Event Type : Tornado History

Photo taken from the airport near Ottawa, Kansas. Photographer is facing north. Photo courtesy of Dr. Charles Doswell, CIMMS/University of Oklahoma. Photographed by Charles LeMaster.

This F5 is commonly known as the “Ruskin Heights Tornado” because of the tremendous damage inflicted there. It has also been called “The Kansas-Missouri Tornado” and “The Ottawa-Kansas City Tornado”. It developed southwest of Williamsburg, KS, traveled close to 70 miles and ended near Knobtown, MO. This tornado was the strongest of 35 that occurred on May 20, 1957.

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Damage in Fremont, MO

The month of May in 1957 was very active. Per the NWS Paducah, approximately 231 tornadoes were reported. The Storm Prediction Center shows 18 on May 21. One of the strongest was later rated F4. The town of Fremont, MO was devastated. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, “Only seven homes were left in tact in Fremont, with possibly F5 damage to homes, schools, and businesses on the east side of town.”

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Each tornado event we cover is tragic. Someone has lost a family member or friend. Towns are devastated. Some never recover. There are also stories of heroism, community, and hope. Today’s event was one I hadn’t heard of before: The Saragosa, TX F4, May 22, 1987. As I began to read the devastating stories surrounding this event, my heart was immediately broken.

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A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Nick Wilkes about 7 tornadoes that struck parts of Pennsylvania on May 22, 1949.

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Per The Storm Prediction Center, there were 24 tornadoes that occurred on May 23, 1966. The strongest was an F3 that quickly hit parts of northern Hunt County, TX and the Wolfe City area.

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The second of two tornadoes that occurred Monday evening on May 23rd, 2016. These tornadoes last for a few minutes, as the supercell began to weaken. Image credit: Harrison Sincavage

A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Harrison Sincavage about the Woodward, OK Supercell

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A photo from the NWS Norman and taken by Brett Roberts showing the tornado around maximum intensity.

During the afternoon of May 24, 2011, Oklahoma was impacted by one of the state’s most infamous outbreaks. Twenty-two tornadoes tracked across areas west of and into the Oklahoma City metro. This summary will examine a short-lived and powerful EF3 that tore through areas west and north of Lookeba.

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Photo provided courtesy of Jon Haverfield

One of the most powerful tornadoes in known history occurred during the May 24, 2011 outbreak. This extraordinarily violent twister took nine lives over a 65-mile path. Yet, even with all the accompanying tragedy, this was also a nearly unrivaled success story in terms of public preparedness. The many damage feats caused and the behavior of this event are both historic. In this summary, we cover every aspect of the maelstrom in as much detail as possible and bring light to the amazing stories that accompanied it. Main writer Nelson Tucker poured his heart and soul into a series of summaries about this event! This is a complete overhaul of the summary we previously had written. Click the link to go to the FREE Overview page of this event.  The two detailed summaries about this event are under our membership plan.  Become a a member here!

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A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Brandon Molyneaux about the May 2016 Dodge City and Chapman Tornadoes

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Tornado north of Solomon, Photo courtesy of Kris Sanders from the NWS Summary

Per the Storm Prediction Center, 8 tornadoes occurred on May 25, 2016. Half of those were in Kansas from an isolated supercell. The strongest tornado was a long track EF-4. It began north of Niles, KS and traveled for close to 90 minutes finally dissipating just west of the Dickinson and Geary County line. The estimated peak winds = 180 mph.

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Per the Storm Prediction Center Database, there have been 6 F5/EF5
tornadoes observed since 1950 in the state of Iowa. The last one hit on May 25, 2008 and is the topic of this summary.

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The devastation at the Evans General Store. Photo source: Carter, J. Pat. [Photograph 2012.201.B1215.0550], photograph, May 26, 1973; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc609556/m1/1/: accessed February 14, 2022), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Keefeton, Oklahoma, is an unincorporated community located on U.S. Highway 64, ten miles south of downtown Muskogee. On May 26, 1973, the roadside town of approximately 400 people was nearly wiped out by an estimated F4 tornado. This summary will detail the destruction and tragic loss of life through personal stories gathered from numerous newspaper accounts. It will also highlight how this small community rallied to help one another in their time of need.

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Fig. 7 Jarrell tornado multi-vortex

A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Lon Curtis about the Central TX Outbreak of May 27, 1997. This included the devastating Jarrell, TX F5.

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This tornado was one of at least 20 that occurred during the Central Texas Tornado Outbreak of May 27, 1997. This is the same outbreak that produced the Jarrell F5.

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The supercell that produced this tornado had already spawned an F2 in Harrison County, IN. The storm progressed across the Ohio River and another tornado formed, quickly strengthening. Most of the damage was F3 in Bullitt and Spencer Counties. There was at least one home surveyed by the NWS in Hillview that had F4 damage.

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“My dad was just sucked out and ended up underneath a grain truck. He held on.” – Lorrece Usselman Werner talking about her father Pius, who took shelter in a creamery during the Fort Rice tornado. She was quoted in an article in the Bismarck Tribune.

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Photo of Tornado in Spencer courtesy of Chris Lenz, a storm chaser from Valley, Nebraska. He was located 4.5 miles east of Spencer looking west.

The Spencer, SD F4 tornado of May 30, 1998 was 1 of 5 tornadoes produced by one supercell that tracked about 30 miles. This destructive tornado had a path length of 14 miles and hit the small town of Spencer (population at the time of 320) destroying most of its 190 buildings. 6 people were killed and 150 were injured. The tornado was estimated to reach a width of a mile.

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Photo of the tornado as it ripped through Wheatland. Source, Sharon Herald and U.S. Tornadoes.

Main Writer Nick Wilkes documents the violent tornado outbreak that hit parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario on May 31, 1985.

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Business in downtown Salisbury that was twisted. Via salisburypa.com.

A total of 46 tornadoes occurred on May 31, 1998. The focus of this summary will be on the 32 tornadoes that ravaged parts of New York and Pennsylvania.
22 Tornadoes ripped through Pennsylvania, and 10 through New York. The 22 tornadoes on this day in PA is a state record.

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A very strong, long-track tornado made it ways through parts of Hampden and Worcester Counties, Massachusetts on June 1, 2011. The path length was just shy of 38 miles and the width grew to a half mile. Per the NWS survey, the estimated max wind speed was 160 mph.

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During the late evening, the tornado began near Spade in Lamb County. It moved northeast passing 2 miles East of Cotton Center and then right into Hale Center. The tornado path ends northeast of the Hale County Airport.

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Tree damage near Laurel Falls. From the book “Tornadoes! Not in the mountains of Somerset County!

Just two days after a tornado outbreak affected Pennsylvania and New York, another tornado outbreak ripped through the East Coast. Pennsylvania was the hardest hit. Guest writer Nick Wilkes documents 20 tornadoes from this event. 17 of which were in PA.

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This tornado is considered “the most devastating to strike West Virginia since 1944.” That was written in the July 1980 Storm Data Publication by the NWS. /strong>

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During this tornado event, a neatly folded insurance policy was blown from a farm just south of Knapp to a rural Sheldon farm about 75-80 miles to the northeast. The policy owner was killed by the tornado.

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EF4 damage on North side of Millbury, OH

An EF4 tornado with estimated wind speeds of 170-175 mph traveled close to 9 miles across parts of Wood and Ottawa Counties in Ohio on June 5, 2010.

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A quick-hitting tornado later rated F4 caused significant damage to a few farms, a house and 5 other buildings on this day in 1956. The damage was found North of Pleasanton.

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The Storm Data entry for the date states that approximately 20 funnel clouds were reported in this area and 8 “touched down”. There is a chance that more than 9 South Dakota tornadoes developed on this day but knowing where they began and ended can’t be determined.

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The Pampa Tornado. Image via Alan Moller.

An estimated F4 tornado (part of a family of twisters) on June 8, 1995 moved 3 miles hitting parts of Pampa, TX. 17 homes and 30 businesses were destroyed. This is a premium summary!  Read this event by becoming a member here!

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The Drumright Tornado

A Funnel Feature from the Oklahoma Tornado Database about the June 8, 1974 Drumright, OK F4 Tornado.

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In this summary, we look at what is considered Michigan’s worst natural disaster in terms of deaths and injuries (NWS).

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Tornado near Holden. Image taken by Stanley Smith. Courtesy of www.nesec.org

It is the deadliest and most destructive tornado to ever hit the New England area. The Worcester, MA Tornado occurred during the mid-afternoon time on June 9, 1953. The destruction was overwhelming. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, an F5 rating could have been given to this event.

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A destructive tornado hit parts of El Dorado, KS in Butler County on this day in 1958. It was given a rating of F4 but Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes the tornado could have received an F5 rating but it was hard to determine with the available photos and descriptions.

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Looking Toward Bradford

The tornado developed SW of Manhattan causing damage to a farm. It moved NE toward town hitting the Miller Ranch Area. It was here that EF4 damage was found. Fifteen well built homes were completely destroyed.

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Seventeen tornadoes occurred on June 12, 1970 per the Storm Prediction Center Database. The strongest is the topic of this summary. It was rated F4 and traveled 16-17 miles across parts of Chariton and Macon Counties in Missouri.

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“It looked like we were driving into a dump site, or a burned out slum, or what I would imagine a bombed out city would have looked like after World War II.” – These are the words of Steve Ulmen. He was 22 and a senior member of the Mankato Civil Air Patrol squadron when an F5 hit Tracy, MN on June 13, 1968.

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A few of the many destroyed homes from the tornado that struck Springfield June 14-15, 1957.

Per the Storm Prediction Center Database, there were 12 tornadoes confirmed on June 14, 1957. The strongest of the day is the topic of this summary. It tracked through the southeastern part of Springfield, IL near Jerome and was later rated F4.

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Looking WSW from a farm several miles WNW of Culbertson, NE of the rotating tornadic thunderstorm that produced the Stratton-McCook F4 tornado. The house on the farm were this picture was taken was later destroyed by the tornado. Photo from Calvin Brown via the June 1990 Storm Data Publication.

7 out of the 11 tornadoes that occurred on June 15, 1990 were in the state of Nebraska. The strongest was an F4 that grew at times to be 1.5 miles wide. It began just NW of Stratton. It was a multi-vortex tornado at this time that merged near Macklin Bay on Swanson Lake.

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Picture taken southeast of Leota, Minnesota. Courtesy of Gary Baker via NWS Sioux Falls Summary.

Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes, this tornado moved 16 miles with a width of 300 yards. There were 35 injuries and 1 fatality.

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Pilger and Pilger East twins, via NWS Summary

A summary by the Tornado Talk Crew about the historic Pilger, NE Tornado Family of June 16, 2014.

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This tornado path started North of Pilger in NE Stanton County. It clipped Stanton/Cuming County border and moved into Wayne County. It dissipated in Thurston County, NW of the town of Thurston. There was 1 fatality SE of Winside. And according to the Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS), we should include 1 injury.

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An estimated F4 tornado made its way from Ankeny, IA (northern Des Moines suburb) and moved southeast ending near Runnels. Two people were killed in their home and there were at least 50 injuries. Approx. 100 homes, a church, a drive-in restaurant and a shopping center was destroyed.

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Guest writer Zach E. explores the history of one of the most violent tornadoes to ever hit the Twin Cities area: The June 18, 1939 Anoka, Champlin Tornado.

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The tornado hit the SW side of Lawrence just after 6:30pm CT and moved southeast. The Storm Data Publication mentioned it briefly lifted and then set down again south of town. 22 homes were destroyed. A shopping center was hit with some of the smaller building leveled.

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This devastating tornado cleared all property in an area 5 city blocks wide and 20 block long in Fargo. Ted Fujita did an in depth study on what occurred.

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In the SPC Database, this tornado is listed with an 8.8 mile path passing through parts of Schuyler County. Most of the impacts were in the towns of Littleton and Ray. The Storm Data Narrative and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes indicate this was one of a family of tornadoes that covered much more ground.

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This tornado traveled 15+ miles from near Doe Run, south of Farmington and lifted just to the ENE of Libertyville. 22 homes were completely destroyed. There were 4 fatalities.

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“Very high end EF3 damage” – Well built structure completely destroyed, nearly all wiped cleanly off of first floor

12 tornadoes hit parts of Northern Illinois on June 22, 2015. The strongest was rated EF3 with max winds of 160mph. It went through the Coal City and Braidwood areas.

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“What’s left of a home hit by the deadliest tornado in West Virginia’s history. Noted the unbroken jars of canned food line-up among the ruins.” ID: 040836. Alvarez, Ray. West Virginia History OnView.

It is the deadliest tornado in WV history
and the 15th deadliest tornado in US history: The Shinnston F4 Tornado of June 23, 1944. It was a part of a historic outbreak that hit portions of the Appalachian Mountains. Read this premium summary by becoming a member here!

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Destruction of the Lutheran Church, where only the brick bell-tower remained standing. Image credit: Sara Stewart.

On June 23, 1944, a historic tornado outbreak occurred across the Appalachians. This outbreak featured the deadliest tornado to ever strike Pennsylvania and the deadliest ever recorded in West Virginia.

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The tornado began 12 miles west of the Wichita Airport and lifted 5 miles SW of the airport. A pickup truck at one of several destroyed homes was tossed 300 yards. Per Thomas Grazulis, one farm house was picked up and “scattered across the prairie.”

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The Storm Data Entry describes the damage as such. “The tornado tore the trailer homes apart like match boxes…”. “The destruction was so great that it was impossible to tell how many trailers were involved and where they had been situation before the tornado hit.”

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A picture of the back of the car. Notice the back tire is now behind the car and the axle has been snapped.

The twister strengthened in Osceola County and produced EF4 damage. At least 2 houses were destroyed, 2 people injured in one of them. 3 vehicles parked under an Iowa Highway 60 overpass were demolished. 11 people in the vehicles were injured.

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This tornado spend most of its time in Tennessee. The total path length was 38 miles, 35 of which was in TN. It began near the town of Lutts in Wayne County and moved southeast into Lawrence County. It tracked through through Iron City and the St. Joseph area. Approx. 75% of the buildings in Iron City were damaged and 19 people were injured.

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Per Thomas Grazulis, “Virtually nothing was left on the site of a farm near the county border. Heavy machinery was thrown over 100 yards and boards were driven into trees.”

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In Algona, 104 homes and 20 businesses were destroyed. 349 homes were damaged. 2 women were killed in their homes. Per Thomas Grazulis, there was near-F4 damage to about 30 homes.

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The tornado began 4 miles west of New England. It then moved south of Regent to west of Mott. 10 farms were destroyed, some leveled.

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This was an interesting event to explore. There is a rating difference. SPC lists a rating of F1 while Grazulis has a rating of F2. I found a newspaper report from The News-Messenger (Fremont, Ohio) with a headline that reads, “It wasn’t a tornado, but it hurt.” So, not only a rating difference but a question at one point on whether this was a tornado at all?

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In addition to this tornado there was widespread wind damage reported that encompassed the region. The town of Tuttle was hit hard by the tornado. The CDNS stated that this was “described as worst storm to hit that area.” Eight farms were leveled. A man died trying to get to shelter in his basement.

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Most of the damage was done to the Triangle Trailer Park in Jacksonville. A woman, her infant child and a 4-year-old she was babysitting died when their trailer home was flipped trapping them inside.

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Another intriguing tornado event! We look at the history surrounding an official F4 tornado in parts of Anoka County, MN on July 3, 1983.

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Water tower destroyed by tornado, Elgin, N.D. via State Historical Society of North Dakota (32228-02-11)

It is the deadliest Independence Day tornado on record and one of the deadliest in North Dakota’s modern history: The Elgin, ND F4 tornado of July 4, 1978.

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During the early morning hours of July 5, 1978, a family of tornadoes moved through parts of Norman, Mahnomen, Polk and Clearwater Counties in Minnesota. Officially, the SPC Database lists a rating of F2. Thomas Grazulis though has a rating of F3. It was a devastating event that covered 55-60 miles or more (there are discrepancies on the path length). Four fatalities were reported and 40+ injuries.

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Waterspout just off the beach of Myrtle Beach Grand Strand. Photo via Myrtle Beach Sun-News, extracted from Storm Data.

A tornado made a skipping trek through parts of Myrtle Beach, SC on July 6, 2001. It began near the Myrtle Beach Pavilion at 9th Ave N and moved just offshore becoming a waterspout. It skirted the beach causing F2 damage, overturning buses and causing damage to hotels along the beach.

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This was a bit of a challenging event to determine the exact path of this tornado and what counties and towns should be included. A 2-year-old boy lost his life west of Marshall and several farms were leveled. Per Grazulis, “damage reached near-F5 intensity near the end of the path.”

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Per the NWS Storm Data Entry, the tornado passed just south of the Heart River. It was more than likely rain-wrapped and lasted only 15 minutes. 450+ structures were damaged with 100 of those declared beyond repair. There were 2 minor injuries in homes. Estimated max winds were 150 mph.

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Two miles south of Rushville, 3 homes were leveled and there were 2 deaths in 2 separate homes. After traveling SE for about 5 more miles, the tornado made an abrupt 120 degree turn and traveled in a southerly direction. It dissipated 1 mile SW of New Salem.

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Per the SPC Database, there have been only 2 recorded F4 tornadoes in the state of Connecticut (since records began in 1950). One occurred Oct 3, 1979. There were 3 fatalities and 500 injuries. The second was part of this July 10, 1989 outbreak.

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An F3 tornado hit portions of Westmoreland County, PA on July 11, 1976. Per Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes: The tornado traveled 13 miles from near Delmont to Salem and Unit Townships, near the Latrobe-area hospital to Clover Hill, Oakville, and Darlington.

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Per the SPC Database, there were 5 tornadoes on July 12, 1971….all in Iowa. The strongest was rated F4. It began in Howard County near Elma and traveled close to 30 miles into Chickasaw County and ending in Fayette County near Waucoma.

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This summary by guest writer Zach E. takes a look at an F3 tornado from 1890 that crossed through parts of Ramsey County, MN. The most extensive damage was near Lake Gervais.

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Tornado strikes Parsons Plant (photo by Scott Smith)

An F4 tornado developed rapidly in a highly unstable atmosphere and devastated everything along its 9.6 mile path through Woodford County, IL on July 13, 2004. It began 1.75 miles NNE of Metamora and traveled generally in a southeasterly direction. The tornado reached F4 intensity as it crossed Route 117 and demolished the Parsons Manufacturing Plant.

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Two homes that were swept away in the Country Squire Estates.

On July 14, 2004, there were 11 tornadoes reported by the SPC. This summary takes a look at the strongest tornado of the day, an F3 that hit Central Pennsylvania. 100 homes were damaged or destroyed in the town of Campbelltown.

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This tornado moved east at 30 mph. It developed about 1/2 mile west of State Highway 3 on Drakes Road. It moved right through Kendallville. 29 homes and 2 apartment buildings were completely destroyed.

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A significant tornado crossed through parts of Cuming and Burt Counties in Nebraska on July 15, 1950. This is the only tornado recorded in the SPC database for this date. Note: Several newspapers reported there was another tornado on this day of “less intensity” near Cordova, 90 miles southwest of Omaha.

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Tornado moving east near Buffalo Ridge.

It is considered the most destructive tornado in Wyoming’s history. An F3 crossed through the northern parts of the Cheyenne housing and airport areas. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes states this could have been a “minimal F4” tornado. And the NWS in Cheyenne originally believed that was an appropriate rating.  Explore more!

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Radar reflectivity at Vinton at 501 AM

Our summary today looks at an EF2 tornado that tracked a short distance through Benton County, IA and near the town of Vinton. The tornado caused damaged for about 2 minutes around 5am local time.

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A vehicle’s chassis and other debris strewn through a shelterbelt. (NWS/Greg Gust)

On July 18, 2004, 8 tornadoes touched down in North Dakota. This summary looks at the strongest, an F4 that annihilated a farmstead near Marion. This tornado produced what is arguable the most intense damage from any tornado in the 2000s. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member here!

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F5 Damage

A violent F5 tornadoes with estimated winds of 265 mph struck the village of Oakfield, WI during the afternoon of July 18, 1996. There were no fatalities and 12 injuries.

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The F3 that crossed through parts of Allen County, OH on July 19, 1950 was the strongest of the 6 twisters that occurred that day. Hundreds of homes were damaged, 3 were destroyed. There were 30 injuries and no fatalities.

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It was called the most damaging Minnesota tornado to date, but Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes questions that statement. He believes this was a “complex combination of tornadoes and microbursts” and that much of the damage was due to the strong microbursts.

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The demolished Smoker Farm. The remains of the house can be seen in the foreground.

On July 21, 2003, a derecho moved across portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, into New York and New England. Per the SPC, it spawned 20 tornadoes. The focus of this summary is of the strongest tornado of the outbreak, the Ellisburg PA, F3. Two people were injured when the funnel leveled a farm.

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Photo from Fujita’s paper showing a swirl pattern to the trees.

On July 21, 1987, an F4 tornado tracked 24 miles across the Teton Wilderness into Yellowstone National Park. Over 1,000,000 trees were knocked down as the tornado slashed its way across mountain tops up to 10,000 feet high, and through valleys. This is the highest altitude in the US that a violent tornado (F4/F5) has ever occurred.

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Nine tornadoes are found in the SPC Database for July 21, 1983. The strongest was rated F3 in Ocean County, NJ. The deadliest though was an F2 that briefly hit the northern parts of Hartly in Kent County, DE.

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The collapsed Kinzua Bridge Viaduct.

On July 21, 2003, a derecho moved across portions of Ohio, Pennsylvania, into New York and New England. This summary delves into the most notable tornado this day, which toppled the Kinzua Bridge Viaduct.

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A significant tornado crossed through parts of Stearns and Sherburne Counties in Minnesota on July 22, 1967. This tornado is officially listed in the SPC Tornado Database with a rating of F2. Grazulis has a rating of F3.

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Fujita researched this tornado family and the influence that microbursts may have had on them. Per Grazulis, “Professor Fujita’s mapping of the Canton tornado family shows how microbursts and/or other downburst-type winds move the tornado from side to side and may influence its intensity. Microburst m2 might have caused the break in the path. Otherwise the event might have been a single tornado. Microburst m6 might have caused the tornado to intensify. Both deaths were in that area.” (Grazulis, 1178)

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This tornado not only has the longest path on record for the state of New Hampshire BUT also has the longest path on record for New England.

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Per the NWS Storm Data entry, most of the damage in Granite Falls was caused by F2 and F3 winds speeds. It was officially classified as minimal F4 based on the twisted wreckage of an overturned railroad car.

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This tornado made a quick jaunt of nearly 4 miles just north of Scottsbluff, NE on July 26, 1993. It was the strongest tornado of 6 that were confirmed on this day.

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A destroyed warehouse in Connellsville after an estimated F3 tornado slashed through the area.

On the afternoon of July 28, 1936, two tornadoes hit Washington and Fayette Counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. The twin tornadoes caused over $1,000,000 in damage. Two people were killed and at least 23 others were injured, in the rampage. We estimate these tornadoes reached F3 intensity at their peak.

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At 1145 EST, a quick-hitting F3 hit parts of Montgomery County, PA. The official path is only 2 miles. The tornado paralleled Limerick Road on its western side and moved right over a housing development called “The Hamlet”. It was a newer development. Per Storm Data, “Of the 27 inhabited houses, 4 were leveled, 16 were damaged beyond repair, 1 under construction was destroyed and only 7 remained liveable. Damage in this development alone was $2 million.”

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The path length was only 1/2 mile. It struck the Stewart subdivision in the SW edge of town. 10 homes were destroyed, 7 damaged. The tornado skipped to the downtown area causing damage to several buildings.

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A small tornado given a rating of F2 hit a mobile home park in the Houston suburb of Deer Park during the afternoon time of July 29, 1971.

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This devastating event began at Cooks Valley, about 2 miles west of Bloomer. The tornado clipped the NW part of the town. Approximately 50 homes were demolished. 100-150 other homes and businesses sustained damaged. The tornado traveled a total of 19-20 miles.

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Eight tornadoes were recorded on July 31, 1966 across the Dakotas. The strongest was later rated F3. It tracked from south of Ashley, ND and into North Dakota, north of Long Lake.

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Image Courtesy of the Atlas of the Edmonton Tornado and Hailstorm, 1987. Labeled “At Full Force”. Unknown location.

It was a day that came to be known as “Black Friday”. On July 31, 1987, one of the most powerful tornadoes in Canadian history struck Edmonton, Alberta and parts of Strathcona County. It is the deadliest known tornado for Alberta and the second-deadliest for the country. This significant tornado was given a rating of F4 with maximum winds estimated at 260mph.

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It was a quick-hitting (1 mile path) tornado confirmed in Carroll County, VA on August 1, 1965. It hit about 2 miles east of Groundhog Mountain upsetting a trailer home. The home toppled down a bank and the 5 people inside were injured. 200+ trees were damaged and crops were flattened.

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It was an F3 that developed quickly, tracked about 1 mile and hit portions of Dane County, WI. It moved SE to the Northwest shore of Lake Mendota and lifted over the lake. Three cottages were destroyed and several other homes were damaged. Per Thomas Grazulis, “the cottages had appearance of F4 damage but probably not well constructed.”

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As with some past events, I had to put on my Sherlock Holmes hat with this one and do some sleuthing to figure out what exactly happened. The SPC has one tornado listed on August 3, 1963 and this is it: An F3 with a path length of 0.1 miles in Allegheny County, PA. There are several discrepancies that expand across our different sources.

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This tornado had a short path of 2 miles in Redwood County, MN near the Lucan area.

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Storms produced wind damage and at least one tornado in Jefferson County, TX on August 5, 1964. The tornado had a very short path of less than 1/2 mile near Keith Lake. This is the only tornado recorded on this day.

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Close up of the damage at Boulder Lake (NWS Duluth/Joseph Moore).

This summary looks at three of the most notable tornadoes of the Northwoods Outbreak on August 6, 1969. Included is a look at the fifth-deadliest tornado in Minnesota state history, the Outing tornado.

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Damage in Old Towne Petersburg (NWS Wakefield) .

18 tornadoes ravaged Virginia on the Afternoon of August 6, 1993. This summary looks at the most violent tornado, an F4 that hit Petersburg. Old Towne Petersburg and a large shopping center in Colonial Heights were demolished. Three women were killed in the destruction of a Walmart. The tornado caused $47.5 million in damage, the costliest in Virginia history.

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Tornado at Palm Beach Gardens. (Photo/Jeff Hooper) courtesy South Florida Sun-Sentinel via NWS Miami.

Four tornadoes are found in the SPC Database for August 7, 2003. Two were in Palm Beach County, FL. The NWS Miami summary described this event as “unusual” for August to see such a strong tornado form in South Florida.

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Photo of the Tornado. (NWS Grand Forks)

On August 7, 2010, 11 tornadoes were reported by the SPC. This summary looks at the most violent, an EF-4 that affected parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. This photogenic tornado was captured on video as it leveled a farm in Wilkin County, MN.

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This early morning tornado is listed in the SPC database as one event starting in Staten Island moving across the Verrazano Narrows and moving into Brooklyn. When you read through the Storm Data Narratives though, it would appear we had a family of tornadoes.

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This tornado developed 8 miles NNE of downtown Cincinnati. Numerous communities were hit in Hamilton and Clermont Counties. Per the Storm Data Narrative, “the greatest damage and most injuries were from Hartwell to Reading.”

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Fig. 3 Map showing location and F-rating of tornadoes on Aug. 10, 1980 generated at Midwest Climate Center website using the Storm Prediction Center svrgis database.

A Funnel Feature by Guest Writer Lon Curtis analyzing the tornadoes produced by Hurricane Allen in Central TX in August of 1980.

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This tornado moved 5 miles and was rated EF2. A woman was killed in her mobile home in Mayes County.

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USGS aerial imagery taken in 2014 shows the stationary vortex mark created by the tornado.

On August 11, 1993, one of the most unique tornadoes in history would form in among the Utah mountains of the High Uintas Wilderness. The highest elevation significant tornado and the strongest in Utah history, this event pushed the limits of tornadoes in rugged terrain farther than any other. Read this premium summary by becoming a member here!

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The tornado as it tore through Downtown Salt Lake City (NWS Salt Lake City).

On August 11, 1999, the most damaging tornado in Utah history carved a 4-mile long swath through the heart of Salt Lake City. Tragically 1 person was killed and over 80 people were injured. 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

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The path began just south of Kendall. A barn was destroyed and a home damaged. It moved into Juneau County and toward the town of New Lisbon. The Bader Trailer Courts were hit on the northern edge of town.

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Hitting Bud Lyness Farm 1 mile west of Ryan

This summary looks at a destructive tornado that hit Ryan, IA on August 12, 1974. It was given a rating of F4. 44 homes were hit, 20 of which were destroyed. A school, a church and several businesses were also destroyed.

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What happened August 13, 1952 in Saunders and Cass Counties, NE? Well, once again I had to do a little detective work to find clues and draw some conclusions. There were several discrepancies.

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This tornado developed in East Lansing and moved SE to near Dansville to north of Stockbridge and lifted near Unadilla. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes this was not a continuous path but a skipping one. There were no recorded injuries but there was a fatality.

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It was a family of small tornadoes amidst straight line winds that covered a good 70 miles through parts of Lee, DeKalb, Kendall and Will Counties in Illinois on August 15, 1958. The SPC officially has this listed as one tornado with a path length of 74.5 miles. It was given a rating of F2.

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A tornado outbreak occurred on August 16, 1994 in association with the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl. The topic of this summary is on one of those tornadoes: a strong F3 in Lexington County, SC.

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Hurricane Danny came ashore near Pecan Island, LA on August 16, 1985. It quickly decreased in intensity as it tracked through the southeast. Numerous tornadoes were confirmed from August 15-17. Per a Monthly Weather Review article, there were 3 tornadoes on the 15th and 40+ on the 16th.

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There were 3 reported tornadoes on August 16, 1968. The strongest was an F3 that hit parts of Douglas County, NE and the city of Omaha. Significant damage occurred in the Bel Air section.

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People standing amongst the rubble of buildings that were leveled.

On the afternoon of August 19, 1890, four tornadoes occurred in Pennsylvania. The focus of the summary looks at the two most impactful. An F3/borderline F4 tornado crossed through parts of Columbia and Luzerne County. 4 people were killed as it swept away several homes. As that tornado dissipated another tornado formed and plowed into Wilkes-Barre. 16 people were killed as this tornado damaged or destroyed over 400 buildings in the city.

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An outbreak of 30 tornadoes occurred on August 19, 2009. The strongest was rated EF3 and tracked just over 24 miles through parts of Sangamon and Logan Counties in Illinois.

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This tornado event may or may NOT have been a tornado event. This was another head-scratcher as there are some discrepancies in the record.

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Homes destroyed in the Empire neighborhood.

On August 20, 1914, an F3 tornado ripped through the eastern edge of Wilke-Barre. 7 people were killed and over 70 were injured as 25 homes were leveled and over 100 others were damaged. Four of the fatalities occurred in a silk mill that was demolished.

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Catastrophic damage to North Rochester as seen from Cole’s Mill.

 At least three significant tornadoes occurred on August 21, 1883. By far the most damaging of the trio and the topic of this summary was a horrific F5 that tore through the Minnesota town of Rochester. Yet from the aftermath of this devastating tragedy, something wonderful would be created – the Mayo Clinic.  Read this premium summary by becoming a member here!

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Two tornadoes occurred on August 21, 1977. There was an F2 in Carroll County, VA and a strong F3 that crossed through parts of Illinois. That event is the topic of this summary. Another event where I had to put on my sleuth hat!

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14 tornadoes are recorded in the SPC Database for August 22, 1964. They hit parts of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin. The strongest was an F4 that crossed through parts of Ozaukee County, WI and the town of Port Washington.

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Pic by Mel Pfister via NWS Green Bay Summary

A strong F3 tornado moved just over 5 miles through parts of Door County, WI on August 22, 1998. It occurred during the evening time and lasted 14 minutes. According to the NWS Green Bay summary of the event, the width fluctuated from 1/4 to over 1/2 mile at times.

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EF3 damage.

It was one for the record books! A large, unexpected tornado outbreak occurred on August 24, 2016. 22 tornadoes were confirmed across parts of IN and OH. We look at five of them that hit in Howard County, IN including one of the strongest of the day.

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Andrew pushed across the Florida peninsula and made a secondary landfall on August 26, 1992 WSW of Morgan City, LA. Ahead of this landfall, on the 25th, tornadoes were spawned across parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The first tornado was also the only killer tornado produced by Andrew and that is the topic of this summary.

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A severely mangled car in a shredded cornfield. Pieces of stalks or even their leaves appear to be embedded in portions of the vehicle (Greg Gust/NWS).

11 tornadoes struck parts of the High Plains on August 26, 2007. The strongest was a deadly EF4 that tore through the town of Northwood. In this summary, we look at the three significant tornadoes of the outbreak and the damage they caused.

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August 27, 1964: The first tornado on record in Arizona to cause fatalities. It was a quick-hitting tornado later rated F2. It hit an Indian Settlement near the San Xavier Mission about 4 miles from Tucson.

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F. N. Robinson’s photograph of the tornado. Image from the South Dakota State Historical Society.

On August 28, 1884, a deadly localized tornado outbreak would unfold across portions of eastern South Dakota. One of these twisters would become the second earliest photographed in history. There are sharp discrepancies over which tornado that day was photographed, and there is no detailed summary of the event in its entirety. In this article, I attempt to solve both of these longstanding unknowns. Read this premium summary by becoming a member here!

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