Weather History

This Day In Weather History

In 1908, the Dixie Tornado Outbreak overwhelmed six states, causing a tremendous loss of life. Comprised of 16 killer tornadoes, the outbreak killed 320. Hardest hit were Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Three of the twisters were huge F4s with incredibly long tracks. The worst F4 tore through Eastern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. It killed 143 and injured 770 along a 155 mile track which was around two MILES WIDE. Putting that into perspective, the distance from Wichita to Oklahoma City is around 160 miles. Fifty 55 people died when the monstrous vortex leveled Purvis, Mississippi. Early that morning, an F4 with a 90 mile track that averaged one half mile wide tore through Northeast Louisiana and Southwest Mississippi. That tornado killed 91 and injured around 400. The third F4 that roared across Northern Alabama killed 35 and injured 108. It had a 105 mile track and was nearly one half mile wide.

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