Tornado+History

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The geography of the central part of the United States, known as the Great Plains, is suited to bring all of the ingredients together to forms tornadoes. More than 500 tornadoes typically occur in this area every year and is why it is commonly known as "Tornado Alley".1179419731

On March 28, 1920, tornadoes touched down in Chicago, Elgin, and the western suburbs, killing twenty three people and causing $1.5 million in damages. Several homes and businesses in downtown Elgin, including the Opera House and Grant Theater, were destroyed by the storm. Four Elgin residents were killed when the roofs of the First Congregational and First Baptist churches collapsed during Sunday services.1179364497

In Minnesota, tornadoes have occurred in every month from March through November. The earliest verified tornado in Minnesota occurred on March 18, 1968, north of Truman, and the latest in any year on November 16, 1931, east of Maple Plain. Historically and statistically, June is the month of greatest frequency with July not far behind. May has the third greatest frequency, followed closely by August. Nearly 3/4 of all tornadoes in Minnesota have occurred during the three months of May (16%), June (33%), and July (27%). The most probable danger period in Minnesota, therefore, is late spring and early summer, between 2PM and 9PM. However, tornadoes can and do occur at any time of the day or night. 1179364609

In the United States, May has historically had the most tornadoes: 176 on average between 1950 and 1999. But April is the deadliest month: an average of 26 tornado-related deaths over the same time period. A mile-wide tornado touched down near the town of Natchez, Mississippi, in 1840. It was estimated that 48 people died on land, while 269 drowned in the Mississippi River in sinking boats and steamships. The most deadly single tornado in history was the Tri-state twister of March 18, 1925. Moving across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana at speeds greater than 60 mph, this F5 tornado covered 219 miles and killed 695 people. The biggest recorded tornado was nearly two and a half miles wide. It occurred near Hallam, Neb., on May 22, 2004. It is important, however, to realize that size does not necessarily imply strength. Large tornadoes can have meager wind speeds. By virtue of its land area and location, Oklahoma City has been hit by more tornadoes than any other city. The worst of these was an F5 that struck on May 3, 1999, causing 36 deaths and a billion dollars worth of damage!1179364766