On June 5–6, 1916, a deadly severe-weather episode produced at least 35 tornadoes across the Southern United States on June 5–6, 1916.[nb 2][nb 3] The outbreak killed at least 112 people, 76 of them in the U.S. state of Arkansas alone. Unconfirmed reports suggested higher totals in rural areas.[9] The outbreak was the deadliest June tornado outbreak in the state and one of the largest outbreaks in Arkansas history, with at least 24 significant tornadoes in-state. The deadliest tornado of the outbreak and the deadliest to strike Arkansas on June 5 was a powerful F4 tornado that hit Heber Springs, killing 25 people. Other deadly tornadoes struck much of the state and in nearby parts of Missouri and Illinois. Overnight on June 5–6, tornadoes spread east and south into Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi, with an F3 tornado hitting the northern suburbs of Jackson, Mississippi, killing 13 people there. It was one of the largest late-spring tornado outbreaks ever recorded in the Southern US.
4 deaths — Tornado tracked parabolically through the southern side of Hot Springs, roughly paralleling an F4 tornado that killed 10 people in the city on November 25, 1915. Tornado damaged 200 houses, one of which was left in front of a train. Twenty people were injured.[11][12]
1 death — Tornado touched down in a small community, damaging or destroying 12 houses. Storm also struck three plantations and destroyed several tenant houses. Twelve people were injured.[11]
1 death — Tornado destroyed nine houses in the "Germantown" community then skipped through Conway County before damaging or destroying 20 buildings in Guy. Twenty people were injured.[11]
25 deaths — Devastating tornado family first killed a person north of Enola then two more people near Beckette Mountain, west of Rose Bud. Tornado then leveled 55 houses in northwestern Heber Springs, with at least 18 deaths within the town limits. Tornado leveled another house near Banner, killing four people inside. More than two-thirds of those killed were children. Papers from Beckette Mountain traveled 55 mi (89 km). A total of 150 people were injured.[11]
5 deaths — Tornado first destroyed a small house near Dalark, killing the five members of a family who lived inside, then continued into the town of Carthage. The tornado also caused minor damage in Carthage. Three people were injured.[11]
2+ deaths — This tornado killed a man and his daughter as their house was being destroyed. It also injured 22 people, two of whom were badly injured and may have died many weeks later.[11]
9 deaths — This strong tornado destroyed roughly one-third of Judsonia. Five children from the same family died, and another person was killed just northeast of Judsonia. An additional 35 people were injured.[11][9] Another deadly tornado struck Judsonia on March 21, 1952, killing 30 people in town and causing F4 damage.
4 deaths — Tornado obliterated tenant homes and moved bodies up to 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) away. Three members of one family died. 40 other people were injured.[13]
1 death — Tornado family killed an Arkansas farmer and destroyed buildings in Shiloh Church, Missouri, south-southeast of Grandin. Intermittent damage continued across Missouri, with barns destroyed near Poynor and Flatwoods. Ten people were injured.[13]
2 deaths — Tornado blew a tree into a boarding house, killing two women and injuring 13 others who were inside. Four other injuries occurred elsewhere. Losses totaled $6,000.[13]
7 deaths — Destructive tornado destroyed small houses, killing seven people. The deaths occurred between Pollard and St. Francis. An additional 25 people were injured.[13]
7 deaths — Tornado obliterated three houses, killing six people in one of them. Fifteen barns and seven other houses were destroyed as well. Seventeen people were injured. The tornado may have continued to Kelso.[13]
2+ deaths — This tornado destroyed at least 20 houses in Missouri then hit a house and barn in Tennessee. There was one death in each state. The tornado may have crossed the Mississippi River north of Memphis, where the packet boatEleonore capsized in stormy conditions. At least 19 - perhaps as many as 34 - people drowned when the boat capsized, but there is no clear evidence that a tornado caused the boat to sink. An "electric tornado" reportedly snapped the tree to which the boat was anchored, which measured 20 inches (1.7 ft) in diameter, and other nearby trees were also snapped along the shore. A total of 63 people sustained injuries.[13]
5 deaths — This tornado injured five people from Blodgett as it destroyed much of the village. As many as 60 injuries occurred, mostly in rural areas. In Fayville, a 10-year-old girl died, 20 more people were injured, and 11 houses were destroyed.[13]
13 deaths — This tornado crossed the northern side of Jackson and dissipated northeast of the city. It damaged or destroyed 250 houses and completely leveled other smaller ones. Larger well-constructed buildings lost roofs and chimneys. Fifty-six people were injured.[13]
^All losses are in 1916 USD unless otherwise noted.
^The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[1][2] While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,[3]Canada utilized the old scale until April 1, 2013;[4] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[5]
^Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[6] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[7] Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.[8]
^ abAll dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.
^ abPrior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.[10]
^Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
