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Tornado outbreak sequence of June 25–27, 1951

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Weather event in the United States
Tornado outbreak sequence of June 25–27, 1951
TypeTornado outbreak sequence
DurationJune 25-27, 1951
Tornadoes
confirmed		13
Max. ratingF4 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak		3 days, 7 hours, 50 minutes
Fatalities6 fatalities (+7 non-tornadic), 161 injuries (+23 non-tornadic)
Damage$10.283 million (1951 USD)
$121 million (2024 USD)
Areas affectedGreat Plains, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1951
Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
Time from first tornado to last tornado

A destructive outbreak sequence triggered 13 tornadoes from Nebraska to Virginia. The most and strongest tornadic activity, as well as most of the casualties, including all the deaths, came on June 27, when a catastrophic early-morning F4 tornado killed five and injured 100 in Kansas while two F3 tornadoes caused a combined 50 injuries and one fatality in Illinois later that afternoon. Overall, the outbreak sequence killed six, injured 161, and caused $10.283 million in damage.

Meteorological synopsis

A low-pressure system formed over southern British Columbia on June 23 and moved southeastward into Montana. Storm fronts coming from this system and another one out of California began to fully form into thunderstorms, heavy rain and hail over Nebraska and Minnesota on June 25. By late on June 26, a weak warm front became draped over the Central Plains stretching from southeastern Colorado northeastward through Kansas to northern Missouri. This became the focal point for two early morning tornadoes in central part of Kansas, including a violent and deadly F4 tornado in Wakeeney. Meanwhile, a low-pressure system formed over southern Minnesota on June 24 while another one formed over northeastern Illinois northwest of Chicago on June 26. These systems moved eastward across the Great Lakes and Northeastern United States producing multiple rounds of severe weather here and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 0 6 4 2 1 0 13

June 25 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Monday, June 25, 1951
F# Location County / Parish State Start
coord. 		Time (UTC) Path length Max. width Summary
F2 Dunnell to SSW of Fairmont Martin MN 43°34′N 94°46′W / 43.57°N 94.77°W / 43.57; -94.77 (Dunnell (Jun. 25, F2)) 21:00–? 14.2 miles (22.9 km) 10 yards (9.1 m) Barns and outbuildings on 10 farms were demolished by this narrow, but strong northeastward-moving tornado. Homes and barns were damaged or moved from their foundations, granaries, silos, windmills, farm machinery, and automobiles were damaged or wrecked, poultry and livestock were killed, haystacks were scattered, trees were uprooted, power poles and wires were downed, and crops were damaged. Losses totaled $250,000. Very large hail to the size of tennis balls accompanied this tornado, causing additional damage to homes and property.
F2 Sidney Cheyenne NE 41°06′N 103°03′W / 41.10°N 103.05°W / 41.10; -103.05 (Sidney (Jun. 25, F2)) 21:30–? 10.4 miles (16.7 km) 57 yards (52 m) This narrow, but strong tornado struck the Sidney Municipal Airport, badly damaging a hangar, house trailer, and one plane, although a damage estimate was not given. One person was injured. The CDNS report list the start time as 20:50 UTC. The tornado was not rated as significant (F2+) by Grazulis.
F2 Duncan to Crystal Lake Hancock IA 43°13′N 93°48′W / 43.22°N 93.80°W / 43.22; -93.80 (Duncan (Jun. 25, F2)) 23:07–? .8 miles (1.3 km) 500 yards (460 m) This destructive tornado, which was embedded within a much larger area of damaging winds and hail, caused catastrophic damage in and between Duncan and Crystal Lake. In Duncan, the tornado destroyed the largest buildings in town. A large church and community center as well as all 21 homes in town were damaged or destroyed. Four people were injured in the town. The tornado then demolished four rural farmsteads, killed livestock, and overturned a freight train before striking Crystal Lake. Four homes were demolished, many more were damaged and four people were injured. In all, eight people were injured. The storm as a whole caused $4.5 million in damage in Franklin and Hancock Counties, but the damage estimate from the tornado itself was not given. The CDNS report listed that the tornado caused a fatality in Duncan, but that was not included in the NCEI database. The NCEI track of the tornado only shows it striking Crystal Lake as well. Grazulis rated the tornado F3.
F1 S of Sedgwick to W of Holyoke Sedgwick, Phillips CO 40°51′N 102°30′W / 40.85°N 102.50°W / 40.85; -102.50 (Sedgwick (Jun. 25, F1)) 23:45–? 20.2 miles (32.5 km) 33 yards (30 m) Weak tornado damaged mostly crops, windows, and small buildings. One person was injured.

June 26 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Tuesday, June 26, 1951
F# Location County / Parish State Start
coord. 		Time (UTC) Path length Max. width Summary
F1 Belleville Wood WV 39°08′N 81°42′W / 39.13°N 81.70°W / 39.13; -81.70 (Belleville (Jun. 26, F1)) 20:00–? .1 miles (0.16 km) 250 yards (230 m) A waterspout developed over the Ohio River on the Ohio-West Virginia border and moved inland. One person was injured, although no damage estimate was given. The tornado was accompanied by strong straight-line winds that caused additional damage to farm buildings and trees.
F1 NW of Midland Midland MI 43°40′N 84°20′W / 43.67°N 84.33°W / 43.67; -84.33 (Midland (Jun. 26, F1)) 00:00–? .1 miles (0.16 km) 33 yards (30 m) Several trees, barns and a house were blown down. Damage was estimated at $25,000. Grazulis rated the tornado F2.

June 27 event

List of confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, June 27, 1951
F# Location County / Parish State Start
coord. 		Time (UTC) Path length Max. width Summary
F4 WaKeeney Trego KS 39°02′N 99°53′W / 39.03°N 99.88°W / 39.03; -99.88 (Wakeeney (Jun. 27, F4)) 06:10–? .8 miles (1.3 km) 300 yards (270 m) 5 deaths – The roar of this short-lived, but violent tornado was heard just prior to it moving directly through WaKeeney shortly after midnight, causing catastrophic damage. A total of 45 homes were destroyed while 60 others were damaged. 100 people were injured and damage was estimated at $2.5 million. The tornado was accompanied by high winds and hail that caused additional damage.
F1 W of Hays Ellis KS 39°02′N 99°53′W / 39.03°N 99.88°W / 39.03; -99.88 (Hays (Jun. 27, F1)) 07:00–? .1 miles (0.16 km) 33 yards (30 m) This tornado came from the same storm that produced the Wakeeney tornado. A farm was damaged with losses totaling $2,500. The tornado was also accompanied by high winds and hail that caused additional damage.
F1 N of Seven Mile to Jacksonburg Butler OH 39°30′N 84°35′W / 39.50°N 84.58°W / 39.50; -84.58 (Seven Mile (Jun. 27, F1)) 12:00–? 4.7 miles (7.6 km) 33 yards (30 m) This tornado accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds caused severe damage along its path with losses totaling $2.5 million. The CDNS report says the tornado hit Carlisle as well.
F3 S of Latham to Heman to NW of Forsyth Logan, Macon IL 39°57′N 89°10′W / 39.95°N 89.17°W / 39.95; -89.17 (Latham (Jun. 27, F3)) 01:30–? 9.6 miles (15.4 km) 300 yards (270 m) This tornado accompanied by heavy rain and severe activity completely destroyed two farms near Heman with Grazulis noting that this was "probable F4 damage". 35 people were injured and losses totaled $2.5 million.
F3 S of Emden to Northern Atlanta to N of Waynesville Logan, De Witt IL 40°16′N 89°28′W / 40.27°N 89.47°W / 40.27; -89.47 (Emden (Jun. 27, F3)) 01:30–? 18.2 miles (29.3 km) 200 yards (180 m) 1 death – This tornado accompanied by heavy rain and severe activity completely destroyed several farms along its path. 15 people were injured and losses totaled $2.5 million. Grazulis rated the tornado F2, although he noted that near-F3 damage occurred at one of the farms.
F2 Dayton to Smicksburg Armstrong, Indiana PA 40°35′N 79°15′W / 40.58°N 79.25°W / 40.58; -79.25 (Dayton (Jun. 27, F2)) 01:30–? 19.7 miles (31.7 km) 33 yards (30 m) This tornado touched down near Dayton and moved southeastward to Smicksburg. Two barns were unroofed, two silos demolished, trees were uprooted with some falling onto homes and across highways, and power and phone services disrupted. Losses totaled $2,500. The NCEI track has a path moving northeastward from north of Aultman through Beyer to Smicksburg. The tornado was not rated as significant by Grazulis.

Non-tornadic effects

Lightning damaged or destroyed multiple buildings near Long Prairie, Minnesota during the morning hours of June 25. That afternoon, lightning killed one and injured two others in Greenwood County, Kansas. Straight-line winds, hail, heavy rain, flooding caused damage in Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Georgia, notably Atlanta. Hail also injured two and killed livestock in Sedgwick, Colorado. Lightning caused damage in Bredenton, Tennessee and Nemaha County, Kansas early on June 26. Severe thunderstorms and lightning caused more damage that afternoon from Georgia to Virginia. One person was injured by lightning in Sampson County, North Carolina near Clinton while two other people were killed in Sumter, South Carolina. In Georgia, one person was killed by lightning in Union City and injured another person in Hapeville. Severe storms covered large sections of the Eastern United States and the Great Lakes on June 27. Severe winds, hail, lightning, and flooding killed three and injured 17.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.
  2. Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.
  3. Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.
  4. Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.

References

  1. "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Climatological Data: National summary". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental Data and Information Service, National Climatic Center. 1951. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. ^ "North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959". bangladeshtornadoes.org. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
  4. Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. 19 (2). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
  5. ^ Grazulis, T. P. (1990). Significant Tornadoes: A chronology of events. Tornado Project. ISBN 9781879362024. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  6. Minnesota Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  7. Nebraska Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. Iowa Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 20 October 2021."Duncan-Crystal Lake Tornado-June 1951". The Britt News-Tribune. 27 June 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  9. Colorado Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. 19 (2). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
  11. West Virginia Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. Michigan Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  13. Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. 19 (2). Boston: American Meteorological Society: 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
  14. Kansas Event Report: F4 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  15. Kansas Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  16. Ohio Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  17. ^ Logan County Tornadoes Since 1950. www.weather.gov (Report). NWS Central Illinois. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  18. "Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Weather Service. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  19. Illinois Event Report: F3 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  20. Pennsylvania Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Centers for Environmental Information (Report). National Weather Service. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
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