May–June 1917 tornado outbreak sequence

1917 Illinois tornado outbreak

Tornado damage in Mattoon, Illinois after the May 26 tornado.
Date of tornado outbreak:	May 25–June 1, 1917
Duration1:	8 days
Maximum rated tornado2:	F4 tornado
Tornadoes caused:	>64
Damages:	>$6.88 million (1917 USD); >$118 million (2011 USD)
Fatalities:	≥382
Areas affected:	Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas
1Time from first tornado to last tornado 2Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita Scale

The 1917 May—June tornado outbreak sequence was an eight-day tornado event, known as a tornado outbreak sequence, that killed at least 382 people, mostly in the Midwestern and parts of the Southeastern United States.

List of tornadoes

Confirmed Total	Confirmed F0	Confirmed F1	Confirmed F2	Confirmed F3	Confirmed F4	Confirmed F5
64	0	1	5	2	5	1

These numbers are likely gross underestimates. Several of the long-track events listed below are likely to be tornado families, or groups of tornadoes produced by the same storm. Because of insufficient documentation, and lack of a proper storm survey by meteorologists, it is impossible to determine where one tornado ends and another begins in certain cases.^[1] Additionally, the book by Grazulis which details the tornadoes of this event only documents "significant" tornadoes, that is, tornadoes which caused fatalities or F2 or greater damage on the Fujita scale. On average, almost 70% of tornadoes are not "significant".^[2]

May 25 event

List of tornadoes - Friday, May 25, 1917
F#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Kansas
F2		Decatur	39°46′N 100°24′W / 39.77°N 100.40°W / 39.77; -100.40 (4 NW Jennings (May 25, F2))	1830	4 miles (6.4 km)	Completely destroyed two barns. Average path width was 360 feet (110 m).
F5		Sedgwick, Harvey, Marion	37°41′N 97°49′W / 37.68°N 97.81°W / 37.68; -97.81 (Andale and Sedgwick (May 25, F5))	2000	65 miles (105 km)	23 deaths - Touched down north-northwest of Cheney. Destroyed 118 buildings, some of which were completely swept away. The hardest-hit areas were the southeastern part of Andale, where twelve died, and the southern edge of Sedgewick, where eight people died. Three more died in rural areas. The tornado dissipated northeast of Florence. The tornado's average path width was 3,600 feet (1,100 m), and it was over 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at one point.
F2		Lincoln	38°58′N 98°23′W / 38.96°N 98.39°W / 38.96; -98.39 (S of Sylvan Grove (May 25, F2))	2100	unknown	A barn was destroyed.
F2		Elk, Greenwood, Wilson, Woodson	37°36′N 96°02′W / 37.60°N 96.03°W / 37.60; -96.03 (S Fall River (May 25, F2))	2315	18 miles (29 km)	Twenty farms suffered damage.
F3		Elk, Wilson	37°31′N 96°19′W / 37.52°N 96.32°W / 37.52; -96.32 (Howard to New Albany (May 25, F3))	2000	25 miles (40 km)	1 death - More than a dozen farms destroyed; a woman was killed in a farm house north of Howard. Dissipated south of New Albany. Average path width was 1,200 feet (370 m).
Nebraska
F2		Keith	41°08′N 101°43′W / 41.13°N 101.72°W / 41.13; -101.72 (Ogallala (May 25, F2))	2000	1 mile (1.6 km)	Brief tornado damaged a house and law office. Two children were injured when a chicken house was blown into the school. Average path width was 150 feet (46 m).
Sources: Grazulis p 751-752

May 26 event

List of tornadoes - Saturday, May 26, 1917
F#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Missouri
F?		Pike	39°27′N 91°04′W / 39.45°N 91.07°W / 39.45; -91.07 ((May 26, F?))	1800	unknown	Touched down just before noon near Louisiana, Missouri. This was originally thought to be the starting point of the 293-mile (472 km) world record tornado path which has since been shown to be several separate tornadoes. This is not listed as a significant tornado, therefore its F-scale rating is either F0 or F1. This was a brief tornado touchdown, as there was no damage between here and the first Illinois touchdown. (refs for it being a true tornado: [3])
Illinois
F4		Pike, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, Shelby, Coles	39°26′N 90°45′W / 39.44°N 90.75°W / 39.44; -90.75 ((May 26, F4))	1810	155 miles (249 km)	101 deaths - See the main section on this day's tornadoes. This was likely a family of 3 or more tornadoes. Average path width was 2,400 feet (730 m).
F3		Coles, Clark	39°27′N 88°05′W / 39.45°N 88.09°W / 39.45; -88.09 ((May 26, F3))	2145	25 miles (40 km)	One farm was destroyed, along with homes on the north edge of Marshall and in Livingston. Fifteen people were injured. Average path width was 600 feet (180 m).
F4		Will, Lake (IN)	41°26′N 87°59′W / 41.43°N 87.99°W / 41.43; -87.99 ((May 26, F4))	2245	33 miles (53 km)	3 deaths - Many farms were damaged or destroyed, with at least three farm houses swept away. All three deaths occurred in Illinois and none in substantial structures. Tornado touched down near Manhattan, passed near Crete and lifted on the north edge of Crown Point. Sixty people were injured. Average path width was 1,200 feet (370 m).
Indiana
F4		Vigo, Clay	39°19′N 87°19′W / 39.31°N 87.31°W / 39.31; -87.31 ((May 26, F4))	2200	13 miles (21 km)	2 deaths - A large home was destroyed south of Blackhawk, killing two people. The large tornado passed just north of Lewis and just south of Clay City. Average path width was 1,800 feet (550 m).
F4		Monroe	39°07′N 86°33′W / 39.12°N 86.55°W / 39.12; -86.55 ((May 26, F4))	2245	5 miles (8.0 km)	Fifteen homes were destroyed south of Bloomington along Clear Creek, some exhibiting "near-F5" damage. Average path width was 2,400 feet (730 m).
F4		Lake, Porter	41°20′N 87°22′W / 41.33°N 87.36°W / 41.33; -87.36 ((May 26, F4))	2340	20 miles (32 km)	4 deaths - Touched down six miles south of Crown Point as previous tornado was lifting and moved east. Damaged or destroyed more than 40 farms, and killed two people near Hebron and two people southeast of Kouts. Average path width was 600 feet (180 m).
Sources: Grazulis p 752

May 27 event

List of tornadoes - Sunday, May 27, 1917
F#	Location	County	Coord.	Time (UTC)	Path length	Comments/Damage
Missouri
F2		Stone, Christian	36°55′N 93°31′W / 36.92°N 93.51°W / 36.92; -93.51 ((May 27, F2))	1730	20 miles (32 km)	Touched down near Hurley, hitting the edge of that town and Boaz before dissipating north of Ozark. Eight farms were damaged, and 50 people injured, mostly in Boaz.
F1		Christian, Webster	37°01′N 92°59′W / 37.01°N 92.99°W / 37.01; -92.99 ((May 27, F1))	1800	13 miles (21 km)	1 death - Tracked from Bruner to Seymour. Four people were injured along the path, and man was killed in Webster county.
Illinois
F4			39°26′N 90°45′W / 39.44°N 90.75°W / 39.44; -90.75 ((May 26, F4))	1810	155 miles (249 km)	Average path width was 2,400 feet (730 m).
Sources: Grazulis p 752-753

May 26 tornado family

At one time, the series of tornadoes which struck nearly a straight line from near the town of Louisiana, Missouri to near Mount Vernon, Indiana was considered a single tornado. Lasting 7 hours and 40 minutes over a 293-mile (472 km) path through three states, this tornado held records for the longest tornado track, as well as longest-lasting tornado. However, it is now generally accepted that this was a family of at least 4, and possibly 8 or more separate tornadoes, with either short breaks in the damage path or sections of straight-line wind damage connecting the tornado paths.

The most severe damage was in the cities of Mattoon and Charleston, where 101 people were killed.^[4]

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths

References

1. ^ http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/schneider/otbrkseq.pdf
2. ^ Grazulis pg. 144, 147
3. ^ http://www.il-acad-sci.org/transactions_pdf_files/9518.pdf
4. ^ The Mattoon/Charleston Tornado of May 26, 1917

External links

• http://www.jstor.org/pss/207291
• http://www.isws.illinois.edu/pubdoc/C/ISWSC-103.pdf