Tornado outbreak of January 3, 1949
A deadly tornado outbreak produced at least 14 destructive tornadoes across Kansas, Louisiana, and Arkansas on Monday, January 3, 1949.[nb 2] The worst of the outbreak was a deadly, devastating and violent (estimated) F4 tornado that tore though Warren, Arkansas. Part of a multi-state family, the tornado killed at least 55 people,[2] a majority of the deaths in the outbreak, and is now tied with the Fort Smith tornado from 1898 as the deadliest in Arkansas history.[3] In addition, a pair of deadly F3s in Louisiana, along with a few other strong tornadoes in Arkansas, claimed five more lives. Overall, a total of 60 or more people were killed from the outbreak, and over 500 sustained injuries.
Tornado outbreak | |
---|---|
Tornadoes | ≥14 |
Maximum rating | F4 tornado |
Duration | January 3, 1949 |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 60+ |
Injuries | 504 |
Damage | $1,576,500 ($20,190,000 in 2024 USD)[nb 1] |
Areas affected | Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas |
Part of the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1949 |
Meteorological synopsis
editThis section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (May 2024) |
Confirmed tornadoes
editFU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | ? | ? | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ≥14 |
Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991.[4][nb 3] 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.[8][nb 4] Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.
F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width[nb 6] | Damage | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F3 | NE of Altoona to Vilas to SW of Petrolia | Wilson, Neosho | Kansas | 20:00–? | 18 mi (29 km) | 150 yd (140 m) | $120,000 | |
This intense tornado wrecked seven homes, half a dozen of them at Vilas, along with 20 or more barns and a 12-mile-long (19 km) stretch of power lines. One other building and 13 other homes incurred damage. One person was injured.[18][19] | ||||||||
F3 | NE of Iola to E of Bush City | Allen, Anderson | Kansas | 20:30–21:00 | 25 mi (40 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $45,000 | |
Another intense tornado flattened a trio of barns and a pair of homes, killing livestock as well. Numerous outbuildings received damage.[18][19] | ||||||||
F2 | Near Dixie to N of Sarepta | Caddo, Bossier, Webster | Louisiana | 20:45–? | 25 mi (40 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Unknown | |
This was the first member of a state-crossing tornado family that included the Warren F4. Some homes were wrecked near Sarepta, with 14 injuries resulting.[20][18][19] | ||||||||
FU | SW to NE of Richter | Franklin | Kansas | 21:00–21:30 | Unknown | 200 yd (180 m) | $500 | |
This tornado left only scattered impacts. Barns and outbuildings were damaged.[19] | ||||||||
F3 | Near Cotton Valley to Gordon | Webster, Claiborne | Louisiana | 21:15–? | 25 mi (40 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | Unknown | |
1 death – This tornado destroyed approximately 20 homes, passing close to the path of a deadly F4 that hit Cotton Valley on December 31, 1947, killing 18 people. South of Haynesville a bus idled to let the tornado pass by 200 yd (600 ft) ahead. Seven people were injured, all at Gordon, where the death occurred.[21][19] | ||||||||
F2 | Near Bunn to Farindale to Grapevine | Dallas, Cleveland, Grant | Arkansas | 22:00–? | 18 mi (29 km) | 150 yd (140 m) | $16,000 | |
1 death – This tornado touched down intermittently, wrecking barns and small homes, including four homes at Grapevine. Vehicles were damaged as well. Seven people were injured.[22][19] | ||||||||
F2 | Near Bismarck to near Magnet | Hot Spring | Arkansas | 22:00–? | 20 mi (32 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | Unknown | |
Forests and homes were leveled. One person were injured.[22][19] | ||||||||
F3 | Near Hopewell to N of El Dorado | Union | Arkansas | 22:00–? | 10 mi (16 km) | Unknown | Unknown | |
2 deaths – At least a few homes were flattened, along with much timber. 18 people were injured.[22][19] | ||||||||
F4 | E of El Dorado to Warren | Union, Calhoun, Bradley | Arkansas | 22:15–? | 40 mi (64 km) | 1,320 yd (1,210 m)♯ | $1,300,000 | |
55+ deaths – This event likely comprised two or three distinct tornadoes, but details are incomplete. Small homes and several hundred acres of trees were leveled near the start of the path. Strengthening, the tornado tracked into Warren with catastrophic result. Of the 120 homes destroyed, most were leveled—many without trace, as foundations were swept clean. 72 others incurred severe damage, 150 more minor losses. A bus was twisted around a tree, multi-ton steel debris carried 3⁄4 mi (1.2 km), weighty timbers driven 2 to 3 ft (0.67 to 1.00 yd) straight into the earth, and a 1-tonne (1,000 kg), steel I-beam bent. In all, 500 homes were damaged. All known fatalities occurred at Warren, mostly in the northeastern section. 435 people were injured. Small items from Warren were carried 70 mi (110 km).[23][20][22][2][19][24] | ||||||||
F2 | Near Malvern | Hot Spring | Arkansas | 22:20–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Unknown | |
Barns were shattered and homes unroofed.[22] | ||||||||
F2 | Kentucky to Congo | Saline | Arkansas | 22:30–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Unknown | |
Barns and small homes were torn apart. There were two injuries.[22] | ||||||||
F3 | Near Choudrant to W of Downsville to E of Farmerville | Lincoln, Union | Louisiana | 00:30–? | 20 mi (32 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | $95,000 | |
1 death – 19 homes were wrecked, along with 11 other structures. There were 14 injuries.[22] | ||||||||
F2 | S of Gould | Lincoln, Desha | Arkansas | 01:00–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Unknown | |
A bus was twisted around a tree, and a trio of homes were wrecked. There were five injuries.[22] | ||||||||
FU | Near Pinnacle Mountain | Pulaski | Arkansas | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown | |
This tornado hit a prison farm.[19] |
Notes
edit- ^ All losses are in 1949 USD unless otherwise noted.
- ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
- ^ Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[5] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[6] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.[7]
- ^ The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[9][10] Tornado ratings were retroactively applied to events prior to the formal adoption of the F-scale by the National Weather Service.[11] While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,[12] Canada used the old scale until April 1, 2013;[13] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[14]
- ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.
- ^ The listed width values are primarily the average/mean width of the tornadoes, with those having known maximum widths denoted by ♯. From 1952 to 1994, reports largely list mean width whereas contemporary years list maximum width.[15] Values provided by Grazulis are the average width, with estimates being rounded down (i.e. 0.5 mi (0.80 km) is rounded down from 880 yards to 800 yards.[16][17]
References
edit- ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Brooks, Harold E.; Schaefer, Joseph T. (2004). Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875–2003) (PDF). 22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms. Hyannis, Massachusetts: American Meteorological Society. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
- ^ a b Purkins, DuVal (January 10, 1949). Woodard, Jann; Logen, Barbara (eds.). "A Tragic Record: January 3, 1949". Tornadoes in Bradley County, Arkansas. USGenWeb Project. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ Grazulis, Thomas P.; Grazulis, Doris (26 April 2000). "The Most "Important" US Tornadoes by State". St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ Agee and Childs 2014, p. 1496.
- ^ Grazulis 2001a, pp. 251–4.
- ^ Edwards, Roger (March 5, 2015). "The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)". Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes. Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ^ Cook & Schaefer 2008, p. 3135.
- ^ Agee and Childs 2014, pp. 1497, 1503.
- ^ Grazulis 1993, p. 141.
- ^ Grazulis 2001a, p. 131.
- ^ Edwards et al. 2013, p. 641–642.
- ^ Edwards, Roger (March 5, 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ^ "Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Environment and Climate Change Canada. June 6, 2013. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ^ "The International Tornado Intensity Scale". Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
- ^ Agee and Childs 2014, p. 1494.
- ^ Brooks 2004, p. 310.
- ^ Grazulis 1990, p. ix.
- ^ a b c Grazulis 1993, p. 940.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j USWB 1949, p. 26.
- ^ a b Grazulis 1984, p. A-58.
- ^ Grazulis 1993, pp. 933, 940–1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Grazulis 1993, p. 941.
- ^ Matthews, Anne (January 13, 1949). Woodard, Jann; Logen, Barbara (eds.). "Borne on the Winds". Tornadoes in Bradley County, Arkansas. Letter to Patsy Curry. USGenWeb Project. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
- ^ Woodard, Jann; Logen, Barbara, eds. (January 13, 1949). "Thousands View Storm Area; Loot of Wind Returned". Tornadoes in Bradley County, Arkansas. USGenWeb Project. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
Sources
edit- Agee, Ernest M.; Childs, Samuel (June 1, 2014). "Adjustments in Tornado Counts, F-Scale Intensity, and Path Width for Assessing Significant Tornado Destruction". Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology. 53 (6). American Meteorological Society: 1494–1505. Bibcode:2014JApMC..53.1494A. doi:10.1175/JAMC-D-13-0235.1.
- Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. 19 (2): 310–19. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
- Cook, A. R.; Schaefer, J. T. (August 2008). "The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks". Monthly Weather Review. 136 (8): 3121–3137. Bibcode:2008MWRv..136.3121C. doi:10.1175/2007MWR2171.1.
- Edwards, Roger; LaDue, James G.; Ferree, John T.; Scharfenberg, Kevin; Maier, Chris; Coulbourne, William L. (May 1, 2013). "Tornado Intensity Estimation: Past, Present, and Future". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 94 (5). American Meteorological Society: 641–653. Bibcode:2013BAMS...94..641E. doi:10.1175/BAMS-D-11-00006.1.
- Grazulis, Thomas P. (May 1984). Violent Tornado Climatography, 1880–1982. OSTI (Technical report). NUREG. Washington, D.C.: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. OSTI 7099491. CR-3670.
- — (November 1990). Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989. Vol. 2. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-02-3.
- — (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- — (2001a). The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0.
- — (2001b). F5-F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films.
- "Severe Local Storms for January 1949". Monthly Weather Review. 77 (1). Washington, D.C.: United States Weather Bureau: 26–7. January 1949. Bibcode:1949MWRv...77...26.. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1949)077<0026:SLSFJ>2.0.CO;2 – via American Meteorological Society.