Wallingford Tornado of 1878
Encyclopedia
The Wallingford Tornado struck the town of Wallingford, Connecticut
on August 9, 1878. The violent tornado
destroyed most of the town, killing 34 people and injuring at least 70, many severely. This was the deadliest tornado ever to strike the state of Connecticut, and the second deadliest ever in New England
, after the Worcester tornado of 1953.
, and then through Washington
, before turning north and dissipating. The next path of damage started further north along the Shepaug River
. It is unknown whether this was a tornado or straight-line winds
, but the damage path continued southeast for three miles before disappearing again. More damage was reported near Waterbury
, where a house was unroofed two miles west of the town. In the town itself, branches and chimneys were damaged.
As the storm approached Wallingford, observers described a black, rolling funnel, with clouds blowing in from all directions. This system passed directly over Cheshire
, producing a strong wind at the surface which caused some minor damage. The storm then moved directly towards Wallingford.
In Wallingford, the day prior to the tornado was clear, and said to be "one of the loveliest [days] of the season". At around 5 p.m. the sky began to get dark, and by 5:30 p.m. the air was very black. At around 6 p.m., the air at the surface was calm, but lightning began to fill the sky, and the clouds began moving at a very rapid pace, frightening some residents into shelter.
The tornado started as a waterspout
over Community Lake, just west of town. It then moved through the center of town along Christian Street, damaging almost every structure as it went. The tornado tore houses from their foundations, throwing some more than 600 feet (180 meters). A receipt from the town was later found 65 miles (105 km) east in Peacedale, Rhode Island
. Large trees were uprooted and snapped, and those that were still standing were stripped of small limbs and leaves. The Catholic Church was blown to bits, and heavy tombstones in the nearby cemetery were tossed around. The brand-new brick high school building was almost completely destroyed. The tornado's path through town was only two miles long, but the damage path was up to 600 feet (180 meters) wide.
More tornadic damage was reported in southern Durham
and Killingworth
, with some homes severely damaged, but there were some minor injuries, one young woman in Killingworth was injured by shards of glass from a breaking window. Some sources insist that the Wallingford tornado dissipated a few miles west of the town, and this was an entirely separate tornado, but without a modern damage survey it is impossible to tell. The parent storm finally moved out over the ocean around 8 PM.
A district schoolhouse was converted into a temporary morgue immediately after the storm; 21 bodies were discovered and placed there that night. One person was found dead 3300 feet (1 km) from where he had been standing. The tornado brought down telegraph lines and poles around the area, so assistance from physicians in nearby towns took more than an hour. More than 50 special police were sworn in to prevent looting, and to control the crowds of curious onlookers who had come by train from surrounding cities.
Thirty five homes were completely destroyed, with many more being unroofed or receiving some sort of damage. Damage estimates were around $150,000 from buildings alone; utilities and railway facilities received a lot of damage as well. Final estimates were around $250,000 ($5.3 million when adjusted for inflation).
Tornadoes are not very uncommon in the state of Connecticut, but tornadoes of this power are rare. Though tornadoes have only been officially rated on the Fujita scale
since 1950, this tornado has been estimated to be of F4-intensity on the scale. This would make it one of only three tornadoes of this intensity to ever affect the state, as of 2008. Thirty-four people were killed by the tornado—thirty-one more than the second-deadliest Connecticut tornado—and 70 others injured.
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
on August 9, 1878. The violent tornado
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...
destroyed most of the town, killing 34 people and injuring at least 70, many severely. This was the deadliest tornado ever to strike the state of Connecticut, and the second deadliest ever in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, after the Worcester tornado of 1953.
Before the storm
The storm system that eventually spawned the Wallingford tornado produced damaging winds and at least one tornado far before it reached the town. The first tornado from this storm system touched down in South Kent, unroofing houses, blowing down barns, and uprooting and tossing trees into the air. It moved steadily southeast for 12 mi (19.3 km), moving just south of New PrestonNew Preston, Connecticut
New Preston is a rural village in the northwestern corner of the town of Washington in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The village is also at the center of New Preston CDP, a census-designated place , whose population was 1,110 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United...
, and then through Washington
Washington, Connecticut
Washington is a rural town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. The population was 3,596 at the 2000 census. Washington is known for its picturesque countryside, historic architecture, and active civic and cultural life...
, before turning north and dissipating. The next path of damage started further north along the Shepaug River
Shepaug River
The Shepaug River is a river in Connecticut, in the United States. The river originates in Warren and runs south through Washington, Roxbury, and Southbury, where it empties into the Housatonic River at Lake Lillinonah , thereafter flowing into the Long Island Sound...
. It is unknown whether this was a tornado or straight-line winds
Downburst
A downburst is created by an area of significantly rain-cooled air that, after reaching ground level, spreads out in all directions producing strong winds. Unlike winds in a tornado, winds in a downburst are directed outwards from the point where it hits land or water...
, but the damage path continued southeast for three miles before disappearing again. More damage was reported near Waterbury
Waterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
, where a house was unroofed two miles west of the town. In the town itself, branches and chimneys were damaged.
As the storm approached Wallingford, observers described a black, rolling funnel, with clouds blowing in from all directions. This system passed directly over Cheshire
Cheshire, Connecticut
Cheshire is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 28,543 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Connecticut is located in Cheshire. In 2009 Cheshire was ranked 72 in Money Magazine's 100 Best Places to Live.Likewise, in 2011 Cheshire was ranked 73 in...
, producing a strong wind at the surface which caused some minor damage. The storm then moved directly towards Wallingford.
The Wallingford tornado
The tornado started as a waterspout
Waterspout
A waterspout is an intense columnar vortex that occurs over a body of water and is connected to a cumuliform cloud. In the common form, it is a non-supercell tornado over water. While it is often weaker than most of its land counterparts, stronger versions spawned by mesocyclones do occur...
over Community Lake, just west of town. It then moved through the center of town along Christian Street, damaging almost every structure as it went. The tornado tore houses from their foundations, throwing some more than 600 feet (180 meters). A receipt from the town was later found 65 miles (105 km) east in Peacedale, Rhode Island
Wakefield-Peacedale, Rhode Island
Wakefield-Peacedale is a census-designated place in the town of South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States that includes the villages of Peace Dale and Wakefield...
. Large trees were uprooted and snapped, and those that were still standing were stripped of small limbs and leaves. The Catholic Church was blown to bits, and heavy tombstones in the nearby cemetery were tossed around. The brand-new brick high school building was almost completely destroyed. The tornado's path through town was only two miles long, but the damage path was up to 600 feet (180 meters) wide.
More tornadic damage was reported in southern Durham
Durham, Connecticut
Durham is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. Durham is a former farming village on the Coginchaug River in central Connecticut. The population was 6,627 at the 2000 census. Every autumn, the town hosts the Durham Fair, the largest volunteer agricultural fair in New...
and Killingworth
Killingworth, Connecticut
Killingworth is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The town's name can easily be confused with another Connecticut town, Killingly; or a Vermont ski area, Killington. The population was 6,018 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, with some homes severely damaged, but there were some minor injuries, one young woman in Killingworth was injured by shards of glass from a breaking window. Some sources insist that the Wallingford tornado dissipated a few miles west of the town, and this was an entirely separate tornado, but without a modern damage survey it is impossible to tell. The parent storm finally moved out over the ocean around 8 PM.
Aftermath
Thirty five homes were completely destroyed, with many more being unroofed or receiving some sort of damage. Damage estimates were around $150,000 from buildings alone; utilities and railway facilities received a lot of damage as well. Final estimates were around $250,000 ($5.3 million when adjusted for inflation).
Tornadoes are not very uncommon in the state of Connecticut, but tornadoes of this power are rare. Though tornadoes have only been officially rated on 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...
since 1950, this tornado has been estimated to be of F4-intensity on the scale. This would make it one of only three tornadoes of this intensity to ever affect the state, as of 2008. Thirty-four people were killed by the tornado—thirty-one more than the second-deadliest Connecticut tornado—and 70 others injured.