- Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920
Infobox tornado outbreak|name=Palm Sunday (1920) Tornado Outbreak
date=March 28 ,1920 |
duration=~9 hours
fujitascale=F4
tornadoes= > 38
total damages (USD)=Unknown
total fatalities=380+
areas affected=Alabama , Georgia,Illinois ,Indiana ,Michigan ,Missouri ,Ohio ,Wisconsin The Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1920 was an outbreak of at least 38 significanttornadoes across theMidwest andDeep South states on onMarch 28 ,1920 . The tornadoes left over 380+ dead, and at least 1,215 injured. Many communities and farmers alike, were caught off-guard, as the storms moved to the northeast at speeds that reached over convert|60|mph|km/h|0. Most of the fatalities occurred in Georgia (201+),Indiana (56), andOhio (55), while the other states had lesser amounts.Severe thunderstorms began developing in
Missouri during the early morning hours. The storms moved quickly to the northeast towardsChicago ,Illinois . The first tornado injured five people convert|35|mi|km|0 southeast ofSpringfield, Missouri in the pre-dawn hours in Douglas County. This first twister was a harbinger of things to come, as the morning went on and the atmosphere began to destabilize, due to the abundance of sunshine that preceded the cold front in the dry slot area, which covered the lowerGreat Lakes region, extending southward well past theOhio River Valley.Newspaper accounts and weather records document over 38 storms of major significance; thus, the probable number of actual tornadoes is much higher, especially when the
U.S. Weather Bureau (National Weather Service ) prior to 1916 did not conduct any aerial/damage surveys, nor was there any public education campaign for the public to properly report them. The only time prior to 1950 where weather forecasters would conduct an official inquiry is when a single tornado was noteworthy of an extensive investigation, such as the infamousTri-State Tornado of March 18th, 1925, theTupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak (Palm Sunday) event of April 5-6th, 1936 or the Woodward, Oklahoma disaster ofApril 9 ,1947 .The only states that kept any solid records on tornadoes after
World War I , were the ones that had the highest frequency of occurrence inTornado Alley . Therefore, the Great Lakes Region varied from state-to-state in their record keeping of such events. Further, it fell upon most state departments of agriculture to record any significant crop damage or livestock losses due to natural disasters. Conversely, starting in 1900, the state ofMichigan decided to keep formal records on the annual number of tornadoes across the state and the losses associated with them; whereas,Indiana andOhio would follow suit in the mid 1920s. These records contained the tornado’s estimated path length, damages, injuries, and deaths to humans, or livestock.According to
Thomas P. Grazulis , head of the Tornado Project, the death tolls in the southern states on Palm Sunday 1920, could have easily been much higher, since the deaths of non-whites were omitted as a matter of official state protocol, even when it came to fatalities from natural disasters. However,U.S. Weather Bureau would change this in the 1950s, when all deaths, regardless of race, that was attributed to severe weather were recorded by federal government policy in every state. Nonetheless, the tornadoes that hit Deep South onMarch 28 , did in fact strike sections of towns that had sizable black populations. No survey information was conducted at this time to determine the actual death toll in these areas which, could be substantially much higher.Overview
According to meteorologist and weather historian Charles Merlin Umpenhour, climatic conditions were favorable on Palm Sunday 1920, for all the atmospheric ingredients to come together needed to create the classic setup needed for long-track
tornadoes . However, forecasting, communications technology, and public awareness about Severe Weather, was nearly nonexistent in 1920, and would not begin for another 33 years, when theU.S. Weather Bureau would implement its public Watch (the word ‘forecast’ was used until 1966) and Warning program in 1953.For the residents of the
Great Lakes region andOhio Valley areas, their only source of weather information was the rather vague forecasts that were issued in the local newspaper of the day before or by word of mouth. The use of the word "tornado" was strictly prohibited in public weather forecasting until the 1950s because of the fear and panic it might cause. This policy would come under-fire in the years to come, especially after theTri-State Tornado in1925 that stands today as the deadliest twister in American History.Weather forecasters and the public alike in the
Chicago ,Dayton ,Fort Wayne ,Lansing ,South Bend , and Toledo areas were unaware that the stage was set that day for a tragic tornado outbreak that would follow on a balmy and seemingly tranquil Palm Sunday afternoon. The weather maps in use in 1920 showed a rather large and deep cyclone over northernIowa that was forecast to move across central Lower Michigan by nightfall with a trailing cold front.Meteorologists knew rain showers and perhaps a thundershower was a good possibility, but were unaware that thehelicity ,lifted index , and upper level winds were being guided by a strong jet stream, with a probable negative-tilt that would create favorable conditions for the development of tornadoes.Confirmed tornadoes
Illinois
Just before the noon hour, severe thunderstorms began forming convert|50|mi|km|0 west of downtown
Chicago . The first storm started to spawn killer tornadoes in DeKalb and then Kane Counties, starting at 12:00 pm. Roughly 15 minutes later a violent tornado F4 tore through Will and Cook Counties, cutting a path convert|53|mi|km|0 long in the Bellwood and Maywood areas that would kill 20 people as the storm devastated the community of Melrose Park. Ten of the fatalities occurred when the storm made a direct hit on the Melrose Park Catholic Church and Convent, where people were getting ready forPalm Sunday services. Six more people would be killed in the community of Dunning, before the storm passed out intoLake Michigan .Wisconsin
The only tornado to affect
Wisconsin touched down in Kenosha County and caused widespread damage, but there were no injuries and fatalities reported. The F2 twister first made contact with the ground west of Pleasant Prairie and moved east-northeast at convert|50|mph|km/h|0. The only casualties reported were livestock on area farms, consisting of mostly cows, chickens, horses, and sheep. This tornado moved out intoLake Michigan north ofKenosha .Michigan
As the Palm Sunday storms swept quickly out of the
Chicago area acrossLake Michigan , they moved towards Michigan'sLower Peninsula . Fourteen tornadoes (highest number of any state reported) would cause massive destruction across the region from Berrien and Mason Counties starting at 12:30 pm, moving northeastward to theKalamazoo ,Lansing , Flint andSaginaw areas, ending after 8:00 pm.Starting at 4:30 pm, three F4 tornadoes and one long-track F3 tornado would touch down; the latter of which caused a convert|50|mi|km|0 path of damage from Mulliken to just southeast of Merrill in
Saginaw County . This tornado destroyed numerous farms near Wacousta in Clinton County and several factories in St. Johns.The highest number of casualties came from a violent tornado at 4:30 p.m. that moved from near Gull Lake in
Kalamazoo County , to Vermontville in Barry County. Another tornado touched down parallel to it convert|11|mi|km|0 to the west simultaneously just northeast of Orangeville. This storm would kill one and injure another five as it destroyed most of the structures in its path, including well constructed buildings and homes, making it a candidate for being classified as another F4 tornado. The aforementioned storm may have first touched down near Alamo, in northwesternKalamazoo County at the same time the Gull Lake twister was dropping from the sky. At the same time, another tornado was descending from the darkening skies over northwesternSteuben County, Indiana , moving quickly into Branch County killing two and injuring five more people as it moved quickly northeast towards the city of Coldwater but lifted on the outskirts of town.Alabama
While the tornado outbreak was getting under way in the
Great Lakes region, activity was also picking up in theSoutheast United States . Unseasonably warm weather, combined with deep moisture surging northward from the Gulf of Mexico, was setting the stage for the clash between the air masses. All that was needed was a triggering mechanism and it came in the form of a cold front, which spawnedsupercell thunderstorms that quickly turned tornadic around 2:00 pm, producing the first killer tornado in Calhoun County.Three killer tornadoes moved across eastern
Alabama , and then moved into western Georgia. Hardest hit was Elmore County which was struck by two tornadoes, each within 15 minutes of each other, the latter being an F4, long-track storm that moved rapidly across Elmore, Tallapoosa, and Chambers Counties in Alabama, and then intoTroup County, Georgia . This violent twister first touched down near Red Hill and moved rapidly east-northeast at convert|60|mph|km/h|0, finally dissipating northeast ofWest Point, Georgia . Furthermore, this tornado killed 17 and injured 125; destroying 60 homes as it passed through Agricola, Susanna andRed Ridge, Alabama .Georgia
Tornadic activity began in Georgia around at 2:00 pm, when the first tornado descended from the sky in Pike County. This storm affected the areas to the west of Zebulon, only injuring a few people on local farms. However, the worst was yet to come 45 miles (72 km) to the west in Troup County.
Just after 3:15 pm, a severe thunderstorm producing tennis ball sized hail moved across the state line from Alabama, bringing with it a very large and violent F4 twister. The community of West Point, suffered major damage, as the tornado flattened a four block area, killing nine people. The storm quickly moved off into rural parts of the county where it lifted causing more deaths and destruction, which accounted for half of the deaths across the state.
Another highly destructive tornado (possibly an F4) struck the southeast side of LaGrange at 5:45 pm, destroying the industrial area of the city. Several factories and a cotton mill were reduced to knee-high rubble by a fast moving storm that was convert|.5|mi|km|0 wide and moving along the ground at convert|60|mph|km/h|0. After heading out of the manufacturing area, the twister would completely destroy 40 frail houses before moving off to the east-northeast.
According to Troup County Historian,
Forest Clark Johnson, III , these two tornadoes would claim well over 100 lives in LaGrange alone, and another 100+ victims in Troup County, bringing the death to well over 200. Likewise, the number of those injured completely overwhelmed the local medical facilities, which had to summon assistance from other areas of the state including Atlanta.Indiana
The first tornado funnel would descend to the ground in in Indiana occurred in Lake County around 3:00 pm, moving convert|7|mi|km|0 from Leroy heading into Porter County and ending near Beatrice. Several homes would be destroyed and one person would lose his life when his house was destroyed.
At 3:15 pm a tornado formed convert|5|mi|km|0 southeast of Mishawaka. The twister moved northeast at convert|50|mph|km/h|0 into Elkhart County and injured eight people.
Around 5:15 p.m. another killer tornado would touch down near the Wells County community of Ossian. Increasing rapidly in size and intensity, this tornado had a convert|100|mi|km|0 path which stretched into northwest
Lucas County, Ohio . Several eyewitnesses to this storm said that it did not look like a traditional tornado, but more like a very large, low hanging mass of turbulent clouds that resembled boiling pot of oatmeal.Fact|date=April 2008 This may have accounted for the deaths and injuries of so many farmers within its path, since many farmers were usually accustomed to taking shelter during dangerous weather situations.This large tornado took aim on the small hamlet of Townley, in southeastern Allen County, virtually destroying the entire town by leveling every building and completely sweeping the debris away in some cases away, leaving only the foundations. Four people would die here and many others would be injured. Further south along the Ohio border counties of Jay, Randolph and Wayne, three additional killer tornadoes touched down and caused major damage.
Another large and violent tornado formed in central Jay County and devastated the town of West Liberty as it moved northeast at around convert|50|mph|km/h|0. As the tornado moved into the northeastern part of the county, the areas to the east of Geneva and south of Ceylon several farms were swept away. From here the twister would move on into Mercer and Van Wert Counties in
Ohio .Two additional long-track killer tornadoes would claim more lives and cause well over $1 million in damages. The first touched down near Union City, in Randolph County and move rapidly to the northeast ending near
Lightsville, Ohio . The second and more powerful twister touched down west of Fountain City, in Wayne County. It destroyed several farms before increasing in strength while crossing intoDarke County, Ohio , causing destruction all the way to just north of Greenville, which was a heavily populated area in the spring of 1920. Eight people would die and 40 people would be treated at local hospitals for serious injuries from this storm.Ohio
The tornadoes that struck the western counties of Darke, Defiance, Mercer, Paulding, and Van Wert in
Ohio onMarch 28th ,1920 , originated in the Hoosier State, quickly moving across the state into Ohio.The first tornado to move into
Ohio was fromAllen County, Indiana . After moving through Paulding County, twister moved into the Defiance area. Here several homes and a small store would be destroyed and six people would lose their lives.The violent tornado then moved northeast into Henry and Fulton Counties, tearing through the town of Swanton, causing major damage. Many factories, shops, and homes were demolished. According to the Toledo Blade newspaper, the central business district sustained very heavy damage along Main Street, extending into nearby residential areas, where the damage became more intense. This damage brought out many thieves that looted local businesses and houses that had been hit by the tornado.
Increasing in size, the storm moved into northwest Lucas County the damage became more widespread, as buildings and homes were swept clean of their foundations. Here farmhouses and other buildings would be reduced to rubble as the as the violent tornado convert|.5|mi|km|0 wide at this point moved towards Raabs Corners.
The residents of Raabs Corners were largely unaware of the impending danger as they celebrated
Palm Sunday services at the Immaculate Conception and St. Mary's Churches that evening. Just after 7:00 p.m. rain and small hail started to come down in torrents. As the power went out churchgoers lighted kerosene lamps to illuminate the interior of their buildings, and to continue their Palm Sunday services, when the winds began to increase followed by large hail that shattered all the windows. Around 7:15 p.m. a solid black wall of swirling clouds proceeded to engulf Raabs Corners, destroying everything in its path killing four people. Local residents decided not to rebuild the town, moving to nearby communities inMichigan andOhio . Today, only an intersection remains at once was the main four corners.While this tornado would dissipate just after reaching the
Michigan State Line, further south in Mercer and Van Wert Counties, another tornado was coming, and it like its predecessor to the north would destroy everything in its path.After exiting
Adams County, Indiana , this large tornado moved towards the far northwestern part of Mercer County in west-central Ohio, again destroying nearly everything in its path. As the tornado moved on into Van Wert County, three more victims would perish and many would be injured as the storm moved to the south of Van Wert. Some of this same was hit by another violent twister onNovember 10 ,2002 .Two more tornadoes convert|46|mi|km|0 to the east-northeast and south of Van Wert were already on the ground when the previous storm lifted. The first, a large tornado entered
Darke County from Indiana. This storm would kill five and injure 10 more near the community of Lightsville before dissipating. The second storm would move towards the Bowling Green area.According to the
Dayton Journal , the greatest amount of damage would occur in theDarke County community of Greenville, when a second tornado, more violent than the first, would cause catastrophic damage to everything in its path. Moving northeast from the Greenville-Nashville Road area at roughly convert|50|mph|km/h|0, eight people lost their lives as their homes were completely destroyed. As the recovery got underway, special trains to Cincinnati and other nearby towns transported the injured to medical facilities where they were treated.Around 7:30 pm, another tornado developed in eastern Mercer County first appearing as a waterspout over
Grand Lake St. Marys . This storm quickly intensified as it moved towards the northeast at convert|55|mph|km/h|0. The heaviest damage occurred near Moulton located inAuglaize County as several farms and homes were destroyed, with only minor injuries reported. This tornado continued on into Allen County, but lifted before striking the city of Lima.To the north in Wood County, another twister (some reports say there were two at the same time) touched down east of
Bowling Green, Ohio and moved rapidly northeast intoSandusky County , taking everything in its path with it. Moving into the Ottawa County village of Genoa, over 36 homes and several businesses were pulverized by the violent tornado. In the Clay Township area, two people were killed and 20 people were injured, extending to the small town of Trowbridge. The tornado passed out intoLake Erie before causing any further damage.ee also
*
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
*Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965
*Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1994 References
*
Thomas P. Grazulis (1993). "Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991, A Chronology and Analysis of Events". The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-00-7 (hardcover).* Press Pool. "Northwest Ohio Is Swept By Tornado; 19 Known Dead." "Toledo Blade newspaper". March 30, 1920. Retrieved on April 17, 2001.
* Press Pool. "Reconstruction Starts In Storm Area Where 22 Died." "Toledo Blade newspaper". March 31, 1920. Retrieved on April 17, 2001.
*
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ,National Climatic Data Center /Storm Prediction Center .External links and references
* [http://www.wilmettehistory.org/history.html A look at the damage in Wilmette, Illinois.]
* [http://www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/exhibits/swio/pages/content/1920_tornadoes.htm Information from the Ohio Historical Society.]
* [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/program_areas/wxpics/tornado/brunersburg/index.php A look at the tornado that struck Saint Michael's Ridge.]
* [http://esther.cat-sidh.net/1920/1920-03-28.html Survivor account of the Saint Michael Ridge tornado.]
* [http://www.trouparchives.org/tctime.htm Troup County, Georgia.]
* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11112.html Elgin, Illinois.]
* [http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohfulton/Tornado1920SwantonOhio.html Fulton County, Ohio.]
* [http://php.ucs.indiana.edu/~jetorres/tornado.html Devastation in Darke County]
* [http://historicmelrosepark.org/Flash/melrose2.swf Large photo slide show of the damage in Melrose Park, Illinois and nearby suburbs.]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.