1898 Fort Smith, Arkansas, tornado

The 1898 Fort Smith, Arkansas tornado was a tornado which struck the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas during the night of Tuesday, January 11, 1898. It touched down about 100 miles to the southwest, and struck the city around midnight, killing 55 people and injuring 113. The twister nearly destroyed the city's newly constructed Fort Smith High School that opened in fall 1897.

Fort Smith, Arkansas tornado
Destroyed homes in Fort Smith
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationJanuary 11–12, 1898
Tornadoes confirmed≥2
Max. rating1F4 tornado
Duration of tornado outbreak2>1 hour
Damage$4,500,000 (1898 USD)[1]
Casualties55 fatalities, 113 injured
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

It is tied for the deadliest tornado ever to strike the state of Arkansas.[2] Both tornadoes (1898, 1949) were estimated to be rated F4 on the Fujita scale.[3][4] Another tornado was also reported around 11pm that night in Alma, Arkansas.[1]

References

  1. http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/026/mwr-026-01-0018.pdf
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-05-14. Retrieved 2008-05-28.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. http://www.ericsweatherlibrary.com/f4f5/f4-f5-tornadoes/
  4. Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. pp. 681–682, 941. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.


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