It is miraculous that there was no more personal injuries, as this was the worst storm ever seen in this part of the State. Near Cross Roads, one man was killed and two more people were severely injured (F2) before the tornado lifted somewhere northeast of that community, a distance of roughly 20 miles. Show. The parent supercell thunderstorm continued on to produce additional tornadoes in Scott County. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. - 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. The total damage cannot be accurately stated, but it will go into the thousands of dollars in this section. 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. 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. One massive grave contains the remains of an entire family. Following are some of the more serious losses: Lee Smith, house and barn; J. S. Bryan, house and barn; Werner Stevenson, house and barn; W. H. Watson, house and barn; Otha Young, house and barn; W. S. McLaurine, house and barn; Irby Scruggs, residence, outhouses and tenant houses; - barn escaped, Mrs. Eliza Wilkinson, residence; Hood Wilkinson, orchard, shop and barn, resident damaged, but not wrecked; T. J. Hardy, residence and barn; Ike Shapard, gin, The Scruggs' school house, near Conway, and the school house and church at Bee Spring were utterly swept away. Will Ross Lackey, Jr., and Esq. The Bee Spring Church was destroyed and many graves in the cemetery are the resting places of those killed that fateful day. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Dickson County was swept by a terrific storm last night, and as a result more than fifty houses lay wrecked today, and the damage to property will run far up into the thousands of dollars. Weather.gov > Nashville, TN > April 29, 1909 Tornado Outbreak . And the tornado also injured 70 people as it traveled through the county, Lancaster said. The emergency is one which as charitable, sympathetic people, we should take prompt steps to alleviate.
Brave men bared their backs to the chilly rain to provide wraps for suffering women and children; and worked through the dreary hours till daylight, searching for the dead and endeavoring to relieve the suffering of survivors. This large tornado then passed 2 to 3 miles south of Nolensville, moved 1 mile northwest of Florence Station, passed over Wards Mill (also called Evans Mill or Nice Mill) around 4 miles southeast of Smyrna, then damaged homes and barns just south of Walter Hill. The storm struck the county line just opposite Perryville, and traveled a northeast course, passing about five miles to the north of Linden. The cyclone struck Primm Springs, a summer resort in Hickman County, and devastated the country. Owing to the fact that all telephone and telegraph lines are down it is impossible to get the details of the damage wrought. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 4, section Robertson County: SPRINGFIELD, Tenn., April 30 - A "twister", or cyclone, struck Montgomery County last night at Rudolphtown and plowed its way on through Montgomery County and the Seventeenth District of Robertson County into Kentucky, leaving devastation in its wake and entailing a loss of over $50,000. In addition to those killed outright many were more or less seriously injured. Another family lost five or six members of its family, as well. J. The strongest tornado traveled through Giles and Lincoln Counties. The home of Tobe Cunningham stands directly between the two churches and has withstood both storms without any especial damage. It is impossible at this time to estimate the damage. In town here a number of window panes were broken. A relief committee was organized with John W. Young, Elkton R. 1, as chairman, and in a little while enough funds were in hand to provide food and clothing to supply the immediate necessities of those who had lost everything. Many Lives and Much Property Lost in Giles County. Large trees were torn and twisted from the roots, and in some places scarcely a tree was left uninjured in a whole forest. There were no additional fatalities from these tornadoes. For several minutes it was as bright as the glare of a noonday sun with this setting, the wind terrific in force and volume halted at no obstacle, and in its path it left an imprint on everything it touched. Robert Barnes and wife, near Fayetteville. Reports from farmers are that crops will have to be planted over again. 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. Jack Pope's home was wrecked and he and his wife were killed. The storm seems to have entered the county from the southern side, passing between this place and Tennessee City. His entire family was wiped out of existence. Col. 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Tornadoes in the United States 1950-2019 These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America . 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. About 75 homes were damaged or destroyed at Centerville, and losses totaled over $100,000. Oscar Brown, a young son, was also seriously injured. Franklin, Tenn., Apr. The two main outbreaks alone were responsible for at least 145 of these tornadoes. Four people are known to be dead and two are missing, supposed to have been blown away as their home was demolished. - A terrific cyclone passed through a portion of Maury, Giles, Hickman and Williamson Counties last night, and as a result thirty-five or forty known dead and a hundred or more injured, some seriously. The tornado appears to have begun west of Aspen Hill in Giles County, not in Limestone County, Alabama, as Grazulis stated, then passed near Aspen Hill where it damaged homes and barns, through Conway where the school was destroyed, between Bunker Hill and Bryson, and through Bee Springs destroying numerous homes and the Bee Springs Church on Bee Springs Road about 1/3 mile south of Stevenson Road. Thousands of trees were downed and cattle were killed. Rutherford County was visited last night by one of the most destructive storms of many years. "Some splendid homes were turned to rubbish.". The Elk Cotton Mill was damaged about $5,000. A tornado destroyed 23 homes and damaged a depot and a hotel in Decherd. 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. Homes were reportedly damaged or destroyed. The listing is U.S.-centric, with greater and more consistent information available for U.S. tornadoes. Damage:
Damage was noted 1 mile N of Franklin. One of the strange things of it all is that both the Christian and Methodist churches at Trinity were blown down about ten years ago, and both rebuilt on the same foundation to be blown away again last night. Web. Affecting particularly the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, it killed over 150 people, 60 of them in the U.S. state of Tennessee alone. Gibbons, of this place, was killed while eating. The second F3 tornado flattened structures near Covington and Medina. A damage rating of at least F2 intensity seems likely based on the newspaper descriptions. A large oak tree was lifted bodily and blown across it, crushing in the roof. The farms lying on the hillsides are washed in deep gullies and the low land is completely flooded. This massive tornado then passed into Lincoln County through the northern suburbs of Fayetteville before lifting northeast of Fayetteville. 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. Current Hazards. 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. Damage:
Affecting particularly the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys, it killed over 150 people, 60 of them in the U.S. state of Tennessee alone. But the daily mail from Charlotte brings a letter from Circuit Court Clerk J. J. Taylor to the effect that about twenty-five residences were destroyed there.
At least fifty other persons sustained more or less serious injuries, and the recovery of three is doubtful. This is the first storm of the kind that ever visited this section, although in 1878 much timber was blown down. The cyclone followed the course of Dog Creek, a small stream close to the springs, and followed it until it came to the mouth of the hollow, when it entered the hollow and laid waste everything in its path. 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. Among those whose homes are wrecked are Postmaster C. H. Underhill, Asa Hickerson, Mrs. Lizzie McPherson and Jim Butler. 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. 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. There were also numerous reports of livestock killed by flying debris. But nowhere was the loss of life greater or the destruction of property more complete than in Giles County. Contributions may be sent direct to Mr. Young or to the Citizen and we will forward to the relief committee. Only one member of this large family escaped unhurt. A family of tornadoes also affected later Hickman and Williamson Counties southwest of Nashville and later moved into Cookeville and Putnam Counties. Besides the loss of property, which is now estimated at $100,000, seven known dead are reported, and injured. At Trinity, about seven miles west of here, the damage is beyond description. 11, had his skull fractured by falling timbers. US Dept of Commerce All of the buildings belong to the Fentress Coal & Coke Company. That tornado appears to have begun west of Aspen Hill, passing near Aspen Hill and Conway, where the school was destroyed, between Bunker Hill and Bryson, and through Bee Spring. W. S. McLaurine's baby were also killed. The farm of James Welch, near Sango, was swept clean, every building on it being wrecked. [2], The April 1909 outbreak was part of an active and deadly year nationally for tornadoes. Damage:
North of Memphis, Tennessee, two F3 tornadoes killed a total of 22 from Crittenden County, Arkansas, to Carroll County, Tennessee. The cyclone of the night of April 29th or morning of April 30th, did great damage near Rugby. 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. The damage in town is slight compared with the country. Coming as it did near midnight, when the people generally were asleep, many barely escaped in their night clothes. Mrs. Hughes' house was torn into kindling wood, but she was not at home at the time. The most terrible cyclone in the history of Giles County struck with great fury between 11 and 12 o'clock Thursday night. Jim Cheat, a prosperous farmer near town, lost his barn, and had one very fine mule killed by the storm. The town of Statesville, six miles from here, was struck last night by a tornado. Another strong tornado struck Franklin County near Decherd. BEE SPRING, Tenn. (WKRN) On April 29th and 30th in 1909, Middle Tennessee suffered its deadliest tornado outbreak in history. Therefore a more accurate total of 6 deaths was used here, although the final number may have been even higher. The tornado proceeded over across the Lewisburg Pike area, out Murfreesboro Road, and by 11 p.m. struck for a final time, near Clovercroft. 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. Will Ross Lackey, Jr., and Esq. Numbers of barns completely wrecked, and several houses ruined. Until late this afternoon it has been impossible to communicate with other towns throughout the country. The stock barn of Rural home Stock farm was torn to pieces, and there were many other houses, barns, and outhouses destroyed. 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. The tornado tore apart eight or nine farms and damaged or destroyed 25 buildings in Charlotte. The horror of the storm was greatly increased especially were people were (sic) severely hurt by the darkness and torrents of rain, which followed. 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. Among the towns affected were Horn Lake, Mississippi, where about half of the fatalities were recorded, and Whitehaven, Tennessee, where the tornado damaged 30 homes. 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. Mr. McNutt, wife and three children, near Fayetteville. Tornado destroyed up to nine homes and hit buildings in. 11 deaths were recorded in the Missouri storm, 5 near Texas City and 29 along the Alabama-Tennessee state line. It left 10 people dead and 40 more with serious injuries. Fayetteville was not in the pathway of the cyclone, but was near it. The home of Wilson Estes was also destroyed, together with the livery barn of Russell Estes, owner of Primm Springs Hotel. The time of the tornado was adjusted to 8 PM and the path width added as 300 yards based on the newspaper articles in the Nashville American. The tornado likely began in Humphreys County based on the information by Grazulis and the Nashville American. J. M. Colston and wife, near Fayetteville. The most terrible cyclone in the history of Giles County struck with great fury between 11 and 12 o'clock Thursday night. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 4 1909, PAGE 5, "THREE CHURCHES DESTROYED": ALEXANDRIA, Tenn., May 3. The deadliest January tornadoes on record. The cyclone struck Rudolphtown about 8 o'clock and traveled in a northeasterly course. P. M. Greenwood had a small house blown away. - 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. 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. The storm extended over many states inflicting damage on widely scattered communities from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. I call upon all persons in this community who will contribute to this object to leave contributions at either of the banks. - 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. 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 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. Jack Pope's home was wrecked and he and his wife were killed. 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. Mrs. Welch and son, Byron, sustained slight injuries, the former being hit on the head and the latter had a gash cut in his cheek. All the houses there are damaged more or less, but no one was killed. Their bodies were recovered the next morning at about daylight. Eight-year-old boy of Paulina Farris, colored, Centreville. 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. The house was completely torn to pieces. The property loss cannot be estimated. 22 people were killed here in Giles County from this tornado. However, for several hours a strong gale blew, and there was more or less excitement in the town throughout the night. Although not specifically stated in the article, Mr. Henry Reed of Cross Roads died from his injuries per death certificate records. Tornado destroyed six homes at Moreland. It is impossible to obtain details, as the wires are all down. "November 20, 1900 Tornado Outbreak." Undated. Most of the land will have to be returned and planted. At Bee Springs, five members of a family were killed in one home, and seven in another family died in a nearby home. Questions? 1 could not continue on account of the wreckage of the roadways. SHAMBURGER (2016): Although Grazulis states that a downburst caused the immense damage in Statesville, the severity of the damage across southeast Wilson County into DeKalb County - with three churches demolished, numerous homes and barns unroofed, and several injuries - strongly suggests this damage was from a strong tornado. A horse owned by Rev. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 10: ALGOOD, Tenn., April 30 - At this place, four miles east of Cookeville, the Southern Methodist church was demolished. Intensity was unclear but probably F2 based upon descriptions. April 20, 1909: A windstorm "of great cyclonic power" caused $15,000 of damage in Putnam County. - A terrific rain and wind storm swept this county last night and many reports of widespread damage and destruction are being received. It traveled through the Conway Community, destroying the local public school, Lancaster explained. From the foot of the mountain, near Wonder Cave, half way to the top, two-thirds of the large trees are down. 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. Great injury was done forests. [1]
From Conway eastward to the county line, and even beyond through Lincoln County a wide path of destruction and desolation was swept through a prosperous and happy farming community. 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. All NOAA, (The following newspaper article was transcribed from The Pulaski Citizen of May 6, 1909.). Questions? FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 10, "FROM MURFREESBORO, TENN.": MURFREESBORO, Tenn., April 30. 6 Feb. 2021. How often do tornadoes hit Tennessee? Please try another search. Here is an opportunity in my judgement, for an exhibition of true Christian benevolence. Mrs. Berry (sic) Prosser, near Fayetteville; fatally injured. The largest national tornado outbreak was the Super Outbreak of April 26-28, 2011, which spawned more than 300 tornadoes across the eastern United States. The timbers in front of the hotel were laid waste, some of which fell on the hotel, doing considerable damage to the building. SHAMBURGER (2016): Based on the narrative by Grazulis and the reports in the Nashville American, the path of this tornado was adjusted to begin on the Humphreys County border around 9 miles west of Dickson, pass between Tennessee City and Dickson, go through Charlotte, and end between Charlotte and Bellsburg. FROM THE PULASKI CITIZEN NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON MAY 6, 1909 "FIFTY HOUSES WRECKED.