Tri-State Tornado

1925 Tri-State tornado
	Counterclockwise from top: Eyewitness drawing of the Tri State Tornado; Track of the Tri-State tornado; Extreme damage in DeSoto, Illinois
Meteorological history
Formed	March 18, 1925; 12:45 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00); Reynolds County, Missouri
Dissipated	March 18, 1925; 4:30 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00); Pike County, Indiana
Duration	3 hours, 45 minutes
F5 tornado
	on the Fujita scale
Path width	2,650–3,540 yd (1.51–2.01 mi; 2.42–3.24 km)
Path length	219 miles (352 km) (disputed; see validity of track length)
Highest winds	>300 mph (480 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities	695
Injuries	2,027–2,756
Damage	$16.55 million (1925 USD); $2.9 billion (2024 USD) (3rd-costliest in U.S. history)
Areas affected	Southern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana
	Part of the Tri-State tornado outbreak and Tornadoes of 1925

The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 was the deadliest tornado in the history of the United States. It took place on Wednesday, March 18, 1925. It was part of a outbreak with 12 confirmed tornadoes. It covered a large portion of the Midwest and Southern United States.

The death toll from one tornado alone was 695.^[3] In Illinois, there were 613 deaths. There were 11 deaths in Missouri. There were at least 71 deaths in Indiana.

The tornado wasn't officially rated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But it is recognized by most experts as an F5 tornado on the U.S. Fujita scale.

There were also tornadoes in Kentucky, Kansas, Alabama and Tennessee.

In 2018 U.S. dollars, damage from the tornadoes was $2.18 billion.

Notes

↑ (Root 1926, Changnon et al 1971, current accepted figure). 689 (originally listed by the Weather Bureau). Actual number likely greater than either figure.^[1] The Weather Bureau page from Barron lists 742 dead.^[2]

References

↑ "1925 — March 18, Tornadoes, esp. Tri-State Tornado (IL/IN/MO) 695; AL/KY/TN–740-792 – Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of-Life Events". usdeadlyevents.com. March 18, 1925. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
1 2 Root, Clarence J.; Barbon, William E. (March 1925). "The Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925" (PDF). weather.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
↑ "Our 10 Greatest Natural Disasters". American Heritage. Retrieved May 15, 2018.

[3] (Root 1926, Changnon et al 1971, current accepted figure). 689 (originally listed by the Weather Bureau). Actual number likely greater than either figure.^[1] The Weather Bureau page from Barron lists 742 dead.^[2]

[1] "1925 — March 18, Tornadoes, esp. Tri-State Tornado (IL/IN/MO) 695; AL/KY/TN–740-792 – Deadliest American Disasters and Large-Loss-of-Life Events". usdeadlyevents.com. March 18, 1925. Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.

[weather.gov-2] 1 2 Root, Clarence J.; Barbon, William E. (March 1925). "The Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925" (PDF). weather.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2025. Retrieved July 8, 2025.

[4] "Our 10 Greatest Natural Disasters". American Heritage. Retrieved May 15, 2018.

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