1764 Woldegk tornado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1764 Woldegk tornado

A copper engraving by Gottlob Burchard Genzmer showing the tornado
Meteorological history
Duration	60 minutes
Date	29 June 1764
F5 tornado
on the Fujita scale
T11 tornado
on the TORRO scale
Highest winds	>480 km/h (300 mph)
Largest hail	15 cm (6 in)
Overall effects
Fatalities	1
Injuries	3
Areas affected	around Woldegk, Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Holy Roman Empire (now Germany)

The 1764 Woldegk tornado was an incredibly powerful tornado that hit on June 29, 1764. It is known as one of the strongest tornadoes ever recorded! This tornado was so strong it got a rare T11 rating on the TORRO scale and an F5 rating on the Fujita scale. These scales measure how powerful a tornado is. The winds in this tornado were estimated to be faster than 480 kilometres per hour (300 mph)!

The tornado traveled about 30 kilometres (19 mi) and grew to be as wide as 900 metres (980 yd). Most of what we know about this amazing event comes from a detailed study. A German scientist named Gottlob Burchard Genzmer wrote about it one year after it happened. The tornado completely destroyed buildings. It even threw tree branches high into the air.

The storm that created this powerful tornado was unusual because it was a dry thunderstorm. This means there was almost no rain. However, there was a lot of large hail. Some hailstones were as big as 15 centimetres (6 in) across! This huge hail damaged farms and buildings. It also hurt many animals and people in the area.

How the Tornado Formed and Traveled

The tornado first touched down about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) southwest of Feldberg. At first, it was strong enough to pull up oak and beech trees. It quickly grew stronger, becoming an F2–F3 tornado. It even picked up two children and threw them into a lake, but luckily, they survived! Around this time, hailstones were so big they "smashed" geese. The tornado also grew to about 100 metres (110 yd) wide.

As it moved northeast, the tornado crossed a lake. A person saw it and described it as a "wedge tornado." This is a type of tornado that looks very wide, like a wedge. The witness said the lake's water rose and then went back down as the tornado passed. After crossing the lake, the tornado ripped the roof and walls off a house. Sadly, this is where the only person died from the tornado.

A drawing by Genzmer showing different kinds of tree damage from the tornado

The tornado then turned east-northeast and became narrower, about 45 metres (49 yd) wide. Even though it was smaller, it was still very strong (F3 intensity). A possible second, smaller tornado or waterspout might have joined it near Lake Luzin. Right after this, the tornado changed direction again, heading almost straight north. It became even stronger, reaching F3–F4 intensity. It destroyed a forest of beech trees.

Tornado's Peak Power

The tornado then widened to 225 metres (246 yd). It snapped and pulled up many oak trees, throwing them 35 metres (38 yd) into the air. The tornado was so powerful that it even scraped away the top layer of soil. This is called ground scouring today. It removed crops, grass, and about 10 centimetres (4 in) of topsoil. After this, the tornado turned northeast and destroyed Lichtenberg Forest.

The tornado became even more intense. It ripped the bark off an oak tree at F4 intensity. Soon after, it reached its strongest point. A large house with a dairy farm next to it was completely destroyed, except for the ground floor. The tornado pulled oak tree stumps out of the ground. It even threw cobblestones that weighed 75 kilograms (165 lb)! Experts say the damage at the mansion was so severe it earned the highest rating, F5/T11. This means winds were at least 480 km/h (300 mph). A person who saw it said it felt like being "surrounded by birds trapped in the vortex." After destroying the mansion, the tornado quickly became weaker. It left a 500-metre (550 yd) wide path of light damage in a forest.

Final Stages of the Tornado

The tornado soon grew stronger again. It hit a place called Rothe Kirche and pulled up an old oak tree. This tree was so old that it even lifted a skeleton out of a grave! At this point, the tornado reached its widest point, about 900 metres (980 yd). It caused serious damage to a large oak and beech forest.

The tornado then continued northeast, passing just west of Woldegk. Near a settlement called Canzow, it damaged another large house. It also tore apart two barns and flipped over seven carts. Further northeast, the tornado caught a group of geese flying. It killed some and hurt between 60 and 100 geese. Some trees were also damaged in this area. Finally, the tornado hit Helpt. Here, a mansion and another building lost their roofs. The top floor of a gatehouse was also removed. After hitting Helpt, the powerful tornado disappeared.

See Also

• List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes