1985 United States-Canada tornado outbreak facts for kids
The 1985 United States-Canada tornado outbreak was a huge series of tornadoes that hit parts of the United States and Canada on May 31, 1985. In the U.S., tornadoes struck Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. In Canada, they hit the province of Ontario. This event was the biggest and strongest tornado outbreak ever recorded in this region. It was also the worst tornado outbreak in the history of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Contents
Tornadoes in the United States
The Strongest Tornado: Ohio and Pennsylvania
The most powerful tornado of the outbreak was an F5 tornado. This means it was incredibly strong, with winds over 260 miles per hour! It tore through Niles, Ohio and Wheatland, Pennsylvania. This single tornado sadly killed 18 people and injured 310 others. It was the only F5 tornado ever to hit Pennsylvania. It was also the most violent tornado in the entire United States in 1985.
This powerful tornado started around 6:30 p.m. It grew stronger as it moved towards Newton Falls, Ohio. It caused F3 and F4 damage there, which is still very serious. Luckily, no one was killed or injured in Newton Falls because everyone took shelter. Homes were also destroyed in Lordstown, Ohio.
The tornado then became an F5 as it moved into Niles. Hundreds of homes in Niles were destroyed. A local shopping center was completely flattened. Several people died in that area. The tornado then crossed into Pennsylvania, becoming very strong again. About 95% of the buildings in Wheatland were destroyed.
The tornado weakened a little as it moved towards Hermitage. Still, 71 homes were damaged or destroyed. It then destroyed more homes in the Greenfield area before finally disappearing.
Tornadoes in New York
Later that day, other tornadoes broke out in southern New York. No one was killed in New York state, but 20 people were injured.
Tornadoes in Canada
The tornado activity then moved into southeastern Ontario, Canada. Five tornadoes touched down there between 5:40 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. These tornadoes were not as strong as the F5, ranging from F1 to F3 intensity.
Around the same time, severe thunderstorms formed near Clinton, Ontario, and in the Walkerton, Ontario area. In Barrie, Ontario, the power went out at 4:00 p.m. because a tornado destroyed local power lines. Sadly, five people were killed in the Barrie area. This included a mother and her son whose home was completely destroyed.
How Many People Were Affected?
In total, 41 tornadoes touched down during this outbreak. They happened between 3 p.m. on May 31 and 12 a.m. on June 1. Across both the United States and Canada, 90 people lost their lives. The deadliest tornado was the one that hit Ohio and Pennsylvania in the evening.
The Niles, Ohio tornado was the deadliest in Ohio since the Xenia tornado in 1974. This entire outbreak was the worst tornado outbreak in the United States since the 1974 Super Outbreak. It was also the third most expensive tornado event in history. It caused about $980 million in damage across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario.
Images for kids
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Animation of visible images of the storms taken by the GOES 6 satellite.
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GOES visible satellite image as the tornado was entering Barrie
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King City Doppler at 4:20pm; two major tornadoes are on the ground here
