1855 Des Plaines tornado
1855 tornado in Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On May 22, 1855, a significant[1] and deadly tornado moved through the Chicago suburbs of Mount Prospect and Des Plaines, both located in the U.S. state of Illinois. The tornado was the first ever recorded in Illinois and killed at least four people, all on the same property.
Location of Des Plaines relative to the Chicago metropolitan area | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 22, 1855 |
| FU tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 4 |
| Injuries | 8 |
| Areas affected | Cook County, Illinois |
Tornado summary
The tornado first touched down near present-day North Fairview Avenue, moving to the southeast.[2] The tornado damaged the John Roney property (present-day U.S. Route 14) where it was sighted lifting a wagon and horses; at this location it made a slight turn east. After traveling parallel to U.S. Route 14 it began to pivot southward, where William Thacker saw the tornado approach his location.[2] At around 4:00 pm the tornado struck the Page-Wheeler property, where four occupants were killed and eight others were injured. The house itself was shifted off its foundation and completely destroyed;[3][2] the tornado lifted a short distance to the south of the property. In addition, furniture on the property was carried upward by the tornado.[4] It was on the ground for an estimated 5.2 miles (8.4 km).[2]
