03.18.10
Tri-State Tornado
March 18, 1925.
85 years ago today, a large tornado tore through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people over 3.5 hours on its 219-mile path.
Over 15,000 homes were destroyed by the F5 tornado, and total damage was estimated at $16.5 million (about $1.5 billion today).
Little was known about tornadoes in 1925, let alone weather forecasting. There was no tornado warning system, so people in the path of the tornado would not know what was coming (unless, perhaps, they were very far along the path and somehow heard about it coming their way). The Tri-State Tornado was not the only tornado on this day; several other tornadoes were reported in the region, bringing the total death toll to some 750 or more, and leaving over 2000 people injured.
Tornado prediction is still far from perfect, but has come a long way since 1925. Tornado warnings may now be issued at an average of 15-20 minutes before tornado formation. Tornadoes such as the Tri-State Tornado, although tragic, do assist in advancing our knowledge of tornadoes and tornado prediction, so we can hopefully help more people next time. If a similar tornado were to occur today, the death toll and perhaps amount of damage would be a lot lower.
However, let us not forget those who lost their lives to this monster tornado.
For more information, check out the Wikipedia article on the Tri-State Tornado, including the references list at the bottom of the page.