- Tornado Talk Weekly
- Posts
- Another summary update!
Another summary update!
Pilger happened 10 years ago!
Happy Monday Tornado Historians! Grab a cup of coffee and check out this week’s edition of our newsletter!
We continue to review some of the older summaries on the website and enhancing them looking for more stories, details, photos and more!
Groundhog Mountain, VA F1 Tornado – August 1, 1965: We barely had any information on this summary until last week! I managed to find some newspaper articles online that contained more details and a couple of pictures! This was a quick-hitting tornado that struck in the dead of night along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Newspapers reported the event as “tornado-like,” but it did officially hit the records as a twister, rated F1. Numerous trees were mowed down, and one family in their new mobile home found themselves in harm’s way.
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2b482632-b28f-4ae5-9dcf-6e2b131be096/image.png?t=1717980959)
The James Ayers family's overturned trailer. All inside survived the tumble down a bank. Image from the August 5, 1965 edition of The Carroll News.
NEW “This Week In Tornado History” is online now! A destructive tornado hit parts of El Dorado, KS in Butler County on this day in 1958. It was given a rating of F4 but Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes notes the tornado could have received an F5 rating but it was hard to determine with the available photos and descriptions. We have a summary about this event too!
It is now officially hurricane season! Are you prepared if watches and warnings are issued for your area? Keep your family safe with a NOAA Weather Radio!
Tornado Talk is excited to partner with Midland Radio! They have a great selection of weather radios including the ER310 with a solar panel and hand crank. Charges devices through USB!
Use the promo code: TORNADO10 to save 10% on your order!
Check out the great selection here!
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/cd93ada4-5364-45d1-a727-e79396d8b2ea/ER310_with_Phone_1720X1000.jpg)
Do you enjoy reading about nature’s most fascinating phenomenon? If so, subscribe for free below. We send a newsletter every Monday morning!
🌪️ This Week In Tornado History
June 10, 1902 - Kingston Mines: An F3 crosssed 15 miles from east of Canton, IL through Kingston Mines. There were 3 fatalities and 40 injuries. 16 homes were destroyed at Kingston Mines. “Twenty men and 18 engines were buried in the roundhouse there.”
June 11, 2008 - Manhattan, KS: The tornado developed SW of Manhattan causing damage to a farm. It moved NE toward town hitting the Miller Ranch Area. It was here that EF4 damage was found. Fifteen well built homes were completely destroyed. The tornado continued its track northeast eventually moving onto the Kansas State University campus.
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e8f8092d-8628-48ee-b27b-3894fa813971/image.png?t=1717981398)
Image from NWS Topeka.
June 12, 1881 - Floral, KS: A possible F4 tornado moved 17 miles in Cowley County, KS. It devastated the town of Floral, many of the homes there were leveled. “The tornado’s progress was watched for a half hour from Seely and Akron. It was described as looking like rope at first, and then changed its form to resemble an elephant’s trunk.” 3 people were killed. Source: Thomas Grazulis.
June 13, 1930 - Wisconsin: Per Thomas Grazulis, an F4 tornado moved from NE of Ellsworth, WI, passing near El Paso and ended along the northern part of Menomonie. About a half dozen farms were leveled. Four people were killed in one farm home west of Menomonie. A young girl was killed in another. “At the north edge of Menomonie, a man was unaware of the tornado until he glanced out a window, and saw a car fly by.”
June 14, 1957 - Springfield, IL: It tracked through the southeastern part of Springfield, IL near Jerome and was later rated F4. Per the NWS Springfield, IL, “The parent thunderstorm produced a 98 mph wind gust at Capital Airport on the north side of town.” Two people were killed.
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/50aed501-8ccc-4b94-aa54-938866e4910d/image.png?t=1717981649)
Image from newspapers.com.
June 15, 2019 - Ellettsville, IN: A garage was swept away, several outbuildings were destroyed, and trees were shredded by this EF2.
June 16, 2014 - Pilger, NE: Say the words “Pilger” and everyone in the weather community knows what you’re talking about. On the afternoon of June 16, 2014, a supercell thunderstorm would produce 5 tornadoes, one rated EF0 and four rated EF4, across northeastern Nebraska. The town of Pilger was hardest hit when it took a direct strike from one of the EF4 tornadoes. The third EF4 tornado, also known as “Pilger East” was likely the strongest tornado of the outbreak, but fortunately remained in rural areas. The most remarkable thing about this outbreak was the “twins”. Tornadoes 2 and 3 (known as Pilger and Pilger East respectively) became two photogenic twins, at times moving around each other, and crossing paths. After tornado 3 dissipated, tornado 4 (Wakefield) and tornado 2 were twins for a short period of time.
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/dfa7049f-1316-4eee-ae10-8690ea18c2b2/image.png?t=1717981789)
Pilger and Pilger East twins, via NWS Summary
Check This Out!
Several tornadoes crossed through portions of Maryland on Wednesday, June 5. Check out this video of a tornado moving from Gaithersburg, crossing I-370 towards Olney, Montgomery County, Maryland.
🌪️Aerial video of a tornado on the ground with a path from #Gaithersburg crossing I-370 towards #Olney, Montgomery County, Maryland. #tornado#MoCo#MdWx#Wx@NWS_BaltWash@ReadyMontgomery@TheMoCoShow@ModeratelyMoco@CordellTraffic@alanhenney@DCNewsLive@DCNewsNow
— Tim Pruss, MyDrone.Pro (@MyDronePro)
1:08 AM • Jun 6, 2024
Many thanks to all of you for subscribing to our newsletter! - Jen Narramore, Owner Tornado Talk
Reply