1938 – April 7, Tornados, Aliceville area, AL (11) and Hiram area, GA (1)                  —     12

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 11-5-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–12  Blanchard tally from State breakouts below.

            –11  Alabama (We use NWS Birmingham Weather Forecast Office rather than Grazulis.)

            —  1  Georgia (We use Grazulis.)

–10  Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. 1993, p.877.

Alabama         (11)

–13  Pickens County. AP. “Red Cross to Have Lead In Relief Work.” Decatur Daily, GA, 4-9-1938, 1.

–13  AP. “Tornadoes and Floods Sweep Southland.” Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. 4-8-1938, p.1.

–11  NWS WFO Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database.

–11  Aliceville. UP. “Storm, Floods Take Toll of 12 Alabamians.” The Anniston Star, AL. 4-8-1938, p. 1.

–10  AP. “Tornadoes and Floods Sweep Southland.” Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. 4-8-1938, p.1.[1]

—  9  Aliceville. Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. 1993, p. 877.

Georgia          (  1)

–1  Hiram area, Paulding County.[2]

Narrative Information

Grazulis on AL: “AL  Apr 7, 1938  12:30  9k [killed]  51inj  200y  20m  F3  Pickens [county].”

Grazulis on GA: “GA  Apr 7, 1938  19:15  1k [killed] 8inj  50y  1m  F2  Paulding [county].”

National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Birmingham, Alabama: Starting at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, over a twenty mile path:  “Five people in a car were injured when it was thrown over 100 yards. Rural homes were disintegrated as nine people died in five separate homes. Homes across a four block radius in southeastern sections of Aliceville were leveled by the twister.”  (NWS WFO Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database)

Newspapers

April 7, AP: “Aliceville, Ala., Apr. 7. (AP) – One white man and five Negroes were killed here this afternoon when a roaring tornado swept away more than a score of homes.” (Associated Press. “Alabama Tornado Takes Lives of Five Persons.” Lawrence Daily Journal-World. 4-7-1938, p.1.)

April 8, UP: “Montgomery, Ala., Apr. 8. – (U.P) – Flood disaster threatened Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee today as rain-swollen streams and tornadic winds spread death and destruction through the four states. Twelve persons were known dead in Alabama and four in Georgia….

11 Killed At Aliceville

“The Southern streams began rising after tornadic winds and torrential rains killed 11 at Aliceville, Ala., one at Birmingham and four at Whitestone, Ga.[3] The ‘twister’ which struck Aliceville levelled homes and business houses and injured at least 40. Similar disturbances in other sections of Alabama and Georgia injured many more and did an inestimable amount of property damage….

“An aged couple and nine Negroes were killed and at least 40 injured last night when a tornado roared through a section near Aliceville in Western Alabama and damaged homes in eight communities.” (United Press. “Storm, Floods Take Toll of 12 Alabamians.” The Anniston Star, AL. 4-8-1938, pp. 1 and 9.)

April 8, AP: “(By the Associated Press). Tornadoes and floods, twin menaces of the spring, claimed 26 lives overnight in the south and caused widespread property damage. Twisters killed 13 at Aliceville, Ala., yesterday and scores were injured in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia….

“One of the series of tornadoes injured several of tornadoes injured several persons at Sargent, Ga….

“The dead from the Alabama tornado were Mr. and Mrs. Alex Hudgins of Aliceville and eight negroes. Reports from the storm area said many persons saved themselves by seeking the shelter of storm pits. From these underground shelters some saw their homes swept away….” (Associated Press. “Red Cross to Have Lead In Relief Work.” Decatur Daily, GA, 4-9-1938, p.1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Alabama Tornado Takes Lives of Five Persons.” Lawrence Daily Journal-World. 4-7-1938, p. 1. Accessed 11-5-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/lawrence-daily-journal-world-apr-07-1938-p-1/

Associated Press. “Red Cross to Have Lead In Relief Work.” Decatur Daily, GA, 4-9-1938, p.1. Accessed 11-5-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/decatur-daily-apr-09-1938-p-1/

Associated Press. “Tornadoes and Floods Sweep Southland.” Thomasville Times-Enterprise, GA. 4-8-1938, p. 1. Accessed 11-5-2024 at:

https://newspaperarchive.com/thomasville-times-enterprise-apr-08-1938-p-1/

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

National Weather Service Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database.   NWS/NOAA. Accessed 1-4-2009 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/tornadoes/mainlist2.php

United Press. “Storm, Floods Take Toll of 12 Alabamians.” The Anniston Star, AL. 4-8-1938, p. 1. Accessed 11-5-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/anniston-star-apr-08-1938-p-1/

[1] At top of article and in a sub-title, it is written that 13 died, but further down 11 deaths are noted.

[2] Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. 1993, p.877.

[3] The Thomasville Times Enterprise, GA on April 8 noted that 12 people drowned in a Whitestone flood and that an estimated 1,000 people had been forced from their homes by flooding at Birmingham. No mention is made of a tornado death.