1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado
.jpg) Damage in downtown Lorain | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | June 28, 1924 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | ≥6 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | ≥85 fatalities, ≥350 injuries |
| Damage | >$12 million [1920 USD][1] |
| Areas affected | Northern Ohio, Northwestern Pennsylvania |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
The 1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado was a deadly F4 tornado which struck the towns of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio on Saturday, June 28, 1924. It remains the deadliest single tornado ever recorded in Ohio history, killing more people than the 1974 Xenia and 1985 Niles-Wheatland tornadoes combined.[2]
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? | ? | ? | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ≥6 |
Event summary
[edit]| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 28, 1924 4:35 p.m. EST (UTC−05:00) |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 85 fatalities, 300 injuries |
| Damage | $12 million [1920 USD] |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
On that day, a low pressure system moved from Iowa towards Michigan and Ontario. Temperatures were in the lower 80s across most of northern Ohio, which is typical for late-June across that area.
The tornado formed over the Sandusky Bay during the late afternoon and hit the city of Sandusky where it killed eight and destroyed 100 homes and 25 businesses.[3] After moving east over Lake Erie for several miles, the tornado then struck the town of Lorain just west of Cleveland, where greater than 500 houses were destroyed and 1,000 others were damaged in addition to many businesses in the downtown area. At least 72 people were killed here, including 15 people inside a collapsed theater and eight others inside the bath house at Lakeview Park where the tornado came ashore. This tornado still ranks among the deadliest in United States history.[3][4][5][6]
There were uncertainties as to whether or not the Sandusky-Lorain tornado was a single tornado event due to the 25-mile path of the storm across Lake Erie between Sandusky and Lorain; however, many eyewitnesses reported a single storm crossing the lake before coming onshore again in Lorain.[7][3]
Other tornadoes struck Castalia (Erie County), Huron Township (Erie County) and Geauga Lake (Portage County) in addition to Erie and Meadville in northwestern Pennsylvania. At least five additional people were killed by other tornadoes on the same day.[5][8]
Response and recovery
[edit]Within hours members of the Ohio National Guard were in Lorain to assist the Lorain community. Led by Brigadier General John R. McQuigg, three units composed of around 1500 guardsmen were stationed in Lorain.[9] The Ohio National Guard established camp in the Antlers Hotel and in other available buildings. They distributed emergency tents for people who had lost homes, monitored checkpoints, and patrolled the neighborhoods to protect against looters and monitor the recovery efforts.[10][11]
Reporting on the 1924 Tornado
[edit]The tornado gained national attention with accounts published in newspapers around the country, all with varying degrees of accuracy. The New York Times published an Associated Press article on June 29 which reported that 300 people were dead. Director of the Red Cross civilian relief Colonel D. H. Pond stated that they were distributing 1,000 emergency tents to relieve Lorain's citizens. The major concerns highlighted in the article included the destroyed homes and businesses, collapsed theater with trapped victims, bridges and railroads inaccessible, and as a result of looting, the city being placed under martial law.[12]
External links
[edit]
- Lorain Historical Society 100th Anniversary Commemoration (2024)
- Lorain Historical Society's Online 1924 Tornado Photo Collection
- Lorain Tornado Souvenir and Memorial Book (1924)
- Lorain-Sandusky tornado damage gallery
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- ^ Moorwood, Victoria (March 15, 2024). "6 of the most deadly and destructive tornadoes in Ohio history going back to 1924". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c Schmidlin, Thomas W.; Schmidlin, Jeanne Appelhans (August 9, 1996). Thunder in the Heartland: A Chronicle of Outstanding Weather Events in Ohio. Kent State University Press. pp. 254–258. ISBN 9780873385497. Retrieved March 15, 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES Archived 2007-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b 1924: Lorain Tornado Archived 2008-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ohio Tornado Destroys Lorain - Business District". Engineering News-Record. 93 (2): 54:56. July 10, 1924 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ NOTES on the Lorain Tornado of 6-28-24, Avon, Ohio
- ^ Snedden, Jeffrey (January 9, 2018). "The cyclone of '24: A forgotten disaster". The Times. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ Mann, Joshua (June 24, 2024). "A Look in the Attic" (PDF). Ohio National Guard. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Doane, Emily Grace (July 19, 2008). "The Lorain Tornado of June 28, 1924". Doane Family Association. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ Woytach, Carissa (June 22, 2024). "'We had never heard the word tornado:' Sandusky-Lorain tornado of 1924 remembered for devastation, inspiration". The Chronicle Telegram. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ "HUNDREDS KILLED BY TORNADO IN OHIO; 80 IN LORAIN THEATRE" (PDF). New York Times. New York Times. June 29, 1924. Retrieved May 6, 2020.