has breaks in its destructive path. The tri-state tornado’s path of damage appeared to be continuous despite two slight decreases in the destruction. One of which was near the onset of the storm, and one near the demise. No matter which is believed, one thing is for certain, and that is a storm like the tri-state tornado could very well happen again, but there is no telling when or where it may occur. Historically the tri-state tornado will be known for the longest continuous contact on the ground, the third fastest tornado traveling speed, a continuous destructive path, and a record three and a half-hour life span. But many victims of the storm have their own unique stories of how they remember that horrible day. One witness recalls: “All morning, before the tornado, it had rained. The day was dark and gloomy. The air was heavy. There was no wind. Then the drizzle increased. The heavens seemed to open, pouring down a flood. The day grew black…then the air was filled with 10,000 things. Boards, poles, cans, garments, stoves, whole sides of the little frame houses, in some cases the houses themselves were picked up and smashed to earth. And living beings, too. A baby was blown from its mother’s arms, A cow, picked up by the wind, was hurled into the village restaurant.” The reconstruction of what the tornado had left behind took hard work and much time. Some communities, having most residents killed or injured, became ghost towns where the survivors relocated elsewhere. Several mass burials were planned in towns where the loss of life was greatest. Federal, State, Military, Red Cross, and Civic organizations came together, bringing food, money, clothing, shelter, medical assistance, and even caskets to the victims. Although the tri-state tornado was a rare event, many survivors of the storm lost everything from family members to neighbors, to personal belongings and even a place to call home. But one thing...
