Fast Facts for Kids
The 1925 Great Tri-State Tornado

1925 Tri-State Tornado

  • Name: Tri-State Tornado
  • Rating: F5 Tornado
  • Formed/Dissipated: March 18th, 1925, at 12:45pm CST to 4:30pm CST
  • Duration: 3 Hours, 45 Minutes
  • Affected Areas: Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri
  • Damage: $2.4 billion (2021 USD)
  • Deaths: 695 (2,027 injuries)

27 Tri-State Tornado Facts

  1. The Tri-State Tornado was a historic, multiple recording breaking, violent tornado that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th, 1925.
  2. The Tri-State Tornado is also known as the Great Tri-State Tornado.
  3. While never officially rated by NOAA, experts believe the Tri-State Tornado reached F5 rating on the Fujita Scale with wind speeds of at least 261 miles per hour.
  4. There are no known pictures of the actual Tri-State Tornado according to the National Weather Service.
  5. There has been great debate if the Tri-State Tornado was one single tornado or multiple tornadoes. To date, most research and evidence points to this being an extremely rare single tornado.
  6. The Tri-State Tornado formed around 12:45pm CST in Reynolds County, Missouri, USA.
  7. The Tri-State Tornado dissipated around 4:30pm CST in Pike County, Indiana, USA.
  8. The Tri-State Tornado was on the ground for approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.
  9. The Tri-State Tornado is believed to have traveled 219 miles between formation and dissipation.
  10. Three states were affected by the Tri-State Tornado: Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri.
  11. The average forward speed of the Tri-State Tornado was 62 miles per hour.
  12. The average width of the damage path of the Tri-State Tornado was 3/4 of a mile, with reports of it reaching one mile.
  13. The lowest pressure recording during the Tri-State Tornado was 28.87 inHg (inches of mercury).
  14. There were 695 deaths directly related to the Tri-State Tornado.
  15. There were 2,027 injuries directly related to the Tri-State Tornado.
  16. There were an estimated 15,000 homes destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado.
  17. There was an estimated $2.4 billion (2021 USD) in total damage caused by the Tri-State Tornado.
  18. The Tri-State Tornado is considered the most extreme tornado in world history due to the records it set.
  19. The Tri-State Tornado holds the world record for the second deadliest tornado with 695 deaths, second only to the 1989 Daultipur-Saturia Tornado with ~1,300 deaths.
  20. The Tri-State Tornado holds the world record for the fastest ever recorded forward speed of 73 miles per hour.
  21. The Tri-State Tornado holds the United States record for the deadliest tornado with 695 deaths.
  22. The Tri-State Tornado holds the record for the deadliest tornado in Illinois with 613 deaths.
  23. The Tri-State Tornado holds the record for the deadliest tornado in Indiana with 71 deaths.
  24. 20. The Tri-State Tornado holds the United States record for the most deaths in a single community at 234 deaths in Murphysboro, Illinois.
  25. The Tri-State Tornado holds the United States record for the most deaths at a single school with 33 deaths at De Soto school.
  26. The Tri-State Tornado holds the world record for the longest duration tornado in world history at 3 hours and 45 minutes.
  27. The Tri-State Tornado holds the world record for the longest single damage path for a single tornado at 219 miles.

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Tri-State Tornado Pictures and Diagrams

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on the 1925 Tri-State Tornado. The below pictures will help you understand just how powerful, violent and deadly the Great Tri-State Tornado was.

The Damage Path of the Tri-State Tornado

A diagram created in 1971 depicting the continuous damage path of the Tri-State Tornado.

Credit: Wilson and Stanley, Illinois Tornadoes, 1971
The Counties Affected by the 1925 Tri-State Tornado

A diagram showing all of the counties that were affected by the 1925 Tri-State Tornado.

Credit: National Weather Service
Weather Map of the Tri-State Tornado Low Pressure System

A weather map of the low-pressure system that spawned the 1925 Tri-State Tornado.

Credit: National Weather Service
Tri-State Tornado Damage to Murphysboro, Illinois

A picture showing a some of the devastation brought to Murphysboro, Illinois by the Tri-State Tornado.

Credit: Jackson County Historical Society
Homes Completely Destroyed in Murphysboro, Illinois by the Tri-State Tornado

A picture of homes completely destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado in Murphysboro, Illinois.

Credit: Jackson County Historical Society
Wooden Board Driven Into a Maple Tree by the Tri-State Tornado

A picture of a man hanging from a wooden board that was driven into a maple tree by the Tri-State Tornado.

Credit: Jackson County Historical Society
Longfellow School Destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado

A picture of the Longfellow School after being destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado and killing 17 children.

Credit: NOAA Photo Library
De Soto Public School Destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado

A picture of the De Soto school after being destroyed by the Tri-State Tornado and killing 33 children.

Credit: NOAA Photo Library
1x5" Wooden Board Drove Through a 2x5" Plank by the Tri-State Tornado

A picture of a 1x5" wooden board drove through a 2x5" plank by the 1925 Tri-State Tornado

Credit: NOAA Photo Library

Additional Tri-State Tornado Resources

We hope you found the above Tri-State Tornado facts, information, data, and pictures both shocking and educational. You can continue to research the Great Tri-State Tornado using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to the 1925 Tri-State Tornado. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.