 A map of the tornado outbreak on February 12, 1945 by F. C. Pate. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | February 12, 1945 |
| Highest winds |
|
| Tornadoes confirmed | ≥8 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 6.5 hours |
| Fatalities | 45 fatalities, 427 injuries |
| Damage | $1.972 million (1945 USD)[1] |
| Areas affected | Southeastern United States |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1945 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
On February 12, 1945, a devastating tornado outbreak occurred across the Southeastern United States, which killed 45 people and injured 427 others.[1][2] This outbreak included a devastating tornado that struck Montgomery, Alabama.[2] The United States Weather Bureau would describe this tornado as "the most officially observed one in history" as it passed 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away from the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Montgomery.[2]
Confirmed tornadoes
All ratings on the Fujita scale were done by Thomas P. Grazulis, a tornado expert, and are classified as unofficial ratings since official ratings for tornadoes began in 1950. Grazulis only documented significant tornadoes (F2+), so the true number of tornadoes for this outbreak is most likely higher.
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≥ 0 | ≥ 0 | ≥ 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ≥8 |
February 12 event
| F# [note 2] |
Location | County / Parish | State | Time (Local) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F3 | Jones to Vimville | Lauderdale | MS | 15:35 | 9 mi (14 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | 7 deaths – The tornado started in the community of Jones, 7 miles (11 km) south of Meridian and moves northeastward. Multiple homes in rural communities were completely swept away, with four deaths occurring in three separate homes that were swept away. A fifth people was killed in an open field as they were running for shelter. In total, five people were killed and 40 others were injured.[1][3] This is one of three tornadoes marked by Grazulis that the United States Weather Bureau originally marked as a single tornado. The U.S. Weather Bureau documented this long-track tornado killed 40 people and injured 200 others.[4] More modern research by Thomas P. Grazulis as well as later publications from the U.S. Weather Bureau would indicate three separate tornadoes occurred.[1][2] Two more deaths and a total of 50 injuries were reported by the Associated Press, which is cited by the National Weather Service office in Birmingham, Alabama.[5] This brings the total number of deaths to seven and the total number of injuries to 50 for this tornado.[3] |
| F4 | Near York to near Livingston | Sumter | AL | 16:30 | 18 mi (29 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | 11 deaths – A home was leveled on the southeastern edge of York, where a couple was killed. In Livingston, five people were killed in a single home. Two other homes were damaged or destroyed, where a person was killed in each. The tornado struck a train crossing the Sucarnoochee River, were it derailed 39 cars. The conductor of the train was killed, along with a fireman and many others were injured. In total, the tornado killed 11 people, injured 63 others, and caused $220,000 (1945 USD) in damage.[1][3] This is one of three tornadoes marked by Grazulis that the United States Weather Bureau originally marked as a single tornado. The U.S. Weather Bureau documented this long-track tornado killed 40 people and injured 200 others.[4] More modern research by Thomas P. Grazulis as well as later publications from the U.S. Weather Bureau would indicate three separate tornadoes occurred.[1][2] |
| F3 | SW of Montgomery to Chisholm | Montgomery | AL | 17:22 | 13 mi (21 km) | 350 yd (320 m) | 26 deaths – See section on this tornado – 293 people were injured.[1] |
| F2 | W of Union Springs to Thompson | Bullock | AL | 18:00 | 8 mi (13 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | Four homes were destroyed in Thompson and four others were damaged. Nine people were injured.[1][3] |
| F3 | E of Tuskegee | Macon | AL | 18:30 | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 120 yd (110 m) | This brief intense tornado struck a cluster of five small homes, destroying all of them, leaving two people injured.[1][3] |
| F2 | S of Opelika | Lee | AL | 19:30 | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 125 yd (114 m) | The tornado destroyed two barns and four other buildings, injuring one person.[1][3] |
| F3 | SE of Stanton | Chilton | AL | 19:45 | 1 mi (1.6 km) | 100 yd (91 m) | 1 death – A large house and a barn was destroyed southeast of Stanton. One person was killed and eight others were injured.[1][3] |
| F2 | Shades Mountain | Jefferson | AL | 22:05 | 0.5 mi (0.80 km) | 120 yd (110 m) | Seven buildings were destroyed, six others were damaged, and one person as injured. A roof from one of the buildings was carried over 1 mile (1.6 km).[1][3] |
Montgomery–Chisholm, Alabama
 A map of the Montgomery, Alabama tornado by F. C. Pate, who worked for the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Montgomery, Alabama. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 12, 1945, 4:22 p.m. CST |
| F3 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 26 |
| Injuries | 293 |
| Damage | $1.7 million (1945 USD) |
The tornado started 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of the city of Montgomery and move northeast, toward the city where it would brush the western edge. After hitting Montgomery, the tornado struck the community of Chisholm, where it caused catastrophic damage. Thirty homes were completely swept away in Chisholm. All the fatalities from this tornado occurred in 15 homes within a 20-block radius. Over 100 homes were completely destroyed by the tornado. In total, the tornado killed 26 people, injured 293 others, and caused $1.7 million (1945 USD) in damage along it's 13 miles (21 km).[1][2][3][6][7] Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis indicated the maximum width of this tornado was 100 yards (91 m).[1] The United States Weather Bureau stated the tornado contained a uniform width of 100 yards (0.091 km) except near Union Station, where it momentarily grew to it's peak width of 350 yards (320 m).[2] This is one of three tornadoes marked by Grazulis that the United States Weather Bureau originally marked as a single tornado. The U.S. Weather Bureau documented this long-track tornado killed 40 people and injured 200 others.[4] More modern research by Grazulis as well as a later publication from the U.S. Weather Bureau would indicate three separate tornadoes occurred.[1][2][6]
F. C. Pate, a forecaster at the United States Weather Bureau office in Montgomery, Alabama, undertook an extensive assessment on this tornado between 1945–1946.[2] During this assessment, Pate would call this tornado "the most officially observed one in history" as it passed 0.5 miles (0.80 km) away from the U.S. Weather Bureau office in Montgomery.[2] The tornado passed within 2 miles (3.2 km) of four different government weather stations.[2] The forward speed of the tornado was determined to have been 49 miles per hour (79 km/h) by the Maxwell Field radar, which was one of the government weather stations passed by the tornado.[2] The radar also determined the height of the tornado was 4,000 feet (1,200 m).[2] The storm which produced the tornado was dry, with no documentable precipitation.[2] It was noted that as the tornado dissipated, a rain shaft formed in place of the tornado, which dropped 0.3 inches (0.76 cm) of rain.[2]
Notes
- ^ All dates and times are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down.
- ^ All ratings on the Fujita scale were done by Thomas P. Grazulis, a tornado expert, and are classified unofficial ratings since official ratings for tornadoes began in 1950.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant tornadoes, 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films. pp. 922–925. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o F. C. Pate (United States Weather Bureau) (October 1946). "The Tornado at Montgomery, Alabama, February 12, 1945". Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. 27 (8). American Meteorological Society: 462–464. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Alabama Tornadoes 1945". National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Birmingham, Alabama. Archived from the original on 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Mary O. Souder (February 1945). "Severe Local Storms, February 1945". Monthly Weather Review. 73 (2). United States Weather Bureau: 36. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1945)073<0036:SLSF>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1520-0493. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ The Associated Press. "Montgomery, Livingston, AL (Other Towns) Tornado, Feb 1945". The Associated Press. Archived from the original on 6 October 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 6 September 2015 suggested (help) - ^ a b J. L. Baldwin (December 1945). "PRELIMINARY REPORT ON TORNADOES IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 1945" (PDF). United States Weather Bureau. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2005. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ "On This Day: February 12". Tornado Talk. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
February 12, 1945: An F3 tornado moved 13 miles through Montgomery County, AL. It brushed the west side of Montgomery and then demolished 30 homes in the cotton mill community of Chisolm. "Deaths occurred in 15 different homes in a 20-block area, and losses totalled about $1,700,000." A total of 26 people were killed and over 290 injured.