1984 — April 26, Tornado Outbreak, IA, MN (1), KS, and especially OK (11) — 12

— 15  AP. “Wild Weather…twisters.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1.[1]

— 12  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

— 12  NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, pp. 8, 18 and 52.

 

Minnesota      (  1)

— 1  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

— 1  St. Anthony. Female in home. NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 18.

 

Oklahoma      (11)

–14  State. AP. “Wild Weather…twisters.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1.

–2  Okmulgee Co. AP. “Wild…” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, 1.

–1  Terlton. AP. “Wild Weather…” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1.

–11  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

–8  Morris.

–3  Terlton.

–11  Morris. AP. “Wild Weather…twisters.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1.

–11  NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, pp. 8 and 52.

–8  Morris.

–3  Terlton.

–11  Tulsa World. “Struck Scarred in 1984: April 26 twisters raked communities.” 4-26-2009.

 

Narrative Information

General

 

AP: “….More than 40 tornadoes ripped into Oklahoma, Minnesota, Kansas and Iowa when a cold front stretching from South Dakota to Texas collided with record heat over much of the East, the National Weather Service reported.

 

“In Oklahoma, tornadoes killed 14 people — including 11 in the town of Morris — and injured about 70 others, Lt. Gov. Spencer Bernard said at a press briefing this morning.

 

“One person died in Minnesota.

 

“The worst tornadoes hit northeastern Oklahoma on Thursday night and early today. Hardest hit was Morris, a town of 1,300 people about 40 miles south of Tulsa, and Terlton, a town of 155 people about 30 miles west of Tulsa, where one person was killed and 25 injured.

 

“Two other tornado-related deaths were reported in Okmulgee County, where Morris is located, Sheriff Gene Rice said.

“In Minnesota, 88-year-old Frances Schrag died of injuries after a twister hit her home and destroyed a shopping center in St. Anthony, just north of Minneapolis Thursday night….” (AP. “Wild Weather. Blizzard spawns deadly twisters.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1.)

Minnesota

 

Grazulis: “MN Apr 26, 1984 2033 1k 52inj 600y 5.5m F3. HENNEPIN/RAMSEY — Moved NNE from St. Anthony, through New Brighton and Mounds View. Many homes in St. Anthony were badly damaged, and a woman was killed in her home. Eighteen homes had major damage and 288 had lesser damage. Two businesses were totally destroyed and 64 were partly destroyed….” Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.

 

NCDC: “Tornado at St. Anthony, Minnesota on April 26, 1984. An F3 tornado ripped through a north suburban area of Minneapolis, Minnesota during the evening of April 26^th. The tornado touched down in St. Anthony and moved north-northeastward, causing extensive damage to homes, apartments, and the Apache Plaza shopping center. The tornado came very close to striking the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant. One person was killed in her home by the tornado.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 18.)

 

Oklahoma

 

Grazulis: “OK  APR 26, 1984 2205 3k 37inj 800y 22m F4.  CREEK /PAWNEE /OSAGE — Moved ENE from 2m N of Oilton, passing near Terlton and ending 2m N of New Prue. About 120 structures were damaged or destroyed. One person died in an area of F4 damage, lm W of Terlton. A man and his son died in a trailer, 3m NE of Terlton. $2,500,000….

 

“OK  APR 26, 1984 2333 8k 95inj 1000y 22m F3.  OKMULGEE — Moved NE from 12m SW to 10m NE of Morris. Extensive damage was done along the path of the storm, and a 28-square-block area in Morris was destroyed. It was estimated that 70% of the town was damaged or destroyed. One death occurred SW of Morris, and five more in the town itself. The other two deaths occurred in a trailer park, 3m SE of Okmulgee. $9,000,000.”  (Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1255.)

 

NCDC: “Tornadoes near Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 26, 1984. Two of four tornadoes occurring near Tulsa on April 26^th, produced F4 and F3 damage as they carved paths through the towns of Terlton and Morris, respectively. The Terlton Tornado killed 3 people and injured 37, while the Morris Tornado killed 8 and injured 95.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984, p. 8.)

Sources

 

Associated Press (Dana Fields). “Wild Weather. Blizzard spawns deadly twisters.” Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, WI. 4-27-1984, p. 1. Accessed 2-7-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/us/wisconsin/eau-claire/eau-claire-leader-telegram/1984/04-27?tag

 

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

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 26, No. 4, April 1984. Asheville, NC: NCDC, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce. Accessed 2-7-2017 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-1A8D69EB-E0AE-420F-9206-8B287F97BC8C.pdf

 

Tulsa World (Manny Gamallo). “Struck Scarred in 1984: April 26 twisters raked communities.” 4-26-2009, updated 10-3-2013. Accessed 2-9-2017 at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state/struck-scarred-in-april-twisters-raked-communities/article_e0ad1066-cc12-5ce1-bf99-be11a6ab13ac.html

[1] Not using 14 as fatality count in that we can find no substantiation.