Tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913 facts for kids
Photo of the 1913 Omaha tornado, the deadliest of the outbreak
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| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 21–23, 1913 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | ≥ 19 |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | ~2 days |
| Damage | ≥ $9.68 million |
| Total fatalities | ≥ 241 fatalities, hundreds of injuries |
| Areas affected | Southern and Midwestern United States |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The tornado outbreak sequence of March 1913 was a huge series of tornado outbreaks. These powerful storms hit parts of the Great Plains, the Southern United States, and the upper Midwest. This happened over two days, from March 21 to March 23, 1913.
The first part of the storm began in Mississippi on March 21. Some very strong tornadoes hit, causing a lot of damage. One tornado killed seven people from the same family. Another tornado destroyed most of Lower Peach Tree, Alabama, killing 27 people there. This tornado was as strong as an F4 on the Fujita scale. These tornadoes hit very early in the morning, which might explain why so many people died. In total, tornadoes in Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama killed at least 48 people that day. They also injured at least 150 people.
March 23, which was Easter Sunday, saw the strongest tornadoes for that early in the year in the northern Great Plains. This record still stands today. On this day, four F4 tornadoes hit eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. These storms killed at least 168 people. The deadliest tornado was a powerful F4 that grew to about 440 yards wide. It tore through northern Omaha, Nebraska, killing at least 94 people in the city. Damage in Omaha was at least F4 strength, possibly even F5. This tornado is the 13th deadliest ever in the United States. It is also the deadliest to hit Nebraska. It would be 62 years before another violent tornado hit Omaha. Outside the Great Plains, two other F4 tornadoes hit. One was in Missouri and another in Indiana. The Indiana tornado caused huge damage over half a mile wide in southern Terre Haute, Indiana. It killed 21 people and injured 250.
Overall, these two tornado outbreaks killed at least 241 people. There were at least 19 tornadoes, but only the big ones were recorded. Weaker tornadoes might have happened but were not noticed. The storms also produced seven very strong tornadoes. These tornadoes hit Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, and Indiana. The total damage was at least $9.68 million.
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How the Storms Formed
In March 1913, many strong storm systems moved across the United States. The US Weather Bureau said it was a very unusual weather situation. A lot of moisture gathered near the US Gulf Coast. A strong storm system then moved in from the west.
On March 23, 1913, a low-pressure system was in Colorado. A warm front stretched from there into Illinois. South of this front, the air was warmer and wetter. As the day went on, the low-pressure system moved through Nebraska. Strong south winds brought more moist air north quickly. Tornadoes started to form in the late afternoon. The conditions were similar to other big tornado outbreaks.
Tornado Damage and Deaths
Here is a quick look at how many people died in each state during these tornadoes.
| State | Total |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 34 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Indiana | 21 |
| Iowa | 33 |
| Louisiana | 1 |
| Mississippi | 14 |
| Missouri | 2 |
| Nebraska | 135 |
| Totals | 241 |
| All deaths were tornado-related | |
Tornadoes Confirmed
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | ? | ? | 10 | 2 | 7 | 0 | ≥ 19 |
March 21 Tornadoes
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | ||||||
| F2 | South of Madison to near Buckhead | Morgan | 0600 | 8 miles (13 km) | 1 death — This tornado hit five large farms. It destroyed 30 buildings. | |
| Mississippi | ||||||
| F2 | Near Ruleville | Sunflower | 0610 | unknown | 3 deaths — Homes were completely destroyed by this tornado. | |
| F2 | Louisville to North of Macon | Winston, Noxubee | 0630 | 30 miles (48 km) | 9 deaths — A group of tornadoes damaged about 25 homes near Louisville. Two people died and 15 were hurt. Five people from one family died north of Macon. | |
| F2 | Rienzi to Corinth | Prentiss, Alcorn | 0630 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | 2 deaths — This tornado killed two people. It was said to have leveled the entire town of Rienzi. | |
| Alabama | ||||||
| F2 | Near Florence | Lauderdale | 0700 | unknown | 3 deaths — This tornado destroyed seven barns and 20 homes. Three children died. | |
| F2 | West of Decatur to near Meridianville | Morgan, Limestone, Madison | 0730 | 40 miles (64 km) | 3 deaths — This tornado destroyed many tenant homes and an Episcopal church. Two of the people who died were children. | |
| F2 | East of Talladega to Heflin | Talladega, Clay, Cleburne | 0900 | 35 miles (56 km) | This tornado destroyed 12 rural homes near Talladega. It might have been a tornado family. | |
| F4 | East of Fulton to Lower Peach Tree | Clarke, Wilcox | 1030 | 13 miles (21 km) | 27 deaths — This tornado destroyed 100 homes in Lower Peach Tree. About 20 well-built homes had F4 damage. All deaths were in Lower Peach Tree. The tornado was about 0.25 miles wide. | |
| F2 | East of Camden | Wilcox | 1100 | 12 miles (19 km) | 1 death — This tornado came from the same supercell thunderstorm as the Lower Peach Tree tornado. | |
| Sources: Grazulis 1993 | ||||||
March 23 Tornadoes
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | ||||||
| F3 | West of Craig to Northwest of Blencoe, Iowa | Burt (NE), Monona (IA) | 2300 | 15 miles (24 km) | This tornado hit rural areas. It damaged 12 farms and destroyed 11 homes in Nebraska. It also caused damage in Iowa. | |
| F4 | Southeast of Mead to West of Logan, Iowa | Saunders, Douglas, Washington (NE), Harrison (IA) | 2330 | 55 miles (89 km) | 22 deaths — This tornado destroyed the southern side of Yutan, Nebraska. It killed 17 people, half of them children. It destroyed 40 homes and four churches in Nebraska. | |
| F3 | Near Havelock, Lincoln, to East of Greenwood | Lancaster, Cass | 2330 | 15 miles (24 km) | This tornado destroyed homes along its path. It hit Prairie Home and passed east of Greenwood. | |
| F4 | Ralston to Southeast of Beebeetown, Iowa | Sarpy, Douglas (NE), Pottawattamie (IA), Harrison, Shelby | 2345 | 40 miles (64 km) | 103 deaths — This was the deadly Omaha tornado. It caused possible F5 damage, but was rated F4. | |
| F4 | Bellevue to Southeast of Harlan, Iowa | Sarpy (NE), Pottawattamie (IA), Harrison, Shelby | 0015 | 48 miles (77 km) | 25 deaths — This was likely a tornado family. It hit the southern part of Council Bluffs, Iowa. It caused 17 deaths in small homes there. Other deaths happened in Iowa towns like Gilliat, Weston, and Neola. | |
| F4 | South of Douglas to near Macedonia, Iowa | Otoe, Cass (NE), Mills (IA), Pottawattamie | 0015 | 60 miles (97 km) | 18 deaths — This was the longest-lasting tornado of the outbreak. It caused F4 damage to many farms northwest of Syracuse, Nebraska. It also caused major damage to Otoe, killing 12 people there. It then entered Iowa. | |
| F2 | Burchard | Pawnee | 0100 | 5 miles (8.0 km) | This tornado unroofed and destroyed a school and four homes. | |
| Louisiana | ||||||
| F2 | Northwest of Saline | Bienville | 0100 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | 1 death — This tornado hit and destroyed tenant homes and a large estate. | |
| Indiana | ||||||
| F4 | North of Prairieton to Terre Haute | Vigo, Clay | 0230 | 22 miles (35 km) | 21 deaths — This tornado destroyed or damaged 300 homes. It caused F4 damage in a five-block area in southern Terre Haute. All 21 deaths were in Terre Haute. | |
| Missouri | ||||||
| F4 | Southwest of Savannah to East of Albany | Andrew, Gentry, Harrison | 0230 | 45 miles (72 km) | 2 deaths — This tornado killed two people. It caused F4 damage to 30 farms in Gentry County. | |
| Sources: Grazulis 1993 | ||||||
The Omaha, Nebraska Tornado
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
Photograph of tornado damage in Omaha
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| Formed | March 23, 1913 6:00 p.m. Central Time |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Damage | $8 million |
| Total fatalities | 103 fatalities (94 in Omaha) |
| Areas affected | Omaha, Nebraska |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The Omaha Easter Sunday tornado hit Omaha, Nebraska, around 6:00 p.m. on March 23, 1913. The storm was reported to be about 0.25 to 0.5 miles wide. It had several smaller swirling funnels inside it.
The Omaha tornado followed the path of Little Papillion Creek as it entered the city. It moved through the west side of town. It destroyed small worker homes in that area. The tornado was so strong that pieces of wood from destroyed homes pierced steel train cars.
By the time the tornado reached Dewey Avenue, it was five blocks wide. It then moved through Farnam Hill, an upscale neighborhood. The large mansions there were no match for the winds. Many houses were torn apart. This included some in the Gold Coast Historic District. Joslyn Castle was also badly damaged. Buildings were cut in half, with pipes and supports hanging. Duchesne Academy was almost completely destroyed.
In the Near North Side neighborhood, a large crowd was enjoying an Easter Sunday performance. The tornado flattened the building. More than two dozen people died there. Other brick buildings in this shopping area were also hit hard. More people died here than anywhere else in Omaha. A streetcar on North 24th Street met the tornado. The operator, Ord Hensley, quickly told passengers to lie on the floor. Because of this, everyone on board survived. Later, photographers called the wrecked streetcar the "Streetcar of Death." They thought no one could have survived such damage.
The F4 tornado just missed the downtown area. It then moved over the Missouri River into Iowa. It caused more damage there before it faded away.
In total, 103 people died, with 94 of them in Omaha. Another 400 people were injured. About 2,000 homes in Omaha were destroyed. The storm caused $8 million in total damage. About $5.5 million of that was in Omaha. After the tornado, a cold front brought snowy weather to Omaha. This made things even harder for people who had lost their homes. Many homes on the north side of the city were leveled. Some were even swept away. Old photos showed empty foundations. This might mean F5 damage, but it could also have been from cleanup efforts.
Other Storm Effects
The same storm system that hit Nebraska also caused a dust storm in Kansas. It hit Missouri with hail and heavy rain. The Omaha tornado was just the start of the destruction. These storms were linked to the Great Flood of 1913. On March 24 and 25, the storms brought heavy rains to the Midwest and upstate New York. This caused widespread flooding.
What Happened After
Amazingly, phone operators at the Webster Telephone Exchange Building in Omaha stayed at their posts. They did not leave during or after the tornado. The building became a place for the injured and dying. Doctors and nurses from nearby hospitals came to help. US Army troops from Fort Omaha set up their base in the building. Soldiers patrolled the area to stop looting and offer help.
At first, James Dahlman, Omaha's mayor, refused help from outside. This included the federal government. But he changed his mind after seeing how much damage there was. The federal government quickly sent help. The huge damage from the tornado led to new building ideas. Engineers wanted to create buildings that could stand up to tornadoes. The first such building was the First National Bank of Omaha building. It was built in 1916.
