Since people have inhabited North America, tornadoes have been a way of life for many. The first documented tornado in the US was in 1647 in Massachusetts, before the United States even existed. Since then, as westward migration pushed into traditional tornado alley, tornado occurrences have increased. Some are so small that they almost go unnoticed, and others are so violent that they become legends.
Of the thousands of tornadoes documented in the US, none stands above the rest like the Tri-State Tornado. During the afternoon of March 18, 1925, a massive tornado began in the hills of southeast Missouri and roared through southern Illinois into southwest Indiana. In its path, over 700 people would be killed, thousands of homes destroyed, and tens of thousands of lives changed forever. In this installment of This Week in Weather History, we look at the deadliest tornado in US history.
THE WORLD & WEATHER IN 1925
The 1920s are often remembered in history classes as a pseudo-golden era for American culture, the "roaring 20s," as they are colloquially known. It was the era of flappers, speakeasies, jazz, opulent wealth, prohibition, and more. The world was racing past, literally and figuratively, in the car and newfound airplanes. Although there were dark elements to the 20s, many Americans generally remember it as a good decade before the calamities of the 1930s.
Yet if the world was progressing, the world of weather was limping behind. Major advancements to the science of weather were being made in Europe, but those ideas were slow to arrive in the United States. The Weather Bureau, the precursor to the National Weather Service, has focused on its duties since the 19th century. It wouldn't take until the rise of commercial aviation in later years for the weather enterprise to make bigger strides.
Where the Weather Bureau truly dropped the ball was in tornado forecasting. Some attempts in the 1880s to make tornado forecasts fell flat against the bureau's reluctance to take them up. Tornadoes were seen as too random to be predicted, and any tornado forecast was bound to create panic among the public. Even politicians in the Midwest were advocating for no tornado forecasts, as tornadoes made the state look bad & a hindrance to people moving. This culminated in the 1890s when the Weather Bureau banned the word "tornado" from being used in forecasts, referring to the vague term "severe local storms" as a catch-all for stormy weather. The ban would not be lifted until the 1940s when two Air Force meteorologists issued the first tornado warning.
THE SET-UP
As shown above, weather information in 1925 is sparse. Now, with the advent of computer reanalysis, along with the weather maps we do have, we can construct what the meteorological set-up on March 18, 1925, was.
During the day, a low-pressure system moved from northeast Oklahoma, across southern Missouri, and into Indiana by the end of the day. Ahead of this, warm air from the gulf made it as far north as the Ozarks. The strong low pressure provided ample wind shear for storms to rotate. This was the perfect set-up for tornadoes. So what made the Tri-State tornado unique?
The forward speed of the tornado and low pressure were equal. The storm developed over southern Missouri right by the surface low near what is known as a triple-point. This allowed the tornadic storm to sit in the perfect environment through its lifespan and likely contributed to the long-track tornado.
THE TORNADO
Missouri
The Tri-State tornado began in the hilly terrain of the Ozarks over southeast Missouri. A few smaller tornadoes preceded the main one, which started north of Ellington in Reynolds County just before 1 pm. North of town, a farmer was killed, the first fatality of many in the tornado's life cycle.
The tornado began its course over rural hills before reaching the small town of Annapolis, where it inflicted extreme damage on 90% of the town. 4 people were killed, and many others injured. Next door was the mining community of Leadanna, where the tornado did major damage. It destroyed the elevator to the mine, forcing the miners to climb a 500-foot ladder to leave.
As it continued across southeast Missouri, the damage continued to mount. Two schools were struck north of Cape Girardeau, where many children were injured. The small communities of Biehle and Frohna were hit, and the entire town of Biehle was destroyed. As the tornado crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, it left 11 Missourians dead and many others injured.
Illinois
As the tornado crossed the river, it began what one book described as "the deadliest 45 minutes in tornadic history". Town after town would be hit as the tornado ground along.
The first town was Gorham, along the Mississippi riverbed. The entire town was destroyed, and 34 people lost their lives. Homes were reduced to rubble, and some houses were swept so clean that debris was hard to come by.
Then came Murphysboro. The center of Jackson County, Murphysboro had a population of 10,000 people in the 1920 census, one of the largest towns in southern Illinois. The day was spent like any other as the thousands of residents did their business. The storm came with hail first, prompting many to run inside for shelter. Then the tornado came. In just a few minutes, 234 people would be killed, and thousands of homes destroyed. The scenes of devastation are almost unfathomable, as homes were reduced to rubble miles around. With 234 people killed, it is one of the greatest tragedies in tornado history in terms of loss of life and property damage.
Uncaring for the devastation it caused, the tornado trekked on toward its next target, De Soto. Within the town of 700, 69 people were killed, 1 in every 9 people. The greatest tragedy came at the school, where the tornado hit while it was still in session. 33 children died in the storm.
The next town visited was West Frankfort, another larger town with around 8,000 people. The tornado grazed the northwest side of town, where it did some of its worst damage. Not only were some homes destroyed, but their foundations were swept away too. 149 people died in West Frankfort.
In just 50 minutes after crossing the river, the tornado claimed 553 lives. To put this number in context, the number of people killed in tornadoes from 2013-2023 was 527 people.
The tornado began to pass over more rural land across southern Illinois. In the small town of Parrish, the entire town was leveled and 22 people died. In neighboring Hamilton County, 41 were killed mostly on farmsteads. The tornado then crossed the Wabash River into Indiana, where it would continue its destruction.
Indiana
Almost immediately, the tornado struck the small town of Griffin. The entire town was destroyed, and 25 were killed. Homes were leveled, businesses smashed, and trees debarked. Residents did not consider rebuilding due to the damage, but many did.
The tornado narrowly missed the town of Owensville, killing more people on farmsteads. Finally, the storm began to weaken some as it approached Princeton. The tornado passed over the south side of town, killing another 45 people and destroying the Heinz Factory.
After passing through Princeton, the reign of terror was over as the tornado had finally lifted.
STATS & QUESTIONS
Over its several-hour lifespan, the Tri-State Tornado ranks as the deadliest tornado in US history, and the numbers are not particularly close. The official count is 695 people killed, though some estimates go higher. This doubles the fatalities from the second deadliest tornado, the Natchez, MS, tornado of 1840.
Cost estimates vary, but the average estimate is around $16.5 million in 1925. In today's money, this would cost around 300 million dollars, most coming from the destruction in Murphysboro.
Questions have arisen such as whether the Tri-State tornado was one continuous tornado or a tornado family. A tornado family is when one parent supercell spawns multiple tornadoes rather than one large one. A 2013 reanalysis of the damage data points to some gaps in damage during the early phase of the tornado over Missouri. However, since the gaps occurred over remote terrain of Missouri, it is unclear whether this represents a true break in the tornado, or just no available data. From Madison County MO to southwest Indiana, the tornado was likely continuous for 174 miles of its track, which would still make it the longest-track tornado in US history.
The news of the event hit the country like a wave, with thousands of condolences and donations coming in from all over the world. The tornado also prompted outrage at the Weather Bureau for its failure to warn the citizens of the approaching tornado. The general public was largely unaware of the ban on the word "tornado" at the time. Newspaper articles calling for tornado warning systems came out, but no changes were ever made.
Still, the Tri-State Tornado changed the relationship between America and tornadoes. It brought heightened awareness to tornadoes, and would eventually spur the modern tornado warning system we use to this day.
