1946 — Jan 4, TX tornadoes, esp. Clawson/3, Nacogdoches/10 Palestine/15 areas, east TX–30

Compiled 11-9-2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–32  AP. “Texas Tornado Death Toll Rises to 32.” Wichita Daily Times, TX. 1-8-1946, p. 4.[1]

–30  Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 504, 922.

            —  3  2030 F3 tornado, Clawson, Angelina County.

            –10  2045 F4 tornado, esp. Nacogdoches and Appleby areas, Nacogdoches County.         

            –15  2100 F4 tornado, esp. Log Lake and Palestine areas, Anderson County.

            —  2  2130 F2 tornado, esp. St. Paul-Shiloh areas, Limestone County.

–30  UP. “Death Toll in Texas Tornado Reaches 30.” Taylor Daily Press, TX, 1-8-1946, p. 1.[2]

–29  Associated Press. “Tornado Toll.” The Abilene Reporter-News, TX. 1-7-1946, p. 3. [Named]

Breakout of Texas tornado fatalities by locality.

—  3  Clawson. San Antonio Sunday Light, TX. “Texas Tornado Toll Reaches 27.” 1-6-1946, p.1.

–10  Nacogdoches. San Antonio Light, TX. “Texas Tornado Toll Reaches 27.” 1-6-1946, p. 1.

–2  Appleby. San Antonio Light, TX. “Texas Tornado Toll Reaches 27.” 1-6-1946, p. 1.

–15  Palestine. UP. “Death Toll in Texas Tornado Reaches 30.” Taylor Daily Press, TX, 1-8-1946, p1.[3]

—  2  Shilo. United Press. “37 Dead in Windstorms.” El Paso Herald-Post, TX. 1-7-1946, p.2.

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “TX  JAN 4, 1946 2030 3k 50inj 800y 10m F3.  ANGELINA — Moved NE through Clawson, destroying 30 homes. Forty-eight homes were listed as destroyed along the entire track. This large tornado hit about 375 buildings. The deaths were in two different homes at Clawson. An aerial survey noted a seven-mile gap in the damage between Clawson and damage SW of Nacogdoches. The damage beyond that gap, further to the NE, is the next event. $300,000.

 

“TX  JAN 4, 1946 2045 10k 200inj 800y 20m F4.  NACOGDOCHES — Moved NE from SW of Nacogdoches. Eighty homes were destroyed, 150 homes were damaged and 75 people were hospitalized. About 300 other buildings were damaged or destroyed, and several thousand acres of forest were flattened. Six people died on the west side of Nacogdoches. Three died NE of Appleby. $1,500,000….

 

“TX  JAN 4, 1946 2100 15k 60inj 400y 18m F4.  ANDERSON — Moved NE from 10m SW of Palestine. Two people were killed near Log Lake, but most of the $600,000 damage was done in the “Southview” community, 2m S of downtown Palestine. The deaths occurred in seven of the 36 homes that were destroyed. At least 22 other homes were damaged, as were 100 other buildings. Many injuries were serious, and the injury total probably represents only the number treated in a hospital. Cars were thrown for several hundred yards through the neighborhood.”

 

“TX  JAN 4, 1946 2130 2k 17inj…5m F2.  LIMESTONE — Nine homes were destroyed in the St. Paul- Shiloh area. A man and a boy were killed in separate homes. $100,000.”  (Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 922.)

 

Newspapers

 

Jan 5: “Austin, Jan. 5 (INS) – The known death toll in Friday night’s East Texas storm mounted to 24 today….The toll by towns…: Nacogdoches, 6; Palestine, 13; Clawson, 3; Appleby, 2….

 

“A Negro boy was reported killed at Shilo in Leon county.

 

“The known dead at Southview are: Teague Wylie, Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Morrisson and son, Charles Ray, 2, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Ray and daughter, Mary Sue, 14, Richard Lipscomb, 9, a Mr. Johes, Mary Axum, 14, Merle Asum, 8, and a Negro named Nixon.

 

“The known dead at Nacogdoches, Roscoe Till, 48, Mrs. William Kirk, Oran Fore, Bonne Reagen, Eugene Scroggins, 12, and Martha Aldridge….

 

“Ce. E. Hendrick, a grocer at Southview, is missing. Neighbors have gone through the rubble of the Hendrick home searching for him….

 

“The tornado cut a 100-yard swath across 18 miles of Anderson county, passing three miles south and east of Palestine….The dead and injured were still being brought in at an early hour today….”

(INS. “Texas Tornado Death Toll Up to 24.” Port Arthur News, TX. 1-5-1946, p. 1.

 

Jan 6: “The known death toll in East Texas tornadoes last night mounted to 27 Saturday. Palestine counted 13 dead; Nacogdoches, 6; Clawson, 3; Lufkin, 3, and Appleby, 2….Those killed in Anderson county resided at Southview, suburb of Palestine…,’’:Southview was hit at 8:25 p.m. by the storm but at 10 minutes to 9 p.m. in Nacogdoches county and Angelina county about the same time….” (San Antonio Light, TX. “Texas Tornado Toll Reaches 27.” 1-6-1946, p. 1.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Texas Tornado Death Toll Rises to 32.” Wichita Daily Times, TX. 1-8-1946, p. 4. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wichita-daily-times-jan-08-1946-p-4/

 

Associated Press. “Tornado Toll.” The Abilene Reporter-News, TX. 1-7-1946, p. 3. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-jan-07-1946-p-11/

 

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

 

INS. “Texas Tornado Death Toll Up to 24.” Port Arthur News, TX. 1-5-1946, p. 1. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-jan-05-1946-p-1/

 

San Antonio Sunday Light, TX. “Texas Tornado Toll Reaches 27.” 1-6-1946, p. 1. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-jan-06-1946-p-1/

 

United Press. “37 Dead in Windstorms.” El Paso Herald-Post, TX. 1-7-1946, p.2. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/el-paso-herald-post-jan-07-1946-p-1/

 

United Press. “Death Toll in Texas Tornado Reaches 30.” The Taylor Daily Press, TX, 1-8-1946, p. 1. Accessed 11-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/taylor-daily-press-jan-08-1946-p-1/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Cites Leo Durkee, regional director of the American Red Cross. The article provides no new named fatalities.

[2] The 30th death was that of a Palestine woman who died from injuries on Jan 7.

[3] Fourteen deaths reported as immediate deaths. This article notes the death of a woman from injuries on the 7th.