Tri-state tornado: 1925 tragedy that remains the deadliest in U.S. history
Tornadoes are a familiar sight across Missouri. This is known all too well, as just last Friday, various tornadoes were confirmed across the state leading to 13 deaths.
On March 18, 1925, a tornado would span approximately 219 miles, averaging a width of 3/4 of a mile, injuring 2,027 people and killing 695.
When breaking down the track of the Tri-State tornado and the notable facts, we would see the system touched down just after 1 o'clock northeast of Eminence, Missouri. Wind speeds would reach over 200 MPH, giving it the F-5 rating. At this point in history the EF Scale would not have been created.
As the tornado approached Bollinger County, Missouri, 32 schoolchildren would be injured in two separete schools. At its widest, this tornado would reach a width of 1 mile. During the long track of possible 219 mile tornado it would average a width of about 3/4 of a mile.
Eventually, this tornado barreled its way into southern Illinois, where the travel speed was close to 62 MPH. 13 counties would be devastated as this tornado would race through.
The end time for this tornado would be approximately sometime after 4 o'clock, not exactly known. The entirety of this tornado would look to last approximately 3.5 hours making it the deadliest tornado in history.
