May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak
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| Date of tornado outbreak: | May 19-May 21, 1957 |
| Duration1: | 3 days |
| Maximum rated tornado2: | F5 tornado |
| Tornadoes caused: | 50 confirmed |
| Damages: | Not yet available |
| Fatalities: | 59 |
| Areas affected: | Central US Plains and Mississippi Valley |
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1Time from first tornado to last tornado |
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The May 1957 Central Plains tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that took place across the US Central Plains from May 19 to May 21, 1957. The F5 tornado that was included in this outbreak and the most significant, is often called the Ruskin Heights Tornado according to people in the Kansas City area as the worst of the damage occurred in the Ruskin Heights area, a suburb and housing development south of Kansas City. Fifty tornadoes were reported from Colorado to the Mississippi Valley and 59 people were killed during the outbreak including 44 from the Ruskin Heights tornado.
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[edit] Tornado table
| Confirmed Total |
Confirmed F0 |
Confirmed F1 |
Confirmed F2 |
Confirmed F3 |
Confirmed F4 |
Confirmed F5 |
| 50 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
[edit] Confirmed tornadoes
[edit] May 19 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes | ||||||
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| Nebraska | ||||||
| F1 | NW of Bayard | Scotts Bluff | 0130 | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) |
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| F2 | N of Northport | Scotts Bluff | 0330 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) |
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| F1 | W of Gurley | Cheyenne | 0400 | 2 miles (3.2 km) |
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| Source: Tornado History Project - May 19, 1957 Storm Data | ||||||
[edit] May 20 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes | ||||||
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| Colorado | ||||||
| F0 | W of Burlington, CO to NW of St. Francis, KS | Kit Carson, CO, Sherman, KS, Cheyenne, Rawlins | 1700 | 70.1 miles (112.2 km) |
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| Kansas | ||||||
| F0 | Phillipsburg area | Phillips | 1755 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F0 | N of Downs | Osborne | 1915 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F0 | SW of Hunter | Mitchell | 1925 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | N of Burr Oak | Jewell | 2005 | 5.7 miles (9.1 km) |
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| F4 | E of Glasco to N of Morrowville | Cloud, Republic, Washington | 2050 | 44.6 miles (71.4 km) |
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| F2 | NW of Aurora | Cloud | 2050 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | W of Huscher (1st tornado) | Cloud | 2050 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | W of Huscher (2nd tornado) | Cloud | 2050 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F3 | NE of Rice | Cloud | 2050 | 6.1 miles (9.8 km) |
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| F0 | S of Hartford | Lyon | 2345 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F0 | NW of Madison | Greenwood | 0015 | 1 miles (1.6 km) |
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| F5 | SW of Williamsburg, KS to E of Raytown, MO (SE Kansas City) | Franklin, KS, Miami, Johnson, Jackson, MO | 0015 | 69.4 miles (111 km) |
44 deaths | |
| F3 | Homewood area | Franklin | 0137 | 5.6 miles (9 km) |
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| Nebraska | ||||||
| F0 | N of Red Cloud | Webster | 2015 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Broken Bow | Custer | 2017 | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) |
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| F0 | E of Guide Rock | Nuckolls | 2020 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | SW of Anselmo | Custer | 2100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | W of Reynolds to E of Palmyra | Thayer, Jefferson, Salnie, Lancaster | 2200 | 75.3 miles (120.5 km) |
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| F2 | Doniphan to NE of Phillips | Hall, Hamilton | 2300 | 18.2 miles (29.1 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Friend to N of Emerald | Saline, Gage, Lancaster | 2320 | 23.9 miles (38.2 km) |
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| South Dakota | ||||||
| F1 | N of Rockerville | Pennington | 2100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| Missouri | ||||||
| F2 | W of Weatherby | DeKalb | 2300 | 9.8 miles (15.7 km) |
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| F2 | SW of Richmond | Jackson, Ray | 0137 | 12.8 miles (20.5 km) |
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| Oklahoma | ||||||
| F0 | N of Pawnee | Pawnee | 2300 | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
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| F2 | NE of Hominy | Osage | 2345 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F2 | NW of Prague | Lincoln | 0000 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F0 | NW of Kiefer | Creek | 0100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F0 | E of Hogshooter | Nowata | 0100 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | Broken Arrow area (SE Tulsa) | Tulsa | 0130 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) |
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| F0 | SW of Beggs | Okmulgee | 0204 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | W of Chelsea | Rogers | 0430 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | NW of Centralia | Craig | 0500 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Vinita | Craig | 0500 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| F3 | NW of Garland to NE of Sallisaw | Mayes, Delaware | 0510 | 20.4 miles (32.6 km) |
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| Source: Tornado History Project - May 20, 1957 Storm Data | ||||||
[edit] May 21 event
| List of confirmed tornadoes | ||||||
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| Minnesota | ||||||
| F1 | NE of Staples | Todd, Cass | 1800 | 3.8 miles (6.1 km) |
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| F4 | E of Rush City | Chisago | 1900 | 9.2 miles (14.7 km) |
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| Missouri | ||||||
| F3 | E of Doss | Dent | 2100 | 10.2 miles (16.3 km) |
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| F2 | S of Squires | Taney, Douglas | 2115 | 14.5 miles (23.2 km) |
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| F1 | NE of Mill Spring | Wayne | 2130 | 13 miles (20.8 km) |
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| F1 | S of Centerville | Reynolds | 2145 | 0.2 miles (0.32 km) |
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| F3 | SW of Sunlight to Desloge | Washington, St. Francois | 2145 | 22.2 miles (35.5 km) |
8 deaths | |
| F4 | NE of Fermont | Carter | 2153 | 9.1 miles (14.6 km) |
7 deaths | |
| F2 | N of Burfordville | Cape Girardeau | 2300 | 5.1 miles (8.2 km) |
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| F2 | E of Lewistown | Lewis | 2330 | 7.4 miles (11.8 km) |
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| F1 | E of Cardwell to N of Deering | Dunklin, Pemiscot | 0545 | 23.7 miles (37.9 km) |
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| F2 | W of Kennett | Dunklin | 0545 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| Illinois | ||||||
| F2 | S of Columbia to SE of Shiloh | Monroe, St. Clair | 2150 | 19.7 miles (31.5 km) |
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| F2 | SE of Claremont | Richland | 2300 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) |
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| F3 | S of Makanda | Union, Jackson | 0007 | 8.5 miles (13.6 km) |
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| F3 | N of Good Hope | McDonough | 0140 | 13.7 miles (21.9 km) |
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| Iowa | ||||||
| F2 | W of Stockton | Cedar, Muscatine, Scott | 2300 | 8.9 miles (14.2 km) |
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| Indiana | ||||||
| F2 | SW of Pelzer | Warrick | 0203 | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) |
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| Kentucky | ||||||
| F2 | W of English | Carroll | 0700 | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) |
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| Source: Tornado History Project - May 21, 1957 Storm Data | ||||||
[edit] Ruskin Heights/Kansas City Tornado event
| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | 7 | Franklin | 3 |
| Miami | 4 | ||
| Missouri | 52 | Carter | 7 |
| Jackson | 37 | ||
| St. Francois | 8 | ||
| Totals | 59 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related | |||
The tornado touched down shortly after 6:00 PM CDT in Williamsburg, Kansas and lifted about 71 miles (114 km) later just outside the town of Little Blue, Missouri southeast of Kansas City near the interchange of Interstates 70 and 470. Thirty-nine people were reported dead with in the first forty-eight hours, with five more dying from injuries over the years. The tornado hit the areas of Ottawa, and Spring Hill, Kansas before hitting Martin City, part of Grandview, Hickman Mills, Ruskin Heights (a huge subdivision), and Knob Town, Missouri. The 71 miles (114 km) path leveled numerous houses and businesses. At one point the F5 tornado was over a mile (1.6 km) wide, but as it went through Ruskin Heights, the funnel was about three to four street blocks wide. One of the oddities was that the tornado hit a water tower head on, and passed through it, without any damage to it. But, across the street it leveled both Junior and Senior High Schools, and houses located in Ruskin Heights. Today, there is a memorial located at the entrance to Ruskin Heights (111th and Blue Ridge) commemorating those who were killed.
[edit] Other tornadoes
Two other killer tornadoes occurred on May 21 across Missouri. An F4 tornado in Carter County killed 7 and injured 75 while an F3 tornado in St. Francois County killed 8 and injured 50.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Caught in the Path, (ISBN 0-9655774-0-6) by Carolyn Glenn Brewer.
