March 1890 middle Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak

Memorial to the 1890 tornado, on Main Street in downtown Louisville; images of the destruction, furnished by The Filson Historical Society, ring the structure at pedestrian level

The middle Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak was a major tornado outbreak occurring in the middle United States on March 27, 1890. To this day, this outbreak is still one of the most deadly tornado events in U.S. history. At least 24 significant tornadoes were recorded to have spawned from this system, and at least 146 people were killed by tornadoes that day.

The most notable of the spawned tornadoes was one measuring F4 on the Fujita scale, which visited Louisville, Kentucky. The tornado carved a path from the Parkland neighborhood all the way to Crescent Hill, destroying 766 buildings ($2½ million worth of property) and killing an estimated 76 to 120 people. At least 55 of those deaths occurred when the Falls City Hall collapsed. This is one of the highest death tolls due to a single building collapse from a tornado in U.S. history. In addition, it was one of the 25 most deadly tornadoes in U.S. history until May 22, 2011. It was relegated to 26th when the May 22, 2011, tornado in Joplin, Missouri, killed 158.

The day after the destruction, the Louisville Courier-Journal labeled the tornado "the whirling tiger of the air".

Due to the fast pace of reconstruction, there was almost no sign of this tornado having occurred just one year later.

Tornado table

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
?	?	12	6	6	0	24

March 27 event

F#	Location	County	Time (UTC)	Path length	Damage
Missouri
F2	S of Ste. Genevieve	Ste. Genevieve, Randolph (IL)	2100	7 miles (11 km)	A church was struck in Missouri, before the tornado crossed into Illinois and destroyed a barn.
F2	Bloomsdale area	Ste. Genevieve	2100	5 miles (8.0 km)	Four homes were destroyed in Bloomsdale.
F2	SW of Rockwood, IL, to E of Sunfield	Perry, Randolph (IL), Jackson (IL), Perry (IL)	2100	33 miles (53 km)	3 deaths — Trees with trunks 18 inches (1.5 ft) thick were carried from the Missouri side of the river into Illinois. Fatalities occurred near Rockwood, Shiloh Hill, and Campbell. Homes were unroofed near Sunfield as well. An F5 tornado also hit Sunfield on December 18, 1957.
F4	Grand Tower, IL/Poplar Ridge areas	Cape Girardeau, Perry, Jackson (IL)	2220	30 miles (48 km)	7 deaths — Tornado began near Shawneetown before crossing into Illinois. The tornado struck the town of Grand Tower, where 27 homes were destroyed, some of which were swept away. Four people died in Grand Tower. Several homes were leveled at the small community of Poplar Ridge (south of Murphysboro) as well, where two people died. At least 80 people were injured before the tornado lifted north of Carbondale.
F3	E of Charleston to Bird's Point	Mississippi, Ballard (KY)	2225	20 miles (32 km)	4 deaths — Tornado struck the communities of Huff's Station and Bird's Point. A family of four was killed in Huff's Station, where several buildings were destroyed and trees were debarked. At least 8 buildings were destroyed at Bird's Point. Five others were injured. Tornado continued into Kentucky before dissipating.
F4	NE of Scott City to Stonefort, IL	Scott, Alexander (IL), Union (IL), Johnson (IL), Williamson (IL)	2245	55 miles (89 km)	2 deaths — A tornado family began northwest of Thebes, Illinois, then crossed into Illinois. It destroyed two-dozen farm homes around the communities of Mill Creek, Springville (now a ghost town south of Jonesboro), and Mt. Pleasant. Additional homes were destroyed near Vienna. A school was destroyed near Stonefort, and seats from that location were found 2 miles (3.2 km) away. 30 people were injured.
Illinois
F2	NW of Belleville	St. Clair	2115	8 miles (13 km)	1 death — Three homes were destroyed and one person was killed near Centreville. Two people were injured near Cahokia as well. A total of seven people were injured along the path.
F2	S of McClure	Alexander	2230	unknown	A house and a barn were destroyed.
F3	W of Sparta to NE of Nashville	Randolph, Perry, Washington, Jefferson	2315	40 miles (64 km)	1 death — A man was killed in the Pollander community. The community of Little Prairie was completely destroyed. At least two or three tornadoes were likely involved.
F2	Olney area	Richland	2330	6 miles (9.7 km)	A farm home was destroyed near the beginning of the path, and 32 homes were damaged or destroyed in town. Many businesses were unroofed and 5 people were injured. Caused $50,000 in damage.
F2	SW of Xenia	Wayne, Clay	0000	10 miles (16 km)	Tornado struck eight homes and 20 barns.
F2	W of Carmi to Crossville	White	0000	5 miles (8.0 km)	1 death — Multiple homes were destroyed along the path.
Indiana
F3	SW of Owensville	Posey, Gibson	0200	25 miles (40 km)	Tornado blew apart buildings on 15 farms, including at least five homes.
Kentucky
F4	E of Kevil to West Louisville	McCracken, Massac(IL), Pope(IL), Livingston, Crittenden, Webster, Daviess	2315	95 miles (153 km)	21+ deaths — Tornado began in Kentucky and crossed into Illinois and struck Metropolis, where over 100 buildings were unroofed or blown over, $150,000 in damage was done, and one person was killed. Tornado crossed back into Kentucky and traveled across rural areas, destroying homes, trees, and causing numerous fatalities. May have been a tornado family.
F4	NW of Benton to E of Eddyville	Marshall, Lyon	0000	25 miles (40 km)	7 deaths — Half of the buildings were destroyed in Grand Rivers, and forests, homes, and farms were destroyed in rural areas. Three people died in homes near Kuttawa and Eddyville. 50 people were injured.
F4	W of Shively to Jeffersonville, IN	Jefferson, Clark (IN)	0057	15 miles (24 km)	76+ deaths — Tornado tore through the Parkland neighborhood, leveling multiple homes. The tornado went on to strike downtown Louisville, where several multi-story buildings were reduced to rubble. The Falls City Hall was completely leveled, and 55 fatalities occurred there. Caused $2,500,00 in damage. Damage occurred in Indiana as well, but it is not clear if it was from a tornado or downburst winds.
F2	N of Patesville to S of Knottsville	Daviess, Hancock	0100	25 miles (40 km)	2 deaths — Fatalities occurred in destroyed homes.
F2	SE of Cadiz to W of Hopkinsville	Trigg, Christian	0100	10 miles (16 km)	Farm homes were destroyed. Caused $30,000 in damage.
F3	S of Eminence to N of Pleasureville	Shelby, Henry	0115	5 miles (8.0 km)	3 deaths — Four farm homes were destroyed, with a family of three killed at one of them. 10 people were injured.
F4	NW of Hartford to Rineyville area	Ohio, Grayson, Breckenridge, Hardin	0200	60 miles (97 km)	7 deaths — Likely a tornado family. Many small farming communities and acres of forest were leveled along the path. Homes reportedly "vanished" near Sulphur Springs and Falls of Rough. Long-time residents compared the damage to that of another tornado which destroyed Big Spring on March 19, 1849.
F3	S of Scottsville to near Tracy	Barren, Allen	0300	15 miles (24 km)	4+ deaths — Multiple homes were destroyed along the path. At least 20 people were injured. May have killed up to 17 people.
Tennessee
F3	N of Gallatin to E of Westmoreland	Sumner, Macon	0245	15 miles (24 km)	5+ deaths — All eight homes and two stores were destroyed in the small community of Rogana (south of Bethpage). May have killed upwards of 20 people in rural areas.
F2	NE of Fosterville to SE of Murfreesboro	Rutherford	0330	10 miles (16 km)	Homes were destroyed in the southern part of the county.
F2	Fayetteville	Lincoln	0400	unknown	1 death — Forty homes were damaged or destroyed in the NW part of Fayetteville. One person was crushed to death under a wall. 15 others were injured.
Sources: Grazulis (1993)

See also

• Columbia Building
• History of Louisville, Kentucky
• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• Southern Exposition

External links

• — Historical tornado damage images and narrative from the University of Louisville Photographic Archives
• "The Great Cyclone of 1890: Tragedy Struck Louisville" — Article by Civil War historian/author Bryan S. Bush
• Louisville, KY Tornado, Mar 1890 at GenDisasters.com