The Tri-State Tornado: The Story of America's Greatest Tornado Disaster

by Peter S. Felknor

Book Overview

The Tri-State Tornado is a gripping account of the worst tornado disaster in American history. Claiming 689 lives during a three-hour rampage across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925, the storm had one of the longest uninterrupted paths (219 miles) and one of the widest (up to one mile) of any recorded tornado. Its continuous energy was so extreme that it completely obliterated several small towns in its path. Although the fatality...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595311881
• ISBN13: 9780595311880
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A part of my family history

I grew up hearing tales of this horrifying storm. It was not easily forgotten by those who lived through it. My father and his family were lucky enough to survive despite the severe damage it caused as it skirted the edge of Owensville, Indiana. 40 years later we would be out hunting and he would show me trees with chunks of metal imbedded in them from the terrific winds. My mother's extended family was not so lucky. After brushing Owensville it continued another seven miles and leveled the south side of Princeton, Indiana killing 25 people including three of my mom's relatives. In addition one of my great aunts lost a leg. One of my cousins has a photo album that was carried miles away and later found and returned. Amazingly, it is in perfect condition.

interesting little book

There are quite a few stories, books, etc. about this event, but this book is different in a way, with newspaper accounts, and direct information from the survivors and their kin themselves.It's an easy read and one most weather buffs will enjoy.

The most intense storm on Earth

Tornadoes are the most powerful storms on Earth. They may not be the biggest in size, but the destruction they can cause is insurmountable. The Tri-State Tornado gives the readers the perfect example of how devestating these storms can be. Even in this day in age with our advanced technology, meteorologists have a difficult time understanding the true nature of these storms. This was evident back in 1925 when that fateful day came when one single tornado had struck three states, killed 689 people, and traveled 219 miles at a rapid pace anywhere between 60-73 miles per hour. No one saw it touch ground or disappear. The author does a great job of interweaving interviews from the actual survivors. Who better to explain that day than the people who saw this mile plus wide tornado barreling down in front of them. The Tri-State Tornado remains one of the most bizarre and deadliest tornado to have ever hit the United States.

Fascinating and highly informative

At around 1:00 p.m., March 18, 1925, a tornado touched down in Reynolds Country, Missouri. But, this was no ordinary tornado. This was an F5 multivortex tornado that proceeded east-northeast across 219 miles, 13 counties and three states (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana). By the time the tornado dissipated, it had destroyed a number of small towns, erased a number of farms, and killed some 689 people. This was one of the worst tornadoes in U.S. history, and this book tells its story. This is quite a fascinating book. The author does an excellent job of telling the story of the Tri-State Tornado with factual reporting, but yet brining alive the horror of what happened. The book is an interesting mixture of Mr. Felknor's narration and accounts from some fourteen survivors of the tornado. Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and highly informative book about a little known subject. If you are interested in tornadoes, then you simply must get this book about the granddaddy of them all! I highly recommend this book.

A must for severe weather freaks.

I first read this book while taking a class in severe & unusual weather at the University of Illinois a few years ago. If you're into jaw-dropping weather phenomena, you really need to get this book. There are great interviews with survivors, a few astounding pictures, and some good basic science to back it all up.