The path of the Great Tri-State Tornado

In the midday and afternoon hours of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, the deadliest tornado in United States history and second-deadliest worldwide moved through Eastern Missouri, Southern Illinois and Southern Indiana, killing 695 people and injuring 2,027 more in what is sometimes known as the Great Tri-State Tornado. The tornado touched down as part of a larger severe weather outbreak that hit the United States on the same day, and produced catastrophic damage across numerous villages and towns across all three states. Despite not being officially rated, it is widely accepted to have been equivalent to an F5 on the Fujita scale.

The tornado touched down in Shannon County, Missouri, moving to the northeast. The tornado immediately began to produce heavy damage to structures before directly impacting Annapolis, destroying ninety percent of the town and killing two people. The tornado then moved through Bollinger County, where it would hit two schools and injured several children who were taking shelter. Deep ground scouring was observed as the tornado moved past Sedgewickville, and debris from the town was found almost 50 mi (80 km) away. It would hit several other small communities, including Brazeau and Frohna, before crossing state lines into Southern Illinois and directly impacting Gorham. Over half of the town's population was killed, and the town was devastated as the tornado moved by. To the northeast, it would hit the northern portions of Murphysboro, where over one hundred residents would die as the tornado barreled through the town at an estimated forward speed of 62 mph (100 km/h).

Further east, the tornado crossed into Franklin County, narrowly missing the towns of Royalton and Zeigler, devastating rural areas before heading towards the large mining town of West Frankfort. The tornado struck the northwest side of town, where in a manner similar to what was seen at Murphysboro, a number of densely populated neighborhoods, businesses and mining operations fell victim to the tornado. At the Peabody Mine 18 in Caldwell, a large 80-foot coal tipple weighing several hundred tons was blown over and rolled by the tornado. The tornado proceeded to devastate additional rural areas across Hamilton and White counties, between the two counties claiming 45 lives and injuring 140, 20 of whom later died. The tornado then exited Illinois, crossing the Wabash River into Gibson County, Indiana. The town of Griffin was completely destroyed, and the large town of Princeton ravaged before the storm passed into Pike County, where it dissipated over three hours after touching down.

The tornado killed at least twenty farm owners in southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana, more than the combined total of the next four deadliest tornadoes in the history of the United States. The tornado killed a combined total of 695 people, the majority of which occurred in Illinois. (Full article...)