Tri-state tornado of 1925 was the deadliest tornado in United States history. It struck southeastern Missouri , southern Illinois , and southwestern Indiana on March 18, 1925. The tornado killed nearly 700 people and injured thousands. It left a path of destruction 219 miles (352 kilometers) long.
At about 1 p.m. on March 18, a tornado touched down near the small town of Ellington, Missouri. It continued northeast, nearly leveling the Missouri towns of Annapolis and Leadanna. After traveling through Perry County, the tornado crossed the Mississippi River into southern Illinois.
At about 2:30 p.m., the tornado destroyed the Illinois town of Gorham, killing 37 people. It killed 234 people in Murphysboro and caused 69 deaths in DeSoto, including 33 at a school. The tornado moved through part of West Frankfort, killing 148. It destroyed the town of Parrish, where 22 people died. It killed dozens of people in rural parts of southeastern Illinois before crossing into Indiana.
Around 4 p.m., the tornado leveled the Indiana town of Griffin. It destroyed about 85 farms near Owensville and damaged much of the town of Princeton. The storm finally dissipated around 4:30 p.m.
During its course, the tri-state tornado grew to up to 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) wide. It had wind speeds of more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour. By some estimates, its winds may have exceeded 300 miles (480 kilometers) per hour. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, the scale commonly used to rate the strength of tornadoes, scientists classify it as an EF5—the strongest rating. See Tornado (table: The Enhanced Fujita scale) .
After the storm passed, residents took stock of the damage and loss of life. About 15,000 homes were destroyed. Fires burned amid the rubble for days. Illinois, where more than 600 people died, experienced the most devastation. In Indiana, about 70 people died, and 13 people perished in Missouri. Thousands of people were left homeless. The 234 killed at Murphysboro exceeds the death toll of any single community in a tornado event in U.S. history.
See also Tornado .
