March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak
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.jpg) Weather map of the storm complex over the Southern U.S on March 20, 1875, that would spawn the second round of tornadoes. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | March 19–20, 1875 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | ≥ 19 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 1 day and 23 hours |
| Fatalities | ≥ 96 fatalities, ≥ 377 injuries |
| Damage | ≥ $650,000 (1875 USD) ≥ $18.6 million (2024 USD) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak was a devastating event that struck the Southern United States from March 19–20, 1875. It produced least 19 tornadoes were recorded, with seven that were rated F4 by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis. Georgia bore the brunt of the destruction and fatalities, with two tornado families causing most of the damage. These families followed parallel paths, 12 to 15 mi (19 to 24 km) apart, through Georgia and South Carolina, consisting of multiple long-tracked and intense tornadoes.
The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, rated F4, killed 28–42 people in and around Sparta, Georgia, and Edgefield, South Carolina, on March 20. Another F4 tornado on a similar path may have caused up to 30 additional fatalities. Overall, the outbreak resulted in at least 96 deaths, 377 injuries, and $650,000 in damages - a staggering toll for the time.[1][nb 1][nb 2][nb 3]
March 19 event
The ratings for these tornadoes were done by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and are not official ratings.
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ≥ 19 |
- Note: Some of the events listed as individual tornadoes were probably tornado families.[1]
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max. width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F3 | Lone Grove–Ray's Point | Winn | LA | 02:00–? | 15 mi (24 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | 3 deaths- Three fatalities were reported after a tornado splintered thousands of trees and destroyed six homes in a sparsely populated area. All the deaths occurred within a single family. Additionally, ten individuals sustained injuries.[12] |
March 20 event
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max. width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F4 | SW of Hamilton to E of Shiloh | Harris, Talbot | GA | 15:20–? | 25 mi (40 km) | 800 yd (730 m) | 11+ deaths – This was the first member in the northernmost of two major tornado families. Touching down in southwest Harris County, the "massive" tornado devastated rural plantations and forests in its path. It completely leveled several plantations and farms, with at least five deaths on one of them. Up to 15 deaths may have occurred in Harris County alone, but were unconfirmed. Winds from the parent supercell transferred a hat aloft for 30 mi (48 km) and a book for 40 mi (64 km). 40 people were injured.[12] |
| F3 | E of Thomastown to S of Forsyth | Upson, Lamar, Monroe | GA | 16:00–? | 30 mi (48 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | This tornado formed 20 mi (32 km) from the dissipation of the previous event, but was in the same tornado family. People first sighted a funnel cloud developing over Thomastown, but it did not touch down until east of town. Once on the ground, the tornado "changed shape continuously." 15 people were injured.[12] |
| FU | S of Statesville to S of Mocksville | Iredell, Davie | NC | 16:00–? | 15 mi (24 km) | Unknown | This may have been a tornado, a downburst or a combination of the two.[12] |
| F4 | N of Columbus to N of Talbotton | Muscogee, Harris, Talbot | GA | 16:30–? | 35 mi (56 km) | 600 yd (550 m) | 9 deaths – This was the first tornado in the southernmost of the two tornado families. Described as a "large and intense" tornado, it destroyed the village of "Mt. Airy" in the southeast corner of Harris County, killing six people in one home. Winds propelled a board from the home 18 in (46 cm) into the stump of a broken pine tree. The tornado destroyed more homes and an academy in or near Baughville in Talbot County, killing three people. 50 people were injured.[12] |
| F3 | N of Gray | Jones, Putnam | GA | 16:50–? | 10 mi (16 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | 1 death – This tornado struck only three farms, but demolished all of them. 10 people were injured.[12] |
| F4 | NW of Sparta, GA to S of Edgefield, SC | Hancock (GA), Warren (GA), McDuffie (GA), Columbia (GA), Edgefield (SC) | GA, SC | 17:40–? | 75 mi (121 km) | 1,000 yd (910 m) | 28+ deaths – See section on this tornado |
| F4 | S of Gray to E of Milledgeville | Jones, Baldwin | GA | 17:50–? | Unknown | 600 yd (550 m) | 13+ deaths – This tornado produced a "devastating" swath of damage near Milledgeville, with four deaths in Jones County and nine or more in Baldwin County. Residents of Milledgeville mistook the tornado for a column of smoke from a fire. When surveyors of the U.S. Army Signal Corps arrived three weeks later, a child was still unaccounted for and "presumed dead." 30 people were injured.[13] |
| F4 | ESE of Sparta to S of Gibson | Hancock, Washington, Glascock, Jefferson | GA | 18:30–? | 30 mi (48 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | 8+ deaths – This tornado caused eight deaths in Glascock County, but according to newspapers, the actual toll may have been 30. Some deaths in Hancock County attributed to the Sparta–Edgefield tornado may actually have been from this tornado. 40 people were injured.[13] |
| F4 | W of Keysville, GA to Williston, SC | Jefferson (GA), Burke (GA), Richmond (GA), Aiken (SC), Barnwell (SC) | GA, SC | 19:00–? | 50 mi (80 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | 6+ deaths – This tornado was likely a series of tornadoes and downbursts. It narrowly missed Augusta, passing 10 mi (16 km) southeast of that city before crossing the Savannah River into South Carolina. The tornado critically damaged or razed about 40 homes in Richmond County alone. The tornado left so much debris on farms that they were abandoned. As many as eight people may have died. 30 people were injured.[14] |
| F4 | Opelika, AL to Whitesville, GA | Lee (AL), Chambers (AL), Harris (GA) | AL, GA | 19:30–? | 20 mi (32 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | 7 deaths – This may have been a multiple-vortex tornado that killed seven people in a single family. 20 people were injured. This was the last violent tornado to impact Lee County until March 3, 2019.[13][15] |
| F3 | SW of Columbia | Lexington | SC | 19:55–? | 5 mi (8.0 km) | 300 yd (270 m) | 2 deaths – This tornado wrecked five or more farms in its path. A dozen people were injured.[14] |
| F3 | N of Sumter, SC to Tabor City, NC | Sumter (SC), Lee (SC), Florence (SC), Marion (SC), Horry (SC), Columbus (NC) | SC, NC | 20:30–? | 80 mi (130 km) | 400 yd (370 m) | 5 deaths – This tornado family produced a damage swath that varied from 20 yd (18 m) to almost 1 mi (1.6 km) wide, with several entire plantations wrecked. The tornado downed or split "tens of thousands" of trees and destroyed buildings on more than 40 farms. 30 people were injured.[14] |
| FU | W of Raleigh | Chatham, Wake | NC | 22:00–? | Unknown | Unknown | Another tornado or downburst dissipated about 10 mi (16 km) west of Raleigh.[14] |
| F2 | S of Norway to S of Orangeburg | Orangeburg | SC | 22:00–? | 25 mi (40 km) | 200 yd (180 m) | 3 deaths – This smoky-looking tornado leveled numerous little cabins. 20 people were injured.[14] |
| FU | Indiantown | Williamsburg | SC | 23:30–? | Unknown | Unknown | Details were unknown.[14] |
| F2 | Dogwood Neck | Horry | SC | 00:00–? | Unknown | Unknown | This tornado swept a frame home clean to its foundation.[14] |
| FU | NW of Conway | Horry | SC | 00:00–? | 15 mi (24 km) | Unknown | This tornado was not surveyed.[14] |
| F2 | SW of Sylvania | Bulloch | GA | 01:00–? | Unknown | 200 yd (180 m) | A tornado hit eight cabins, leveling them.[14] |
Sparta, Georgia/Edgefield, South Carolina
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 28+ fatalities, 70 injuries |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
A massive F4 carved a 75 miles (121 km) path of destruction through parts of Georgia and South Carolina, with a width ranging from 300 yards (270 m) to over 1 mile (1.6 km). The tornado first struck northwest of Sparta, Georgia, in Hancock County, destroying numerous farms and claiming four lives, three of whom were on a single farm. Remarkably, a door hinge from the farmhouse was found embedded 3 inches (7.6 cm) deep in a tree over a 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) away.
In Warren County, at least six people died, including one at a church west of Warrenton. The pastor credited the survival of most congregants to the pews, which shielded them from falling timbers. The tornado continued through Camak, where 39 of the town's 40 homes were either damaged or obliterated. McDuffie County reported at least seven fatalities, potentially as many as 9, primarily among residents of small cabins.
Columbia County may have experienced up to 20 deaths, although only eight deaths were confirmed. In Appling at least four people perished, with reports suggesting as many as eight may have died on a single plantation. After crossing the state line into Edgefield County, South Carolina, the tornado caused comparatively less destruction. though six farms and plantations were destroyed, and three fatalities were recorded. The tornado finally dissipated south of Edgefield.
The death toll from this tornado is officially listed at 28, but with uncertainties and unconfirmed reports of additional deaths, the number may be as high as 42.[13]
See also
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- Tornado intensity and damage
- Tornado outbreak of March 3, 2019 – Produced a violent tornado that affected Talbotton, Georgia