This tornado appears to be the same tornado that struck Decaturville and Perryville in Decatur County, which crossed the Tennessee River before moving across central Perry County. Four-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Thompson, Totty's Bend. This tornado likely continued into Logan County, Kentucky, but no information is available. The tornado was a mile wide at times, and its winds reached 300 mph, putting it at the top of the Fujita scale for tornado intensity. Remembering the April 27, 2011, tornado super outbreak - Washington Post There were no additional fatalities from these tornadoes. Much of the land was washed. Two people were killed and 20 injured in that second storm. Bud Guffey, his wife, and two chidlren. Coming into Robertson County the storm struck the barn of Mrs. Laban Warfield on the place occupied by Mr. Duff. Among those whose homes are wrecked are Postmaster C. H. Underhill, Asa Hickerson, Mrs. Lizzie McPherson and Jim Butler. Just a few rods east of the McGrew place stood the home of Bud Guffey. This massive tornado then passed into Lincoln County through the northern suburbs of Fayetteville before lifting northeast of Fayetteville. It is reported that one man is dead, but his name cannot be ascertained. 30 - A heavy and disastrous cyclone passed through this section last night between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock and struck one-quarter of a mile west of Franklin, killing an old negro woman and injuring three of her children, two of which may die. Its course was about a half mile wide and lay from Cross Roads into Scott Co., between the farms of William Cummings and Laban Riseden, just escaping both the homesteads, but tearing up all the timber in the neighborhood and bearing on southward below Rugby, carrying away the home of Young John Brewster and crushing in his shoulder and injuring his wife. The Bee Spring Church was destroyed and many graves in the cemetery are the resting places of those killed that fateful day. April 29, 1909 Tornado Outbreak The house was completely torn to pieces. At Bee Springs, five members of a family were killed in one home, and seven in another family died in a nearby home. The house of Judge Lewis was also destroyed and several other houses damaged beyond repair. Trees were twisted in two and hurled great distances. And the tornado also injured 70 people as it traveled through the county, Lancaster said. Damage: It touched down during the dead of night between 10 and 11PM. In its course from Rudolphtown to the Robertson County line the storm put out the eyes of several mules and other stock at Hinton, blew down the residence and stable of Joe Rosson, blew away the residence of Mrs. Ella Rosson and blew her over 100 yards. You can see his full report here. Mrs. Reed was also found unconscious, but has recovered. Following is a partia (?) His mother, who was seriously injured, and a little boy were rescued with much difficulty from the ruins. At this time it is impossible to ascertain the damage and loss of life to stock; no lives so far reported. The tornado appears to have begun west of Aspen Hill in Giles County, not in Limestone County, Alabama, as Grazulis stated, then passed near Aspen Hill where it damaged homes and barns, through Conway where the school was destroyed, between Bunker Hill and Bryson, and through Bee Springs destroying numerous homes and the Bee Springs Church on Bee Springs Road about 1/3 mile south of Stevenson Road. To this day, the 1909 outbreak remains the second-deadliest on record in Tennesseeeven the April 34, 1974 Super Outbreak and the February 56, 2008, Super Tuesday outbreak produced just 45 and 31 deaths each in the state.[1]. List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks More than 320 died in the twister barrage . The cyclone struck Primm Springs, a summer resort in Hickman County, and devastated the country. Rutherford County was visited last night by one of the most destructive storms of many years. after celebrating, Driver dead after Maryland tanker explosion, Ja Morant investigated by NBA after Instagram post, How NIL will affect local high school athletes, The right thing to do: College softball players, Forsberg, Giannis join Nashville SC ownership group, Ja Morant accused of making threatening statement, Arrest warrants issued for projected NFL draft pick, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, 5 reported dead after severe weather in Kentucky, Rollover crash cleared on I-65N, injuries reported, Man hit, killed after celebrating birthday in Nashville, Driver dead after MD tanker explosion, fire, Ja Morant investigated by NBA over Instagram post, More than 21K NES customers without power, Downed power lines cause road closure in Goodlettsville, 1 killed amid turbulence event on business jet, Straight line winds damage buildings in Waverly, Portions of Calif. home hang over cliff after landslide, BBB: Beware of Storm Chasers in Middle TN, WATCH: Carjacking suspect caught after wild chase, Man dies after being hit by metal carport in Kentucky, Highest wind speeds from Fridays severe storms, Parent threatens teacher over book assignments, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. The clouds rolled like tremendous waves out of the southwest, and the thunder's crash was deafening, while the electric flashes played incessantly, lighting up the dark-canopied earth like a refulgent monster meteor. Here it blew away the barn in which Duff was sheltered at the time, breaking three of Duff's toes, but otherwise he was not injured. One-half of the house where Attorney J. From that point, the storm moved into the Greenbrier section, where it destroyed two stores, several churches, and numerous farm houses, barns and outbuildings. Historian John Lancaster with the Giles County Historical Society recalled that fateful night. At the same time and place, Mrs. Thad Reese, who was a sister of Mrs. Guffey, with her two children, lost their lives, making seven deaths at this one house. Thousands of trees were downed and cattle were killed. Giles County 112 years after Middle Tennessee's deadliest tornado outbreak However, for several hours a strong gale blew, and there was more or less excitement in the town throughout the night. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The deadliest tornado outbreak ever in Middle Tennessee struck the region from the evening hours of April 29, 1909, through the night and into the next day on April 30, 1909. The strongest tornado confirmed so far from. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 10: ALGOOD, Tenn., April 30 - At this place, four miles east of Cookeville, the Southern Methodist church was demolished. The storm extended over many states inflicting damage on widely scattered communities from the Great Lakes to the Gulf. The property loss will mount into the thousands. Dickson was left to the right of the storm's pathway, and fortunately little damage was done here. A tornado destroyed a church and three homes. April 20, 1909: A windstorm "of great cyclonic power" caused $15,000 of damage in Putnam County. A colored child on W. R. Anderson's farm was killed, making the fourth death so far reported. The strongest, an F-4 with winds 207 mph or higher traveled for 30 miles across Giles and Lincoln counties killing 31 people in all. Elam Tucker, who lives at the old Suttle place, near Aspen Hill, lost his barn, also Will Coon, Billy Widene, and D. Biles, and the tenant houses on the Phillips place, south of Tucker's, were wrecked. The home of Wilson Estes was also destroyed, together with the livery barn of Russell Estes, owner of Primm Springs Hotel. Among the towns affected were Horn Lake, Mississippi, where about half of the fatalities were recorded, and Whitehaven, Tennessee, where the tornado damaged 30 homes. This list does not include F0 events. The creeks are out of banks and all the farm work of the spring is practically lost. Four-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Thompson, Totty's Bend. The damage in town is slight compared with the country. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. - A terrific wind and rainstorm passed through this section last night at about 10:30 o'clock, destroying property and damaging crops of the neighboring farmers to such an extent that it is probable that they will have to be replanted. In all there were 12 tornadoes that caused 62 fatalities in Middle Tennessee. US Dept of Commerce The missing are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Stevens, whose home was torn to pieces. The second highest number of fatalities occurred from an F-3 tornado with winds of 158 miles per hour or higher that ravaged Hickman and Williamson counties. Ab Hays, of Nashville, who was visiting Joe Rosson's family, near Port Royal, was seriously hurt by timbers, and died this morning. Columbia, Tenn., April 20. No information is available farther to the east across the extremely rural area between Decherd and Monteagle, but based on newspaper reports and damage in Franklin and Grundy Counties all lining up in a straight line, the damage in both counties was almost certainly produced by the same tornado. But for the fact that the country is hilly and in places thinly settled the destruction would have been even greater. Damage: Fayetteville was not in the pathway of the cyclone, but was near it. From almost every section of Tennessee are reports of fatalities and property loss, while Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and even Indiana and Illinois report touches of the cyclone. 20th Century 1909 Oct 14, Tornado Outbreak, AL (11-21), AR (2), GA (1-2), TN (42-50) -56-75 lornajarrettblanchard October 14, 1909 95 Daily Telegraph, Atlantic, IA. The missing are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Stevens, whose home was torn to pieces. At the same time and place, Mrs. Thad Reese, who was a sister of Mrs. Guffey, with her two children, lost their lives, making seven deaths at this one house. The timber for 250 yards wide in the path of this tornado is down for many miles. On Lick Creek the house of Frank Hunter was badly wrecked and one member of his family blown for a short distance without serious injury. Several other houses were blown down and a number of people injured. Please Contact Us. It is seldom our mountain country has such a cyclone. It is impossible to estimate the property loss, probably not less than a hundred thousand dollars. No lives were lost, but live stock suffered greatly. But the daily mail from Charlotte brings a letter from Circuit Court Clerk J. J. Taylor to the effect that about twenty-five residences were destroyed there. It then completely blew away Webb & Crawford's Planning Mills and the stock house of the Cookeville Roller Mills. The most terrible cyclone in the history of Giles County struck with great fury between 11 and 12 o'clock Thursday night. Photos of the damage in the Hillsboro (Leiper's Fork) area from the Nashville American newspaper show extreme damage, with a home wiped off the foundation and a hillside forest completely destroyed, suggesting this tornado reached F4 intensity. A third son died two days later as a result of injuries sustained during the tornado. In that general area, at least 55 were killed by tornadoes. Spawned by the same thunderstorm that produced the Charleston tornado family. The most frightful wreckage and loss of life occurred in the little valley through which passes the road from Bunker Hill to Bryson, and in which were located the homes of Bud Guffey, Will McGrew, Lee Smith, J. S. Bryson and others. Did the tornado hit Gatlinburg Tennessee? Another tornado or downburst later struck near Monterey in eastern Putnam County, as the Nashville American reported "one of the worst wind storms in the history of the town" unroofed houses and barns, but the description of the damage is unclear whether a tornado or downburst was the cause. Fayetteville was not in the pathway of the cyclone, but was near it. Many Nolensville residents said it was the worst storm to ever strike there -- even worse than the notorious cyclone of 1900, which had cut a path only a few hundred yards wide. Deadliest Days: Killer tornadoes in Middle Tennessee A path about 100 yards wide was swept clear of timber. Brave men bared their backs to the chilly rain to provide wraps for suffering women and children; and worked through the dreary hours till daylight, searching for the dead and endeavoring to relieve the suffering of survivors. Two barns and one stable were wrecked, ,and his stock suffered considerably. The cyclone followed the course of Dog Creek, a small stream close to the springs, and followed it until it came to the mouth of the hollow, when it entered the hollow and laid waste everything in its path. It will amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The village of Harms, five miles west of Fayetteville, was almost completely destroyed. -92-93 Daily Journal, Stevens Point, WI. 1909 Oct 14, Tornado Outbreak, AL (11-21), AR (2), GA (1-2), TN (42 The path length was estimated based on a beginning point in the Bushtown area and end point just past Algood. The cyclone wrecked the house and killed Mrs. McGrew and six children, while Mr. McGrew, a son and a baby escaped with serious injuries. Miss Daisy Marshall received a few slight wounds. The old Henry Wade residence, a two-story frame buildings, was demolished, and also several cabins on the place. April 29, 1909 Tornado Outbreak. Tornado - Occurrence in the United States | Britannica P. M. Greenwood had a small house blown away. The late-April 1909 tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that affected much of the central and Southern United States between April 29 and May 1, 1909. - The house of Bush Brown, on Hurricane Creek, three miles from McEwen, was destroyed by a heavy wind last night. The home of the widow Speight was also destroyed. The deadliest January tornadoes on record. Multiple locations were found. Besides the devastation mentioned, fences, timber and numerous small buildings were blown away and other damage done. One of the saddest stories was of two brothers in the Hillsboro/Leipers Fork area who were blown over a 20-foot bluff and into a nearby creek, according to the Nashville American newspaper. SHAMBURGER (2016): The devastating and very large Decherd tornado, which was only given a few meager words in the book Significant Tornadoes by Tom Grazulis, began somewhere west of Owl Hollow in western Franklin County, then moved east-northeast passing about 1.3 miles north of Winchester, then plowing directly through Decherd. Tornadoes in the United States 1950-2019 These are some notable tornadoes, tornado outbreaks, and tornado outbreak sequences that have occurred in North America . NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) The deadliest tornado outbreak ever in Middle Tennessee struck the region from the evening hours of April 29, 1909, through the night and into the next day on April. Telephone wires are down and roads are in bad conditions. of those most seriously hurt: Esq. Wires all down everywhere and communication with the country cut off. Representative M. E. Neely lost a valuable barn, as did Maj. B. Randolph, both of the Walter Hill neighborhood. Homes were "obliterated" at "Bee Springs" and near "Millville." The old McGavock home is wrecked. [3] However, the 1909 outbreak did not produce any F5 tornadoes on the Fujita scale; only one such event occurred in Tennessee on April 16, 1998. The Sixth District schoolhouse, of Rutherford County, was blown a distance of fifteen or twenty feet and left standing without showing any visible results of great damage. Thirty-six serious injuries were reported in the newspapers across both counties, with numerous other more minor injuries, so the total of 70 injuries shown by Grazulis was kept. In addition, Grazulis did not include the part of this tornado's path in northwest Robertson County near Sadlersville, which was included here along with the reported one injury. Contributions may be sent direct to Mr. Young or to the Citizen and we will forward to the relief committee. FROM THE NASHVILLE AMERICAN, MAY 1 1909, PAGE 10, "FROM MURFREESBORO, TENN.": MURFREESBORO, Tenn., April 30. The McConnico Church southeast of Franklin was also heavily damaged. It is impossible to obtain details, as the wires are all down.