May–June 1917 tornado outbreak sequence
Encyclopedia
The 1917 May—June tornado outbreak sequence was an eight-day tornado
event, known as a tornado outbreak sequence
, that killed at least 382 people, mostly in the Midwestern
and parts of the Southeastern United States
.
, or groups of tornadoes produced by the same storm. Because of insufficient documentation, and lack of a proper storm survey by meteorologists, it is impossible to determine where one tornado ends and another begins in certain cases. Additionally, the book by Grazulis which details the tornadoes of this event only documents "significant" tornadoes, that is, tornadoes which caused fatalities or F2 or greater damage on the Fujita scale
. On average, almost 70% of tornadoes are not "significant".
to near Mount Vernon, Indiana
was considered a single tornado. Lasting 7 hours and 40 minutes over a 293 miles (471.5 km) path through three states, this tornado held records for the longest tornado track, as well as longest-lasting tornado. However, it is now generally accepted that this was a family of at least 4, and possibly 8 or more separate tornadoes, with either short breaks in the damage path or sections of straight-line wind damage connecting the tornado paths.
The most severe damage was in the cities of Mattoon
and Charleston
, where 101 people were killed.
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
event, known as a tornado outbreak sequence
Tornado outbreak sequence
A tornado outbreak sequence is a period of continuous or nearly continuous high tornado activity consisting of a series of tornado outbreaks over multiple days with no or very few days lacking tornado outbreaks....
, that killed at least 382 people, mostly in the Midwestern
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and parts of the Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
List of tornadoes
These numbers are likely gross underestimates. Several of the long-track events listed below are likely to be tornado familiesTornado family
A tornado family is a series of tornadoes spawned by the same supercell. These families form a line of successive or parallel tornado paths and can cover a short span or a vast distance. Tornado families are sometimes mistaken as a single continuous tornado, especially prior to the 1970s...
, or groups of tornadoes produced by the same storm. Because of insufficient documentation, and lack of a proper storm survey by meteorologists, it is impossible to determine where one tornado ends and another begins in certain cases. Additionally, the book by Grazulis which details the tornadoes of this event only documents "significant" tornadoes, that is, tornadoes which caused fatalities or F2 or greater damage on the Fujita scale
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...
. On average, almost 70% of tornadoes are not "significant".
May 25 event
| List of tornadoes - Friday, May 25, 1917 | ||||||
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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... |
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| Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... |
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| F2 | Decatur Decatur County, Kansas Decatur County is a county located in Northwest Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,961. Its county seat and most populous city is Oberlin. The county is named in honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr.-History:The county was established... |
39.77°N 100.40°W | 1830 | 4 miles (6.4 km) | Completely destroyed two barns. Average path width was 360 feet (109.7 m). | |
| F5 | Sedgwick Sedgwick County, Kansas Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 498,365 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Wichita. The county was named after General John Sedgwick... , Harvey Harvey County, Kansas Harvey County is a county located in South Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 34,684. Its county seat and most populous city is Newton. The county is a part of the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area which also includes Butler,... , Marion Marion County, Kansas Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 12,660. The county seat is Marion... |
37.68°N 97.81°W | 2000 | 65 miles (104.6 km) | 23 deaths - Touched down north-northwest of Cheney Cheney, Kansas Cheney is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,094.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Cheney has a total area of , all of it land.-Area attractions:... . Destroyed 118 buildings, some of which were completely swept away. The hardest-hit areas were the southeastern part of Andale, where twelve died, and the southern edge of Sedgewick, where eight people died. Three more died in rural areas. The tornado dissipated northeast of Florence Florence, Kansas Florence is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. The city was named after the daughter of former Kansas Governor Samuel J. Crawford. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 465.-19th century:... . The tornado's average path width was 3600 feet (1,097.3 m), and it was over 1 miles (1.6 km) wide at one point. |
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| F2 | Lincoln Lincoln County, Kansas Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,241... |
38.96°N 98.39°W | 2100 | unknown | A barn was destroyed. | |
| F2 | Elk Elk County, Kansas Elk County is a county located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,882... , Greenwood Greenwood County, Kansas Greenwood County is a county located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 6,689... , Wilson Wilson County, Kansas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,409... , Woodson Woodson County, Kansas Woodson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 3,309... |
37.60°N 96.03°W | 2315 | 18 miles (29 km) | Twenty farms suffered damage. | |
| F3 | Elk Elk County, Kansas Elk County is a county located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,882... , Wilson Wilson County, Kansas Wilson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,409... |
37.52°N 96.32°W | 2000 | 25 miles (40.2 km) | 1 death - More than a dozen farms destroyed; a woman was killed in a farm house north of Howard. Dissipated south of New Albany New Albany, Kansas New Albany is a city in Wilson County, Kansas, United States. The population was 73 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Albany is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.... . Average path width was 1200 feet (365.8 m). |
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| Nebraska Nebraska Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River.... |
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| F2 | Keith Keith County, Nebraska -History:Keith County was formed in 1873. It was named after Morrill C. Keith, the grandfather of Governor Keith Neville.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 8,875 people, 3,707 households, and 2,535 families residing in the county. The population density was 8 people per square mile... |
41.13°N 101.72°W | 2000 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | Brief tornado damaged a house and law office. Two children were injured when a chicken house was blown into the school. Average path width was 150 feet (45.7 m). | |
| Sources: Grazulis p 751-752 | ||||||
May 26 event
| List of tornadoes - Saturday, May 26, 1917 | ||||||
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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... |
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| 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... |
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| F? | Pike Pike County, Missouri As of the census of 2010, there were 18,516 people, 6,451 households, and 4,476 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 7,493 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile... |
39.45°N 91.07°W | 1800 | unknown | Touched down just before noon near Louisiana, Missouri. This was originally thought to be the starting point of the 293 miles (471.5 km) world record tornado path which has since been shown to be several separate tornadoes. This is not listed as a significant tornado, therefore its F-scale rating is either F0 or F1. This was a brief tornado touchdown, as there was no damage between here and the first Illinois touchdown. (refs for it being a true tornado: ) | |
| 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,... |
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| F4 | Pike Pike County, Illinois Pike County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 16,430, which is a decrease of 5.5% from 17,384 in 2000... , Greene, Macoupin Macoupin County, Illinois Macoupin County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 47,765, which is a decrease of 2.6% from 49,019 in 2000. The county seat is Carlinville. Macoupin County is an outlying county of the Metro-East region... , Montgomery, Christian Christian County, Illinois Christian County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 34,800, which is a decrease of 1.6% from 35,372 in 2000... , Shelby, Coles Coles County, Illinois Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.... |
39.44°N 90.75°W | 1810 | 155 miles (249.4 km) | 101 deaths - See the main section on this day's tornadoes. This was likely a family of 3 or more tornadoes. Average path width was 2400 feet (731.5 m). | |
| F3 | Coles Coles County, Illinois Coles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 53,873, which is an increase of 1.3% from 53,196 in 2000. Its county seat is Charleston, which is also the home of Eastern Illinois University.... , Clark |
39.45°N 88.09°W | 2145 | 25 miles (40.2 km) | One farm was destroyed, along with homes on the north edge of Marshall Marshall, Illinois Marshall is a city in Clark County, Illinois, United States, locatedabout west of Terre Haute, Indiana. The population was 3,771 at the 2000 census... and in Livingston Livingston, Illinois Livingston is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livingston is located at .... . Fifteen people were injured. Average path width was 600 feet (182.9 m). |
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| F4 | Will Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... , Lake (IN) Lake County, Indiana Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,... |
41.43°N 87.99°W | 2245 | 33 miles (53.1 km) | 3 deaths - Many farms were damaged or destroyed, with at least three farm houses swept away. All three deaths occurred in Illinois and none in substantial structures. Tornado touched down near Manhattan, passed near Crete and lifted on the north edge of Crown Point. Sixty people were injured. Average path width was 1200 feet (365.8 m). | |
| Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
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| F4 | Vigo Vigo County, Indiana Vigo County is a county located along the western border of the U.S. state of Indiana. Vigo County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Terre Haute.... , Clay Clay County, Indiana Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 26,890. The county seat is Brazil. Clay County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :Clay County was formed in 1825... |
39.31°N 87.31°W | 2200 | 13 miles (20.9 km) | 2 deaths - A large home was destroyed south of Blackhawk, killing two people. The large tornado passed just north of Lewis and just south of Clay City. Average path width was 1800 feet (548.6 m). | |
| F4 | Monroe Monroe County, Indiana As of the census of 2010, there were 137,974 people, 46,898 households, and 24,715 families residing in the county. The population density was 306 people per square mile . There were 50,846 housing units at an average density of 129 per square mile... |
39.12°N 86.55°W | 2245 | 5 miles (8 km) | Fifteen homes were destroyed south of Bloomington along Clear Creek, some exhibiting "near-F5" damage. Average path width was 2400 feet (731.5 m). | |
| F4 | Lake Lake County, Indiana Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,... , Porter Porter County, Indiana Porter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 164,343. Much of the population growth has to do with the expansion of the Chicago Metropolitan Area eastward into Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso... |
41.33°N 87.36°W | 2340 | 20 miles (32.2 km) | 4 deaths - Touched down six miles south of Crown Point as previous tornado was lifting and moved east. Damaged or destroyed more than 40 farms, and killed two people near Hebron and two people southeast of Kouts. Average path width was 600 feet (182.9 m). | |
| Sources: Grazulis p 752 | ||||||
May 27 event
| List of tornadoes - Sunday, May 27, 1917 | ||||||
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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... |
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| 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... |
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| F2 | Stone Stone County, Missouri Stone County is a county located in Southwest Missouri in the United States. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county's population was 32,202. Its county seat is Galena... , Christian Christian County, Missouri Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes... |
36.92°N 93.51°W | 1730 | 20 miles (32.2 km) | Touched down near Hurley, hitting the edge of that town and Boaz before dissipating north of Ozark. Eight farms were damaged, and 50 people injured, mostly in Boaz. | |
| F1 | Christian Christian County, Missouri Christian County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. The county had a population of 54,285 in 2000 census. According to the 2010 census, the county's population is 77,422 , making it the fastest growing county in Missouri and one of the fastest growing in the nation as the county becomes... , Webster Webster County, Missouri Webster County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 31,045. The population in 2010 was 36,202. Its county seat is Marshfield. The county was organized in 1855 and named for U.S. Senator and U.S... |
37.01°N 92.99°W | 1800 | 13 miles (20.9 km) | 1 death - Tracked from Bruner to Seymour. Four people were injured along the path, and man was killed in Webster county. | |
| 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,... |
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| F4 | 39.44°N 90.75°W | 1810 | 155 miles (249.4 km) | Average path width was 2400 feet (731.5 m). | ||
| Sources: Grazulis p 752-753 | ||||||
May 26 tornado family
At one time, the series of tornadoes which struck nearly a straight line from near the town of Louisiana, MissouriLouisiana, Missouri
Louisiana is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,863 at the 2000 census, making it the largest city in Pike Couunty. Louisiana is located in northeast Missouri, on the Mississippi River south of Hannibal....
to near Mount Vernon, Indiana
Mount Vernon, Indiana
Mount Vernon is a city in southern Indiana along the Ohio River and the county seat of Posey County. It is located in Black Township. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 6,687...
was considered a single tornado. Lasting 7 hours and 40 minutes over a 293 miles (471.5 km) path through three states, this tornado held records for the longest tornado track, as well as longest-lasting tornado. However, it is now generally accepted that this was a family of at least 4, and possibly 8 or more separate tornadoes, with either short breaks in the damage path or sections of straight-line wind damage connecting the tornado paths.
The most severe damage was in the cities of Mattoon
Mattoon, Illinois
Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,555 as of the 2010 census. It is a principal city of the Charleston–Mattoon Micropolitan Statistical Area.Mattoon was the site of the "Mad Gasser" attacks of the 1940s....
and Charleston
Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,838 as of the 2010 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois...
, where 101 people were killed.
See also
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes causing 100 or more deaths
External links
- http://www.jstor.org/pss/207291
- http://www.isws.illinois.edu/pubdoc/C/ISWSC-103.pdf