Tri-State Tornado Date of tornado outbreak:Wednesday, March 18, 1925 Duration1:3.5 hours Maximum rated tornado2:F5 tornado Tornadoes caused:9 known Fatalities:747+ (695+ from one tornado) Areas affected:Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Kansas, possibly other states Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita Scale TRI STATE TORNADO

 One tornado or a series?  There has been uncertainty as to whether the event was one continuous tornado or a tornado family. Quality of data because of distance in the past and lack of other tornadoes approaching this path length and duration raised doubts; and theory on tornadoes and supercell morphology suggested such duration was exceedingly improbable. In fact, several other historically very long track tornadoes were subsequently found to be tornado families, although in the past several years some very long track tornadoes and supercells have occurred.

 New and continuing research, however, has found no break in the path and also that the tornado touchdown may have occurred approximately 15 miles (24 km) before previously thought, bringing the total path length to around 234 mi (377 km).  The vortex was first sighted at around 1:01 p.m., north- northwest of Ellington, Missouri. The tornado sped to the northeast, killing two and causing $500,000 worth of property damage and the near annihilation of Annapolis, then struck the mining town of Leadanna. In Bollinger County, 32 children were injured when two schools were damaged. Redford, Cornwall, Biehle, and Frohna also were hit by the tornado. At least 11 died altogether in Missouri.

Ruins of the Longfellow School, Murphysboro, Illinois, where 17 children were killed. The storm hit the school at about 2:30 p.m. The tornado crossed the Mississippi River into southern Illinois, hitting the town of Gorham, at 2:30 p.m., essentially obliterating the entire town, killing 34. Continuing to the northeast at an average speed of 62 miles per hour (100 km/h) (and up to 73 miles per hour [117 km/h]), the tornado cut a swath almost a mile (1.6 km) wide through Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush, and West Frankfort. Also afflicted were Zeigler, and Maunie. The school was hit in the village of Maunie also resulting in the death of one child and the loss of a limb to another. The school was completely destroyed. There are pictures of the aftermath available for view in Maunie Town Hall. Within 40 minutes, 541 lives were lost and 1,423 were seriously injured. The village of Parrish was completely destroyed, killing 22. In Murphysboro, 234 were killed, the most in a single city in U.S. history. The tornado proceeded to decimate rural areas across Hamilton and White Counties, claiming 65 more residents. In Illinois, at least 613 were killed, the most in a single state in U.S. history.

 Ruins of the town of Griffin, Indiana, where 26 people were killed.  Crossing the Wabash River into Indiana, the tornado struck and nearly totally demolished Griffin, devastated rural areas, impacted Owensville, then roared into Princeton, destroying half the town. The tornado travelled ten more miles (16 km) to the northeast before finally dissipating at about 4:30 p.m. around three miles (5 km) southwest of Petersburg. In Indiana, at least 71 perished.  In all, at least 695 died and 2,027 were injured, mostly in southern Illinois. Total damage was estimated at $16.5 million adjusted for wealth and inflation the toll is approximately $1.4 billion (1997 USD), surpassed in history only by one extremely destructive tornado in the City of St. Louis. This one event in terms of destruction, inferred by normalized monetary losses, is by far the most destructive (and expensive) tornado ever in the United States. Over 15,000 homes were destroyed by the Tri- State Tornado.

 Track of the Tri-state tornado  Nine schools across three states were destroyed in which 69 students were killed. More schools were destroyed and more students killed (as well as the single school record of 33 deaths in De Soto, Illinois) than in any other tornado in U.S. history.  The unusual appearance (due to its size) of the very fast moving tornado, best described by the witnesses along most of its path as an amorphous rolling fog or boiling clouds on the ground, fooled normally weather wise farm owners (and people in general) who did not sense the danger until the storm was upon them. The funnel itself was wrapped in dust and debris as to make it invisible and unrecognizable to weather wise farmers.  The tornado was accompanied by extreme downburst winds generally throughout the entirety of its course; the tornado and accompanying downbursts increased the width of damage from an average of 3/4-mile (1.2 km) (though at times over a mile [1.6 km] wide) to an area three miles (5 km) wide at times.  In addition to the dead and injured, thousands were left without shelter or food. Fires erupted, exacerbating the damage. Looting and theft, notably of the property of the dead, was reported. Recovery was generally slow with the event leaving a lasting blow to the region.