homes damaged.
#okwx
#SummarySunday
Per The Storm Prediction Center, 83 tornadoes occurred on April 14, 2012. Just over half of them were in Kansas. The strongest for the day was an EF4 that traveled through parts of Rice, Ellsworth, McPherson and Saline Counties. Total path length was 50.28
#OldPhotoFriday
– The Monroe, OH, F3
#tornado
on May 10, 1969. This twister injured 26 and tracked 35 miles across southwestern Ohio. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, there was about $1 million in damage. Image sourced from the Monroe Historical Society:
#OldPhotoFriday
- The Scottsbluff
#Tornado
- June 27, 1955. This F4, which killed 2 & injured 29, was one of the first to be comprehensively photographed. This photo, from the National Archives and Records Administration, was captured from the Weather Bureau office in Scottsbluff
The Candlestick Park” F5
#Tornado
– March 3, 1966!
More than likely a tornado family. Named after a shopping center in south Jackson, MS, which was completely destroyed. Eyewitnesses reported cars thrown more than a half of a mile and pavement scoured off of the ground. There
The Calumet-El Reno-Piedmont-Guthrie, OK EF5
#Tornado
– May 24, 2011! Rating based on Univ. of OK Mobile Doppler Radar Measurements. Est. peak winds "greater than 210mph". 63.1 mile path. 13 fatalities, 460+ injuries.
#okwx
#tornadohistory
February 22-23, 1998 in Central Florida: It was deemed “The Night of the Tornadoes” – Most deadly tornado outbreak in Florida history. 7 tornadoes, 3 of which rated F3. 42 people killed, 260+ injured. 3,000 structures were damaged, 700 destroyed.
#flwx
One of the largest fall tornado outbreaks in the US occurred from Nov 21-23, 1992. Per the NOAA National Disaster Survey Report - a total of 94 tornado tracks were identified. 6 were rated F4, 15 rated F3. 26 were killed, 600+ injured.
#tornadohistory
#TornadoTuesday
– The afternoon of June 17, 2010, featured a violent tornado outbreak in the northern Great Plains. The events spawned 75 twisters, mainly in North Dakota and Minnesota. Of the four EF4 tornadoes that occurred that day, one tore through the rural pastures of
Oakfield, WI F5
#Tornado
– July 18, 1996! 13.3 mi. path, 12 injuries. Est max winds = 265 mph east of town. 4 homes swept clean from foundations. Along the path, 60 homes, 6 businesses destroyed. 500 acres of crops lost. Updated summary w/more pics:
#wiwx
Top
#Tornado
Events of the Past
#Decade
! A devastating EF5 moved 14 miles in 40 minutes from Newcastle, OK thru Moore and South OKC. Max width of just over 1 mile. 24 were killed, 200+ injured. 4000+ structures damaged/destroyed. Images via
@NWSNorman
#okwx
#wxhistory
Ruskin Heights F5
#Tornado
– May 20, 1957! 69.4 mile path. 44 killed, 207 injured. Many homes leveled, reports of multiple vortices. Cancelled check from Hickman Mills found at Ottawa, IA - 165 mi. away. Pilots reported debris at 30,000 ft.
#kswx
#mowx