Check in occasionally! We will be adding photos and the stories behind them from time to time.
A tornado struck Highmore, South Dakota, on July 15th, 1885, destroying 23 buildings. Some were made of sod. Homes made of sod were not uncommon on the prairie--it was cheap and readily available to even the poorest settlers. The sod "blocks" were very heavy, and when they blew over, there was very little scattering. Apparently, there were only two confirmed tornado-related deaths in a sod building. Two children were smothered in the collapse of a sod house on August 12, 1893, in Logan County, Kansas.
These are the ruins of the Lewistown Bridge, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. It is not known whether this was done by a tornado, or by a downburst, but the town itself was definitely struck by a tornado, on July 4, 1874. Over 50 buildings were destroyed there, and over $100,000 damage was done. Roof debris was carried several miles. Nineteen railroad cards were derailed on and near the bridge over the Juniata River. Three men were killed at an iron furnace. Two boys and a man were killed when they were caught in transit on the bridge.
This may have been one of the worst severe weather days of the century in the eastern US, with hundreds of buildings damaged by the wind in many different cities, including Baltimore and Washington, DC.
If you want to use frames, you will get more reliable results by using the navigation panel on the left.
Frames Home
No-frames Home
Recent tornadoes
Tornadoes in the past
Tornado Top Tens
The Fujita Scale
Videos, Books and Posters
FAQ about Tornadoes
Tornado Safety
Tornado Oddities
Storm Chasing
Tornado Project
Tornado Myths
All Tornadoes
Tornado Stories
Favorite Sites
Other Neat Stuff about Tornadoes
The Storm Cellar
The Tornado Project
PO Box 302
St. Johnsbury, Vermont 05819
USA
© 1999 The Tornado Project All rights reserved. All content, text, and graphics on these pages are the property of The Tornado Project and may not be reproduced, electronically or otherwise unless specified.