St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado

The "St. Louis-East St. Louis Tornado" is a historic tornado event that occurred on May 27, 1896. It is among the first tornadoes that has actual damage photographs. It is one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history. This very large, long-track, and violent tornado was but one of many tornadoes in a major tornado outbreak.

Related Topics:
Tornado - May 27 - 1896

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The first tornado of the day formed near Bellflower, Missouri and killed a woman. Three students died and sixteen were injured when the Dye School in Audrain County, Missouri was hit at around 3:15 P.M. A few minutes later, the same tornado killed one student and injured 19 others at the Bean Creek school at 6:15 P.M. At 6:30, two supercell thunderstorms produced two tornadoes. One decimated farms in New Minden, Hoyleton, Richview, and Irvington, Illinois.

Related Topics:
Bellflower, Missouri - Audrain County, Missouri - Supercell thunderstorms - New Minden - Hoyleton - Richview - Irvington, Illinois

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The other became the 3rd deadliest tornado in United States history. It headed toward St. Louis, Missouri, then one of the largest and most influential cities in the country. 137 people died in homes, schools, saloons, factories, mills, churches, parks, and railroad yards. More people probably died on boats on the Mississippi River as the bodies may have gone downriver. When the tornado crossed the river and hit East Saint Louis, Illinois, it was smaller but more intense. An additional 118 people were killed. The confirmed death toll is 255, with some estimates above 400. More than 1,000 were injured. The tornado was later rated F4 on the Fujita scale.

Related Topics:
United States - St. Louis, Missouri - Mississippi River - East Saint Louis, Illinois - F4

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The tornado destroyed 311 buildings, severely damaged 7,200 others, and caused significant damage to 1,300 more. Adjusted for inflation (1997 USD), it is the costliest tornado in U.S. history at an estimated $2.9 billionhttp://www.nssl.noaa.gov/users/brooks/public_html/damage/tdam1.html.

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Twenty-seven more people died in the other Illinois tornadoes of this outbreak.

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