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🌪️ Tornado Talk Updates!

Ohio Roots Podcast: I had the honor of joining Noel Poirier, Executive Director of the Ohio Genealogical Society for their Ohio Roots Podcast. We talked all about Tornado Talk and more specificially the Virtual Tornado Memorial Project. Give it a listen! https://webmasterxy.podbean.com/e/e46-jen-narramore/

Linesville, PA F2 Tornado – May 31, 1985: We have a new summary that has just been released for all paid Patreon members. One of the Patreon perks is to have access to new narratives before they are released to the public, so we are in that early release stage but this will go out to the public later this week!

On May 31, 1985, an F2 tornado tore through Pymatuning State Park near Linesville, cutting a nine-mile path from Pymatuning Lake through the End of the Road Campground. The tornado resulted in one fatality and injured at least 20 others as it passed through the area. It was one of five tornadoes to strike Crawford County during the outbreak.  https://www.tornadotalk.com/linesville-pa-f2-tornado-may-31-1985/

🌪️ This Week In Tornado History

May 12, 2004 - Kansas: A brief but extremely violent tornado struck near Harper, KS. The F4 tornado had a path length of only one mile. It produced near-F5 damage as a large farmhouse simply vanished, several vehicles were shredded, trees were completely debarked, and the ground was scoured. One person was injured in the basement of the farmhouse that vanished when debris, including two debarked trees, was thrown into it.

May 13, 1995 - Illinois: This F4 tornado began south of Niota in Hancock County, IL and traveled 50 miles through Henderson into Warren County where it dissipated 6 miles SW of Abingdon. The tornado reached F4 intensity 1 mile NW of Disco in Hancock County. Several farms were leveled. Near the small community of Raritan, a farm was hit throwing the owner about 70 yards out of his home into a field. The only thing left in the home was the basement stuffed with debris. Most of the damage in the Raritan Community was along and south of Main Street.

May 14, 1886 - Indiana/Ohio:  An F4 tornado moved 35 miles through parts of Jay County, IN and Mercer County, OH. Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes documents at least nine homes were demolished in Indiana. A death occurred at the state line at a leveled farm. Northwest of Celina, five people were killed on several farm houses. 20 people were injured.

May 15, 2013 - Texas:  On the evening of May 15, 2013, a regional outbreak of 20 tornadoes took place in Texas and Oklahoma. Most of these twisters proved harmless and weak (rated EF0 and EF1). However, the southwestern fringes of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex saw two, rated EF3 and EF4, which accounted for most of the outbreak’s property losses and injuries. The latter, and the focus of this summary, only needed 2.5 miles to devastate the community of Granbury, TX, where six people lost their lives.

May 16, 1899 - Iowa: Thomas Grazulis documents a tornado passing from three miles NW of Greeley, IA to NW of Colesburg. Rating given was F4. Four deaths occurred in Clayton County. Two people were killed in one family. “Four men were caught in the open one mile from Colesburg, and two of them were killed as they looked for shelter. A tombstone of some kind was reportedly carried for two miles.”

May 17, 1989 - Texas: When we think of Jarrell, TX and tornadoes, we immediately remember the devastating F5 from May 27, 1997. But 8 years earlier, the town was hit hard by an F3 in the middle of the night. It developed at 3:02 Local Time about 3 miles SSW of Jarrell near Strickland Grove. It moved slowly NNE causing tremendous damage on the south and east side of town. A woman was killed when her mobile home was destroyed. A total of 28 people sustained injuries.

May 18, 1902 - Texas: A devastating F4 tornado tracked from north of Berclair, TX to Goliad, where the worst damage occurred. Grazulis lists 114 fatalities. “The greatest damage was confined to an area between Church and San Patricio Streets, which are about four blocks apart (but do not run parallel). One quarter of the town’s 1261 people lived in this section of west Goliad and about 100 buildings in this area were obliterated. Small homes were swept away at the south end of town, and larger ones at the north end. About 85 people died within the first few hours of the tornado’s passage. The remaining deaths were slowly added to the list for weeks afterward. They died of lockjaw (tetanus) and what was generally termed “blood poisoning.” Caption: Historical marker remembering the Goliad tornado of 1902.

🌪️ Twister Time: Bonus Round

Last week we looked at a tornado in Portugal….This week Germany! This occurred on May 3. The post from X is of tree damage in Stolzhausen. The tornado was rated IF1.5 on the International Fujita Scale. This is ussed by many European agencies. The IF1.5 rating indicates a tornado with estimated wind speeds between 110 and 132 mph. Here is a link to the official survey.

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