1953 Vicksburg tornado
Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | December 5, 1953, 5:31 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
Dissipated | December 5, 1953, 5:40 p.m. (UTC−06:00) |
Duration | 9 minutes |
F5 tornado | |
on the Fujita scale | |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 38 |
Injuries | 270 |
Damage | $25 million (1953 USD) $235 million (2024 USD) |
Areas affected | Warren County in Mississippi, principally in and near Vicksburg and Waltersville |
Part of the Tornado outbreak sequence of December 1–6, 1953 and tornado outbreaks of 1953 |
The 1953 Vicksburg, Mississippi tornado was a deadly F5 tornado that struck
Background
On December 5, 1953, as a
Tornado event
The destructive tornado may have first touched down over easternmost Madison Parish, Louisiana, crossed the Mississippi River, and felled trees on DeSoto Island. However, official records indicate that the tornado first developed over the Yazoo River in Warren County, Mississippi.[3][2] As it entered Vicksburg, the tornado, which followed heavy rain,[4] destroyed electrical services to the city and initiated several fires.[5][6] Buildings were in "shambles" along four city blocks, and the downtown business district was adversely affected. Many automobiles were submerged by debris.[5] The tornado damaged or destroyed 937 buildings, while nearly 1,300 people lost their homes. A total of 12 blocks of the city's business district were affected by the tornado, and fires also burned cotton.[4][7] In total, 270 people received injuries,[8][3] and total damages approached $25 million.[4][7] The tornado is officially rated F5 on the Fujita scale; however, the rating is questionable, since the tornado demolished frail structures.[9] Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis rated the tornado F4.[7]
Aftermath and recovery
The tornado broke the city's gas line, which remained out of service after repairs.[10] Residents were forced to go without cooked food even as temperatures dropped to 31 °F (−1 °C) overnight on December 6.[10] The tornado also disproved a persistent myth that its proximity to a river protected Vicksburg from tornadoes.[2]
See also
- 1966 Candlestick Park tornado outbreak – A small, but significant outbreak that produced a powerful F5 tornado that devastated portions of Jackson, Mississippi
- 2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado – First of two EF5 tornadoes in Mississippi during the 2011 Super Outbreak
- 2011 Smithville tornado – Second of two EF5 tornadoes in Mississippi during the 2011 Super Outbreak
- List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
- Lists of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References
- from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
- ^ a b National Weather Service (August 2019). Mississippi Event Report: F5 Tornado (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ a b c "28 Killed, 230 Hurt as Twister Shakes City of Vicksburg". Beckley Post-Herald. Associated Press. 1953.
- ^ a b "More Than 100". Charleston Daily Mail. 1953.
- ^ "Vicksburg Storm". Charleston Daily Mail. 1953.
- ^ ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- ^ "Mississippi F5". Tornado History Projects. Storm Predicition Center. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). F5-F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. p. 21.
- ^ Newport Daily News. Associated Press. 1953.