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The Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak was the outbreak of tornadoes that included the 4th and 5th deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history. Seventeen tornadoes broke out in the deep south in the early evening hours of April 5, 1936, and ended in the late morning hours of April 6, 1936. 446 deaths were credited to this outbreak.
The supercell thunderstorms formed out of the heat of the day and the approaching storm system. It had been 90°F (32°C) that day in Tupelo. It is also believed that then-1 year old Elvis Presley and his mother survived the Tupelo tornado.
The Tupelo Tornado
The tornado that would become the 4th deadliest in United States history slammed into Tupelo, Mississippi at around 8:30 P.M. It was a F5 on the Fujita Scale. The tornado moved through the residential areas of Tupelo and destroyed many homes. Unlike the Gainesville event that would occur the next morning, the tornado missed the downtown business district. The tornado obliterated many well constructed homes, and swept away the poorly constructed ones. Entire families were killed, up to 13 in a single home! When the death toll of 216 was set, over 100 people were in the hospital in three states. The final death toll would be set at 233 (not necessarily including African-American deaths). Not including blacks in the death toll from tornadoes was very common up until around the mid-1950's.
The Gainesville Tornado
The morning after the Tupelo tornado, the storm system moved through Alabama overnight, and finally reached Gainesville, Georgia at around 8:30 A.M. This early morning tornado was a double tornado event. One tornado moved in from the Atlanta highway. The other moved in from the Dawsonville highway. The two merged on Grove Street, and destroyed everything in sight. Wrekage was up to 10 feet in some place. The worst tornado-caused death toll in a single building in U.S. history was at the Cooper Pants Factory. The multiple story building, filled with young workers, collapsed and caught fire, killing 70 people. At the Pacolet Mall, 550 workers averted a tragedy by moving to the northeast side of the building. Many people sought refuge in Newnan's department store. It collapsed killing 20 people.
The final death toll couldn't be figured because all the buildings that were hit collapsed and caught fire. A 203 person death toll was posted, with 40 missing. Letters from Gainesville, Georgia were blown 67 miles away to Anderson, South Carolina.
The Gainesville tornado was an F4 on the Fujita Scale. It is the 5th deadliest tornado in U.S. history. It caused $13 million in damage.
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