Stats
Path length: 1.9 miles
Width: 47 yards
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 31
Rating: F4
County: Grant
Tornado Path
Click Map To Enlarge
SPC coordinates: Start: 40.57 / -85.57 End: 40.60 / -85.60
Note: Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.
Summary
A strong tornado moved through parts of Grant County, IN, and the town of Marion on March 6, 1956. The SPC has a path length of 1.9 miles, but the Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) has a path closer to 3.5 miles. It moved through the western and northern parts of Marion and then out into the open country. 45 homes were destroyed. 40 others had major damage, and 350 had minor damage. A lumberyard and two schools were damaged. Per CDNS, “State police reported tornado moved across open country northeast of Marion to farm which was struck.” There were 31 injuries and one fatality.
The official SPC rating of this tornado is F4. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes gives it a rating of F3, but notes in his summary it was “Near-F4”. The official SPC coordinates are not correct. I have them plotted below. It moves the tornado to the northwest. CDNS states the tornado moved to the NE, and Grazulis notes an ENE movement. He writes that the tornado moved through the west and north parts of Marion.
Newspaper Clippings
Discrepancies:
We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the March 1956 Climatological Data National Summary (CDNS) and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:
Path Length:
- SPC/NCDC have a 1.9 mile path.
- Grazulis and CDNS have a 3.5 mile path.
Width:
- SPC/NCDC have a width of 47 yards.
- Grazulis and CDNS have a 45 yard width.
Rating:
- SPC/NCDC have a rating of F4.
- Grazulis has an F3 rating.
Sources:
March 1956 Climatological Data National Summary
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 992-993.
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