Wallingford tornado

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Wallingford tornado
A ruined house in Wallingford
A ruined house in Wallingford
Storm type tornado
Data
date August 9, 1878
Duration about three hours
Fujita scale possibly F4
consequences
affected areas southern Connecticut
Victim 34
Damage amount ≥ $ 250,000 (at today's prices: ≥ $ 6.60 million)

The Wallingford Tornado was a devastating tornado that destroyed much of the city of Wallingford , Connecticut on August 9, 1878 . 34 people were killed and at least 70 others injured, many seriously. This tornado was the highest death toll ever recorded in the state of Connecticut, and New England has a casualty record second only to the 1953 Worcester tornado .

Before the storm

The storm system that eventually led to the destructive Wallingford tornado had previously created damaging winds and at least one more tornado before it reached Wallingford. The first tornado hit the ground in South Kent , covering house roofs, collapsing barns and uprooting trees. The storm moved steadily southeast for nearly eight miles, moving directly south past New Preston and through Washington before turning north and dissipating. Another path with damage occurred further north on the Shepaug River and also ran to the southeast, before disappearing after three miles. Further damage was reported in the Waterbury area , where a roof was covered, tree branches broke and chimneys were damaged.

Observers described the storm as it approached the city as a black spinning chimney sucking in clouds from all sides. This storm cloud moved directly over Cheshire , where the strong winds did less damage to the surface. The storm then moved towards Wallingford.

Wallingford tornado

Map of the path the tornado took through Wallingford

At Wallingford, the day before the tornado was clear, and the day has been called "one of the loveliest [days] of the season". Around 5 p.m. the sky began to darken, and around 5:30 p.m. the sky was quite black. By 6:00 p.m. the air on the surface was calm, but lightning began to illuminate the darkness and the clouds were moving at a rapid pace, causing many residents to seek refuge.

The tornado started as a waterspout over the communal pond, just west of town. He then moved through the city, damaging almost every structure. The tornado tore houses from their foundations, throwing some more than 180 meters. A receipt from the city was later found 65 miles east in Peacedale, Rhode Island . Large trees were uprooted or fell; those who stood still lost branches and leaves in the wind. The Catholic Church building was torn to pieces and heavy tombstones from the nearby cemetery were thrown around. The newly constructed brick high school building was almost completely destroyed; there were no classes at the time. The path of the tornado was just three and a half kilometers at the bottom, but the damage was 180 meters wide.

After this tornado lost contact with the ground, another landed further southeast, causing major property damage in the south of Durham and Killingly , but not leading to any known personal injury or injury. The storm finally moved out to the ocean around 8:00 p.m., putting an end to its destructive trajectory.

consequences

Artist's impression of the damage to a school.

While tornadoes are not uncommon in Connecticut , they are rare at this level. 35 houses were completely destroyed by the cyclone, many more were covered or otherwise damaged. One of the dead people was thrown through the air and found about a kilometer away from where they stood. A schoolhouse was temporarily converted into a morgue to house the dead recovered immediately after the storm. 21 victims were found that night and brought there. The tornado knocked down telegraph lines and their masts, leaving doctors from neighboring towns rushing to Wallingford in over an hour. More than 50 auxiliary police officers were sworn in to prevent looting and to control the number of curious people who came by train to see the damage.

The building damage was then estimated at around 150,000  US dollars (around 4 million US dollars in today's prices); there was also damage to supply lines and railway facilities. The total damage was eventually assumed to be around $ 250,000 (around $ 7 million in today's prices).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b CONNECTICUT: Tornadoes causing a death or more than five injuries ( English ) The Tornado Project. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  2. ^ A b c d e f Annual Report of the Chief Signal-Officer (PDF), United States Government Printing Office , Washington, DC 1878, pp. 654–661 (accessed May 14, 2008).
  3. ↑ Thomas P Grazulis: Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 ( English ). The Tornado Project of Environmental Films, St. Johnsbury, VT July 1993, ISBN 1-879362-03-1 .
  4. ↑ MORE ABOUT THE TORNADO (English) , Hartford Courant . August 16, 1878, p. 2.  
  5. ↑ WALLINGFORD'S TORNADO (English) (PDF), New York Times . August 11, 1878, p. 1. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
  6. ^ Wallingford, CT Tornado, Aug 1878 ( English ) Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  7. ↑ Today's Weather Trivia ( English ) National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Dodge City, Kansas. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  8. ↑ a b FURIOUS NORTHERN STORMS (English) (PDF), New York Times . August 10, 1878, p. 1. Retrieved February 8, 2011. 
  9. ↑ LATEST FROM THE TORNADO (English) , Hartford Courant . August 14, 1878, p. 2. 

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