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==Description== |
==Description== |
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The night before the tornado hit (May 6, 1840), there was a lightning storm that also brought 3 inches of rain. The real devastation came from the river that rolled between Natchez and Vidalia. There was a lot of activity going on in the river. May 7, 1840, at noon there was a severe thunderstorm with fast winds and heavy rain struck the two towns. Unaware, there was a tornado forming 20 miles southwest from that very storm. Once fully formed, it moved upwards to the two towns. The river acted as a pathway for the tornado, as it followed it to the towns. At 1:45 PM, the tornado slammed into Natchez, destroying the boats and killing all of the fisherman in them. It leveled the entire town. Since there was no national aid, the townspeople had to do the best they could. |
The night before the tornado hit (May 6, 1840), there was a lightning storm that also brought 3 inches of rain. The real devastation came from the river that rolled between Natchez and Vidalia. There was a lot of activity going on in the river. May 7, 1840, at noon there was a severe thunderstorm with fast winds and heavy rain struck the two towns. Unaware, there was a tornado forming 20 miles southwest from that very storm. Once fully formed, it moved upwards to the two towns. The river acted as a pathway for the tornado, as it followed it to the towns. At 1:45 PM, the tornado slammed into Natchez, destroying the boats and killing all of the fisherman in them. It leveled the entire town. Since there was no national aid, the townspeople had to do the best they could. |
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| − | ==Trivia== |
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| − | *The ''Great Tornado of Natchez'' is the second deadliest tornado in USA history |
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| − | *A large majority of casualties of the tornado came from fishermen who weren't a part of the two towns |
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| − | *This was the only tornado to have the death count higher than the injured |
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| − | *The Natchez Tornado ranks #22 of the worst tornadoes on many lists |
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| − | *Although debated, winds of this tornado are either over 300 mph or around 260 mph |
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Revision as of 11:30, 7 September 2014
| Natchez | |
|---|---|
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Date |
May 6, 1840
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Windspeeds |
280 mph
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Casualties |
317
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Category |
F5
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Damage Costs |
$1.26 mil. (1840)
$31.5 mil. (2014) |
Areas Affected |
Town of Natchez
Town of Vidalia |
The Natchez Tornado hit Natchez, Mississippi on May 7, 1840 at 1:45 PM on a Thursday. Unaware of its presence until it was already too late, more than 300 people were killed and another hundred injured. Some believe that the death rate went up because of people dying from their injuries.
Description
The night before the tornado hit (May 6, 1840), there was a lightning storm that also brought 3 inches of rain. The real devastation came from the river that rolled between Natchez and Vidalia. There was a lot of activity going on in the river. May 7, 1840, at noon there was a severe thunderstorm with fast winds and heavy rain struck the two towns. Unaware, there was a tornado forming 20 miles southwest from that very storm. Once fully formed, it moved upwards to the two towns. The river acted as a pathway for the tornado, as it followed it to the towns. At 1:45 PM, the tornado slammed into Natchez, destroying the boats and killing all of the fisherman in them. It leveled the entire town. Since there was no national aid, the townspeople had to do the best they could.