This tornado wasn’t rated, and the highest achieved wind speed is unknown. Crews on boats and passengers were swallowed into the river, others were dropped onto land. 2017. . Shortly after noon on May 7, 1840, a mile-wide tornado slammed into Natchez, Mississippi, a city on the Mississippi River, about 150 miles north of New Orleans. It started around Natchez Island from the top of the bluff next to the river 3. Natchez wasn’t prepared for such a massive, deadly tornado, especially not out in the open on the riverbank. It is the second deadliest single tornado in United States history, killing 317 people (the only tornado in the United States to have killed more people was the Tri-State Tornado). This tornado was the second deadliest tornado in United States history; at least 317 people were killed and at least 109 were injured. of Cong., Washington, D.C. Lib. The damage area equates to a tornado width of nearly a mile wide, though some reports had the width near two miles when including Vidalia across the river3. Deaths: 317 Damage: $1.2 million. It then moved into the town of Natchez and destroyed many buildings. The Great Natchez Tornado hit Natchez, Mississippi on May 7, 1840. Or do they? Home » Natchez, MS Great Natchez Tornado, May 1840 » Natchez, MS Terrible Tornado Destruction, May 1840. He’s much less likely to get hit with a flying cow that way. Enviromental Films, 1993. The Natchez Tornado struck down on May 7, 1840. From weather accounts in areas surrounding Natchez, a strong frontal system was passing over the lower Mississippi valley. These numbers alone make the Natchez tornado one of the deadliest on record in human history. The actual death toll may be higher than what is listed, as slave deaths were often not counted during this time period.[2]. . It was reported that "the air was black with whirling eddies of walls, roofs, chimneys and huge timbers from distant ruins...all shot through the air as if thrown from a mighty catapult." In east St. Louis, the swath of the tornado narrowed and, as so often happens in such circumstances, the funnel’s speed and power increased. The Natchez, Mississippi Aviation Weather Report Forecast, Wind Speed, Wind Direction and Temperatures A major issue in establishing an accurate death count was the fact that since most of the people on the river in Natchez were not from Natchez. Above is an interactive 360° Google Street view from the Natchez bluff above the Mississippi river. Understanding advanced tornadic radar signatures, Breaking down the Pilger tornadoes of June 16, 2014, Tornado Threat Forecast: April 22-23, 2020, Busting severe storm myths before they bust your forecast, Tornado Threat Forecast: April 19-20, 2020. Shortly before 1 p.m., a mile-wide tornado -- raging with timber, water and debris of every nature -- slammed into Natchez and Vidalia. The tornado followed the river north, scraping the far southern and eastern edge of the town of Vidalia. Given it occurred so early in our history, the tornado was of course never rated, but the general consensus is that it was likely an F/EF-4 or F/EF-5. The river shore below the bluff (right) is where most of the boats, as described in the next section, would have been anchored. 3 “Dreadful Visitation of Providence.” Natchez Free Trader 8 May 1840: The Tennessean. It is the second deadliest single tornado in United States history, killing 317 people (the only tornado in the United States to have killed more people was the Tri-State Tornado). The death toll is slightly disputed because of the land death toll of 48. The central and northern portions of Natchez were slammed by the funnel as, according to one account, "the air was black with whirling eddies of walls, roofs, chimneys and huge timbers from distant ruins...all shot through the air as if thrown from a mighty catapult.". James's meteorological interests revolve around technology and remote sensing including satellites, radar, and observational networks. As best as historical documentation indicates, the tornado came right up the river, with the left edge passing over the camera and the center of the tornado off to the east (left), where it destroyed the city. In the Journal of the Joint Commission under date of May 26, 1840 at page 62 of said document, is written the following: The following two tabs change content below. Though, as noted before, the river death count is uncertain as well. Compilation, design, artwork and concept covered by copyright. The Great Natchez Tornado hit Natchez, Mississippi on May 7, 1840. It is the second deadliest single tornado in United States history, killing 317 people (the only tornado in the United States to have killed more people was the Tri-State Tornado). Submitted by Stu Beitler. 199 (27th Congress, 2nd Session) was the report of the Commission to fix the demarcation between the United States and the Republic of Texas. The tornado formed southwest of Natchez and moved northeast along the Mississippi River. These are large rafts that carried goods on one-way trips down to New Orleans to be sold. From the Natchez Free Trader -- Extra. Many doing business on shore were also killed. Most of the residents were either down by the river working, or in town itself which was high on a bluff inside eating “dinner”3. Lib. Never, never, never, was there such desolation and ruin. The damage path which sliced through Natchez was seen starting at least 10 miles to west-southwest of town. Hurricane Season is Far From Over: What’s Next? FamilyOldPhotos   Old-Yearbooks  TexasHistoryArchives, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Natchez_Tornado, Natchez, MS Terrible Tornado Destruction, May 1840, Natchez, MS Great Natchez Tornado, May 1840 - Destructive & Fatal, Natchez, MS Terrible Tornado Destruction, May 1840 ›, Beauregard, MS A Terrible Cyclone, April 1883, South Hadley, CT Tow-Boat GREENFIELD Explosion, May 1840, Philadelphia, PA & Camden, NJ Tornado, July 1840, Tennessee and Mississippi Tornado, Nov 1900. Buildings and docks were shattered–obliterated and then carried away by the high wind speeds. In a word, it was chaos. The Fujita scale rating of this tornado is almost certainly an F5 but since there was no Fujita scale at the time, this tornado remains uncategorized. Background . [2], Numerous other deaths may have occurred further along the path as the tornado struck rural portions of Concordia Parish, Louisiana as well. Jeremy Liu has always been fascinated by extreme weather—but he prefers to write about the world’s deadliest storms from the safety and comfort of his home office. The death toll is slightly disputed because of the land death toll of 48. Copyright ©2003-2019, All rights reserved. It remains the second deadliest tornado in America’s history. That storm, one of the deadliest on record, has long fascinated meteorologists and storm chasers. The Tri-State Tornado reportedly killed 695 people, more than double the roughly 320 the Natchez is reported to have killed. Sources… Sections of forest were ripped from the ground on either bank of the river. Facts and lessons Tornadoes are stronger in water and mostly form in thunderstorms. The Great Natchez Tornado hit Natchez, Mississippi, on Thursday, May 7, 1840. Dr Martin Phillips at Edwards, Mississippi (70 miles [112 km] east of Natchez) and Bennet A. Barrow of Florida Parish, Louisiana both noted vigorous winds and heavy rains with the passage of a cold front on the 7th and clear, unseasonably cold conditions with northerly winds by May 9. 1840; DREADFUL VISITATION OF PROVIDENCE. Natchez, MS Terrible Tornado Destruction, May 1840. The final death toll was 48 on land and 269 on the river, mostly from the sinking of flatboats. List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Tornado outbreak sequence of Early-December 1953, http://www.concordiasentinel.com/news.php?id=7647, http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac The Great 1840 Natchez Tornado, http://www.natchezcitycemetery.com The Great Natchez Tornado of 1840, "Tri-State" (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana), St. Louis, Missouri and East St. Louis, Illinois, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Natchez_Tornado&oldid=977583669, Tornado outbreaks with no Fujita scale ratings given, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 September 2020, at 18:30. Either way, the Natchez tornado of 1840 firmly ranks as the #2 most deadly tornado in U.S. history, behind the Tri-State Tornado of 1925. 1 Nelson, Stanley. Tornado Alley is no stranger to powerful storms, as evidenced by the might and fury of the Great Natchez Tornado in 1840. Tornadoes can form in every state in the US and in every season. The actual number of casualties, however, may have been much higher, because in pre-Civil War Mississippi, slave deaths would not necessarily have been recorded. “Lloyd’s steamboat directory, and disasters on the western waters” 1856. The town of Natchez, Mississippi, was unprepared for the raw power and destruction the storm would bring. Contact me. At New Orleans, the barometric pressure would bottom out in the early evening. Event description. Privacy Policy. Senate Document No. 2 Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant tornadoes 1680-1991: A chronology and analysis of events. It was a little before 1 p.m. on a Thursday, and there was a lot of commerce taking place at the time. Web. The place, Natchez, Mississippi. A piece of a steamboat window was reportedly found 30 miles (50 km) from the river. Due to their status at the time, it is likely they were not counted in many or any death counts. 559-560 The final death toll was 48 on land and 269 on the river, mostly from the sinking of flatboats. Every tornado has there own color and shape depending on the soil color, How did they prepare there was no preparing for the The steamer Hinds was badly damaged but did not sink. of Cong. By far, the worst of the damage, and the most loss of life, occurred on the Mississippi river.