1883 Rochester tornado

Infobox tornado single
name = 1883 Rochester tornado
image location = Rochestertor.jpg


date = August 21, 1883
time = 5:30 p.m. CDT
fujitascale = F5
total damages (USD) = $700 thousand
total fatalities = 37
area affected = Rochester, MinnesotaThe 1883 Rochester tornado was an F5 (estimated) tornado that hit Rochester, Minnesota on August 21, 1883. It was one in a series of tornadoes that hit Southeast Minnesota that day, causing at least 37 deaths and over 200 injuries, and was the impetus for the creation of the Mayo Clinic. [cite web| title = The Rochester, MN Tornado of 1883| publisher = NOAA| url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/events/rst_tor1883.php| accessdate = 2006-12-22] On July 21, two other tornadoes struck the area. An F4 tornado was one of a family of tornadoes that killed 4 people near Dodge Center (15 miles west of Rochester), and an F2 tornado devastated Elgin, 10 miles northeast of Rochester.

The outbreak

According to Joseph Leonard as written in "History of Olmsted County, Minnesota",

Although meteorology in 1883 was primitive compared with modern science, Leonard's observations reveal quite a bit about the atmospheric conditions in Rochester that day. High temperatures, high humidity, strong surface winds, and vertical wind shear appear to have been present; all are key factors in the development of thunderstorms and tornadoes. The Rochester tornado was one of at least 3 violent tornadoes that hit southeastern Minnesota that day, but because the Rochester twister was so devastating, the other two were largely ignored by the press and relatively little is known about them.

* The first tornado touched down at 3:30 PM just 10 miles south of Rochester near Pleasant Grove. This tornado was approximated at an F3 and killed 2 people, injuring 10.

* The second tornado was the large F5 that made a direct hit on Rochester. It touched down at 5:30 PM near Hayfield, traveling 25 miles before lifting back up after it hit Rochester. It killed 37 and injured over 200, mostly in Rochester. [cite web| title = Tornadoes in northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin| publisher = NOAA| url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/tornado/olmsted.php| accessdate = 2006-12-22] . Forty farms were hit with at least 10 leveled.The northern third of Rochester was devastated with 135 homes destroyed and 200 damaged.
* The third tornado, also approximated at an F3, touched down at 8:30 PM just 15 miles to the east of Rochester near St. Charles. It killed 1 person and injured 19. [cite web| title = Winona County (MN) Tornadoes* 1850-2006| publisher = NOAA| url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/arx/tornado/winona.php| accessdate = 2006-12-22]

Impact

The city of Rochester did not have a place to treat the injured from this tornado, as there were only 3 hospitals in the state of Minnesota outside of the Twin Cities at that time; none were near Rochester. After the tornado struck, a dance hall (Rommel Hall) was transformed into temporary emergency room. [cite web| title = Winds of Change: An Improvised Hospital| work = Mayo Clinic - Tradition and Heritage| publisher = Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research| url = http://www.mayoclinic.org/tradition-heritage/winds-change.html| accessdate = 2006-12-22] Doctors William Mayo and his two sons, William and Charles, took charge of caring for the patients. Mother Mary Alfred Moes of the Sisters of St. Francis helped care for the patients as well. After this disaster the Mayo family and the Sisters of St. Francis realized the need of a hospital in Rochester. They banded together to form St. Mary's Hospital, which ultimately led to the creation of the Mayo Clinic.

ee also

*Climate of Minnesota
*List of F5 tornadoes
*List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

References

External links

* [http://www.gendisasters.com/data1/mn/tornadoes/olmstedco-tornado-july1883.htm gendisasters.com] The history of Olmstead County, Minnesota
* [http://reflections.mndigital.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=any&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/olms&CISOBOX1=1883 Damage Photographs - Minnesota Digital Reflections]