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🌪️ Tornado Talk Updates!

For those who have been reading the newsletter, I announced a few weeks ago some big changes in my life that is directly tied to Tornado Talk! I decided to sell my house and become a nomad! I will be “Chasing Tornado History” on a full time basis traveling across the country, visiting history centers, libraries, genealogy centers and more. The goal is to find the information needed for the Virtual Tornado Memorial. Here is my full announcement on this journey: https://tornadotalk.beehiiv.com/p/big-changes-are-a-coming

Well, Nomad Life is getting closer! I have sold my house and by the end of the month I will be hitting the road. For the next few months, I will be attending some conferences and doing a ton of organizing of Tornado Talk material. The first big research time will be in November in Virginia.

More to come as I step forward in faith on this mission!

🌪️ This Week In Tornado History

August 18, 1968 - Nebraska: Three tornadoes were reported on this day. The strongest, an F3, tracked over 20 miles through Douglas County and the city of Omaha. Thomas Grazulis notes a width of about 200 yards. In the Bel Air section, two parallel paths roughly 500 feet apart indicated two vortices. Grazulis documented 46 homes damaged, and one farmhouse with minimal F3 damage. Storm Data mentions numerous minor injuries with one person hospitalized.

August 19, 1939 - Virginia/Maryland: Thomas Grazulis documented a hurricane-spawned tornado family that moved 25 miles across portions of Virginia and Maryland. It moved north-northwest across the 10-mile-wide mouth of the Potomac River estuary. One person was killed in each state. Near Reedville, a home and a fish factory were destroyed. A man drowned in an overturned boat. Three homes were demolished near Scotland and Dameron, MD. A person was killed in one of the homes. Grazulis assigned a rating of F2.

August 20, 1928 - Iowa/Minnesota: Thomas Grazulis documented an F4 tornado that moved 40 miles from near the Iowa-Minnesota state line, passing NW of Emmons, hitting just south of Twin Lakes and just north of Glenville. “Near Glenville, damage was near-F5 as an entire farm was swept away.” One woman was killed near Glenville and five others were killed at Austin.

August 21, 1883 - Minnesota: On this day, a violent F5 tornado devastated Rochester, MN. The destruction was immense, but what emerged from the tragedy is remembered even more: the birth of the Mayo Clinic. Out of loss and ruin came resolve—not just to rebuild, but to build better for the good of all. This premium summary looks back at those who suffered and how one of the world’s leading medical institutions was born from the wreckage.

August 22, 1879 - Mississippi: A waterspout came ashore at the “Sea Shore Camp Grounds” near Biloxi, MS. Five cabins and a bath house were destroyed. A boy was killed. Grazulis gave an F1 rating.

August 23, 1786 - Connecticut: Thomas Grazulis documented a tornado that hit in the Woodstock-Pomfret-Killingly area of Connecticut. A total of 20 homes and 63 barns were damaged/destroyed. A woman died in her home.

August 24, 2016 - Indiana: It was one for the record books! A large, unexpected tornado outbreak occurred on August 24, 2016. 22 tornadoes were confirmed across parts of IN and OH. We look at five of them that hit in Howard County, IN including one of the strongest of the day in this summary.

🌪️More Twister News

A tornado occurred on August 14 at Ocean Isle, NC. Check out this footage from Live Storms Media!

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