Latest news with #Wielgos
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Remembering the 1925 Tri-State Tornado
GRIFFIN, Ind. (WEHT) — 100 years ago, communities across the Midwest were dealing with the immediate aftermath of the deadliest tornado in American history. Tucked away in the northwest corner of Posey County sits the small community of Griffin, the epicenter of one of America's darkest days. March 18, 1925, what would be known as the Tri-State Tornado, leveled communities in its path including Griffin. Angela Mason grew up in Southern Illinois, just north of the path of the storm. A conversation with her grandfather in 1981 sparked an interest to dig a little deeper. 'We had some severe weather that Summer and he was talking about it and said it reminded him of 1925,' says Mason. According to the National Weather Service, conditions on that day in 1925 were ripe for severe weather. 'You probably would have had a Moderate or High Risk out if it was in today's terms,' says Meteorologist Christine Wielgos. 'They had no idea there was a threat for tornadoes. I think the forecast, if I remember correctly, was 'rains and shifting winds', was the official forecast that came out for the area. So the only time, the only real sense that people had about the impending danger was seeing this big, black cloud coming toward them.' The tornado stretched from Southeast Missouri to Southern Indiana, lifting just northeast of Princeton after staying on the ground for three and a half hours. Mason decided to do her own research, taking a 2-year journey in 1999 along the tornado's path to interview survivors for her book, 'Death Rides The Sky.' 'One of the things that created the biggest impression on me was how vivid this memory remained in the minds of these people who were, on the average, 8 years old, when this happened,' says Mason. 'These people, one after another, would tell me, 'It was like this: it was dark and it was light then it was over.'' In total, 695 people lost their lives. The town of Griffin, among others, was destroyed but rebuilt. A Main Street building is believed to have survived the tornado. The school, destroyed, but later rebuilt as well. What's left of that school stills stands today, along with memories of the town's resilient spirit. 'Their school mascots were the Griffin Tornadoes…it's like, this is our tornado,' says Mason. 'They don't even call it the Tri-State tornado here, they call it the Griffin tornado.' Although rare, Wielgos says recent storms prove the atmosphere is still capable of extraordinary storms. 'December 10, 2021, was pretty much the modern day Tri-State tornado,' says Wielgos. 'Even though it didn't go 219 miles, it was very close to it, because if it had not cycled across portions of northwest Tennessee, it would have been on the ground for longer than the Tri-State tornado.' Few, if any, scars remain from that storm. While the school building no longer stands, the solemn records, however, still do. To this day, 100 years later, the Tri-State Tornado still holds the top spot for longest path, and for being the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Nearly 700 people were killed 100 years ago this week in the deadliest US tornado
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — From Logan School's top floor, 11-year-old Othella Silvey should have been able to see her house easily — it was less than two blocks away. But after a monstrous tornado ripped through the Illinois town of Murphysboro on March 18, 1925, Othella saw nothing but flattened wasteland. 'She couldn't tell which direction was home,' said Othella's daughter, 81-year-old Sylvia Carvell. Deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history The deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history struck 100 years ago Tuesday, touching down in southeastern Missouri and tearing up everything in its 219-mile (352-kilometer) path for nearly four hours through southern Illinois and into Indiana. It left 695 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, not counting the casualties from at least seven other twisters that the main storm spawned which spun off through Kentucky and into Alabama. Modern standards qualify the so-called Tri-State Tornado as an F5, a mile-wide funnel with wind speeds greater than 260 mph (418 kph). Perhaps the best evidence of its destructive handiwork was found on the Logan School grounds: A wooden board measuring 4 feet (1.22 meters) long by 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) wide driven so deeply into the trunk of a maple tree that it could hold the weight of a man. It's on display this month as part of the Jackson County Historical Society's centennial commemoration of the disaster. 'You know the numbers: 200 mph winds. It was a mile wide. But the force that it took to put that pine board into that maple tree, it really puts it all in perspective,' said Mary Riseling, coordinator of the six-day remembrance. 'To have one item that was witness to the force of those winds, it's a story all its own.' Perfect atmospheric mix for ferocious storm The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm. A surface low pressure system located over the Arkansas-Missouri border moved northeast, blending with a warm front moving north, said Christine Wielgos, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. That churn 'provided the warmth, the instability, the moisture' which, when 'married perfectly,' produce long-track, violent tornadoes, Wielgos said. Adding to the terror was the lack of notice. There was no reliable storm forecasting in 1925 and no warning system anyway. 'All they had was they looked off to the West and went, 'Looking a little dark out there,' and didn't even know what it was until it was right up on them and then you're scrambling to find shelter,' Wielgos said. Towns were obliterated The storm took out 40% of the city of Murphysboro, 97 miles (156 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Its 234 deaths were the most of any municipality, with entire neighborhoods flattened. Other towns were virtually obliterated, too, including Annapolis, Missouri; Gorham, Illinois; and Griffith, Indiana. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad yards, employing close to 1,100, were wiped out. At the twister's next stop, it ravaged the DeSoto School, killing 38 children. Sheet music for 'After the Tornado is Over,' a morbid dirge written locally, reflects the mood of the odious aftermath: 'I once had a 'Home Sweet Home' here/With families so kind and dear/The Red Cross tells me they are dead/Among the debris straight ahead/Death seems to come to every door/The strong and weak, the rich and poor.' In Murphysboro, Pullman rail cars arrived to house visiting medical professionals and cleanup crews. The Red Cross supplied tents for the homeless. With reports that the Silvey family had been killed and their home destroyed, Othella and her younger sister, Helen Silvey, 7, were shipped to Carbondale as orphans. However, it was their grandparents — who lived a block away — who had died, Carvell said. The sisters were eventually reunited with their parents. Commemoration celebrates resilience The city rebuilt. Othella Silvey's family erected a home identical to the one that had been leveled. First, they built a chicken coop, which supplied not only their primary dietary staple for months, but their shelter until the primary residence was finished, Carvell said. To this day, the west side of Murphysboro is peppered with small backyard structures that were temporary quarters until families could rebuild larger homes at the front of their lots. Dozens of families who toughed it out remain in Murphysboro, Riseling said. Jackson County Historical Society President Laura Cates Duncan said the commemoration honors those who died but also celebrates the resilience of those who carried on. 'They could have gone elsewhere, but they wanted to stay here,' Duncan said. 'Their roots were here.' Originally Published:
Los Angeles Times
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Los Angeles Times
Tri-State Tornado, deadliest in recorded U.S. history, ripped through Midwest 100 years ago
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — From Logan School's top floor, 11-year-old Othella Silvey should have been able to see her house easily — it was less than two blocks away. But after a monstrous tornado ripped through the Illinois town of Murphysboro on March 18, 1925, Othella saw nothing but flattened wasteland. 'She couldn't tell which direction was home,' said Othella's daughter, 81-year-old Sylvia Carvell. The deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history struck 100 years ago Tuesday, touching down in southeastern Missouri and tearing up everything in its 219-mile path for nearly four hours through southern Illinois and into Indiana. It left 695 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, not counting the casualties from at least seven other twisters that the main storm spawned, which spun off through Kentucky and into Alabama. Modern standards qualify the so-called Tri-State Tornado as an F5, a mile-wide funnel with wind speeds greater than 260 mph. Perhaps the best evidence of its destructive handiwork was found on the Logan School grounds: A wooden board measuring 4 feet long by 8 inches wide driven so deeply into the trunk of a maple tree that it could hold the weight of a man. It's on display this month as part of the Jackson County Historical Society's centennial commemoration of the disaster. 'You know the numbers: 200 mph winds. It was a mile wide. But the force that it took to put that pine board into that maple tree, it really puts it all in perspective,' said Mary Riseling, coordinator of the six-day remembrance. 'To have one item that was witness to the force of those winds, it's a story all its own.' The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm. A surface low-pressure system located over the Arkansas-Missouri border moved northeast, blending with a warm front moving north, said Christine Wielgos, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. That churn 'provided the warmth, the instability, the moisture,' which when 'married perfectly,' produce long-track, violent tornadoes, Wielgos said. Adding to the terror was the lack of notice. There was no reliable storm forecasting in 1925 and no warning system anyway. 'All they had was they looked off to the West and went, 'Looking a little dark out there,' and didn't even know what it was until it was right up on them and then you're scrambling to find shelter,' Wielgos said. The storm took out 40% of the city of Murphysboro, 97 miles southeast of St. Louis. Its 234 deaths were the most of any municipality, with entire neighborhoods flattened. Other towns were virtually obliterated, too, including Annapolis, Mo.; Gorham, Ill.; and Griffith, Ind. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad yards, employing close to 1,100, were wiped out. At the twister's next stop, it ravaged the DeSoto School, killing 38 children. Sheet music for 'After the Tornado Is Over,' a morbid dirge written locally, reflects the mood of the odious aftermath: 'I once had a 'Home Sweet Home' here/With families so kind and dear/The Red Cross tells me they are dead/Among the debris straight ahead/Death seems to come to every door/The strong and weak, the rich and poor.' In Murphysboro, Pullman rail cars arrived to house visiting medical professionals and cleanup crews. The Red Cross supplied tents for the homeless. With reports that the Silvey family had been killed and their home destroyed, Othella and her younger sister, Helen Silvey, 7, were shipped to Carbondale as orphans. However, it was their grandparents — who lived a block away — who had died, Carvell said. The sisters were eventually reunited with their parents. The city rebuilt. Othella Silvey's family erected a home identical to the one that had been leveled. First, they built a chicken coop, which supplied not only their primary dietary staple for months, but their shelter until the primary residence was finished, Carvell said. To this day, the west side of Murphysboro is peppered with small backyard structures that were temporary quarters until families could rebuild larger homes at the front of their lots. Dozens of families who toughed it out remain in Murphysboro, Riseling said. Jackson County Historical Society President Laura Cates Duncan said the commemoration honors those who died but also celebrates the resilience of those who carried on. 'They could have gone elsewhere, but they wanted to stay here,' Duncan said. 'Their roots were here.' O'Connor writes for the Associated Press.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tri-State Tornado, deadliest in recorded US history, ripped through Midwestern states 100 years ago
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) — From Logan School's top floor, 11-year-old Othella Silvey should have been able to see her house easily — it was less than two blocks away. But after a monstrous tornado ripped through the Illinois town of Murphysboro on March 18, 1925, Othella saw nothing but flattened wasteland. 'She couldn't tell which direction was home,' said Othella's daughter, 81-year-old Sylvia Carvell. Deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history The deadliest twister in recorded U.S. history struck 100 years ago Tuesday, touching down in southeastern Missouri and tearing up everything in its 219-mile (352-kilometer) path for nearly four hours through southern Illinois and into Indiana. It left 695 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, not counting the casualties from at least seven other twisters that the main storm spawned which spun off through Kentucky and into Alabama. Modern standards qualify the so-called Tri-State Tornado as an F5, a mile-wide funnel with wind speeds greater than 260 mph (418 kph). Perhaps the best evidence of its destructive handiwork was found on the Logan School grounds: A wooden board measuring 4 feet (1.22 meters) long by 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) wide driven so deeply into the trunk of a maple tree that it could hold the weight of a man. It's on display this month as part of the Jackson County Historical Society's centennial commemoration of the disaster. 'You know the numbers: 200 mph winds. It was a mile wide. But the force that it took to put that pine board into that maple tree, it really puts it all in perspective,' said Mary Riseling, coordinator of the six-day remembrance. 'To have one item that was witness to the force of those winds, it's a story all its own.' Perfect atmospheric mix for ferocious storm The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm. A surface low pressure system located over the Arkansas-Missouri border moved northeast, blending with a warm front moving north, said Christine Wielgos, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. That churn 'provided the warmth, the instability, the moisture" which, when 'married perfectly,' produce long-track, violent tornadoes, Wielgos said. Adding to the terror was the lack of notice. There was no reliable storm forecasting in 1925 and no warning system anyway. 'All they had was they looked off to the West and went, 'Looking a little dark out there,' and didn't even know what it was until it was right up on them and then you're scrambling to find shelter,' Wielgos said. Towns were obliterated The storm took out 40% of the city of Murphysboro, 97 miles (156 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Its 234 deaths were the most of any municipality, with entire neighborhoods flattened. Other towns were virtually obliterated, too, including Annapolis, Missouri; Gorham, Illinois; and Griffith, Indiana. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad yards, employing close to 1,100, were wiped out. At the twister's next stop, it ravaged the DeSoto School, killing 38 children. Sheet music for 'After the Tornado is Over,' a morbid dirge written locally, reflects the mood of the odious aftermath: 'I once had a 'Home Sweet Home' here/With families so kind and dear/The Red Cross tells me they are dead/Among the debris straight ahead/Death seems to come to every door/The strong and weak, the rich and poor." In Murphysboro, Pullman rail cars arrived to house visiting medical professionals and cleanup crews. The Red Cross supplied tents for the homeless. With reports that the Silvey family had been killed and their home destroyed, Othella and her younger sister, Helen Silvey, 7, were shipped to Carbondale as orphans. However, it was their grandparents — who lived a block away — who had died, Carvell said. The sisters were eventually reunited with their parents. Commemoration celebrates resilience The city rebuilt. Othella Silvey's family erected a home identical to the one that had been leveled. First, they built a chicken coop, which supplied not only their primary dietary staple for months, but their shelter until the primary residence was finished, Carvell said. To this day, the west side of Murphysboro is peppered with small backyard structures that were temporary quarters until families could rebuild larger homes at the front of their lots. Dozens of families who toughed it out remain in Murphysboro, Riseling said. Jackson County Historical Society President Laura Cates Duncan said the commemoration honors those who died but also celebrates the resilience of those who carried on. 'They could have gone elsewhere, but they wanted to stay here," Duncan said. "Their roots were here.'
Al Arabiya
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Al Arabiya
Deadliest tornado in recorded US history ripped through Midwestern states 100 years ago
From Logan School's top floor, 11-year-old Othella Silvey should have been able to see her house easily–it was less than two blocks away. But after a monstrous tornado ripped through the Illinois town of Murphysboro on March 18, 1925, Othella saw nothing but flattened wasteland. 'She couldn't tell which direction was home,' said Othella's daughter, 81-year-old Sylvia Carvell. The deadliest twister in recorded US history struck 100 years ago Tuesday, touching down in southeastern Missouri and tearing up everything in its 219-mile (352-kilometer) path for nearly four hours through southern Illinois and into Indiana. It left 695 people dead and more than 2,000 injured, not counting the casualties from at least seven other twisters that the main storm spawned, which spun off through Kentucky and into Alabama. Modern standards qualify the so-called Tri-State Tornado as an F5–a mile-wide funnel with wind speeds greater than 260 mph (418 kph). Perhaps the best evidence of its destructive handiwork was found on the Logan School grounds: A wooden board measuring 4 feet (1.22 meters) long by 8 inches (20.32 centimeters) wide driven so deeply into the trunk of a maple tree that it could hold the weight of a man. 'It's on display this month as part of the Jackson County Historical Society's centennial commemoration of the disaster.' 'You know the numbers: 200 mph winds. It was a mile wide. But the force that it took to put that pine board into that maple tree–it really puts it all in perspective,' said Mary Riseling, coordinator of the six-day remembrance. 'To have one item that was witness to the force of those winds–it's a story all its own.' The atmospheric stew that gave birth to the ferocious cataclysm was literally a perfect storm. A surface low-pressure system located over the Arkansas–Missouri border moved northeast, blending with a warm front moving north, said Christine Wielgos, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service. 'That churn provided the warmth, the instability, the moisture, which, when married perfectly, produce long-track violent tornadoes,' Wielgos said. Adding to the terror was the lack of notice. There was no reliable storm forecasting in 1925 and no warning system anyway. 'All they had was they looked off to the west and went, 'Looking a little dark out there,' and didn't even know what it was until it was right up on them, and then you're scrambling to find shelter,' Wielgos said. The storm took out 40 percent of the city of Murphysboro, 97 miles (156 kilometers) southeast of St. Louis. Its 234 deaths were the most of any municipality, with entire neighborhoods flattened. Other towns were virtually obliterated too, including Annapolis, Missouri; Gorham, Illinois; and Griffith, Indiana. The Mobile & Ohio Railroad yards, employing close to 1,100, were wiped out. At the twister's next stop, it ravaged the DeSoto School, killing 38 children. Sheet music for 'After the Tornado is Over,' a morbid dirge written locally, reflects the mood of the odious aftermath: 'I once had a Home Sweet Home here/With families so kind and dear/The Red Cross tells me they are dead/Among the debris straight ahead/Death seems to come to every door/The strong and weak the rich and poor.' In Murphysboro, Pullman rail cars arrived to house visiting medical professionals and cleanup crews. The Red Cross supplied tents for the homeless. With reports that the Silvey family had been killed and their home destroyed, Othella and her younger sister, Helen Silvey, 7, were shipped to Carbondale as orphans. 'However, it was their grandparents–who lived a block away–who had died,' Carvell said. The sisters were eventually reunited with their parents. The city rebuilt. Othella Silvey's family erected a home identical to the one that had been leveled. 'First they built a chicken coop, which supplied not only their primary dietary staple for months but their shelter until the primary residence was finished,' Carvell said. To this day, the west side of Murphysboro is peppered with small backyard structures that were temporary quarters until families could rebuild larger homes at the front of their lots. Dozens of families who toughed it out remain in Murphysboro, Riseling said. Jackson County Historical Society President Laura Cates Duncan said the commemoration honors those who died but also celebrates the resilience of those who carried on. 'They could have gone elsewhere, but they wanted to stay here,' Duncan said. 'Their roots were here.'
