Tornado outbreak of April 27–29, 1912

The tornado outbreak of April 27–29, 1912, was a major tornado outbreak. At least six violent tornadoes touched down throughout Oklahoma, with near constant activity until early the next day. At least 15 cities were affected, 40 people died, and 120 were injured.[1]

Tornado outbreak of April 27–29, 1912
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationApril 27–28, 1912
Tornadoes confirmed26
Max. rating1F4 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak2Approximately 24 hours
Casualties≥45 fatalities, ≥167 injuries
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

Meteorological synopsis

Limited weather data were collected and recorded at that time in Oklahoma. Antedating upper atmospheric measurements, most data collection was of human observations, along with temperature, pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall.[1]

A cold front moved south through Oklahoma into Texas on April 26, before stalling in Central Texas, leaving a southwest/northeast stationary front. Early on the 28th, it pushed back northward against a warm front to the east. The warm front was noted to have moved from the southeast on the 27th to the northeast on the 28th; this movement of warm air against the cold front fueled the storms that provided the tornado activity.[1]

Tornadoes
Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
? 1 1 10 6 8 0 ≥ 26

April 27
List of confirmed tornadoes – April 27, 1912[nb 1]

FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 0 0 6 6 7 0 ≥ 19
Deaths: 36 Injuries: 128
F# Location County State Time (UTC) Path length Max width Damage[nb 2] Summary
F4 SE of Kirkland, Texas, to N of Eldorado, Oklahoma Childress, Hardeman, Jackson Texas, Oklahoma 1630 40 miles (64 km) 0.5 mi (800 m) $77,000 Five deaths – This major, long-tracked tornado killed five people and injured 20 others in Texas; four of the deaths were in one family, as their home was swept away. About 30 homes were damaged or destroyed in both states, with $12,000 in losses near Eldorado and $65,000 losses in Texas. The tornado struck 43 farms in its path.[2]
F2 Warren Jackson Oklahoma 1815 unknown unknown unknown The tornado hit Warren around noon CST.[3] Details are unavailable.[4]
F4 SE of Granite to Lugert to NW of Hobart Greer, Kiowa Oklahoma 1830 40 miles (64 km) 0.5 mi (800 m) $300,000[5] Seven deaths (confirmed) – Nearly all buildings (except two) were leveled in Lugert, where a mother and her daughter died. The tornado transported papers 75 mi (121 km) away. The tornado caused three (possibly five) deaths and killed 100 or more cattle near of Hobart.[3][4]
F3 Rocky area Washita Oklahoma 1915 20 miles (32 km) 0.5 mi (800 m) unknown A tornado destroyed about 50 homes, a school, and 10 barns as it hit Rocky. The tornado began 5 mi (8.0 km) southwest of town and ended 15 mi (24 km) northeast of town.[3][4][5]
F2 Corn area Washita Oklahoma 1950 about 10 miles (16 km) unknown unknown Four deaths – Tornado hit Corn (then called Korn until World War I) and the nearby "Korn Valley", where four people died.[3] No other information is available.[4] It is counted by Grazulis as part of the next tornado, below,[3] but more recent research has shown this to have been a separate tornado.[4]
F4 W of Colony to S of Geary Washita, Caddo, Blaine Oklahoma 2000 27 miles (43 km) 0.5 mi (800 m) $5,000[5] Two deaths[4] – This large and powerful tornado devastated farms across Caddo County.[3]
F3 W of Altus to W of Blair Jackson Oklahoma 2030 11 miles (18 km) 250 yd (230 m) $19,000[5] This tornado devastated about 12 farms near Martha. One person was injured.[3][5]
F3 SW of Hinton to Calumet to NW of El Reno Caddo, Canadian Oklahoma 2100 23 miles (37 km) 400 yd (370 m) $125,000[5] Three deaths (confirmed) – This strong tornado hit the towns of Hinton and Calumet; 26 structures were destroyed in Calumet, where three people died. Four others may have been killed in Hinton. A sign from Hinton was found to have been carried north of Calumet.[3]
F4 S of Bartley to Cambridge area Red Willow, Furnas Nebraska 2200 10 miles (16 km) unknown unknown A tornado destroyed three homes and obliterated at least five barns. An entire farmsite was swept clean of all buildings. Four people survived the tornado in an orchard, but with injuries.[3]
F4 E of Erick to E of Sayre to Elk City Beckham Oklahoma 2245 23 miles (37 km) 150 yd (140 m) unknown Two deaths – A tornado destroyed 35 buildings and killed 15 livestock.[5] Two people died near Sayre as the tornado destroyed 11 homes. Five funnel clouds were observed along the path of the storm, and debris from homes was strewn for miles.[3]
F4 W of Foss to Butler Washita, Custer Oklahoma 0030 20 miles (32 km) 150 yd (140 m) $50,000[5] Six deaths – This tornado destroyed the town of Foss and the east side of Butler.[3][5][6] The tornado destroyed 32 homes in Butler. Debris from the town was found in Putnam, 15 mi (24 km) to the northeast.[3]
F3 SW of Speer to S of Dela Choctaw Oklahoma 0030 7 miles (11 km) 167 yd (153 m) unknown One death, three injuries – Details are unknown.[4]
F2 Granite Greer Oklahoma 0220 8 miles (13 km) unknown unknown Details are unknown.[4]
F3 NW of Stratford to SE of Butler Custer Oklahoma 0230 5 miles (8.0 km) unknown $50,000[5] One death – A tornado damaged or destroyed eight farmhouses.[3]
F4 NW of Hobart to Sentinel to NW of Cordell Kiowa, Washita Oklahoma 0245 20 miles (32 km) 600 yd (550 m) $75,000[3] Four deaths – A violent tornado damaged or destroyed about 60 homes in Sentinel, mostly in the western half of the town. No injuries resulted, as the entire population had seen the funnel approaching 15 minutes in advance.[3] Two people died on a farm southwest of Sentinel. The tornado then continued to the northwest edge of Cordell, destroying six more homes, killing two people before turning east and dissipating.[3]
F3 S of Granite to N of Lone Wolf Greer, Kiowa Oklahoma 0245 12 miles (19 km) unknown unknown One death – A tornado destroyed buildings and farmhouses on at least 14 farms.[3]
F2 Crescent/Mulhall areas Logan Oklahoma 0545 5 miles (8.0 km) unknown unknown A tornado destroyed at least two homes. Two people may have been crushed to death in a storm cave.[3]
F2 W of Butler Custer Oklahoma 0545 unknown unknown unknown A tornado destroyed several barns.[3]
F2 E of Cashion to Cedar Valley Logan Oklahoma 0555[4] 5 miles (8.0 km) unknown unknown A tornado destroyed a home and a barn 8 mi (13 km) southwest of Guthrie.[3]

April 28
List of confirmed tornadoes – April 28, 1912[nb 1]

FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 1 1 3 0 1 0 ≥ 6
Deaths: 6 Injuries: 24
F# Location County / Parish State Time (UTC) Path length Max width Damage[nb 2] Summary
F0+ SE of Hobart Kiowa Oklahoma ~0730[5] unknown unknown unknown Details are unknown.[4]
F2 SW of Sallisaw Sequoyah Oklahoma 0830[4] 10 miles (16 km) unknown unknown A tornado destroyed six homes.[3]
F2 N of Marble to E of Bunch Sequoyah, Adair Oklahoma 0830 12 miles (19 km) unknown unknown Two deaths, four injuries – Details are unknown.[4]
F2 N of Bono to S of Joshua Johnson Texas 1700 5 miles (8.0 km) 50 yd (46 m) unknown A tornado destroyed small homes and barns.[3]
F4 SSW of Henderson to S of Church Hill to Tatum area Rusk, Panola Texas 1930 30 miles (48 km) 200 yd (180 m) unknown Four deaths – A long-tracked tornado destroyed 30 or more homes in six communities. It destroyed a brick home, killing a man inside. Two people were thrown 500 yd (460 m), as well. Downburst damage occurred in Tatum.[3]
F1 Fouke, Arkansas area Cass Texas 0100 unknown unknown unknown Two deaths – A tornado occurred 12 mi (19 km) south of Texarkana, felling a tree that killed two women.[3]

April 29
List of confirmed tornadoes – April 29, 1912[nb 1]

FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 ≥ 1
Deaths: 3 Injuries: 15
F# Location County / Parish State Time (UTC) Path length Max width Damage[nb 2] Summary
F2 S of Liddieville to N of Winnsboro Franklin Louisiana unknown 10 miles (16 km) 400 yd (370 m) unknown Three deaths – A tornado destroyed many homes and much timber.[3]

See also

Notes
  1. All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
  2. All damage totals are in 1912 US$ unless otherwise stated.

References
  1. "The Tornado Outbreak of April 27-28, 1912". National Weather Service. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  2. Grazulis 1993, p. 733
  3. Grazulis 1993, p. 734
  4. "Tornado Tables for the April 27-28, 1912 Tornado Outbreak". Norman, Oklahoma: National Weather Service. March 12, 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  5. Cline, Isaac (1912). Cline, Isaac (ed.). "District No. 7, lower Mississippi Valley" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review. U.S. Weather Bureau. 40 (4): 571–573. Bibcode:1912MWRv...40..571C. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1912)40<571:DNLMV>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  6. "Quotes from Newspaper Reports Related to the Tornado Outbreak of April 27-28, 1912". Norman, Oklahoma: National Weather Service. March 12, 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.

Further reading
  • Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
  • Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0

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