85 years ago, the Tri-State Tornado ravaged Southern Illinois...

[ColesCountyDem]

The most devastating tornado in American history struck on March 18th, 1925. It began near Ellington, MO and traveled for 219 miles to just east of Princeton, IN. In its wake, 695 people were confirmed dead, thousands were seriously injured and required surgery and/or hospitalization and property damage ran into the tens of millions ( in 1925 dollars ).

As a kid growing up in Southern Illinois, I heard many, many personal accounts of the tornado, including many from my own grandparents. My maternal grandfather was injured in the tornado when it picked him up, carried him 300 yards and deposited him in an elm tree with a broken shoulder. He managed to extricate himself and walked 8 miles up the ICRR tracks to Benton, where he and my grandmother lived; rather than try and seek help in devastated West Frankfort, he chose to walk home because he knew my grandmother would be in a near-panic, wondering if he were alive or dead, injured or OK, etc. .

Rather than ramble on, just check out the link below to this horrifying episode in Illinois' history.

Thanks!

:hi:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/?n=1925tor

[madrchsod]

1. there`s a film about this storm.....

no one knew until it was to late

[ColesCountyDem]

2. True, because it didn't look like a tornado....

It wasn't until the storm crossed into Indiana that people saw actual funnel clouds. Most, like my Granddad, only saw a huge, black wall of 'stuff' bearing down on them; it was only in the last few seconds that the realization that this was a 'cyclone' dawned on them.