The Tornado Outbreak Sequence of 1913 was a deadly tornado outbreak that occurred in the Great Plains, Southern US, and the Midwest regions of the United States. It was a two day long outbreak that covered two sequences of outbreaks within those two days. The first being on March 21, where nine tornadoes broke out all across Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, killing a total of 49 people. The next one took place on March 23, where ten more tornadoes broke out across the states of Nebraska, Louisiana, Indiana, and Missouri, killing a total of 192 people. Nineteen tornadoes were confirmed, with the possibility of more existing.
The outbreak sequence was over Easter Sunday, which is a little unusual for the early months of the year. It was the most destructive and deadly tornado outbreak in the plains that still holds up to today. However, only the more powerful tornadoes were recorded, as so that the weaker F1 and F0 tornadoes went unrecorded. Engineers after the outbreak decided to work on techniques that make buildings able to withstand average tornadoes.
Tornado Count
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
Confirmed Total |
0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 19 |
Although there is evidence that more tornadoes existed and were actually causing damage, scientists were not able to classify it on whether or not they actually existed, due to a lack of evidence being able to prove they existed.
Statistics
List of confirmed tornadoes - March 21, 1913 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia | ||||||
F2 | S of Madison | 0600 | 8 miles | 1 death - More than two dozen buildings and a few plantations destroyed | ||
Mississippi | ||||||
F2 | Ruleville | 0610 | Unknown | 3 deaths - Houses demolished | ||
F2 | N of Macon | 0630 | 30 miles | 9 deaths - 25 homes destroyed and several people killed | ||
F2 | Rienzi | 0630 | 5 miles | 2 deaths - Leveled the entire town | ||
Alabama | ||||||
F2 | Florence | 0700 | Unknown | 3 deaths - Demolished 2 dozen homes and 3 children's lives | ||
F2 | W of Decatur | 0730 | 40 miles | 3 deaths - Destroyed many homes and a church | ||
F2 | E of Talladega | 0900 | 35 miles | Destroyed a dozen farm houses | ||
F4 | E of Fulton | 1030 | 13 miles | 27 deaths - Destroyed over a hundred homes and caused massive flooding | ||
F2 | E of Camden | 1100 | 12 miles | 1 death - Destroyed half a dozen homes and crops, and was related to the Fulton tornado |
List of confirmed tornadoes - March 23, 1913 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nebraska | ||||||
F3 | W of Craig | 2300 | 15 miles | 1 death - Destroyed a dozen farms and homes | ||
F4 | SE of Mead | 2330 | 55 miles | 22 deaths - Destroyed an entire area and a few churches and 40 homes | ||
F3 | E of Greenwood | 2330 | 15 miles | Destroyed many homes | ||
F5 | Ralston | 2345 | 40 miles | 103 deaths - It moved to Omaha and then Iowa before finishing, destroying everything | ||
F4 | Bellevue | 0015 | 48 miles | 25 deaths - Destroying dozens of small homes and spread out over Nebraska and Iowa | ||
F4 | S of Douglas | 0015 | 60 miles | 18 deaths - Longest living one in the outbreak that tore through many farms | ||
F2 | Burchard | 0100 | 5 miles | Destroyed a school and four homes | ||
Louisiana | ||||||
F2 | NW of Saline | 0100 | 6 miles | 1 death - Destroyed an entire estate | ||
Indiana | ||||||
F4 | N of Prairieton | 0230 | 22 miles | 21 deaths - Damaged more than 300 homes caused a flood afterwards | ||
Missouri | ||||||
F4 | SW of Savannah | 0230 | 45 miles | 2 deaths - Damaged 30 farms |