1886 Sauk Rapids tornado

The 1886 Sauk Rapids Tornado was a tornado that tore through the cities of Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud, and Rice, Minnesota on April 14, 1886. It destroyed much of the town of Sauk Rapids and killed 72 people along its path. It is Minnesota's deadliest tornado on record. Other tornadoes on this day occurred in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas suggesting the possibility of a large outbreak.

Tornado

. Over 200 more were injured.

Relief efforts

St. Benedict's Hospital in St. Cloud, which had been spared by the tornado, became the center of relief efforts following the destruction. The Benedictine nuns who operated the hospital worked 48 hours straight until aid arrived from nearby towns and Minneapolis and St. Paul. Over 50 patients were taken to St. Mary's school and convent in nearby St. Joseph where the teaching sisters served as nurses. [cite book| last = Dominik| first = John J.|title = That You May Find Healing| publisher = St. Cloud Hospital| date = 1986| location = St. Cloud, Minn|pages = 8]

Impact

Before this tornado, Sauk Rapids was considered one of the most important towns in Minnesota and a business center of central Minnesota.cite web | title = Sauk Rapids History | publisher = City of Sauk Rapids | url = http://saukrapids.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BBC290869-DC15-48C6-AABC-5B38E05EC174%7D | accessdate = 2007-05-15 ] cite web | title = Communities In Crisis | publisher = Stearns County History Museum | url = http://www.quest.stearns-museum.org/pages/Quest_III/chapters3/5.html | accessdate = 2007-05-15 ] It was a blossoming community located on the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. However the tornado changed the economic structure of the entire area after it destroyed at least 109 commercial or public buildings in Sauk Rapids alone, including every business on main street, causing over $400,000 (1886 dollars) in damages. [cite web | title = APRIL IN THE UPPER MIDWEST | publisher = Intellicast.com | url = http://www.intellicast.com/Almanac/Midwest/April/ | accessdate = 2007-05-15 ] After the tornado, St. Cloud became the dominant business center in the region.

ee also

* Climate of Minnesota
* List of Minnesota weather records
* List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks

References

External links

* [http://www.stcloudlinks.com/StCloudCyclone.htm http://www.stcloudlinks.com/StCloudCyclone.htm]