America’s Deadliest Tornado: Remembering The Tri-State Tornado 100 Years Later

In 100 years, everything changes from what it once was. Generations of people change, the landscapes change, and a way of living will change. But no matter how much things change, the impact of the past is often felt in the present. Roughly 100 years ago, a deadly storm caused millions of dollars in damage, killed hundreds of people, and left a deep scar in America’s Heartland.

The Tri-State Tornado is America’s deadliest in its history. Spanning 219 miles long from beginning to end, wind speeds reached levels never imagined by the meteorologists of that time. The beginning of the tornado was first spotted in Ellington, Missouri at 12:42pm Central. The first death was of a farmer caught off guard with his horse as a tree was blown over onto him. His body was found the next day. The tornado continued moving East to Annapolis, gaining strength and windspeed. Annapolis stood no chance and 90% of the town was demolished. No matter what the tornado met in its path, it continued to get even stronger.

Ripping through rural homes and mines, the tornado formed a double-funnel for a brief period, and eventually crossed over the Mississippi River and into Southern Illinois. The town of Gorham was hit approximately 2:30pm, just less than 2 hours after the tornado was first spotted. Gorham stood no chance to this meteorological monster and was wiped off of the map completely. The tornado continued its path through Illinois and ripped nearly half of the town of Murphysboro from the ground. DeSoto, West Frankfort, and Parrish were also in its path, as this tornado gradually moved towards Indiana. Before crossing the Wabash River, the tornado was estimated to be around a mile and a half in width. Eventually entering Indiana around 3:55pm, the town of Griffin was next to be impacted. Nothing was left of Griffin after this storm. It then traveled Northeast and crossed into Owensville, then Princeton; and eventually after four hours of nonstop destruction, the tornado disappeared around 4:30pm just Southwest of Petersburg.

In total, damage from the tornado extended over 200 miles. Nearly 700 people died, with nearly 600 of them from Illinois alone. Hospitals in St. Louis and Evansville quickly filled up from surrounding areas full of injured people caught off guard by this devastating storm. To see a list of eyewitness accounts and a map of the tornado’s path, you can find it HERE.

Griffin, IN after the storm.

Credit: Posey County Historical Society

Credit: NOAA/NWS archives

Princeton, IN after the storm.

Credit: Indiana State Library Archives

Credit: Princeton Public Library

Murphysboro, Illinois after the storm.

Credit: Jackson County Historical Society

Credit: Jackson County Historical Society

Now 100 years later, predicting weather has become way more advanced than before. Warning systems are put in place to alert the public before storms like this have time to cause more destruction than they used to. While storms can still get as big as the Tri-State Tornado, it is likely that the amount of deaths and injuries would not eclipse what happened in 1925 with the advanced alert systems in place. However, it is always a smart idea to take weather alerts very seriously so that we may never have to experience this kind of destruction and misery ever again.