Why was the Tri-State Tornado so famous?
The Tri-State Tornado was remarkable because its path of destruction was continuous for 219 miles as it traveled between 60 and 73 mph over three and a half hours. In just 40 minutes, the tornado devastated five towns and killed 541 people in southern Illinois.
What caused the Tri-State Tornado of 1925?
A warm front from the Gulf of Mexico raised temperatures by 10 degrees in the region, causing warm air to rush skyward and providing what forecasters today call the tornado’s “lifting mechanism.” The merged storm system transformed into a tornado-producing spiral, and the gray skies drizzling over southeastern Missouri …
How long did the Tri-State Tornado stay on the ground?
3.5 hours
With winds of roughly 300 miles (480 km) per hour, which would classify it as an EF5 tornado in the Enhanced Fujita Scale, the tornado lasted 3.5 hours and traveled 219 miles (352 km)—setting records for both duration and distance.
What happened in Tri-State Tornado?
Nine schools across three states were destroyed, in which 69 students were killed. More schools were destroyed and more students killed (as well as the single school record of 33 deaths in De Soto, Illinois) than in any other tornadic event in U.S. history.
What are 5 facts about the Tri-State Tornado?
General Tri-State Tornado Facts Three states were affected by the Tri-State Tornado: Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. Thirteen counties in three states were affected. In Illinois Franklin, Hamilton, Jackson, White and Williamson counties were affected. In Indiana Gibson, Pike and Posey counties were affect.
How much damage did the Tri-State Tornado cause?
The worst tornado in U.S. history passes through eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana, killing 695 people, injuring some 13,000 people, and causing $17 million in property damage.
What states did the Tri-State Tornado affect?
On March 18, 1925, the Great Tri-State Tornado tore across Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Southwest Indiana. With its rapid movement, monstrous size, and long track, the tornado took hundreds of lives and injured thousands.
How much did the Tri-State Tornado cost?
Was the Tri-State Tornado an F5?
America’s deadliest tornado occurred on March 18, 1925. Tracking across three states, it killed at least 695 people. The tornado was later considered to be F5 strength, the top of the original Fujita Scale for tornado intensity.
How fast was the Tri-State Tornado?
70 mph
The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 traveled 235 miles — the longest track left by a tornado ever recorded — lasted a record duration of three and a half hours on the ground, devastated 164 square miles, had a diameter of more than a mile and traveled at speeds in excess of 70 mph.
How many deaths were in the Tri-State Tornado?
695Tri-State tornado outbreak / Number of deaths
The worst tornado in U.S. history passes through eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and southern Indiana, killing 695 people, injuring some 13,000 people, and causing $17 million in property damage.