Tri-State Tornado - The Deadliest Tornado In The History of United States

There are many such devastating events in the world which are capable of destroying the world in just a moment. There are many natural disasters, such as Earth Quake, Tsunami, Hurricanes and many other weather phenomenon. The name of Tornado always comes in our mind when we think about these kinds of devastating weather events. Let's first understand, what exactly does a tornado mean? A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud. Cumulonimbus is a dense, towering vertical cloud, forming from water vapor carried by powerful upward air currents. If observed during a storm, these clouds may be referred to as thunderheads. Tornadoes are often referred to as twisters, whirlwinds or cyclones.

Tornado

There are many deadly tornadoes recorded in the entire world. But the most extreme tornado in recorded history was the Tri-State Tornado, which spread through parts of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. It was the deadliest tornado in the history of United States. Tornadoes are more common in United States than in any other country. The United States receives more than 1,200 tornadoes, annually four times the amount seen in Europe. The violent tornadoes, those rated EF4 or EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale - occur more often in the United States than in any other country. There is an area of the United States where tornadoes are most frequently formed.  The name given to this area is Tornado Alley.

Tornado

The Tri-State Tornado was the 2nd deadliest tornado in world history. The 151 to 235 mi track left by the Tri-State Tornado was the longest ever recorded in the world as it crossed from southeastern Missouri, through southern Illinois, then into southwestern Indiana. It is considered an F5 tornado, the maximum damage rating issued on the Fujita scale. It holds the records for longest path length at 219 miles, longest duration at about 3½ hours, and fastest forward speed for a significant tornado at 73 mph (117 km/h) anywhere on Earth.

Tornado

In all, at least 695 people died and 2,027 were injured, the majority in southern Illinois. Three states, 13 counties, and more than 19 communities, four of which were effectively effaced, were in the path of the record 3.5 hour duration tornado. Approximately 15,000 homes were destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado. The damage was estimated at $16.5 million and in 2011 adjusted dollars that is approximately $1.4 billion. There were nine schools across three states were destroyed in which 69 students were killed.