22–332-350

lornajarrettblanchard March 21, 1932

–332-350 Blanchard compilation based on State estimates below.*
— <350 History.com. “This Day in History, Disaster, March 21, 1932. Series of Tornadoes…” -- 343 NWS WFO Dodge City, KS. Today’s Weather Trivia. Nov 1, 2005. -- 334 Agee and Asai. Cloud Dynamics: Proceedings of a Symposium Aug, 1981. 1982, 202. -- 334 NWS, Milwaukee WI Weather Forecast Office. 2005. -- 332 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 498. -- 268 Ludlum. The American Weather Book. 1982, 105. -- 214 Syracuse Herald. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” March 22, 1932, p. 1. *We use Grazulis (332) for the low-end of our range. In our opinion Grazulis is conservative (understandably so) in his numbers. If we use the NWS Dodge City KS WFO number of 286 deaths in AL and use all other Grazulis numbers, we derive 350, the number History.com also uses. Thus we use 350 as the high-end of our range. Summary of State Breakouts from below Alabama (268-286) Georgia ( 37) Kentucky ( 2) South Carolina ( 3) Tennessee ( 22) Total 332-350 Breakout of Fatalities by State and Locality (where noted) Alabama (268-286) -- 286 National Weather Service WFO Dodge City, KS. Today’s Weather Trivia. Nov 1, 2005. -->270 NWS Birmingham AL WFO. The April 3rd and 4th 1974 Tornado Outbreak in Alabama.
— 269 Ludlum. The American Weather Book. 1982, 56.
— 268 Cornell. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). 1982, p. 222.
— 268 National Weather Service, Birmingham, AL, WFO. Super Outbreak – March 21, 1932.
— 268 National Weather Service, Milwaukee, WI Weather Forecast Office, 2005.
— 268 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 228-229 and 842-843.
— 3 Marengo/Greene/Hale counties, 1515 F3, especially Demopolis. Grazulis, p. 842.
— 3 Marengo/Perry counties 1530 F2; two in Linden area, one at Faunsdale. (p. 842)
–37 Tuscaloosa County 1600 F4, especially Northport. (p. 842)
–18 Cullman/Morgan/Marshall counties; 1630; F4; all deaths in Cullman Co., (p. 842)
–49 Perry/Bibb/Chilton/Shelby/Coosa counties; 1630; F4; esp. Perry. (p. 842)
–14 Shelby/Talladega counties; 1710; F3. (p. 843)
–31 Perry/Chilton/Coosa counties; 1730; F4. (p. 843)
— 12 Plantersville area, west of.
–~19 Stanton and Lomax areas, Chilton County.
— 1 Hale/Perry counties; 1900, F2. Perry Co. tenant house death. Grazulis 1993, 843.
–10 Marengo/Hale/Perry counties; 1900 F3; deaths in SE Hale Co. Grazulis 1993, 843.
–41 Talladega County; 1910; F4. Grazulis 1993, p. 843.
— 1 Gant’s Quarry.
–>29 Sylacauga
— 11 scattered rural communities as far as Chandler Spring.
–7 Bethel Church.
— 4 Lawrence/Morgan counties; 1930; F2. Grazulis 1993, p. 843.
— 8 Winston/Cullman/Morgan counties; 1930; F3.
–13 Talladega/Clay/ Randolph counties; 2000; F4.
–36 Morgan/Madison/Jackson counties; 20:00, F4. Grazulis 1993, p. 844.
— 2 Elderly couple near Lacey Spring.
— 4 Paint Rock.
–>32 Small Jackson County communities; about 125 rural homes destroyed.
— 169 Syracuse Herald. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” March 22, 1932, p. 1.

Georgia ( 37)
–37 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 318, 843, and 844.
— 8 Beaverdale, GA. (Whitfield/Murray, GA; Polk, TN.) Grazulis. 1993, 843.
–12 Polk/Floyd/Bartow counties; 1930; F3. Grazulis 1993, p. 843.
— 4 Bartow/Cherokee counties; 1930; F3. Grazulis 1993, p. 843.
–3 Euharlee area.
–1 Cartersville area.
–12 Clark and Madison counties; 0145 Mar 22 F3. Grazulis 1993, p. 844.
— 1 University of Georgia campus area.
— 1 Hull-Winterville area.
–10 Colbert west area to Paola and Comer.
— 1 Jones and Baldwin counties; 01:45 Mar 22 F2. Grazulis 1993, p. 844.
–30 Syracuse Herald. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” March 22, 1932, p. 1.

Kentucky ( 2)
–2 Union County; 1815; F2. Uniontown; two elderly people in hotel. (Grazulis 1993, p. 843.)

South Carolina ( 3)
–3 Grazulis 1993, pp. 498 and 844.
–2 Spartanburg County; 0100 Mar 22 F2. Fairmont area.
–1 Cherokee County; 0130 Mar 22 F2. Gaffney area, tenant home.
–1 Syracuse Herald. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” March 22, 1932, p. 1.

Tennessee ( 22)
–22 Grazulis 1993, pp. 318, 843-844.
–6 Giles County; 1730; F4; 5 killed near Pulaski. Grazulis 1993, pp. 318 and 843.
–3 Williamson/Davidson/Wilson counties; 1800; F2. Grazulis 1993, pp. 318 and 843.
–1 Marshall County; 1800, F3. Grazulis 1993, pp. 318 and 843.
–2 Cannon County; 1900; F2. Grazulis 1993, pp. 318 and 843.
–7 Polk County TN; 1915; F4. Conasauga area, five in one family. Grazulis 1993, p.843.
–2 Marion County; 20:00, F4. Couple killed in Ladds Switch. Grazulis 1993, p. 844.
–1 Bradley/McMinn counties; 20:50 F3. Boy killed in Charleston. Grazulis 1993, p. 844.

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “AL Mar 21, 1932 1515 [3:30 pm] 3k [killed] 9inj [injured] 125y [yards wide] 7m [distance traveled in miles] F3 Marengo/Greene/Hale [counties] – Moved NE, passing across the SE part of Demopolis. About 15 homes were damaged or destroyed.” [p. 842.]

History.com: “A storm system arising in the Gulf of Mexico spawns a devastating series of tornadoes that kills more than 350 people across the Southeast over two days. Thousands were seriously injured and many were left homeless by this deadly rash of twisters.

“The tornadoes began late on a Monday afternoon near the Mississippi and Alabama border. Warm air from the Gulf of Mexico collided with a cold front to the north, setting up perfect tornado conditions. The first twister touched down in Marion, Alabama, where 18 people were killed and 150 were injured at a large plantation farm. Next hit was Tuscaloosa—the Druid City Hospital there was inundated with victims. Moving northeast in Alabama, tornadoes caused such destruction in the town of Northport that it had to be sealed and National Guard troops called in.

“Twenty-nine people were killed in Demopolis, Alabama, with reports of boxcars from nearby train tracks flying through the air. In Chilton County, witness William Lyon reported “large timber 200 feet in the air.” Churches and schools were demolished across the county and 40 people were killed. In Sylacauga, 100 homes were leveled and 19 people killed. The final death toll in Alabama was 299.

“In northern Alabama, the storm front split into two parts. The first part moved toward Tennessee and Kentucky, while the other pushed toward Georgia and the Carolinas. A total of 359 people died in six different states from the 33 recorded tornadoes that persisted through the night. The horrific spate of tornadoes also did heavy damage to livestock and crops. The disaster came at a particularly tough time for the people and economy of the region; they were already reeling from the effects of the Great Depression.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, March 21, 1932. “Series of Tornadoes Hits Southeast U.S.”)

Newspaper

March 22: “Freakish March tornadoes killed at least 214 persons in five Southern States yesterday arid early today. The death list grew as communities, cut off by winds and rain, restored communication with the rest of the world and today brought reports of additional fatalities from rescue parties searching the wreckage. Alabama suffered the most heavily. This afternoon, a check showed 169 dead there. Thirty were known to have died In Georgia, 12 in Tennessee, two In Kentucky and one in South Carolina….

“Clanton, Ala, March 22 (UP) – … Today National Guardsmen, Red Cross workers and other relief agencies toured the district attempting to give aid to the homeless, the children whose parents either are dead or injured, and the 500 or more persons who underwent hospital treatment in temporary relief quarters established in schools, churches and business buildings. Troops were called out or, requested to cope with the situation. This storm first struck in the southwestern part of. Alabama, near the Mississippi state line, sweeping over Demopolis, Faunsdale and Marian, moving northeastward through Northport and Clanton and striking further north over Columblane…. Northport, Just across the Black Warrior River from Tuscaloosa, home of the State University, and this community 60 miles southeast of Northport. Were hardest hit.” (Syracuse Herald. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” March 22, 1932, p. 1.)

Sources

Agee, Ernest M. and Tomio Asai. Cloud Dynamics: Proceedings of a Symposium Held at the Third General Assembly of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, Hamburg, West Germany, 17-28 August, 1981. Springer, 1982. Google preview at: http://books.google.com/books?id=gobh8VMiobYC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Cornell, James. The Great International Disaster Book (Third Edition). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1982.

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, March 21, 1932. “Series of Tornadoes Hits Southeast U.S.” Accessed 12/07/2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=03/21&categoryId=disaster

Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

National Weather Service, Birmingham AL, Weather Forecast Office. Super Outbreak – March 21, 1932 (webpage). Accessed 5-4-2020 at: https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_03211932

National Weather Service, Birmingham AL, Weather Forecast Office. The April 3rd and 4th 1974 Tornado Outbreak in Alabama. Accessed 5-4-2020 at: https://www.weather.gov/bmx/event_04031974

National Weather Service, Dodge City, KS, Weather Forecast Office, Today’s Weather Trivia (March). NWS, Nov 1, 2005. Accessed at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/wxtrivia/wxtrvMar.php

National Weather Service, Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI, Weather Forecast Office, Famous Large Tornado Outbreaks in the United States. NWS, NOAA, DOC. November 2, 2005 modification. Accessed at: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mkx/climate/torout.php

Syracuse Herald, NY. “Tornado Death Toll Past 200,” 3-22-1932, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?topic=Tornado+Death+Toll+Past+200&img=24020441&terms=tornado&dpviewdate=03%2f21%2f2009&firstvisit=true