The 1910s had quite a bit of crazy tornado events, particularly June 1916 and May-June 1917, which was absolutely ridiculous. Trying to find more info on both of these outbreaks.I was reading newspaper reports from the April 1912 tornado outbreak sequence and a few tornadoes sound like they were extremely violent and F5 candidates. I will list these tornadoes below.
Waldron KS F3+ 4/20/1912:
Grazulis only lists this tornado as an F3 (though he mentions possible F4 damage) but local newspapers give descriptions that are more aligned with an F4-F5 rating. Several farms were destroyed by this large and violent tornado as it moved through rural areas near Waldron. At one of these farms, the house was swept away with "not one board left where the building stood and only a few feet of the cement foundation being left in its original position." Two other farms would be swept away by this tornado, one of which had "simply nothing left of either house or barn. The timber was carried away, windmill torn down, and wagons and farm machinery ruined." Newspapers also mentioned intense contextual damage: animals and debris on one farm were covered in an inch of mud (scouring?), and machinery was mangled beyond recognition and thrown significant distances.
Hennessy OK F4+ 4/20/1912:
This massive and extremely violent tornado devastated farms near Hennessy and leveled/swept away multiple homes in the town itself. Everything on multiple farms NE of the town was completely swept away and annihilated. "Hardly a trace" was left on one of the farms. The top of a storm cellar in Hennessy was blown away, numerous trees were uprooted or "splintered," a wagon was destroyed and scattered for the surrounding country, and a county bridge was "carried away." Some sources list this tornado as an F5 but Grazulis lists it as an F4.
Bison KS F4 4/20/1912
This tornado passed through the town of Bison. In the town of Bison, several buildings were leveled and swept away as half of the town was damaged or destroyed. Some only had empty foundations left. People were reportedly blown hundreds of yards in Bison and debris was carried 8 miles from the town.
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On the same day as the tornadoes listed above, there were two violent tornadoes in Texas. Both of these swept away farms/homes but not much information is available about them. There were also violent tornadoes in IN/IL the next day which swept away numerous homes but I can't find much info about them either.
Lugert OK F4 - 4/27/1912
This huge tornado devastated the town of Lugert and nearby farms. Two entire farms were swept clean NE of Lugert with "nothing but land" left on one of them. The small town of Lugert itself was pretty much leveled. Only 2 buildings were left standing with the others being destroyed, leveled, or swept away. Some of these buildings were made of brick.
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4/27/1912 Sentinel OK F4:
This large and violent tornado moved through Sentinel and NW Cordell. Something to note is that some of this reported damage might be due to an F3 that struck Rocky, they were only separated by ~4 miles. Like many of the tornadoes from this event, rural areas were devastated: a 2-story house with 18 inch thick stone walls was leveled, a 1000 lb piano was "thrown out in the section line" and destroyed, and multiple farms/rural homes were completely swept away. Along a creek, large pecan trees were "twisted down," the tops of elm trees were torn off, and 3-ft cottonwood trees were snapped. Either this tornado or another F4 that struck the Kolony area ripped up and mangled a large steel bridge across the Washita River.
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Informative post. The only thing I noticed is that the postcard that says "Cyclone. Offerle, Kans. May 3rd 1912" is indeed from a later tornado that Grazulis rated F2.I was reading newspaper reports from the April 1912 tornado outbreak sequence and a few tornadoes sound like they were extremely violent and F5 candidates. I will list these tornadoes below.
Waldron KS F3+ 4/20/1912:
Grazulis only lists this tornado as an F3 (though he mentions possible F4 damage) but local newspapers give descriptions that are more aligned with an F4-F5 rating. Several farms were destroyed by this large and violent tornado as it moved through rural areas near Waldron. At one of these farms, the house was swept away with "not one board left where the building stood and only a few feet of the cement foundation being left in its original position." Two other farms would be swept away by this tornado, one of which had "simply nothing left of either house or barn. The timber was carried away, windmill torn down, and wagons and farm machinery ruined." Newspapers also mentioned intense contextual damage: animals and debris on one farm were covered in an inch of mud (scouring?), and machinery was mangled beyond recognition and thrown significant distances.
Hennessy OK F4+ 4/20/1912:
This massive and extremely violent tornado devastated farms near Hennessy and leveled/swept away multiple homes in the town itself. Everything on multiple farms NE of the town was completely swept away and annihilated. "Hardly a trace" was left on one of the farms. The top of a storm cellar in Hennessy was blown away, numerous trees were uprooted or "splintered," a wagon was destroyed and scattered for the surrounding country, and a county bridge was "carried away." Some sources list this tornado as an F5 but Grazulis lists it as an F4.
Bison KS F4 4/20/1912
This tornado passed through the town of Bison. In the town of Bison, several buildings were leveled and swept away as half of the town was damaged or destroyed. Some only had empty foundations left. People were reportedly blown hundreds of yards in Bison and debris was carried 8 miles from the town.
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On the same day as the tornadoes listed above, there were two violent tornadoes in Texas. Both of these swept away farms/homes but not much information is available about them. There were also violent tornadoes in IN/IL the next day which swept away numerous homes but I can't find much info about them either.
Lugert OK F4 - 4/27/1912
This huge tornado devastated the town of Lugert and nearby farms. Two entire farms were swept clean NE of Lugert with "nothing but land" left on one of them. The small town of Lugert itself was pretty much leveled. Only 2 buildings were left standing with the others being destroyed, leveled, or swept away. Some of these buildings were made of brick.
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4/27/1912 Sentinel OK F4:
This large and violent tornado moved through Sentinel and NW Cordell. Something to note is that some of this reported damage might be due to an F3 that struck Rocky, they were only separated by ~4 miles. Like many of the tornadoes from this event, rural areas were devastated: a 2-story house with 18 inch thick stone walls was leveled, a 1000 lb piano was "thrown out in the section line" and destroyed, and multiple farms/rural homes were completely swept away. Along a creek, large pecan trees were "twisted down," the tops of elm trees were torn off, and 3-ft cottonwood trees were snapped. Either this tornado or another F4 that struck the Kolony area ripped up and mangled a large steel bridge across the Washita River.
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I have always been keen on those monsters since the first day I saw them on old tornado documentary when I was 6 or 7. I can assume there're maybe at least 10 violent tornado in TX panhandle alone in that crazy week including some wedge almost had zero damage information
Yeah, survey information is maddeningly scant for those outbreaks especially given how locally significant they were. The area is so rural, even huge wedges rarely strike anything substantial. Has there been even one violent-rated tornado in the Texas Panhandle in the 27 years since?
I don't think those photos are from that road as there is nothing like that on aerial imagery:
I don't think those photos are from that road as there is nothing like that on aerial imagery:
www.arkansasonline.com
it's most likely from this area:source was here.Arkansas Democrat Gazette
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the largest source for award-winning news and opinion that matters to you. Featuring up to the minute breaking news and the most in-depth Razorback, business, and political coverage in Arkansas.
One thing I can sure is It wasn't from downtown Vilonia or other places that I have seen before.
