1944 Appalachians tornado outbreak

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The 1944 Appalachians tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that hit the Midwest and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States on June 22-23, 1944. Particularly hard hit was the town of Shinnston, West Virginia in Harrison County which was completely destroyed by a violent tornado before 9:00 PM EDT on June 23. It was and still remains the worst tornado outbreak ever to hit the state of West Virginia.[1] At least 154 people were killed and hundreds others injured in the eastern U.S., while at least 9 were killed across the Midwest.

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[edit] Event

After producing several tornadoes across the Midwest and Ohio Valley region on June 22 and killing at least nine people near the Wisconsin-Illinois border,[2] the storm produced a particularly deadly tornado (or several tornadoes) across the Appalachian region of West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania on June 23. The storms killed at least 100 in West Virginia alone (72 in Harrison County), 50 others in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and injured at least 800 across the three states.

In addition of Shinnston, the West Virginia communities of Flemington, Meadowsville, Montrose and Thomas were also hit. In addition to Harrison County, West Virginia's Marion (3 deaths), Barbour (9 deaths), Taylor (9 deaths) and Randolph Counties (7 deaths) were also hit. Eleven people were killed in Chartiers, Pennsylvania by another tornado which killed in total 30, and 17 were killed by the McKeesport, Pennsylvania tornado near Pittsburgh. All three tornadoes were rated F4 on the Fujita scale.[3][4][5] At least 400 structures were destroyed and another 800 damaged.[6]

While it is unclear if one single tornado produced all fatalities in the Appalachian region, the Shinnston tornado is ranked at least as the 14th deadliest tornado of all time in the United States.[7]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dietz, Leah. "Quiet Montrose Community Was Marked By Tragic Tornado", The Inter-Mountain, 2007-09-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-31. 
  2. ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES
  3. ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES
  4. ^ They Hoped for a Storm - TIME
  5. ^ Learning Center Article
  6. ^ Hur Herald
  7. ^ 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes

[edit] External links

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25 deadliest US tornadoes
Rank Name (location) Date Deaths
1 "Tri-State" March 18, 1925 695
2 Natchez, MS May 6, 1840 317
3 St. Louis and East St. Louis May 27, 1896 255
4 Tupelo, MS April 5, 1936 216
5 Gainesville, GA April 5, 1936 203
6 Woodward, OK April 9, 1947 181
7 Amite, LA and Purvis, MS April 24, 1908 143
8 New Richmond, WI June 12, 1899 117
9 Flint, MI June 8, 1953 116
10
- - -		 Waco, TX
Goliad, TX		 May 11, 1953
May 18, 1902		 114
114
12 Omaha, NE March 23, 1913 103
13 Mattoon, IL May 26, 1917 101
14 Shinnston, WV June 23, 1944 100
15 Marshfield, MO April 18, 1880 99
16
- - -		 Gainesville and Holland, GA
Poplar Bluff, MO		 June 1, 1903
May 9, 1927		 98
98
18 Snyder, OK May 10, 1905 97
19 Natchez, MS April 24, 1908 91
20 Worcester, MA June 9, 1953 90
21 Starkville, MS and Waco, AL April 20, 1920 88
22 Lorain and Sandusky, OH June 28, 1924 85
23 Udall, KS May 25, 1955 80
24 St. Louis, MO September 29, 1927 79
25 Louisville, KY March 27, 1890 76
Source: Storm Prediction Center