This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak

Paths of tornadoes over Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan
Meteorological history
Duration	March 28, 1920
Tornado outbreak
Tornadoes	≥ 37
Maximum rating	F4 tornado
Overall effects
Casualties	≥ 153 fatalities, ≥ 1,215 injuries
Damage	Unknown[nb 1]
Areas affected	Midwestern andSouthern United States

On March 28, 1920, a largeoutbreak of at least 37 tornadoes, 31 of which weresignificant, took place across theMidwestern andSouthern United States. The tornadoes left at least 153 dead and at least 1,215 injured. Many communities and farmers alike were caught off-guard as the storms moved to the northeast at speeds that reached over 60 mph (97 km/h). Most of the fatalities occurred inGeorgia (37),Ohio (28), andIndiana (21), while the other states had lesser totals. Little is known about many of the specific tornadoes that occurred, and the list below is only partial.^{[nb 2][nb 3]}

Severe thunderstorms began developing inMissouri during the early morning hours. The storms moved quickly to the northeast towardsChicago,Illinois. The first tornado injured five people 35 mi (56 km) southeast ofSpringfield, Missouri, inDouglas County.This first tornado was a harbinger of things to come as the morning went on and the atmosphere began to destabilize, due to the abundance of sunshine that preceded the cold front in the warm sector, which covered the lowerGreat Lakes region extending southward well past theOhio River Valley.^{[citation needed]}

According to meteorologist and weather historian Charles Merlin Umpenhour, climatic conditions were favorable on Palm Sunday 1920 for all the atmospheric ingredients to come together needed to create the classic setup needed for long-tracktornadoes. However, forecasting, communications technology, and public awareness about Severe Weather was nearly nonexistent in 1920 and would not begin for another 33 years, when theU.S. Weather Bureau would implement its publicWatch (the word ‘forecast’ was used until 1966) andWarning program in 1953.^{[citation needed]}

For the residents of theGreat Lakes region andOhio Valley areas, the only source of weather information was the rather vague forecasts that were issued in the local newspaper the day before or by word of mouth. The use of the word "tornado" was strictly prohibited in public weather forecasting until the 1950s because of the fear and panic it might cause. This policy would come under-fire in the years to come especially after theTri-State Tornado in 1925 that stands today as the deadliest tornado in American history.^[9]

Weather forecasters and the public alike in theChicago,Dayton,Fort Wayne,Lansing,South Bend, andToledo areas were unaware that the stage was set that day for a significant tornado outbreak that would follow a balmy and seemingly tranquil Palm Sunday afternoon. The weather maps in use in March 1920 showed a rather large and deepcyclone over northernIowa that was forecast to move across central LowerMichigan by nightfall with a trailing cold front.Meteorologists knew rain showers and perhaps a thundershower was a good possibility, but were unaware that thehelicity,lifted index, and upper level winds were being guided by a strong jet stream with a probable negative-tilt that would create favorable conditions for the development of tornadoes.^{[citation needed]}

On the morning of March 28, a deeplow-pressure center positioned itself nearSioux City, Iowa, with a reported pressure of 28.96 inHg (981 mb). Ahead of the low, temperatures over a broad expanse ranged from 20 to 25 °F (−7 to −4 °C) above average, indicating a robustwarm sector. Around noon CST (18:00 UTC), temperatures ranged from 60 °F (16 °C) inChicago, Illinois, to 77 °F (25 °C) inMontgomery, Alabama, with brisk low-level winds ranging from the southeast to south-southeast. These winds allowed a warm, moist air mass toadvect northward from theGulf of Mexico to theGreat Lakes. A strongelevated mixed layer (EML) was present over portions of the warm sector. Meanwhile, a pronounced, eastward-shiftingconvergence zone, characterised by shifting low-level winds, helpedpromote the development of vigorousthunderstorms. Observations fromSpringfield, Illinois, and otherweather stations, taken in the wake of the convergence zone, indicated anomalously lowrelative humidity, suggestive of a strongdry line.^{[10][11][12][13]}

La Fox–Elgin, Illinois

Tornado damage along theFox River in Elgin
F3 tornado
on theFujita scale
Overall effects
Casualties	8 fatalities, 100 injuries
Damage	$1,000 (1920USD) $20,000 (2024 USD)

Just before the noon hour, severe thunderstorms began forming 50 mi (80 km) west of downtownChicago. The first storm started to spawn killer tornadoes inDeKalb and thenKane counties, starting at 1:05 p.m.CDT. Upon touching down, the tornadoes then moved northeast at about 50miles per hour (80 km/h). The tornado in Kane County apparently first formed about1+1⁄2 mi (2.4 km) southeast of La Fox and moved northeast, later passing directly through downtown Elgin. Initially, the tornado destroyed a farmhouse and numerous barns, killing a father and tossing about a baby as it touched down.^[10][15]

Observers occasionally reported a well-defined funnel along the path as the tornado continued into thebusiness district ofElgin, destroying or damaging many structures. It destroyed six businesses, damaged many others, and also "partially wrecked" three churches. Three people died as the rear of atheater collapsed, three more as a brick church tower fell, and one additional as a buildingfaçade caved in. Church services had been dismissed just minutes before, saving the lives of parishioners and preventing more deaths in Elgin.^[10]

As the tornado left downtown Elgin, it destroyed numerous trees along with 25 homes and damaged 200 other residences. Thereafter, the tornado destroyed two more barns and killed 38 cattle. It then probably dissipated, only to develop into a new tornado. Both isolated tornado and widespreaddownburst damage was reported as far asWauconda, killing cattle, damaging farms, and destroying many buildings. The tornado in Elgin was rated F3 in a study and was the first tornado of the outbreak to cause deaths and to kill more than five people.^[15][10]

Channahon–Troy Township–Lockport–Bellwood–Maywood–Melrose Park–Dunning, Illinois

Ruins of the Sacred Heart Convent in Melrose Park, Illinois, following the F4 tornado of March 28, 1920
F4 tornado
on theFujita scale
Overall effects
Casualties	20 fatalities, 300 injuries
Damage	$2,000,000 (1920 USD) $31.4 million (2024 USD)

Roughly 15 minutes after the Elgin tornado formed, a violentF4 tornado tore through Will and Cook Counties, producing a path 53 mi (85 km) long in theBellwood andMaywood areas. The tornado first destroyed five homes, two frame schools, and at least 12 barns as it passed from Channahon toTroy and thence toLockport. It skipped thereafter, possibly dissipating and redeveloping into a second tornado, as it caused minor damage in theRomeoville area. Afterward, the tornado funnel was not seen for some time.^[15][10]

Upon reaching the Bellwood-Maywood area, a second tornado probably touched down and produced a continuous damage swath to Lake Michigan, killing 20 people and leveling many homes with F4 damage. 10 of the deaths alone occurred atMelrose Park when the tornado hit Sacred Heart Catholic Church and Conventas people were getting ready forPalm Sunday services.^{[citation needed]} The tornado destroyed 50 other buildings in Melrose Park before moving over less populated areas, killing six more people in the community ofDunning before passing overLake Michigan. In all, the tornado partially or completely destroyed 413 buildings and injured about 300 people.^[15][10]

This tornado first developed east of Eclectic between 4:00–4:45 p.m. CDT, but most likely around 3:45 p.m. CDT according toThomas P. Grazulis. Some damage occurred to homes, trees, outhouses, and a school before the tornado hitRed Hill. Next, the tornado caused at least 17 deaths and destroyed 60 homes in Alabama, mainly nearSusanna,Red Ridge, andAgricola. Afterward, it caused nine deaths and 40 injuries in an industrial and business swath of West Point, Georgia, with 40 homes destroyed in Georgia. It became the second-deadliest tornado to hit this day.^[16][12]

The tornadoes that struck the western counties ofDarke,Defiance,Mercer,Paulding, andVan Wert inOhio on March 28, 1920, originated in theHoosier State, quickly moving across the state line into Ohio.

The first of the tornadoes began in Indiana around 6:15 p.m. EDT. Probably part of a tornado family, it touched down near theWells County community ofOssian. Increasing rapidly in size and intensity, the tornado was reported by eyewitnesses to have resembled a very large, low-hanging mass of turbulent clouds that resembled boiling pot of oatmeal. This may have accounted for the deaths and injuries of so many farmers within its path, since many farmers were usually accustomed to taking shelter during dangerous weather situations. The tornado caused nine deaths on farms outside Ossian. The tornado then destroyed nearly every building atTownley. Four people died there as the entire town was devastated. The powerful tornado subsequently hitEdgerton before entering Ohio. In Indiana the tornado destroyed numerous farms, leveled at least 100 buildings, killed 13 people, and left behind $1,000,000 in damage (1920USD) in the state. It later became the first of three tornadoes to move intoOhio, this time fromAllen County, Indiana.^[17][16][10]

After moving throughPaulding County, the tornado alternately lifted and dipped to the ground, possibly even reforming as a separate tornado, as it moved into theDefiance area. Here several homes and a small store were destroyed and six people lost their lives. The violent tornado then moved northeast intoHenry andFulton Counties, tearing through the town ofSwanton, located nearBrunersburg, and causing major damage. Many factories, shops, and homes were completely demolished. According to theToledo Blade newspaper, the central business district sustained very heavy damage along Main Street, extending into nearby residential areas, where the damage became more intense. This damage brought out many thieves who looted local businesses and houses that had been hit by the tornado. Continuing on, the tornado then caused isolated damage to farms and trees as it passed into rural areas.^[17][16]

Increasing in size as it moved into northwestLucas County, the tornado produced increasingly severe damage, as buildings and homes were swept clean of their foundations, before leveling the entire community ofRaab Corners, also called "Rab's Corners" or "Rabb's Corner", in Lucas County. Farmhouses and other buildings were leveled as the violent tornado,1⁄2 mi (0.80 km) wide at this point, moved towards Raab Corners. The residents of Raab Corners were largely unaware of the impending danger as they celebratedPalm Sunday services at the Immaculate Conception and St. Mary's Churches that evening. Just after 8:00 p.m. EDT rain and small hail started to come down in torrents. As the power went out churchgoers lighted kerosene lamps to illuminate the interior of their buildings, and to continue their Palm Sunday services, when the winds began to increase followed by large hail that shattered all the windows. Around 8:15 p.m. EDT, a solid black wall of swirling clouds proceeded to engulf Raab Corners, destroying everything in its path and killing four people. Local residents decided not to rebuild the town, moving to nearby communities inMichigan andOhio. Today, only an intersection remains at what once was the main four corners.^[17][16]

This tornado developed in east-central Indiana and crossed intoMercer andVan Wert counties in Ohio. Upon touching down in Indiana, the tornado severely impactedWest Liberty, Indiana (seven deaths), located north-northwest ofPortland, before leveling homes betweenGeneva andCeylon. In this area, the tornado partially strippedchickens of their feathers—a common phenomenon known asmoulting—and many buildings were swept away with their floors slightly dislodged. Thereafter, it leveled farms and killed three people in neighboring Ohio. In this area, the tornado was very intense and may have even reached F5 intensity, being one of the strongest tornadoes recorded this day. After exitingAdams County, Indiana, this large tornado moved towards the far northwestern part ofMercer County in west-central Ohio, again destroying nearly everything in its path. As the tornado moved on into Van Wert County, three more people died and many would be injured as the storm moved to the south ofVan Wert. Some of this same area was hit by anotherF4 tornado onNovember 10, 2002.^{[10][17][16][22]}

The third and final F4 tornado in Michigan this day touched down west-northwest ofFenton at about 7:30 p.m. EDT, shortly before "8 o' clock," though one estimate suggested a time of 6:00 p.m. EDT. The tornado first destroyed a barn, a farmhouse, and a school as it moved northeast. It then struck acement plant and demolished a smokestack and destroyed the steel-framedkiln room, reportedly warping and twisting the steel bars "so badly...that it is probable that the enclosure will have to be rebuilt." Total losses reached $100,000 at the plant. Afterward, the intensifying tornado leveled farm buildings and killed two horses and several other livestock; it left cows unharmed but pinned under debris. The F4 tornado then struck and completely leveled about 30 lakesidesummer homes, many of them large and well-built structures worth $3,000–$6,000 to build at the time. Intense winds lifted boats up to 300feet (91 m) from their moorings and carried entire homes several hundred feet from their foundations. In the summer, according to theFenton Independent, there would have been "hundreds of people camping at the lake. Should the accident have occurred at that time there would have been hundreds of deaths." In all, the powerful tornado killed four people and damaged or destroyed 35 buildings near Fenton. One of the deaths occurred in an overturned car, among the earliest tornado-related deaths in an automobile; the earliest known such death was probably on May 19, 1918, in Iowa.^[16][19][20]

• List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
  • List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• 1965 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak – Catastrophic outbreak that affected the same region as the 1920 outbreak
• 1994 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak – Produced deadly, long-lived tornadoes over theSoutheastern United States

• Press Pool. "Reconstruction Starts In Storm Area Where 22 Died."Toledo Blade. March 31, 1920. Retrieved on April 17, 2001.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,National Climatic Data Center /Storm Prediction Center.

• F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes
• 20th-century tornadoes
• 1920 meteorology
• Tornadoes in Indiana
• Tornadoes in Wisconsin
• Tornadoes in Alabama
• Tornadoes in Ohio
• Tornadoes in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Tornadoes in Michigan
• Tornado outbreaks in the United States
• 1920 natural disasters in the United States
• March 1920 in the United States

• CS1 location test
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use American English from May 2025
• All Wikipedia articles written in American English
• Articles needing additional references from January 2023
• All articles needing additional references
• Use mdy dates from February 2025
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from December 2012