1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak facts for kids
The 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak was a huge series of powerful tornadoes. It happened on April 11 and 12, 1965. These storms hit several states in the United States. They struck Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
This event was one of the biggest tornado outbreaks ever recorded at that time. Sadly, 271 people lost their lives. About 1,500 people were also hurt. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in Indiana's history. 137 people died in Indiana alone.
Contents
What Happened During the Outbreak
Tornadoes Begin in Iowa
Just before 1 PM CST, a tornado touched down in Cedar County, Iowa. This tornado was very strong, rated F4. It came from a powerful thunderstorm called a supercell. A news reporter, Martin Jensen, first spotted the storm. He quickly warned offices in Waterloo and Des Moines.
Illinois Tornadoes
A tornado also hit Crystal Lake, Illinois. It destroyed many neighborhoods and a junior high school. Five people died there. Three of them were killed when a truck was blown into a basement where they were hiding. The tornado then moved to Island Lake. It killed one person there before it lifted around 3:42 PM CST. This tornado was also rated F4.
Devastation in Indiana
Many deadly tornadoes hit Indiana. The first one touched down around 5:30 PM in Koontz Lake. This F3 tornado killed 10 people and injured 180. It moved northeast, damaging a high school that was being built. It also destroyed 20 homes in the Wyatt area.
Another tornado formed near the St. Joseph and Elkhart County line. It moved east-northeast. It killed a child in Wakarusa. The storm then headed towards Dunlap and a trailer park. A reporter named Paul Huffman took pictures of the twin-funnel F4 tornado. It completely flattened the trailer park. This tornado killed 14 people.
About 90 minutes later, a second F4 tornado hit Dunlap. It destroyed the Sunnyside Housing addition and the town's church. 28 people died in this area. Six more people were killed at a truck stop. Today, the Palm Sunday Tornado Memorial Park stands there. Most of the 36 people who died had no warning. High winds from the first tornado had knocked out phone and power lines. Much of northern Indiana was under a "blanket tornado warning." Both of these tornadoes were rated F4.
At 7:30 PM, another huge tornado struck Russiaville. Several people died there. The storm destroyed Alto before hitting Kokomo. As it moved east, it killed 10 more people in Greentown. Most of them were in cars. More damage happened in Marion before the tornado lifted. In Berne, another tornado cut through the northern part of the city. It damaged homes and businesses. Then it crossed into Ohio, destroying more homes before it disappeared.
Tornadoes Reach Michigan
Emergency services could not warn Michigan residents in time. Radar showed thunderstorms over northern Indiana and western Michigan. They were moving fast, at 70 miles per hour. The tornadoes hit Kent County, just north of Grand Rapids. Almost all counties in southern Michigan were affected.
Two F4 tornadoes struck Hillsdale County. They destroyed 200 cottages along Baw Beese Lake. Many people were safe because they were at church. Lenawee County was hit by two tornadoes within 30 minutes. Many people died, including a family of six. A local dance hall was destroyed. It had just been rebuilt after a fire in 1963. One of these tornadoes destroyed parts of Onsted. The nearby village of Tipton was hit directly. Half of its buildings were damaged or destroyed.
F4 tornadoes also struck Milan. It was a village south of Ann Arbor. One tornado destroyed the Wolverinne Plastics building, ripping off its roof. That tornado, or another one, destroyed the local junior high school and the high school next to it. Milan became a city in 1967. A new middle school opened in 1969, replacing the old junior high.
Ohio Tornadoes
Tornadoes continued from Indiana into Ohio, causing more deaths. A double tornado hit Toledo, Ohio. It caused F4 damage in the northern parts of the city. Five people died when the tornado flipped over a bus.
At 11 PM, a tornado touched down in Lorain County. It struck Pittsfield, killing seven people and destroying many buildings. The same tornado severely damaged homes in Grafton. As it got closer to the Cleveland area, it split into two separate paths. Witnesses saw two funnels merge into one, similar to the Dunlap, Indiana tornado earlier. Large trees were knocked down. The storm caused F4 damage in Strongsville, where homes were destroyed. This tornado killed 18 people.
The last deadly tornado happened around 12:30 AM on April 12. It killed four people.
Images for kids
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Synoptic-scale upper-air analysis late on April 11, 1965
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Surface weather analysis showing weather features late on April 11, 1965
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Damage in Toledo, Ohio, following the F4 tornado of April 11, 1965
