Tornado outbreak of late-April 1909 - Wikipedia One hundred trees were blown across the Rugby Pike, delaying the mails that day, for it was next to impossible to get through. Windows were blown from the residence of William H. Gregory, and the barn on his farm was blown down and numerous losses of a similar kind were the result. Another (not counted) indirect death occurred in Lincoln County due to a Miss Jennie Kelso interacting with a live electrical wire. Rutherford County was visited last night by one of the most destructive storms of many years. Therefore a more accurate total of 6 deaths was used here, although the final number may have been even higher. We hear that considerable damage was done in the south part of the county, that a large amount of timber was blown down near Gatewood Ford on Clear Fork and that the Tennessee Lumber and Coal Co.'s saw mill near the mouth of Crooked Creek was demolished. Coming as it did near midnight, when the people generally were asleep, many barely escaped in their night clothes. Trees were twisted in two and hurled great distances. Until late this afternoon it has been impossible to communicate with other towns throughout the country. Col. Pendergrass' residence was blown from its foundation. Will Ross Lackey, Jr., and Esq. Four people are known to be dead and two are missing, supposed to have been blown away as their home was demolished. FROM THE PULASKI CITIZEN NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON MAY 6, 1909: Centreville, Tenn., April 30. Elam Tucker, who lives at the old Suttle place, near Aspen Hill, lost his barn, also Will Coon, Billy Widene, and D. Biles, and the tenant houses on the Phillips place, south of Tucker's, were wrecked. C. H. Whitney's barn, in the track of the storm, was blown down and Rural Carrier Morgan's horse was killed in the barn. The Lasting, Unseen Damage Of Historic Tornado Outbreaks - Forbes FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 2, "OVER FIFTY HOUSES WRECKED. B. Barnes'. A family of tornadoes also affected later Hickman and Williamson Counties southwest of Nashville and later moved into Cookeville and Putnam Counties. As soon as neighbors could be informed of the disaster, they hastened to the relief of the suffering. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, May 1 1909, PAGE 4, "RUTHERFORD COUNTY. The most notable result was the destruction of the Web & Crawford Planing Mill. NUMBER EIGHT - THE ZEPHYR TORNADO - MAY 30, 1909 Tornado number 8 formed somewhere close to the town of Zephyr, in Brown County, near midnight and destroyed large parts of the town during the early morning hours, leaving little to view except vacant lots. It left 10 people dead and 40 more with serious injuries. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 12, "PERHAPS FATALLY HURT": McEWEN, Tenn., April 30. The timbers in front of the hotel were laid waste, some of which fell on the hotel, doing considerable damage to the building. December tornado record crushed by historic onslaught of storms - The The half-mile wide tornado moved across the Brewster Community causing two injuries (F2), then passed just south of Rugby into Scott County. This page was last edited on 12 March 2022, at 09:35. A number of houses have been damaged by falling timber, one or two thrown off the foundations and one large two-story building completely demolished. The most frightful wreckage and loss of life occurred in the little valley through which passes the road from Bunker Hill to Bryson, and in which were located the homes of Bud Guffey, Will McGrew, Lee Smith, J. S. Bryson and others. The strongest, an F-4 with winds 207 mph or higher traveled for 30 miles across Giles and Lincoln counties killing 31 people in all. Elam Tucker, who lives at the old Suttle place, near Aspen Hill, lost his barn, also Will Coon, Billy Widene, and D. Biles, and the tenant houses on the Phillips place, south of Tucker's, were wrecked. After striking Nolensville, the storm moved into Rutherford County. Columbia, Tenn., April 20. The several cashiers will take charge of same several cashiers will take charge of same and see to it that it is property and judiciously distributed among those who are destitute. Please try another search. Three other tornadoes killed four people in the Memphis coverage area, including in St. Francis and Lee Counties in Arkansas and Haywood County in Tennessee. "November 20, 1900 Tornado Outbreak." Undated. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The majority of the 34 deaths caused by this F4 tornado were in the residential areas of the east and south areas of the town. Despite the significant damage, death and injuries, this tornado was not included in Grazulis' book Significant Tornadoes. Much of the land was washed. GRAZULIS: The entire town of Statesville had severe downburst damage. At the same time and place, Mrs. Thad Reese, who was a sister of Mrs. Guffey, with her two children, lost their lives, making seven deaths at this one house. March 2022 Tornadoes Report | National Centers for Environmental GRAZULIS: Moved ENE from 4 miles SW of Nolensville, passing south of Smyrna, just north of Walterhill and ending near Statesville. The house was completely torn to pieces. The tornado outbreak of late-April 1909 was a deadly tornado outbreak that affected much of the central and Southern United States between April 29 and May 1, 1909. The tornado destroyed homes on at least three farms and killed an elderly man and a child in separate homes. Tornado caused $60,000 in damage at Sidney. Track of Cyclone a Mile Wide and Vast Damage Done": MURFREESBORO, Tenn., April 30. Thousands of trees were downed and cattle were killed. It came from the northwest, traveling with great momentum. One negro family, Nancy Smith and two children lost their lives in the wreckage of their little home, and one of Till Bledsoe's children was killed. Tornadoes in the United States 1950-2019 These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America . National Weather Service Only one member of this large family escaped unhurt. It is reported that one man is dead, but his name cannot be ascertained. From the foot of the mountain, near Wonder Cave, half way to the top, two-thirds of the large trees are down. The tornado outbreak of late-April 1909 was a deadly tornado outbreak that affected much of the central and Southern United States between April 29 and May 1, 1909. The second highest number of fatalities occurred from an F-3 tornado with winds of 158 miles per hour or higher that ravaged Hickman and Williamson counties. Web. The worst damage to houses is the home of Prof. J. M. Goulson, a good two-story house, completely ruined, but no loss of life, though to look at the ruins seems marvelous that the family escaped. The creeks are out of banks and all the farm work of the spring is practically lost. Large trees were torn and twisted from the roots, and in some places scarcely a tree was left uninjured in a whole forest. And those individuals are buried in the Bee Spring Cemetery that you see here today.. At this time it is impossible to ascertain the damage and loss of life to stock; no lives so far reported. It was around 10:15 p.m. when the first of these tornadoes came rolling out of Hickman County into the White Oak area, just across the county line. April 20, 1909: A windstorm "of great cyclonic power" caused $15,000 of damage in Putnam County. 1909: Middle Tennessee's deadliest tornado outbreak The homes of Mrs. John Brown and William McAdoo were blown down, and part of the home of B. M. Peebles was blown away. A large warehouse and storehouse were wrecked. This historical footage of Oklahoma's worst-ever tornado outbreak was assembled using News 9's on-air broadcast along with storm tracker footage and some images/interviews with viewers. The Bee Spring community after the tornado was never quite the same and never really recovered. Thirty-six serious injuries were reported in the newspapers across both counties, with numerous other more minor injuries, so the total of 70 injuries shown by Grazulis was kept. A horse owned by Rev. Telephone wires are down and roads are in bad conditions. A special thanks to the Nashville National Weather Service office and Lead Forecaster Sam Shamburger for his research on this tornado outbreak. The tornado outbreak this week featured more than 400 tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings that spanned nearly two-dozen states. The lightning flashed incessantly, and all evidences indicated that a great storm was raging in the neighboring sections. All NOAA, (The following newspaper article was transcribed from The Pulaski Citizen of May 6, 1909.). This massive tornado then passed into Lincoln County through the northern suburbs of Fayetteville before lifting northeast of Fayetteville. GRAZULIS: Moved NE from 9 miles W of Dickson to Charlotte and on to Bellsburg. The night of the 29th was one of severe wind and rain, with heavy thunder and lightning the cyclone coming at 2 a.m. Friday morning with a low terrible rumbling heard by those awake at Rugby. - A cyclone passed through this county last night about 10 o'clock, doing much damage to timber, fences, dwellings and barns, but so far as heard from only one life was lost, that being a little child about 6 years old. Submit a Storm Report; Briefing Page; Outlooks; Hazardous Weather Outlook; Detailed Hazards; Local Storm Reports (Text) Local Storm Reports (Graphical) Severe Weather Mode; Current Conditions. The residence of J. M. Lews at that place was twisted entirely around, but it did not fall, but is in such a damaged condition that it will be necessary to tear it down. Several of the injured people who later died were plantation workers. Following is a partia (?) The most frightful wreckage and loss of life occurred in the little valley through which passes the road from Bunker Hill to Bryson, and in which were located the homes of Bud Guffey, Will McGrew, Lee Smith, J. S. Bryson and others. The tornado likely began in Humphreys County based on the information by Grazulis and the Nashville American. Besides the loss of property, which is now estimated at $100,000, seven known dead are reported, and injured. The damage in town is slight compared with the country. US Dept of Commerce For a strip more than two miles in width along the railroad between here and Tennessee City, and on through that portion of the county traversed by the storm, scarcely a tree is left standing, but all lie as flat as if rolled over by some immense road roller. January's Tornado Outbreak Threat Highest In South | Weather.com The houses damaged were all unoccupied, except the one destroyed. Greatest damage and the most horrible loss of life occurred in the community between Bunker Hill and Bryson, but the destruction was by no means confined to one place. W. C. Greer lost his large barn and two mail hacks. Besides the devastation mentioned, fences, timber and numerous small buildings were blown away and other damage done. Damage: The desperately injured are: R. H. Thompson, a son and daughter of Mrs. Money, Hiram Prince and Prof. R. S. Ballen. Weather.gov > Nashville, TN > April 29, 1909 Tornado Outbreak . And the tornado also injured 70 people as it traveled through the county, Lancaster said. It is seldom our mountain country has such a cyclone. J. M. Colston and wife, near Fayetteville. The F-scale rating, path length, path width, and injuries are all estimated from the reported damage in the Nashville American, indicating the tornado began near Decaturville, moved through Perryville, and ended northeast of Linden. Based on all this information, the path location was adjusted to the south of Franklin, with the path width added as 300 yards based on reports in the Nashville American. Two people were killed and 20 injured in that second storm. - April 29, at 8:15 p.m., Charlotte was visited with an electrical storm and tornado about 300 yards wide, taking all in its path. Almost every dwelling was rendered unsafe. Two of the couple's sons were blown over a 20-foot bluff and into a nearby creek. 30 - A heavy and disastrous cyclone passed through this section last night between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock and struck one-quarter of a mile west of Franklin, killing an old negro woman and injuring three of her children, two of which may die. It is reported that three white people are killed about two miles further down the trail of the cyclone, but this statement has not been authenticated. You can see his full report here. All missing people in Kentucky have been accounted for, Gov. Dickson was left to the right of the storm's pathway, and fortunately little damage was done here. Many of the inhabitants here moved to Bryson, a few miles away, and that community grew a little bit larger. Eight-year-old boy of Paulina Farris, colored, Centreville. As soon as a message could be sent to Pulaski, local doctors and citizens hastened to the scene of disaster to aid as much as possible in the work of relief. At Florence, a village about six miles from here, the large mill known as "Ward Mill", on the Stones River, was blown completely into the river. But for the fact that the country is hilly and in places thinly settled the destruction would have been even greater. Striking the residence of Prof. W. H. Hooks it blew away all of his residence except the kitchen, his stable, outbuildings and shade trees. The track of the cyclone was about a mile in width, passing across the country from west to east and north of Murfreesboro. Multiple locations were found. There were no additional fatalities from these tornadoes. Late-April 1909 Tornado Outbreak - Confirmed Tornadoes - April 29 Event For about one mile north of Florence the telegraph poles were twisted off and thrown across the N., C. & St. L. Railroad, which obstructed traffic for a considerable time last night. Miss Daisy Marshall received a few slight wounds. January's largest single outbreak happened over the course of two days when 129 tornadoes were spawned, mostly in the South, in the record year of 1999. The strongest tornado traveled through Giles and Lincoln Counties. The home of Mrs. Ward escaped any serious damage. John Lee's barn was blown over. 93 dead across 5 states: The deadly tornado outbreak by the numbers The deadliest tornado outbreak ever in Middle Tennessee, and one of the worst tornado outbreaks in the history of the United States, struck the region from the evening hours on April 29, 1909, through the night and into the next day on April 30, 1909. 6 Feb. 2021. of those most seriously hurt: Esq. Damage: FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 4, ALGOOD SECTION: The worst storm that has visited this section for thirty years passed over this section about midnight. A force of men from Scott and Morgan counties under the road overseers, cleared the road on May 3rd. Other F4 recorded were reported in Missouri near Golden, in Illinois near Texas City, and in south-central Tennessee near Bee Springs, just north of the Alabama state line. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, 5 reported dead after severe weather in Kentucky,, Rollover crash on I-65N in Davidson County leads, Man hit, killed on Old Hickory Blvd. WATERTOWN, Tenn., April 30. Most of the land will have to be returned and planted. The tornado passed up the Nashville and Murfreesboro turnpike, between this place and Florence, for a short distance, and for a quarter of a mile or more made a complete wreck of the telegraph and telephone lines. This would be typical of damage reports all along the storm route that night. - A terrific rain and wind storm swept this county last night and many reports of widespread damage and destruction are being received. "Some splendid homes were turned to rubbish.". So one family that lived here in Bee Spring near the cemetery lost seven members of the family including the mother and six children. and Mrs. W. S. McLaurine, Mrs. Ella King, widow of the late Mit King, collar bone broken, Hiram Usselton's baby, seriously, perhaps fatally hurt, George Hardy, son of T. J. The clouds rolled like tremendous waves out of the southwest, and the thunder's crash was deafening, while the electric flashes played incessantly, lighting up the dark-canopied earth like a refulgent monster meteor. A damage rating of at least F2 intensity seems likely based on the newspaper descriptions. Some homes were reportedly destroyed in six counties further to the ENE, but tornadoes there are not confirmable. The cyclone struck Rudolphtown about 8 o'clock and traveled in a northeasterly course. - Following the trail of the storm which passed through Centreville April 9, the tornado last night between 10 and 11 o'clock was one of the most appalling that has visited this section probably in half a century. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A. C. Morgan's house was blown away and Mrs. Morgan was badly injured, but not fatally, it is thought. Greatest damage and the most horrible loss of life occurred in the community between Bunker Hill and Bryson, but the destruction was by no means confined to one place. RUGBY. Dickson was left to the right of the storm's pathway, and fortunately little damage was done here. In Tennessee, the town of Locke was mostly destroyed by the first F3 tornado. That tornado alone caused an estimated $100 million in damage and the loss of 33 lives, which was only a fraction of the total damage caused by the Super Outbreak. For a strip more than two miles in width along the railroad between here and Tennessee City, and on through that portion of the county traversed by the storm, scarcely a tree is left standing, but all lie as flat as if rolled over by some immense road roller. The storm extended over many states inflicting damage on widely scattered communities from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. The wind was from the southwest and first struck the west end of the city and blew down a number of houses in Bushtown, the negro part of the city. At Leiper's Fork, in Williamson County, a mother and three children were killed in their home. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Marlin was completely demolished. Between the Wilson turnpike and Nolensville Pike for a distance of seven miles and half mile wide a number of houses are destroyed. The house of Mr. Harvey, near town, was turned bottom side up without serious injury to the occupants. Contributions may be sent direct to Mr. Young or to the Citizen and we will forward to the relief committee. Gibbons, of this place, was killed while eating. A number of residences were badly damaged and business houses unroofed, the rain destroying almost the entire stock of John Jewell. Affecting particularly the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, it killed over 150 people, 60 of them in the U.S. state of Tennessee alone. The property loss cannot be estimated. The timber for 250 yards wide in the path of this tornado is down for many miles. GRAZULIS: Moved NE near "Sango," 8 miles ESE of Clarksville. Parts of the planning mill were blown through F. H. White's residence, some 200 yards away, and Mrs. White was slightly injured and their house considerably damaged. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The deadliest tornado outbreak ever in Middle Tennessee struck the region from the evening hours of April 29, 1909, through the night and into the next day on April 30, 1909. This tornado appears to be the same tornado that struck Decaturville and Perryville in Decatur County, which crossed the Tennessee River before moving across central Perry County. Another tornado or downburst later struck near Monterey in eastern Putnam County, as the Nashville American reported "one of the worst wind storms in the history of the town" unroofed houses and barns, but the description of the damage is unclear whether a tornado or downburst was the cause. Miss Jennie Kelso, Fayetteville; killed by live electric light wire. Robert Barnes and wife, near Fayetteville. The seriously injured are M. J. Farrar and daughter, of Gyruston, the former having a broken collarbone, and the latter a broken arm and leg; residence wrecked and burned. It is an old adage that he who gives quickly gives twice. Fortunately no one was killed, but several were wounded. As it moved into Williamson County it eventually passed just south of Franklin causing 8 deaths and 11 injuries. Fayetteville was not in the pathway of the cyclone, but was near it. A tornado destroyed a church and three homes. The cyclone went from Primm's on to Centreville. Coming into Robertson County the storm struck the barn of Mrs. Laban Warfield on the place occupied by Mr. Duff. Houses and barns with their contents, orchards, fences and timber make up a large list of valuable property much of which was literally blown out of existence in a few seconds. - The most horrible catastrophe ever known in Lincoln County was the cyclone which passed through the county last night about midnight, wrecking homes, destroying lives and injuring a large number of citizens. Please select one of the following: Nashville (KOHX) Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Hopkinsville, KY (KHPX) Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Hytop, AL (KHTX) Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Columbus, MS (KGWX) Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), National Radar Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Southern Mississippi Valley Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Central Great Lakes Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), Southeast Local Standard Radar (low bandwidth), State of Tennessee and Middle TN Daily Climate, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And five days later, Mrs. Marlin died from her injuries at a Nashville hospital. All the houses there are damaged more or less, but no one was killed. His entire family was wiped out of existence. This tornado was reported to occur over 2 hours after the Dickson County tornado, so it does not appear they are part of the same tornado or were produced by the same supercell, although that is certainly possible if the reported time is incorrect. BEE SPRING, Tenn. (WKRN) On April 29th and 30th in 1909, Middle Tennessee suffered its deadliest tornado outbreak in history. In that general area, at least 55 were killed by tornadoes. Mr. McNutt, wife and three children, near Fayetteville. References National Weather Service. Grazulis and some newspapers reported 4 deaths in Franklin County from Owl Hollow to Decherd, but newspaper articles indicate at least 2 more people died from their injuries several weeks later after the tornado, with other people still in critical condition. National Weather Service. Tornado Outbreak of April 29, 1909 (The following newspaper article was transcribed from The Pulaski Citizen of May 6, 1909.) Here is information to know, understand and remember; The annual average number of tornadoes reported in Tennessee grew from 11.3 for the 20-year period of 1980-1999 to 18.1 for 2000-2019. Based on all of this information, the path start and end points were adjusted, path length increased to 30 miles, and path width increased to one mile. 20th Century 1909 Oct 14, Tornado Outbreak, AL (11-21), AR (2), GA (1-2), TN (42-50) -56-75 lornajarrettblanchard October 14, 1909 95 Daily Telegraph, Atlantic, IA. - Following the trail of the storm which passed through Centreville April 9, the tornado last night between 10 and 11 o'clock was one of the most appalling that has visited this section probably in half a century. US Dept of Commerce Robert Barnes and wife, near Fayetteville. April 29, 1909 Tornado Outbreak. Four houses are blown down in Franklin. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 4, "DEKALB COUNTY": ALEXANDRIA, Tenn., April 30 - A destructive wind of high velocity accompanied with much lightning and the largest hail ever known here struck the section of the country from Statesville to Smith Fork, traveling east. Please Contact Us. The clouds rolled like tremendous waves out of the southwest, and the thunder's crash was deafening, while the electric flashes played incessantly, lighting up the dark-canopied earth like a refulgent monster meteor. Many tenant houses and barns were wrecked on different places. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The storm extended over many states inflicting damage on widely scattered communities from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. The farm of James Welch, near Sango, was swept clean, every building on it being wrecked. National Weather Service FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, May 1 1909, PAGE 4, "NOLENSVILLE SECTION": NOLENSVILLE, April 30. A path about 100 yards wide was swept clear of timber. 30. A thorough reading of newspaper articles came up with a total of 17 deaths and 43 injuries, with 9 deaths and 32 injuries in Hickman County and 8 deaths and 11 injuries in Williamson County. Four-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Thompson, Totty's Bend. - The little town of Smyrna was close to the path of a terrific storm that swept through this section last night, causing much damage to property, and it was miraculous that no lives were lost. - The windstorm in this county Thursday night was probably the worst in its history. Jeff Dunnivant, a tenant on Irby Scruggs' place and his family escaped from the wreckage of their home with only slight injuries, but not a fragment of anything was left to the family, except the night clothes in which they were sleeping. Current Hazards. Another strong tornado struck Franklin County near Decherd. One massive grave contains the remains of an entire family. Photos of the damage in the Hillsboro (Leiper's Fork) area from the Nashville American newspaper show extreme damage, with a home wiped off the foundation and a hillside forest completely destroyed, suggesting this tornado reached F4 intensity. One of the saddest stories took place at Leiper's Fork. Here it blew away the barn in which Duff was sheltered at the time, breaking three of Duff's toes, but otherwise he was not injured. The storm seems to have entered the county from the southern side, passing between this place and Tennessee City. A heavy storm raged here throughout the night. Where Did The Tornado Touchdown In Tennessee? - PartyShopMaine