1968 — April 19, F4 Tornado, Greenwood, Sebastian County, Arkansas — 14

–14 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1096.
–14 NCDC/NOAA. Event Record Details, Tornado, Arkansas, 19 Apr 1968, 1512 CST.
–14 Narramore. “The Greenwood Arkansas F4 Tornado – April 19, 1968.” Tornado Talk, 4-19-2019.

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “AR. APR 19, 1968 1512 14k 270inj 300y 2m F4. SEBASTIAN–About 400 homes and 69 businesses were damaged or destroyed as most of Greenwood was ‘reduced to matchsticks and kindling.’ The tornado passed through downtown and residential areas, producing a ‘sea of rubble.’ The funnel was on the ground for only four minutes. $1,500,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1096.)

Narramore: “It lasted 4 minutes. An F4 tornado tore through the heart of Greenwood, AR on April 19, 1968. Total path length was 2 miles and the maximum width was 300 yards. In a blink of an eye, 14 people lost their lives and there were 270 injuries reported….”

Sources

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

Narramore, Jen. “The Greenwood Arkansas F4 Tornado – April 19, 1968.” Tornado Talk, 4-19-2019. Accessed 4-8-2022 at: https://www.tornadotalk.com/the-greenwood-arkansas-f4-tornado-april-19-1968/

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database, Tornado, F4, Arkansas, Sebastian County, 4-19-1968. Accessed 4-8-2022 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=04&beginDate_dd=19&beginDate_yyyy=1968&endDate_mm=04&endDate_dd=19&endDate_yyyy=1968&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=5%2CARKANSAS