The Cleavage: March 1942 tornado outbreak

The March 1942 tornado outbreak was a deadly late-winter season tornado outbreak which struck a large area of the central and southern United States on March 16, 1942. The tornado outbreak, one of the worst on records across the Midwest region, killed 152 people and injured 1284.^[1]

[edit] Tornado event

As a powerful late-winter season storm system traversed much of the Mississippi River Valley on March 16; it spawned several violent killer tornadoes from Illinois to Mississippi. The most notable tornado, and one of the worst ever in the state of Mississippi history (or possibly a pair of tornadoes less 30 minutes apart ^[2]) struck areas near Greenwood, Mississippi in the O'Tuckalofa and Baldwin areas. At least 65 people were killed by the first tornado as school buses carrying children were carried and smashed by the storm. Over 500 others were injured. Since the Fujita Scale was not implemented at that time, both tornadoes were estimated to be F4.^[1]

An F5 tornado near Lacon, Illinois was the strongest storm of the outbreak and killed 7 people. Eleven people were killed near Alvin, Illinois, nine near Caneyville, Kentucky, two near Goshen, Indiana and 15 near Bethel Springs, Tennessee by separate F4 tornadoes that struck during the same day. Hundreds of other people were also injured. 4 people were also killed in Nelson County, Kentucky by an F3 which leveled homes near Deatsville. In Grayson and Hardin Counties near Caneyville, about 20 homes were destroyed with fatalities reported in Caneyville, Leitchfield, Clarkson, Summit and Millwood.^[3] The tornado that hit the Alvin area damaged 25 homes and swept away farms in Savoy, Mayview and St. Joseph near Champaign County.^[4]^[5] Damage figures in central Mississippi were estimated at around 600,000 dollars in 1942.^[6]