We hope that you can join us for our Quaretrly Meeting on October 20th at the First Presbyterian Church in Ironton at the corner of Reynold and Knob streets where John Abney will present his program to mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the devastating Tri-State Tornado. Even though this event occurred nearly 100 years ago, this tornado still holds several records. The tornado claimed 695 lives making it the single deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It also holds the records for the longest duration and distance, lasting some 3 ½ hours and carving a path of destruction 219 miles in length. It was also the fastest moving tornado ever recorded with an average forward speed of 62mph and 73 mph at its fastest along its path between the Illinois towns of Gorham and Murphysboro. Finally, it was the most destructive, destroying 15,000 homes. Whole towns were virtually wiped from the map. Countless businesses and livelihoods were destroyed and the lives of the survivors of this terrible storm were affected, in some cases, forever.
John’s program will tell the story of this deadly storm, but beyond that story, it will also put the storm within its historical context. Weather forecasting and even the knowledge of weather itself was much different in 1925 than it is today. He will examine that history and explain why there was little to no warning about this tragic storm. His program will look at the storm itself and explain the circumstances that came together in deadly unison to make it a perfect storm of destruction. Beyond the science, facts and figures, John’s program will also put a personal perspective on the tornado’s impact by sharing some of the stories of those that were there. Finally, his program will also look at the aftermath of the storm, the multiple relief efforts that began almost immediately and the resilience of many of the communities impacted by the storm.
