Loading AI tools
Severe weather event in the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From April 2–3, 1982, a major tornado outbreak resulted in over 60 tornadoes and 30 fatalities, primarily over portions of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas, as well as Southeastern Oklahoma. Three of the tornadoes were rated F4, and one officially was recorded as an F5 near Broken Bow, Oklahoma, all on April 2. Beginning on April 2, a series of tornado-producing supercells formed across portions of northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma. One produced an F5 tornado, the first since April 4, 1977, which crossed mostly rural areas near Speer and Broken Bow, and deposited a motel sign from Broken Bow 30 miles (48 km) away in Arkansas. However, reanalysis a decade later found the rating to be lower, owing to unsound construction practices.[note 2] The F5 tornado resulted in no fatalities, but an F4 tornado in Paris, Texas, resulted in 10 fatalities and 170 injuries.[4] Additionally, the Storm Prediction Center, known then as the Severe Local Storms Unit, issued its first officially documented high risk on April 2, as well as the first tornado watch to contain the wording Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS).[5][note 3]
Overview of the outbreak | |
| Tornado outbreak | |
|---|---|
| Tornadoes | 62 |
| Maximum rating | F5 tornado |
| Duration | April 2–3, 1982 |
| Highest winds | 78 kn (90 mph; 144 km/h)[1] |
| Largest hail | 3 in (7.6 cm)[2] |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 30 |
| Injuries | 415 |
| Damage | $176,811,500 ($558,240,000 in 2024 USD)[note 1] |
| Areas affected | Midwestern and Southern United States (primarily Ark-La-Tex region: Red River Valley, Piney Woods) |
Part of the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1982 | |
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2020) |
| Date[note 4] | Total | F-scale rating[note 5] | Deaths | Injuries | Damage[note 6] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | |||||
| April 2 | 49 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 27 | 345 | $142,730,500 |
| April 3 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 70 | $34,081,000 |
| Total | 62 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 30 | 415 | $176,811,500 |
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 8 | 26 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 62 |
Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991.[15][note 7] 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.[19][note 5] Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.
| Color / symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| † | Data from Grazulis 1990/1993/2001b |
| ¶ | Data from a local National Weather Service office |
| ※ | Data from the 1982 Storm Data publication |
| ‡ | Data from the NCEI database |
| ♯ | Maximum width of tornado |
| ± | Tornado was rated below F2 intensity by Grazulis but a specific rating is unavailable. |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord.[note 8] | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width[note 9] | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | Hot Springs Village※ | Garland | Arkansas | 34.50°N 93.05°W | 20:00–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km)‡ | 10 yd (9.1 m)‡ | $2,500 |
| A short-lived tornado damaged a few thousand trees and utility lines near La Villa.[23][24][25] | ||||||||
| F1 | SSW of Earlham※ | Madison | Iowa | 41.45°N 94.17°W | 20:10–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $25,000 |
| A brief tornado unroofed a garage, destroyed two sheds, and damaged two windmills and a farmhouse. An 80-foot-tall (24 m) radio tower was downed, shingles were torn loose, and windows were smashed as well.[26][27] | ||||||||
| F2 | Silo※ | Bryan | Oklahoma | 34.05°N 95.48°W | 20:25–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 30 yd (27 m) | $2,500,000 |
| This tornado damaged a total of 16 mobile homes and houses. One person received minor injuries.[3][28][29] | ||||||||
| F1 | Pink Hill to SSW of Levasy※ | Jackson | Missouri | 39.05°N 94.18°W | 20:30–? | 6.8 mi (10.9 km)‡ | 300 yd (270 m) | $250,000 |
| This tornado, which developed 1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) north of Grain Valley, sheared treetops. Nearby, a home and several buildings were damaged.[30][31] | ||||||||
| F1 | SE of Emet | Johnston | Oklahoma | 34.18°N 96.52°W | 20:30–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $250,000 |
| A pickup truck, a barn, and several other structures were damaged or destroyed.[28][32] | ||||||||
| F1 | W of Levasy※ | Jackson | Missouri | 39.13°N 94.13°W | 20:32–? | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 700 yd (640 m) | $25,000 |
| This multiple-vortex tornado destroyed a couple of barns, a garage, and poles.[30][33] | ||||||||
| F0 | E of Allen※ | Hughes | Oklahoma | 34.87°N 96.33°W | 20:40–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km)‡ | 10 yd (9.1 m)‡ | $250 |
| Trees in the countryside were downed. The tornado passed northwest of Gerty.[23][28][34] | ||||||||
| F2 | Northeastern Claremore※ | Rogers | Oklahoma | 36.40°N 95.55°W | 20:45–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $250,000 |
| A school and several businesses incurred damage. The NCEI incorrectly list the touchdown as being southwest of Sequoyah.[3][28][35] | ||||||||
| F1 | Southwestern Baxter Springs※ | Cherokee | Kansas | 37.02°N 94.73°W | 20:50–? | 0.2 mi (0.32 km) | 17 yd (16 m) | $25,000 |
| Mobile homes and other structures received damage, as well as roofing, windows, and electrical lines.[26][36] | ||||||||
| F3± | N of Marietta | Love | Oklahoma | 33.97°N 97.12°W | 20:50–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 30 yd (27 m) | $2,500,000 |
| This tornado derailed 24 freight cars, most of which were unfilled. Outbuildings and trees were also damaged nearby.[14][28][37] | ||||||||
| F2± | ENE of Pryor Creek | Mayes | Oklahoma | 36.33°N 95.27°W | 21:00–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $25,000 |
| This tornado flipped a mobile home.[14][28][38] | ||||||||
| F2 | N of Bokchito※ | Bryan | Oklahoma | 34.03°N 96.13°W | 21:05–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 10 yd (9.1 m) | $25,000 |
| This tornado damaged seven homes.[3][28][39] | ||||||||
| F0 | Iconium※ | St. Clair | Missouri | 38.12°N 93.53°W | 21:07–? | 0.3 mi (0.48 km)‡ | 50 yd (46 m) | Unknown |
| A brief touchdown failed to produce any damage.[23][30][40] | ||||||||
| F3 | WNW of Boswell to N of Soper‡ | Choctaw | Oklahoma | 34.07°N 95.95°W | 21:10–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $250,000 |
| Many farms and outbuildings were damaged.[3][28][41] | ||||||||
| F0 | Green Ridge※ | Pettis | Missouri | 38.62°N 93.40°W | 21:15–? | 0.3 mi (0.48 km)‡ | 50 yd (46 m) | Unknown |
| No damage was reported.[23][30][42] | ||||||||
| F3 | SW of Boyd to WNW of Toco※ | Fannin, Lamar | Texas | 33.63°N 96.28°W | 21:20–21:55※ | 32 mi (51 km) | 150 yd (140 m) | ~$1,000,000※ |
| 1 death – This tornado developed near Ravenna and tracked eastward at 50 mph (80 km/h) through Allens Chapel and Allens Point. The most extensive damage occurred in these two communities; an elderly woman in the area was killed, and her husband sustained injuries. Along its entire path, the tornado destroyed numerous frame houses, mobile homes, barns, and rural outbuildings. The NCEI incorrectly list the path as extending from north of Ector to just north of Brookston.[3][43][44][45][46] | ||||||||
| F1 | SW of Waverly | Lafayette | Missouri | 39.17°N 93.55°W | 21:25–? | 1.3 mi (2.1 km)‡ | 50 yd (46 m) | $250 |
| This tornado felled trees in an orchard.[30][47] | ||||||||
| F2± | Boyd | Fannin | Texas | 33.65°N 96.17°W | 21:25–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 50 yd (46 m)※ | Unknown |
| Trees were damaged near Lake Bonham.[43][14][44][48] | ||||||||
| F2 | Keo | Lonoke | Arkansas | 34.60°N 92.02°W | 21:45–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $2,500,000 |
| This was the first member of a long-tracked tornado family, the parent thunderstorm of which generated a 100-mile-long (160 km) swath of scattered damage, felling 60 transmission towers along the way, and traveled as far as Forrest City. Two homes and a cropdusting firm were destroyed or damaged. Two people were injured.[3][24][49] | ||||||||
| F5 | S of Speer to Messer to SE of Eagletown※ | Choctaw, McCurtain | Oklahoma | 34.13°N 95.57°W | 21:50–? | 53 mi (85 km) | 2,640 yd (2,410 m)♯※ | $8,000,000※ |
| See section on this tornado – 29 people were injured. | ||||||||
| F2 | Slovak | Prairie | Arkansas | 34.65°N 91.58°W | 22:00–? | 2.25 mi (3.62 km)※ | 20 yd (18 m)† | $250,000 |
| This short-lived tornado damaged rural shops, roofs, outbuildings, machinery, and electrical transmission towers.[24][50][51] | ||||||||
| F4 | Northern Paris to NE of Detroit※ | Lamar, Red River | Texas | 33.65°N 95.63°W | 22:00–22:30※ | 23 mi (37 km) | 300 yd (270 m)♯※ | ≥ $50,000,000※ |
| 10 deaths – See section on this tornado – 170 people were injured. | ||||||||
| F1 | SSW of Paris | Lamar | Texas | 33.63°N 95.58°W | 22:05–? | ≥ 1 mi (1.6 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $25,000 |
| Outflow by the Paris F4 may have helped generate this near-simultaneous tornado. A small structure was destroyed on the outskirts of Paris. The tornado may have continued farther, damaging trailers on the southern sides of Blossom and Reno, as it paralleled the main event.[52][53] | ||||||||
| F2 | Northern Bagwell※ | Red River | Texas | 33.63°N 95.22°W | 22:30–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $25,000 |
| This tornado began and ended a few miles west-southwest and east-northeast of town, respectively. Some businesses and homes were unroofed. Trees were torn apart as well.[50][54][55] | ||||||||
| F1 | N of Clarksville‡ | Red River | Texas | 33.65°N 95.05°W | 22:40–22:42※ | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 50 yd (46 m)※ | $2,500 |
| Only minor damage was reported.[54][56] | ||||||||
| F3 | NE of Clarksville (TX)‡ to NNW of Ogden (AR)※ | Red River (TX), Bowie (TX), McCurtain (OK), Little River (AR) | Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas | 33.63°N 95.03°W | 22:40–23:40※ | 52 mi (84 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | Unknown |
| 1 death – See section on this tornado – Four people were injured. | ||||||||
| F2 | Brinkley | Monroe | Arkansas | 34.88°N 91.18°W | 22:49–? | 0.1 mi (0.16 km) | 33 yd (30 m) | $2,500,000 |
| 20 transmission towers were downed. Several homes, a trio of farms, and a cemetery were damaged as well.[50][24][57] | ||||||||
| F2 | Forrest City | St. Francis | Arkansas | 35.02°N 90.77°W | 23:15–? | 2 mi (3.2 km)† | 60 yd (55 m) | $250,000 |
| 1 death – This tornado damaged or destroyed a dozen homes, seven mobile homes, half a dozen businesses, and a school. The death occurred in a trailer. 13 people were injured.[50][24][58] | ||||||||
| F4 | WSW of Stringtown to ESE of Wallaceburg | Sevier, Howard, Hempstead | Arkansas | 33.93°N 94.28°W | 23:20–? | 45 mi (72 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $7,500,000 |
| 3 deaths – This powerful tornado proceeded generally eastward at 25 mph (40 km/h) and affected several rural communities. 15 homes, two mobile homes, 16 chicken coops, and various outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, along with many trees. All of the deaths occurred in the community of Buck Range, near Nashville, where a home was flattened. Most of the damage was F2 or F3 in intensity. Storm Data and the NCEI listed 23 injuries, but a reanalysis by Grazulis found 27.[59][60][24][61][62][63] | ||||||||
| F1 | E of Eldon | Miller | Missouri | 38.35°N 92.53°W | 23:25–? | 0.25 mi (0.40 km)※ | 30 yd (27 m) | $250,000 |
| A few outbuildings were destroyed.[30][64] | ||||||||
| F3 | Bergman※ | Boone | Arkansas | 36.32°N 93.00°W | 23:28–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $2,500,000 |
| A few trailers were destroyed, along with a pair of homes, the fire department, and city hall. 29 homes sustained damage as well. Five injuries occurred.[24][65] | ||||||||
| F1 | N of Phillipsburg | Laclede | Missouri | 37.62°N 92.78°W | 23:30–? | 0.25 mi (0.40 km)※ | 30 yd (27 m) | $250,000 |
| A house was damaged, a barn wrecked, and cattle killed.[30][66] | ||||||||
| F1 | NE of Beaman※ | Pettis | Missouri | 38.77°N 93.13°W | 23:35–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 30 yd (27 m) | $25,000 |
| A few barns were wrecked and a home partly so.[30][67] | ||||||||
| F1 | N of Eldon | Miller | Missouri | 38.38°N 92.58°W | 23:45–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 25 yd (23 m)※ | $250,000 |
| A few barns and a trailer were wrecked. A shed was severely damaged as well.[30][68] | ||||||||
| F3 | S of McNab to E of Hope※ | Hempstead | Arkansas | 33.63°N 93.80°W | 00:55–? | 18 mi (29 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $2,500,000 |
| 5 deaths – This erratic tornado destroyed or damaged 37 homes. A five-member family at home was fatally crushed beneath a 40-foot-tall (12 m) oak tree. The tornado also damaged 850 acres (340 ha) of pine and hardwood forest. 23 people were injured.[69][24][70][71][72] | ||||||||
| F4 | E of Tecumseh※ to Caulfield to West Plains | Ozark, Howell | Missouri | 36.57°N 92.22°W | 00:15–? | 20 mi (32 km) | 500 yd (460 m) | $50,000,000 |
| 2 deaths – This violent tornado damaged 20 homes and destroyed five trailers, but leveled only one home. Lesser damage occurred to businesses. Most of the damage was to 200 used automobiles at a dealership. 28 people were injured, three seriously.[59][60][73][74][75] | ||||||||
| F1 | S of Camdenton※ | Camden | Missouri | 39.98°N 92.75°W | 00:15–? | 0.25 mi (0.40 km)※ | 25 yd (23 m)※ | Unknown |
| Details are unavailable.[73][76] | ||||||||
| F3 | N of Vidette† | Fulton | Arkansas | 36.43°N 92.12°W | 00:20–? | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | 880 yd (800 m) | $250,000 |
| 2 deaths – A barn and five homes were damaged. A number of cattle were killed, and one home was wrecked. Two injuries occurred.[60][24][77] | ||||||||
| F1 | NE of Eldon※ | Miller | Missouri | 38.37°N 92.57°W | 00:37–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Unknown |
| Details are unavailable.[73][78] | ||||||||
| F0 | Taos | Cole | Missouri | 38.50°N 92.07°W | 00:45–? | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Unknown |
| Details are unavailable.[73][79] | ||||||||
| F1 | Magnolia | Columbia | Arkansas | 33.27°N 93.23°W | 01:00–? | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $25,000 |
| Roofing, power lines, and trees were damaged. Fallen wires ignited a few fires. Two people were injured.[24][80] | ||||||||
| F3 | Conway | Faulkner | Arkansas | 35.08°N 92.45°W | 01:00–? | 3.5 mi (5.6 km) | 440 yd (400 m) | $2,500,000 |
| 2 deaths – A machine shop, 38 trailers, and 10 homes were flattened. A few other trailers and three homes were seriously damaged. One of the dead was a stillborn infant. 37 injuries occurred, many quite severe.[60][81][82] | ||||||||
| F1 | E of Whelen Springs to WNW of Kansas | Clark | Arkansas | 33.83°N 93.12°W | 01:15–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 75 yd (69 m)※ | $250,000 |
| Some roofing was damaged, along with much timber.[81][83] | ||||||||
| F3 | NE of Dyersburg※ | Dyer | Tennessee | 36.03°N 89.38°W | 01:20–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 75 yd (69 m)※ | $2,500,000 |
| A factory, mobile homes, eight homes, and some businesses were destroyed or damaged. Trees were impacted as well. An injury occurred.[60][84][85] | ||||||||
| F2 | W of Kenton to W of Martin※ | Obion, Weakley | Tennessee | 36.22°N 89.07°W | 01:58–? | 12 mi (19 km)† | 80 yd (73 m)† | $250,000※ |
| Windows were broken and structures damaged at a Texas Gas Transmission facility. A few trailers were wrecked elsewhere, and several better-built buildings were damaged, along with trees.[60][84][86][87] | ||||||||
| F1 | NW of Lillie | Union | Louisiana | 32.95°N 92.72°W | 02:00–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | Unknown |
| Only trees were damaged.[88][89] | ||||||||
| F1 | W of Milo to N of Snyder※ | Ashley | Arkansas | 33.30°N 91.97°W | 03:00–? | 19 mi (31 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $2,500,000 |
| Outbuildings, power lines, and trailers received damage. 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 board feet (2,400 to 4,700 m3) of pinewood were flattened.[81][90] | ||||||||
| F1 | Hazel | Calloway | Kentucky | 36.50°N 88.32°W | 04:00–? | 2 mi (3.2 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $250,000 |
| Many older structures in town were wrecked.[88][91] | ||||||||
| F0 | Union City | Obion | Tennessee | 36.42°N 89.05°W | 04:33–?※ | 0.3 mi (0.48 km) | 30 yd (27 m)※ | $250,000 |
| A few large, fallen trees damaged vehicles and homes. Signage and windows were damaged as well.[84][92] | ||||||||
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord.[note 8] | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width[note 9] | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | NE of Pontiac※ | Livingston | Illinois | 40.90°N 88.58°W | 05:00–05:15※ | 0.3 mi (0.48 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | $250,000 |
| A toolshed, a garage, and a quartet of silos were wrecked.[93][94] | ||||||||
| F1 | Southeastern Ridge Farm※ | Vermilion | Illinois | 39.90°N 87.65°W | 05:18–? | 4 mi (6.4 km) | 125 yd (114 m)※ | $250,000 |
| A five-block swath of town was impacted. A trailer and five homes were wrecked. 15 other homes sustained damage as well. Five injuries occurred.[93][95] | ||||||||
| F1 | S of Forrest to S of Chatsworth※ | Livingston | Illinois | 40.23°N 88.40°W | 05:18–? | 6 mi (9.7 km) | 500 yd (460 m) | $250,000 |
| This tornado blew central heating and refrigeration units off rooftops. A wall was knocked down as well. After hitting Chatsworth the tornado apparently redeveloped to the south, damaging high-voltage cables, sheds, a pair of large barns, a garage, a home, and roofing. 41 utility poles along the path were felled as well.[93][96] | ||||||||
| F2± | E of Grand Gulf | Claiborne※ | Mississippi | 32.03°N 91.03°W | 05:20–?※ | 0.1 mi (0.16 km)‡ | 33 yd (30 m)‡ | $6,000※ |
| A few steel outbuildings were wrecked and a couple of big trees splintered near a hunting camp. One other outbuilding sustained damage as well. The NCEI incorrectly list the touchdown as Adams County and spuriously count 40 injuries; the latter are not listed in Storm Data.[97][98][99] | ||||||||
| F3 | S of Carthage to N of De Kalb† | Leake, Neshoba, Kemper | Mississippi | 32.72°N 89.52°W | 05:35–06:10※ | 42 mi (68 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | >$5,000,000※ |
| 3 deaths – This intense tornado destroyed five automobiles, 25 mobile homes, seven businesses, and 29 homes. Severe damage occurred to 47 other homes, 25 vehicles, 16 mobile homes, and seven more businesses. All the dead were killed in a trailer. 40 injuries occurred.[97][98][100][101][102][103] | ||||||||
| F3 | Irwin to Bourbonnais to Indian Oaks※ | Kankakee | Illinois | 41.05°N 87.98°W | 05:40–? | 12 mi (19 km) | 750 yd (690 m) | $25,000,000 |
| This intense tornado tore walls and a steeple off structures in Irwin, causing a church to shift on its foundation. The tornado apparently lifted before causing further damage at Bourbonnais. 174 trailers were damaged or destroyed in a mobile home park at Indian Oaks. The tornado also damaged 10 homes elsewhere in town. 15 injuries occurred.[97][93][104] | ||||||||
| F1 | E of Charleston to northeastern Oakland※ | Coles | Illinois | 39.48°N 88.18°W | 06:05–? | 14 mi (23 km) | 450 yd (410 m) | $250,000 |
| Most of the losses were to sheds, homes, and garages at Oakland. Roofing was torn loose as well.[93][105] | ||||||||
| F0 | SW of Goodenow to Crete※ | Will | Illinois | 41.33°N 87.68°W | 06:10–? | 8 mi (13 km) | 125 yd (114 m) | $250,000 |
| A few mobile homes were tipped onto their sides, and 25 others were carried off their homesites. A few trees were downed and a chimney was damaged as well. Damage was discontinuous.[106][107] | ||||||||
| F1 | Near West Jefferson※ | Madison | Ohio | 39.93°N 83.27°W | 10:00–? | 3 mi (4.8 km) | 50 yd (46 m) | $2,500,000 |
| Mobile homes were extensively damaged, other homes less severely. One person was injured.[28][108] | ||||||||
| F1 | SSE of Greenmount | Laurel | Kentucky | 37.25°N 84.03°W | 10:00–? | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 25 yd (23 m)※ | $25,000 |
| A 108-by-36-foot (33 by 11 m) barn was wrecked, crushing implements inside.[109] | ||||||||
| F2 | N of Fredericktown | Knox | Ohio | 40.50°N 82.55°W | 10:55–? | 0.75 mi (1.21 km)※ | 50 yd (46 m) | $250,000 |
| A few trailers and a frame home were wrecked. Trees were felled as well, and other structures were damaged. Nine minor injuries were reported.[97][28][110] | ||||||||
| F1 | Glasgow to S of Boston | Thomas | Georgia | 30.73°N 83.87°W | 17:15–? | 6 mi (9.7 km) | 70 yd (64 m) | $25,000 |
| A pumping station and a cottage were wrecked. Trees were knocked down as well.[111][112] | ||||||||
| F1 | Western Allentown | Lehigh | Pennsylvania | 40.60°N 75.50°W | 20:55–? | 0.15 mi (0.24 km)※ | 17 yd (16 m)※ | $25,000 |
| A trailer and a shed were flattened. A restaurant was damaged as well. Wires and trees were toppled.[113][114] | ||||||||
| F5 tornado | |
|---|---|
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Injuries | 29 |
| Damage | $8 million ($25,260,000 in 2024 USD) |
This powerful, multiple-vortex tornado touched down near Speer, tracked east-southeastward through the rural community of Messer, and traversed the Hugo Reservoir. A newly constructed home near Messer was obliterated, with only strips of carpet tacking left on its foundation. Surveyed by Ted Fujita, the tornado was assigned a rating of F5 based on this damage and is still listed as an F5 in official records. Photographs of the bare concrete slab suggested, however, that the home was improperly anchored: only F3-level winds may have been needed to produce the observable effects on the structure. A reanalysis by Thomas P. Grazulis in 1993 concluded that the tornado did not attain F5 intensity. Further on, the tornado attained a peak width of 1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km; 2,600 yd; 2,400 m) and produced F4-level damage to ranch-style homes near Golden. In all, the tornado destroyed approximately 35 homes and yielded losses of $8 million, though it missed densely populated areas. The tornado also destroyed chicken coops, mobile homes, and a church, along with agricultural implements, electrical lines, and tracts of timber. Up to 40 barns were wrecked as well. As it passed just south of Broken Bow, the tornado struck the Tri-A-Nite Motel; signage from the motel was later found 30 mi (48 km) distant, in Arkansas. Near Messer, the tornado hurled a 2-by-4-inch (51 by 102 mm) board into and pierced a tree. 29 injuries occurred along the path. The NCEI incorrectly list the path as extending from south-southwest of Hamden to south of Eagletown.[115]
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 10 |
| Injuries | 170 |
| Damage | ≥ $50 million ($157,860,000 in 2024 USD) |
This destructive tornado, the deadliest of the outbreak, headed eastward through the northern section of Paris. Developing near the intersection of Campbell Street and Loop 286, it extensively damaged or destroyed more than 465 residences and left approximately 1,000 people homeless in town. Of the 10 deaths in Paris, two occurred at a trailer park; the rest of the fatalities were mainly in unsheltered locations. Debris from the trailer park was dispersed for hundreds of yards. Most of the damage in Paris was rated F2 or F3 on the Fujita scale, but a few CBS homes were leveled at low-end F4 intensity. These homes, however, were dubiously constructed, so the official rating may have been too high. Large, well-built apartments with numerous interior walls were unroofed as the "ragged funnel cloud" left behind $50 million in losses at Paris. 92 homes and other structures were heavily damaged or destroyed in the neighbouring communities of Reno and Blossom. That more casualties did not occur was attributable to the fact that residents of Paris received ample warning, up to half an hour in advance, in part via NOAA Weather Radio.[116]
| F3 tornado | |
|---|---|
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 4 |
This intense, long-tracked tornado destroyed barns, outbuildings, trees, and electrical lines as it struck White Rock. Brick homes in the area were wrecked as well, indicating F3 intensity. The tornado then tracked to the north of Annona, Avery, and English. Entering Bowie County, it destroyed five homes in Beaver Dam. Two minor injuries occurred nearby. The tornado then widened to 400 yd (370 m) as it neared the Red River. Upon crossing the river, it damaged a 4-mile-long (6.4 km) swath of trees across McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Some outbuildings were also damaged as the tornado passed through southeastern Oklahoma. In Arkansas, the tornado destroyed 17 homes, a paper mill, a granary, and an orchard. One of the homes dated to the early nineteenth century. One person died and two others were injured near Ashdown before the tornado dissipated. The parent storm continued on and later spawned another F3 tornado in Hempstead County, near McNab.[117]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
