Late-April 1909 tornado outbreak
Encyclopedia
The late-April 1909 tornado outbreak is a deadly tornado outbreak
that affected much of the central and southern United States
between April 29 and May 1, 1909. Affecting particularly the Mississippi and Tennessee Valley
s, it killed over 150 people. It is one of Tennessee
's deadliest tornado outbreaks on record.
, eastern Arkansas
, southern Illinois
, northern Mississippi
, southeastern Missouri
, and western Tennessee (the NWS
Memphis, Tennessee
coverage area). In that general area, at least 55 were killed by tornadoes.
The deadliest tornado touched down just south of the Tennessee-Mississippi state line in Desoto County
and tracked east-northeast for about 125 miles across Shelby
, Fayette, Hardeman, Chester, Henderson and Decatur Counties. While it was estimated to be an F4
, some reports indicate that there was more than one tornado. Among the towns affected were Horn Lake, Mississippi
where about half of the fatalities were recorded and Whitehaven, Tennessee along the state line where 30 homes were damaged. Meat from smoke houses were carried up for a distance of two miles by the storm. Additional tornadoes were reported further northeast by the same supercell
into Scott County.
North of Memphis, two F3 tornadoes killed a total of 22 from Crittenden County, Arkansas to Carroll County, Tennessee
. Homes were destroyed in Marion, Arkansas
before crossing the Mississippi River
. In Arkansas, five were killed. In Tennessee, the town of Locke was mostly destroyed by the first F3 tornado. With the second storm, structures were flatten near Covington
and Medina
. Several of the injured who later died were plantation workers. A family of tornadoes also affected later Hickman and Williamson Counties
southwest of Nashville
between 9 PM and 11 PM and then Cookeville
, Putnam
at around 1 AM. Three other tornadoes killed four people in the Memphis coverage area including in St. Francis and Lee Counties in Arkansas and Haywood County in Tennessee.
Other F4 recorded were reported in Missouri
, near Golden
, in Illinois
near Texas City
and in south central Tennessee near Bee Springs just north of the Alabama state line. 11 deaths were recorded in the Missouri storm, 5 near Texas City and 29 along the Alabama
-Tennessee state line by the F4 tornadoes. The Bee Springs tornado touched down in Limestone County, Alabama
before cross the state line into Lincoln
and Giles Counties traveling for about 25 miles. The storm struck the area at around midnight. This was Middle Tennessee
's third deadliest tornado ever and the outbreak in general was tied for ninth biggest tornado outbreak with six tornadoes across Middle Tennessee. Hardest hit areas including in and around the Pulaski
, Bryson and Fayetteville
areas. Another strong tornado struck Franklin County
shortly after midnight producing a two-mile damage swath near Decherd
.
. This was Middle Tennessee's fifth deadliest tornado ever. The deadliest tornado hit St. Francis County, Arkansas on March 8 killing 49, making it one of the deadliest tornadoes ever in the Memphis coverage area. Three other tornadoes that killed 13 were recorded in that year. 1952 was another particularly deadly with a single tornado outbreak that killed nearly 100 across the coverage area on March 21–22, 1952.
The outbreak itself was one of the deadliest ever to hit the state of Tennessee rivaling the Super Outbreak
of 1974. In that state alone, 98 were killed including 22 in Giles County alone, the hardest affected county.
The 77 killer tornadoes recorded in 1909 is an all-time yearly record for the number of killer tornadoes. It was only equaled by the 1917 season.
Tornado outbreak
While there is no single agreed upon definition, generally at least 6-10 tornadoes produced by the same synoptic scale weather system is considered a tornado outbreak. The tornadoes usually occur within the same day, or continue into the early morning hours of the succeeding day, and within the...
that affected much of the central and southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between April 29 and May 1, 1909. Affecting particularly the Mississippi and Tennessee Valley
Tennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
s, it killed over 150 people. It is one of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's deadliest tornado outbreaks on record.
Tornado event
During the late-afternoon of April 29, a string of strong to violent tornadoes affected the areas of northern AlabamaAlabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, eastern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, northern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, southeastern Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and western Tennessee (the NWS
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
coverage area). In that general area, at least 55 were killed by tornadoes.
The deadliest tornado touched down just south of the Tennessee-Mississippi state line in Desoto County
DeSoto County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2005 estimate, there were 137,004 people, 38,792 households, and 30,102 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 40,795 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
and tracked east-northeast for about 125 miles across Shelby
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, Fayette, Hardeman, Chester, Henderson and Decatur Counties. While it was estimated to be an F4
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, some reports indicate that there was more than one tornado. Among the towns affected were Horn Lake, Mississippi
Horn Lake, Mississippi
Horn Lake is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. Horn Lake is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee, which is located just a few miles to the north. As of the 2000 U.S...
where about half of the fatalities were recorded and Whitehaven, Tennessee along the state line where 30 homes were damaged. Meat from smoke houses were carried up for a distance of two miles by the storm. Additional tornadoes were reported further northeast by the same supercell
Supercell
A supercell is a thunderstorm that is characterized by the presence of a mesocyclone: a deep, continuously-rotating updraft. For this reason, these storms are sometimes referred to as rotating thunderstorms...
into Scott County.
North of Memphis, two F3 tornadoes killed a total of 22 from Crittenden County, Arkansas to Carroll County, Tennessee
Carroll County, Tennessee
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 28,522. Its county seat is Huntingdon. It was named for Governor William Carroll.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. Homes were destroyed in Marion, Arkansas
Marion, Arkansas
Marion is a city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 8,901 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Crittenden County, and is part of the Memphis metropolitan area...
before crossing the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. In Arkansas, five were killed. In Tennessee, the town of Locke was mostly destroyed by the first F3 tornado. With the second storm, structures were flatten near Covington
Covington, Tennessee
Covington is a city in central Tipton County in the State of Tennessee. Covington is the largest city and county seat of, Tipton County. Covington is located in one of just five counties of West Tennessee that are located along the Mississippi River, thus it is in extreme western Tennessee.This...
and Medina
Medina, Tennessee
Medina is a city in Gibson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 3,479 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Medina is located at ....
. Several of the injured who later died were plantation workers. A family of tornadoes also affected later Hickman and Williamson Counties
Williamson County, Tennessee
Williamson County is a county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010 US Census, the population was 183,182. The County's seat is Franklin, and it is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county is named after Hugh Williamson, a...
southwest of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
between 9 PM and 11 PM and then Cookeville
Cookeville, Tennessee
Cookeville is a city in Putnam County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 23,923 at the 2000 census. of Cookeville's population was 30,435, and the combined total of those living in Cookeville's in 2010 was 65,014. It is the county seat of Putnam County and home to Tennessee...
, Putnam
Putnam County, Tennessee
Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 62,315, a 21 percent increase from 1990. The was 72,321, an increase of 16.1% since 2000...
at around 1 AM. Three other tornadoes killed four people in the Memphis coverage area including in St. Francis and Lee Counties in Arkansas and Haywood County in Tennessee.
Other F4 recorded were reported in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, near Golden
Golden, Missouri
Golden, Missouri is an unincorporated community in southeastern Barry County about twenty miles southeast of Cassville. It is located south of Table Rock Lake and just one mile north of Route 86 on Highway J. You know you have reached Golden when you see the two big tire stores, Ball & Prier and...
, in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
near Texas City
Texas City, Illinois
Texas City is an unincorporated community in Rector Township, Saline County, Illinois, United States. Texas City is located at the junction of U.S. Route 45 and County Highway 6 north-northeast of Eldorado....
and in south central Tennessee near Bee Springs just north of the Alabama state line. 11 deaths were recorded in the Missouri storm, 5 near Texas City and 29 along the Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
-Tennessee state line by the F4 tornadoes. The Bee Springs tornado touched down in Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County, Alabama
Limestone County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area.It is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. Its name comes from Limestone Creek, a local stream. In 2000, the population was 65,676. As of 2010 the county's...
before cross the state line into Lincoln
Lincoln County, Tennessee
Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. , the population was 31,340. Its county seat is Fayetteville. It is named for Major General Benjamin Lincoln, an officer in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
and Giles Counties traveling for about 25 miles. The storm struck the area at around midnight. This was Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
's third deadliest tornado ever and the outbreak in general was tied for ninth biggest tornado outbreak with six tornadoes across Middle Tennessee. Hardest hit areas including in and around the Pulaski
Pulaski, Tennessee
Pulaski is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,870 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. It was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski...
, Bryson and Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Tennessee
Fayetteville is a city in Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 6,994 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:...
areas. Another strong tornado struck Franklin County
Franklin County, Tennessee
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 41,052. Its county seat is Winchester.Franklin County is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee, Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
shortly after midnight producing a two-mile damage swath near Decherd
Decherd, Tennessee
Decherd is a city in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,246 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Historical perspective
1909 was a particularly deadly year across the Memphis area and across much of the western half of Tennessee and across the country. In addition to the 55 deaths during the outbreak across their jurisdiction area, there were many other fatalities from tornadoes during the year. An outbreak on October 14 in the same year killed 28 including an F3 that killed 24 in McNairy and Hardin CountiesHardin County, Tennessee
Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. State of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 26,026. The Hardin County seat is Savannah. The county was named posthumously for Col. Joseph Hardin, a Revolutionary War soldier and a legislative representative for the Province of North Carolina and...
. This was Middle Tennessee's fifth deadliest tornado ever. The deadliest tornado hit St. Francis County, Arkansas on March 8 killing 49, making it one of the deadliest tornadoes ever in the Memphis coverage area. Three other tornadoes that killed 13 were recorded in that year. 1952 was another particularly deadly with a single tornado outbreak that killed nearly 100 across the coverage area on March 21–22, 1952.
The outbreak itself was one of the deadliest ever to hit the state of Tennessee rivaling the Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
of 1974. In that state alone, 98 were killed including 22 in Giles County alone, the hardest affected county.
The 77 killer tornadoes recorded in 1909 is an all-time yearly record for the number of killer tornadoes. It was only equaled by the 1917 season.