The U.S. experiences more tornadoes than any other country, with 1,200 a year on average. The powerful systems form very quickly, sometimes without warning, and can kill and destroy anything in their path.
Tornadoes that kill a large number of people are rare, but they have happened.
The Tri-State tornado, which hit on March 18, 1925, was the deadliest tornado to ever occur in recorded history. The event lasted for over three hours and killed 695 people.
The Tri-State tornado formed at about 1 p.m. around Ellington, Missouri. The weather forecast had been normal that day, meaning the twister caught residents unawares.
The fast-moving twister then swept across the northwest of the state, having already killed 11 people. It then crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, where it became particularly deadly.
The tornado flattened several towns including Gorham, De Soto and Murphysboro, and others. In Illinois, the tornado killed about 600 people. It then moved into Indiana, where it continued to demolish towns, killing 71 people.
The tornado eventually vanished at 4:30 p.m. near Petersburg.
The Tri-State tornado was also part of the Tri-State tornado outbreak. As well as the devastating tornado, there were 11 others that swept across parts of the midwestern and southern U.S.
In total, the storms killed 747 people.
The Tri-State tornado was made up of winds running at 300 miles per hour. This put it in the EF5 category—the highest point of the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
It total, the Tornado spanned three states and traveled 219 miles.
It was certainly violent and deadly in itself—but the reason it caused so many deaths is because in 1925 there were no such things as Tornado Watch or tornado warnings.
Weather-forecasting systems and the related technology weren't nearly as advanced as they are now.
When the Tri-State tornado tore through the three states, people would have relied on newspapers or government mail to be informed of such events.
And even if experts had predicted the tornado, many people still wouldn't have had nearly enough time to seek shelter.
Nowadays, scientists can issue tornado warnings before they hit a certain area, although the phenomenon in general remains difficult to predict.
The National Weather Service reports that a death toll as high as this from a tornado is highly unlikely today due to the advanced weather forecasting in place. However it isn't impossible, the service says.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about tornadoes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
