Hopkins Tornado of 1881
Encyclopedia
The Hopkins Tornado of 1881 was a tornado
on June 12, 1881, near Hopkins, Missouri
in Nodaway County, Missouri
involving eight tornadoes in which four united to form what is believed to have been one of the first recorded F5 tornadoes in history.
The area was lightly populated at the time and so there were only two fatalities although several farmhouses were destroyed.
The four strands started about 3 p.m. about six miles west of Hopkins near the Lone Elm Schoolhouse. Before uniting one of the strands demolished the schoolhouse as the tornado moved in a southeast direction.
The tornado hit the house of Zach Davidson and blew it along with its inhabitants of Zach, his two sons, wife and hired man 10 rods
(50 m) across a ravine—although miraculously unhurt. It blew apart his stable and carried two horses a quarter of mile although both survived.
The tornado crossed the 102 River at McMackin Mill which was destroyed.
The tornado hit the house of James Young and killed him and his wife. They were blown about 50 yards from the house. It injured seven others.
The storm track of the main tornado was five to seven miles in length (3 to 4 miles west of the 102 River and 2 to 3 miles east of the river) and 100 yards to a quarter mile in width.
Other tornadoes in the outbreak was one in Rosendale, Missouri
in Andrew County, Missouri
and three in Gentry County, Missouri
and DeKalb County, Missouri
.
The Fujita Scale
did not exist at the time of the tornado. Thomas P. Grazulis
in Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991/a Chronology and Analysis of Events lists the tornado as "probably" an F5.
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
on June 12, 1881, near Hopkins, Missouri
Hopkins, Missouri
Hopkins is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 579 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hopkins is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
in Nodaway County, Missouri
Nodaway County, Missouri
Nodaway County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. The county was organized in 1845 and named for the Nodaway River.As of 2010, the population was 23,370...
involving eight tornadoes in which four united to form what is believed to have been one of the first recorded F5 tornadoes in history.
The area was lightly populated at the time and so there were only two fatalities although several farmhouses were destroyed.
The four strands started about 3 p.m. about six miles west of Hopkins near the Lone Elm Schoolhouse. Before uniting one of the strands demolished the schoolhouse as the tornado moved in a southeast direction.
The tornado hit the house of Zach Davidson and blew it along with its inhabitants of Zach, his two sons, wife and hired man 10 rods
Rod (unit)
The rod is a unit of length equal to 5.5 yards, 5.0292 metres, 16.5 feet, or of a statute mile. A rod is the same length as a perch or a pole. In old English, the term lug is also used.-History:...
(50 m) across a ravine—although miraculously unhurt. It blew apart his stable and carried two horses a quarter of mile although both survived.
The tornado crossed the 102 River at McMackin Mill which was destroyed.
The tornado hit the house of James Young and killed him and his wife. They were blown about 50 yards from the house. It injured seven others.
The storm track of the main tornado was five to seven miles in length (3 to 4 miles west of the 102 River and 2 to 3 miles east of the river) and 100 yards to a quarter mile in width.
Other tornadoes in the outbreak was one in Rosendale, Missouri
Rosendale, Missouri
Rosendale is a city in Andrew County, Missouri, United States. The population was 180 at the 2000 census. Prior to 1881, Rosendale was known as Ogle Mills. It was later named after roses that grew in the area.Rosendale is part of the St...
in Andrew County, Missouri
Andrew County, Missouri
-External links:* from University of Missouri Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books...
and three in Gentry County, Missouri
Gentry County, Missouri
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,861 people, 2,747 households, and 1,884 families residing in the county. The population density was 14 people per square mile . There were 3,214 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
and DeKalb County, Missouri
DeKalb County, Missouri
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2010, the population is 12,892. The county was organized in 1845 and is named after the American Revolutionary War general Johann de Kalb. The county along with Buchanan and Andrew counties in Missouri and Doniphan County,...
.
The Fujita Scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
did not exist at the time of the tornado. Thomas P. Grazulis
Thomas P. Grazulis
Thomas P. Grazulis is a meteorologist who has written extensively about tornadoes and is head of the Tornado Project....
in Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991/a Chronology and Analysis of Events lists the tornado as "probably" an F5.