1932 Deep South tornado outbreak

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The 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak is a deadly tornado outbreak that struck the southern United States on March 21-22, 1932. The outbreak was considered to be the deadliest ever in the state of Alabama and one of the deadliest ever in the US trailing only the Tri-State Tornado in 1925 and the Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak in 1936 while producing a similar number of fatalities then the 1974 Super Outbreak. Over 330 people were killed in the tornado outbreak,[1] including 268 in Alabama alone.[2]

Contents

[edit] Event summary

At least 20 tornadoes struck the Deep South with 10 of them violent and killer F4 storms. Forecasters had predicted an end to very warm temperatures and a sharp cool down but was not anticipated the magnitude of the severe weather that would hit very hard most of the state from north of Montgomery to the Tennessee and Georgia borders. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s for most of the area. [3][4]

The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, which is also known as the deadliest tornado ever to hit the state, carved a 60-mile path southeast of Birmingham across Perry, Bibb, Chilton, Shelby and Coosa Counties in central Alabama. 49 people were killed by this single tornado.[5]

Another destructive tornado hit the Tuscaloosa and Northport area in Tuscaloosa at around 4:00 PM. It destroyed about 100 homes as well as the Tuscaloosa County Club while narrowly missing downtown Tuscaloosa. About 2000 people were left homeless by that tornado. 37 were killed in the area.[6][7]

There was at least 8 other violent killer tornadoes across Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. In Alabama, 18 were killed near the Cullman area in Cullman County, 14 in the Columbiana area in Shelby County, 31 in and around the Clanton area in Chilton County, 41 in Coosa County and Talladega Counties near Sylacauga and 13 in Bellview in Wilcox County. A tornado near the Tennessee-Alabama stateline also killed 38 near Bolivar (Jackson County) towards Tennessee.

At least 25 cities in Alabama reported a fatality or more during that day including in Demopolis, Union Grove, Linden, Plantersville, Sycamore, Thorsby, Northport, Huntsville, Decatur, Marion, Stanton, Scottsboro, Paint Rock, Collins Chapel, Columbiana, Faunsdale, Bethel Church, Jemison, Falkville, Sylacauga, Bridgeport, Lineville, Gantt's Quarry, Cullman and Corinth. 11 counties were particularly hard hit. 7 000 homes and businesses were destroyed statewide.[8]

Outside Alabama, 6 were killed near Pulaski in Giles County (just north of the Alabama state line). Finally, a tornado near the Tennessee-Georgia state line killed 15 from Beaverdale (Whitfield County) to Conasauga (Polk County) All the fatalities listed are from F4 tornadoes. Several hundreds of people were also injured while at least 100 injuries in 7 of the 10 tornadoes across the 3 states - a total of 1 750 injuries in Alabama alone.[9]

The event is also nicknamed the "Super Outbreak" by the The National Weather Service Office in Birmingham.[10] While Alabama was the hardest hit state with 86 fatalities during the 1974 event, there were three times more fatalities on March 21, 1932.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ NOAA News Online (Story 345)
  2. ^ http://alagenealogy.com/Historical%20Information%20pages/Tornado%20Information/Magazine%20Article%20of%20Tornado%201932.htm
  3. ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES
  4. ^ http://alagenealogy.com/Historical%20Information%20pages/Tornado%20Information/Magazine%20Article%20of%20Tornado%201932.htm
  5. ^ NOAA's National Weather Service - Birmingham, Alabama
  6. ^ Historical Tornado Events
  7. ^ NOAA's National Weather Service - Birmingham, Alabama
  8. ^ http://alagenealogy.com/Historical%20Information%20pages/Tornado%20Information/Magazine%20Article%20of%20Tornado%201932.htm
  9. ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES
  10. ^ NOAA's National Weather Service - Birmingham, Alabama

[edit] External links

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Tornado events in Alabama