Once this storm moved out of the Ozark hills and onto the farmland of Bollinger and Perry Counties, the death toll quickly mounted. One child was killed in a rural wooden school; at least 32 other children were injured in two other country schools. The official count in Missouri was 11, although some lists have 13 deaths.

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Then the storm moved into the state of Illinois. At Gorham, 34 people died as virtually the entire town was destroyed. Over one half of the town's population was either killed or injured. Murphysboro suffered the most staggering death toll within a single city in US history. The 234 deaths included at least 25 in three different schools.

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The city of Murphysboro took a financial loss of about $10 million. Another 69 people died in and near Desoto, with 33 of those at a school. This was the worst loss of life for a school in U.S. tornado history. I will finish the description of the deadliest storm in the history of America tomorrow.

From Express-News 9/4/2002

Known as the Tupelo tornado, it was a member of a family of twisters that began near Coffeeville, Miss. The massive funnel moved across central Lee County, passing through residential areas in Tupelo.

Unlike the Gainesville twister, the Tupelo tornado missed the downtown business district.

Still, it did plenty of damage, leveling more than 200 houses on Tupelo's west and northeast sides.

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As many as 13 people in one family died in one of the houses.

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Mississippi officials estimated the final death toll at 233.

However, since only the names of white citizens killed or injured were published in newspapers, the true death toll may have been higher.

The practice of not reporting black citizens' deaths related to storms continued occasionally, in some form, until the mid-1950.

There was so much destruction scattered about the community that about 150 railroad box cars were brought to town and used as temporary housing.

A movie theater was turned into a temporary hospital, with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments because of the lack of proper tools.

The financial cost to Tupelo was nearly $3 million.

From Express-News 09/02/2002

Once out of the Ozark hills and onto the farmland of Bollinger and Perry Counties, the death toll quickly mounted near Lixville, Biehle, and Frohna. One child was killed in a rural wooden school, 5m N of Altenburg, Perry County. At least 32 children were injured in two Bollinger County schools. The event was probably a double tornado for three miles near Biehle. Eleven probably died in Missouri, although some lists have 13 deaths.

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In Illinois, the devastation was at its worst. At Gorham, 34 people died as virtually all of the town was destroyed. Over half of the town's population was either killed or injured. Seven of the deaths were at the school. At Murphysboro, there was the largest death toll, within a single city, in US history. The 234 deaths included at least 25 in three different schools.

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Murphysboro losses totalled about $10,000,000. Another 69 people died in and near Desoto, and the 33 deaths at the school was the worst in US tornado history.

From TornadoProject.Com Copyright 1999

This tornado was probably a member of a tornado family beginning near Coffeeville, Yalobusha County, Mississippi. Little attention was paid to any part of the track except that through Tupelo.

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Unlike the Gainesville, Georgia event, the next morning, this tornado missed the downtown business district. The tornado leveled over 200 homes, many of good construction on the west side of town.

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Entire families were killed, up to 13 in a single home.

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The Mississippi State Geologist estimated the final death toll at 233. Since only the names of the white injured were published in newspapers, it is not possible to follow up on the fate of the black injured. This racial aspect of tornado documentation was common until the late-1940's, and occasionally present, in some form, until the mid-1950's.

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About 150 box cars were brought to town as temporary housing. A movie theatre was turned into a hospital with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments.

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A movie theatre was turned into a hospital with the popcorn machine used to sterilize instruments.

This tornado may have been of greater intensity than the Gainesville event, which produced a similar death toll by striking the multi-story downtown area buildings at the start of the business day. $3,000,000.

From TornadoProject.Com Copyright 1999