User:HurricaneGonzalo/May 26-29, 1973 tornado outbreak
| Type | Tornado outbreak sequence |
|---|---|
| Duration | May 26–29, 1973 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | ≥ 105 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | ? days, ? hours, ? minutes |
| Fatalities | 22 fatalities, 801 injuries |
| Areas affected | Primarily Southern and Midwestern U.S. |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The May 26–29, 1973 tornado outbreak was a catastrophic tornado outbreak sequence that took place in the South on May 26–29, 1973. The severe weather event was the largest and the deadliest outbreak sequence in 1973. At least 105 confirmed tornadoes caused 22 deaths, 801 injuries, and approximately $274 million (1973 USD) in damages. The deadliest tornado of the entire event was a large, violent, long-tracked tornado that crossed the state of Alabama on May 27, killing seven and injuring about 200. The tornado, which tracked for almost 140 miles (230 km), was rated F4 on the Fujita scale and largely destroyed the small town of Brent. A day earlier, on May 26, another long-lived F4 tornado in Arkansas caused the highest single-tornado injury total in the outbreak sequence, with 289 people injured. The tornado caused severe damage to the city of Jonesboro and killed three people. Other notable, deadly tornadoes struck Kansas and Oklahoma on May 26, including an F1 in Kansas that killed three and a violent F4 that killed five in Muskogee County, Oklahoma. The outbreak on May 27 was reportedly the most severe to affect the U.S. state of Alabama since March 21, 1932.[1]
Confirmed tornadoes
[edit]| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 20 | 39 | 33 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 105 |
May 26 event
[edit]| List of confirmed tornadoes - Saturday, May 26, 1973 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | ||||||
| F2 | NW of Kenefick to SE of Raywood | Liberty | 30°07′N 94°52′W / 30.12°N 94.87°W | 0804 | 14.7 miles (23.7 km) | A tornado passed through a mobile home park in Liberty, injuring four people and severely damaging structures. The tornado also turned a truck onto its side, caused some damage to a theater, and snapped power poles before dissipating.[2] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis.[3] |
| F2 | NW of Fannett to ENE of Hamshire | Jefferson | 29°57′N 94°18′W / 29.95°N 94.3°W | 0845 | 6.2 miles (10.0 km) | A tornado hurled a trailer for up to 200 yards (180 m), injuring three occupants, and leveled or damaged a total of 20 trailers. Numerous structures had their roofs torn off as well, and vehicles sustained damage.[2] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F2 | NE of McNeill | Pearl River | 30°42′N 89°36′W / 30.7°N 89.6°W | 1523 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A very short-lived tornado razed several structures, including mobile homes and a barn, with four injuries.[4] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| Florida | ||||||
| F2 | E of Muscogee to NNE of Glendale | Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton | 30°36′N 87°18′W / 30.6°N 87.3°W | 1800 | 105.4 miles (169.6 km) | 1 death – A very long-tracked tornado family spawned several short-lived, narrow tornadoes as it crossed the Florida Panhandle.[3] Major damage was only reported in the Crestview area, where the tornado leveled trailers and killed one person. Four others were injured along the path.[5] According to Grazulis, peak damage from the tornado was only in the F1 range and the total path length was 70 mi (112.7 km) rather than in excess of 100 mi (160.9 km).[3] |
| F1 | Navarre area | Santa Rosa[5] | 30°14′N 86°55′W / 30.23°N 86.92°W | 2020 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | A brief tornado affected the "Lagniappe Beach" section and the Holley Nolf Airport in Navarre. The tornado leveled many modest homes, several of which were of frame construction, along with trailers.[3] At the airport, the tornado flattened a hangar, damaging several airplanes. Seven people sustained injuries.[5] While it is officially rated F1, the tornado was assigned an F2 rating by Grazulis.[3] |
| Nebraska | ||||||
| F0 | SW of Shelby | Polk | 41°10′N 97°27′W / 41.17°N 97.45°W | 2000 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A narrow tornado briefly touched down, prostrating trees in its path. Power lines were downed and several outbuildings were leveled, with debris dispersed for a mile.[6] |
| F0 | ENE of Henderson | York | 40°48′N 97°42′W / 40.8°N 97.7°W | 2115 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A short-lived tornado only affected open fields, causing no structural damage.[6] |
| F0 | E of Columbus | Platte | 41°26′N 97°20′W / 41.43°N 97.33°W | 2230 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A brief tornado produced minimal, intermittent damage.[6] |
| Kansas | ||||||
| F1 | ENE of Pretty Prairie | Sedgwick | 37°48′N 97°52′W / 37.8°N 97.87°W | 2025 | 3.8 miles (6.1 km) | 3 deaths – A tornado developed over the north side of the Cheney Reservoir, where it lofted a 19-foot (5.8 m) boat into the air. Three occupants, all family members, drowned when the boat sank. Nearby trees were downed as well.[3] |
| F1 | E of Elgin | Chautauqua | 37°00′N 96°15′W / 37.00°N 96.25°W | 2100 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | This tornado may have formed in Oklahoma, near Boulangerville, before crossing the state border into southern Kansas, where it struck and mildly damaged some farms.[7] |
| F3 | NNW of Goddard | Sedgwick | 37°43′N 97°36′W / 37.72°N 97.6°W | 2115 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | An intense tornado leveled or damaged nine homes and a nearby bridge. One person was injured.[3] |
| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F3 | N of Copan | Washington | 36°58′N 95°55′W / 36.97°N 95.92°W | 2100 | 0.3 miles (0.5 km) | A brief but intense tornado crossed U.S. Route 75, striking a pair of vehicles on the road. One of the vehicles flipped over and was wrecked. Fences and trees sustained damage as well, and some utility poles were downed. Three injuries occurred.[8] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| F2 | SSE of Broken Arrow | Tulsa | 36°01′N 95°47′W / 36.02°N 95.78°W | 2100 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A short-tracked tornado caused moderate damage to many structures, including those on a farm.[8] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| F1 | WSW of Chouteau to ENE of Sams Corner | Mayes | 36°10′N 95°23′W / 36.17°N 95.38°W | 2130 | 10.5 miles (16.9 km) | This tornado skipped to the east-northeast, causing minimal damage to several small structures, including barns, motels, and mobile homes.[8] |
| F4 | Keefton area | Muskogee | 35°33′N 95°19′W / 35.55°N 95.32°W | 2200 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) | 5 deaths – A very powerful tornado struck Keefton, just northwest of Martin, in the late afternoon hours, engulfing 75% of the community.[3] The tornado—up to 1⁄3 mi (0.5 km) in width—reportedly produced "near total" devastation in its short but violent path.[8] It killed four people in a pickup truck and injured the other critically.[9] The truck was moved up to .5 mi (0.8 km) from its original location.[3] Additionally, a man perished in a home when it was leveled by the tornado.[9] Only few structures in the area were still barely standing. 25 people were injured in the tornado,[3] several severely.[9] At least some damage affected more than 100 structures.[3] The tornado demolished 40 homes, five businesses, a church, and 125 cars. At least six horses were killed on a farm in the area.[9] |
| F3 | SW of Notchietown to ESE of Flute Springs | Sequoyah | 35°34′N 95°06′W / 35.57°N 95.1°W | 2240 | 18.7 miles (30.1 km) | This intense tornado leveled several structures, including nine homes, a mobile home, and a business. One home was swept cleanly from its foundation, leaving only the refrigerator behind. Roughly 50 other homes were damaged but not destroyed. 27 cattle died on farms nearby. Leaves from trees were found embedded several inches deep into tree trunks.[3] Six people were injured.[8] |
| F2 | NNW of Checotah to SE of Oktaha | McIntosh, Muskogee | 35°30′N 95°32′W / 35.5°N 95.53°W | 0200 | 5.7 miles (9.2 km) | This tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| F1 | S of Ashland to NW of Blanco | Pittsburg | 34°44′N 96°04′W / 34.73°N 96.07°W | 0210 | 15.5 miles (24.9 km) | A weak tornado caused minor damage to four residences, including a few mobile homes.[8] |
| F2 | ESE of Wister | Le Flore | 34°57′N 94°42′W / 34.95°N 94.7°W | 0300 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | A strong tornado moved through the Wister area, badly damaging four homes and one business. Two structures were flattened, and several others received minimal damage.[3] |
| Missouri | ||||||
| F1 | SSW of Millard | Adair | 40°06′N 92°33′W / 40.1°N 92.55°W | 2230 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | |
| F1 | ESE of Norwood | Wright | 37°06′N 92°24′W / 37.1°N 92.4°W | 0000 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | |
| F2 | ESE of Elkhurst | Boone | 38°49′N 92°10′W / 38.82°N 92.17°W | 0050 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A short-lived tornado tore the roof from an apartment and caused relatively minor damage to other residences. One person was injured.[3] |
| F1 | WSW of Arcadia | Iron | 37°35′N 90°43′W / 37.58°N 90.72°W | 0205 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | |
| F2 | Creve Coeur area | St. Louis | 38°39′N 90°27′W / 38.65°N 90.45°W | 0330 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A brief tornado caused considerable damage as it leveled a few homes and mildly damaged 19 others.[3] |
| F0 | W of Moberly | Randolph | 39°25′N 92°29′W / 39.42°N 92.48°W | 0430 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | |
| F1 | SSW of Glover | Iron | 37°27′N 90°43′W / 37.45°N 90.72°W | 0430 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | |
| F2 | SW of Marquand | Madison | 37°25′N 90°11′W / 37.42°N 90.18°W | 0500 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A strong but short-lived tornado struck 105 homes, leveling five of them and causing some damage to the rest.[10] |
| Arkansas | ||||||
| F2 | S of Busch to NNE of Eureka Springs | Benton | 36°25′N 93°50′W / 36.42°N 93.83°W | 2300 | 5.6 miles (9.0 km) | A tornado damaged trees and flattened a mobile home. General damage occurred to other properties in the area.[11] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[3] |
| F0 | NW of Pilgrims Rest | Benton | 36°12′N 94°00′W / 36.2°N 94°W | 2355 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | A tornado felled trees and power lines in its short trek across farmland.[11] |
| F2 | S of Berryville | Carroll | 36°20′N 93°34′W / 36.33°N 93.57°W | 0325 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A tornado flattened a few mobile homes, one of which disintegrated and was lofted into a tree. Only the frame, with wheels still attached, remained intact. Several other structures sustained damage as well, and two injuries occurred.[3] |
| F1 | ESE of Van Buren | Crawford | 35°26′N 94°19′W / 35.43°N 94.32°W | 0330 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A tornado swept through a pair of mobile home parks, damaging or destroying several structures. A filling station sustained minor damage and vehicles were tossed aside. 23 people were injured.[11] |
| F4 | SSW of Augusta to Jonesboro | Woodruff, Jackson, Poinsett, Craighead | 35°16′N 91°22′W / 35.27°N 91.37°W | 0430 | 54.8 miles (88.2 km) | 3 deaths – A long-tracked, violent tornado touched down after sundown and tracked northeast from Augusta to Jonesboro. Initially, the tornado snapped trees and damaged various structures, primarily in Tupelo and Balch. 25 injuries and $110,000 losses (1973 USD) took place in Jackson County. Seven more injuries occurred in Poinsett County, with the first confirmed death at Weiner. Another fatality occurred at Otwell in Craighead County. The tornado may have reformed into two funnels as it struck Jonesboro, causing severe damage to businesses and residences. Total losses in Jonesboro reached $37 million in contemporary dollars, and one person died in town.[3][10] 289 people were injured along the entire path.[11] |
| Source: Tornado History Project: May 26, 1973 | ||||||
May 27 event
[edit]| List of confirmed tornadoes - Sunday, May 27, 1973 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | ||||||
| F1 | SW of Kennett | Dunklin | 36°13′N 90°04′W / 36.22°N 90.07°W | 0800 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | |
| Tennessee | ||||||
| F2 | S of Rosemark | Shelby | 35°20′N 89°46′W / 35.33°N 89.77°W | 0835 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A tornado caused severe damage to a residence and leveled a nearby barn.[10] Other homes in the area sustained minor roof damage and treetops were sheared off.[12] |
| F1 | N of Huntingdon | Carroll | 36°01′N 88°26′W / 36.02°N 88.43°W | 0936 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A very brief tornado leveled a trailer and damaged some trees.[12] |
| F2 | ESE of Elora | Lincoln | 35°00′N 86°20′W / 35°N 86.33°W | 1600 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | Another short-lived tornado produced severe damage to the Elora area. The tornado tore off roofs from 11 houses and razed eight other structures, including a restaurant, barns, and a few mobile homes.[10] |
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F1 | WSW of Falkner | Benton | 34°50′N 89°00′W / 34.83°N 89°W | 1100 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | Trees were downed and several structures were minimally damaged.[4] |
| F1 | WSW of Biggersville | Alcorn | 34°50′N 88°34′W / 34.83°N 88.57°W | 1300 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | A brief tornado flattened a barn and displaced another structure from its foundation.[4] |
| F1 | NE of Cadamy | Itawamba | 34°12′N 88°14′W / 34.2°N 88.23°W | 1634 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | A tornado caused minor damage to many houses and leveled one trailer.[4] |
| F3 | ESE of Johnson to NE of Cleo | Jones | 31°32′N 89°08′W / 31.53°N 89.13°W | 1915 | 15 miles (24.1 km) | 1 death – A large and intense tornado, passing just east of Laurel, leveled numerous structures in its path, including 12 homes and a church built of brick. The tornado also wrecked structures on farms, seven mobile homes, and many boats. 35 people were injured, six of whom sustained life-threatening injuries. Losses reached $2 million (1973 USD).[10] |
| F1 | SSW of Clinton | Hinds | 32°18′N 90°21′W / 32.3°N 90.35°W | 1945 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) | A very short-lived tornado briefly dipped earthward, leveling a mobile home and an adjacent chicken coop.[4] |
| F2 | E of De Soto | Clarke | 31°58′N 88°35′W / 31.97°N 88.58°W | 2100 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | A strong tornado caused $100,000 (1973 USD) in losses as it razed several homes and a church.[10] One person was injured. The tornado was one of three to occur simultaneously in Clarke County on May 27.[4] |
| F2 | NE of Pachuta | Clarke | 32°04′N 88°49′W / 32.07°N 88.82°W | 2100 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | This was the second of three tornadoes to hit Clarke County, causing moderate damage and one injury.[4] |
| F2 | ENE of Quitman | Clarke | 32°04′N 88°38′W / 32.07°N 88.63°W | 2100 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | This was the third and final tornado to affect Clarke County on May 27, producing one more injury.[4] |
| F2 | S of Forest (1st tornado) | Lauderdale | 32°17′N 89°29′W / 32.28°N 89.48°W | 2120 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | This was part of a pair tornadoes to strike Lauderdale County only a couple of hours apart, both of which caused significant damage.[4] Both tornadoes destroyed a total of 15 residences, including mobile homes.[10] The individual damage swaths were reportedly "nearly identical" in location and intensity, but only the first tornado injured people, a total of three.[4] |
| F2 | S of Forest (2nd tornado) | Lauderdale | 32°17′N 89°29′W / 32.28°N 89.48°W | 2330 | 0.1 miles (0.2 km) | This was the second tornado to strike Lauderdale County on May 27, inflicting moderate damage.[4] |
| Alabama | ||||||
| F2 | SW of Hulaco to NE of Grant | Cullman, Marshall, Jackson[1] | 34°18′N 86°37′W / 34.3°N 86.62°W | 1930 | 31.5 miles (50.7 km) | A strong, long-tracked tornado crossed northern Alabama, inflicting severe damage to the Arab area. The tornado struck the communities of Hulaco and Eddy, causing damage to about 50 structures. Several were leveled. A factory and a model were among the buildings affected.[10] Three people[1] (possibly six)[10] were injured. |
| F2 | NNE of Section to NNW of Dutton | Jackson | 34°36′N 85°59′W / 34.6°N 85.98°W | 2015 | 4.3 miles (6.9 km) | Another strong tornado struck both Section and Dutton, leveling several structures on farms. 15 other buildings were razed as well, including a home that lost its roof and disintegrated. Four occupants of the home sustained injuries requiring hospitalization.[10] |
| F2 | NNE of Adger | Jefferson | 33°24′N 87°05′W / 33.4°N 87.08°W | 2056 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | A brief tornado leveled some mobile homes west of Bessemer, injuring three people.[1] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[10] |
| F2 | NNW of Odenville to NNE of Wattsville | St. Clair | 33°42′N 86°24′W / 33.7°N 86.4°W | 2135 | 8.4 miles (13.5 km) | A tornado downed many trees in its path to the northeast. This or a separate tornado may have destroyed structures at Moody.[1] The tornado was not listed as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.[10] |
| F4 | ENE of Demopolis to SW of Abel | Hale, Perry, Bibb, Shelby, Talladega, Clay, Cleburne | 32°32′N 87°48′W / 32.53°N 87.8°W | 2320 | 139.1 miles (223.9 km) | 7 deaths – See section on this tornado – 199 people (possibly 208)[1][10] were injured. |
| Source: Tornado History Project: May 27, 1973 | ||||||
Notable tornadoes
[edit]Greensboro–Brent–Centreville, Alabama
[edit]See also
[edit]- 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak – Deadliest tornado outbreak on record in the state of Alabama
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- May 1968 tornado outbreak – Produced a devastating, deadly F4 tornado that also struck Jonesboro, Arkansas
- Tornadoes of 1973
- Tornado History Project: May 26–29, 1973
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. 15 (6): 29. June 1973.
- ^ a b "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. 15 (5): 19. May 1973.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes, 1680–1991: a Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. p. 1141. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Storm Data 1973b, p. 10
- ^ a b c Storm Data 1973b, p. 4
- ^ a b c Storm Data 1973b, p. 12
- ^ Storm Data 1973b, p. 7
- ^ a b c d e f Storm Data 1973b, p. 16
- ^ a b c d Etter, Jim (May 23, 1993). "Keefeton Survivor Blanks Out Memory of Fatal '73 Storm". The Oklahoman.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Grazulis 1993, p. 1142
- ^ a b c d Storm Data 1973b, p. 3
- ^ a b Storm Data 1973b, p. 19