1941 — Oct 26, Tornadoes, Hamburg (15), Dardanelle area (6-7) AR                            –19-22

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 9-23-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

Blanchard notes: The sources below show twenty-one named fatalities (1 was from shock afterwards).

Grazulis is conservative in counting tornado fatalities and we speculate he did not include the indirect death of an elderly man who died from shock the next day upon reviewing the remains of his home.

We realize that the total number of deaths from the two different pages in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas comes to 24 deaths, but we do not use this number in that it is three more than the newspaper sources we cite and five more than Grazulis. Thus we are skeptical that these numbers are accurate.

 

–21  Associated Press. “2 More Dead in Storm Area.” Hope Star, AR. 10-28-1941, p. 1.

–19  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 242.

—  04  Yell and Pope Counties, AR. 

—  15  Ashley County, AR. 

—  6  Dardanelle. Associated Press. “Storms Kill 18 in State.” Hope Star, AR. 10-27-1941, p. 1.

—  7  Dardanelle. Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Dardanelle (Yell County).”

–14  Hamburg. Associated Press. “2 More Dead in Storm Area.” Hope Star, AR. 10-28-1941, p.1.

–15  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 896.

–17  Hamburg. Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Hamburg (Ashley County).”

 Narrative Information

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Dardanelle (Yelle County)”:

“On October 26, 1941, a tornado killed seven citizens, demolished forty homes, damaged numerous businesses and homes, and caused $100,000 in damage.”

 

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Hamburg (Ashley County).”:

“On October 26, 1941, a tornado swept through Hamburg, killing seventeen people and leveling twenty-five homes.”

Newspapers

 

Oct 27, AP: “Little Rock – (AP) – Tornadoes struck in two widely separated rural sections of Arkansas Sunday night leaving 18 known dead and scores of injured and much property damage. The twister swept into the southeast Arkansas town of Hamburg shortly before midnight killing 12 persons and injuring at least 200. Some 6 hours earlier another twister roared along the Arkansas river valley near Dardanelle killing 6 and injuring at least 15.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Shelby Jordan and baby.

Mr. and Drs. Ulius Walker and son Clayton, 21.

Mrs. Vester Austin, 40.

Mrs. Charlie Kelly.

Mrs. Tom Collins.

Travis Sawyer and his three year old son

A negro named Robinson.

 

“Those dead in the Dardanelle area were:

 

            Mrs. Bill Price of Bethel

Mrs. Otis Heathcoast of Bethel, daughter of Mrs. Price.

Mrs. Alfred McDonald of Okaedoak

Minnie Bruton and  her 2-months old daughter and 4 year old son.

 

“At Hamburg rescue workers hampered by rain and power failure labored in darkness throughout the night searching for dead and injured. Doctors converted a hotel into an emergency hospital furnishing beds for 25 seriously injured and giving first aid to many. Others were taken to hospitals at nearby Monticello and Crossett.

 

“Assisting were between 30 and 40 Camp Livingston soldie4rs who were en route to Louisiana after a furlough and whose chartered bus passed through Hamburg shortly after the storm. The soldiers ordered the bus to stop and took over police duties. Their first act was to throw police lines around the town where the tornado wrecked three large oil storage tanks, causing gasoline to flow in the streets. It was feared that a dropped match or a lighted cigarette would added danger of fire to the storm hazard.

 

“The tornado missed the business section of Hamburg by a few blocks, dealing its full blast at residential sections where most of the citizens were asleep.

 

“Many citizens spent the hours until dawn clad in nightclothes, unable to find belongings in the confusion. A negro district was particularly hard hit.

 

“Dardanelle, a county seat of 2,000 persons, received a heavy property damage in the residential section. All communication lines were down in Dardanelle area and two medical units of the 134th Infantry were sent from Camp Robinson, near Little Rock, to assist in caring for victims.

 

“The twister struck at Chicalah, 5 miles west of Dardanelle, ripping through Dardanelle’s outskirts, crossed the Arkansas river and battered at Oakedoak, Bethel and Pottsville….” (Associated Press. “Storms Kill 18 in State.” Hope Star, AR. 10-27-1941, p. 1.)

 

Oct 28, AP: “Little Rock – (AP) – Deaths attributed to a series of tornadoes which hit two widely separated sections in Arkansas last Sunday night stood at 21 Tuesday and scores of injured were being treated. The latest and strangest fatality occurred late Monday At Dardanelle when that town’s oldest negro resident, Ike Holland, 90, died of shock while surveying the ruins of his house. Dardanelle previously counted 6 deaths.

 

“Deaths at Hamburg rose to 14 with the death of Mrs. Vasco Allison, 50, and Mrs. George Boykin, in a hospital in that area.

 

“Rapidly organized relief work went forward in both sections. Damage is estimated to run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.” (Associated Press. “2 More Dead in Storm Area.” Hope Star, AR. 10-28-1941, p. 1.)

Sources

 

Associated Press. “2 More Dead in Storm Area.” Hope Star, AR. 10-28-1941, p. 1. Accessed 9-23-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hope-star-oct-28-1941-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Storms Kill 18 in State.” Hope Star, AR. 10-27-1941, p. 1. Accessed 9-23-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hope-star-oct-27-1941-p-1/

 

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Dardanelle (Yelle County). Accessed 9-23-2024 at: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/dardanelle-1020/

 

Encyclopedia of Arkansas. “Hamburg (Ashley County).” Accessed 9-23-2024 at: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/hamburg-822/

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