1932 Deep South tornado outbreak
Encyclopedia
The 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak is a deadly tornado outbreak that struck the southern United States
on March 21–22, 1932. The outbreak produced tornadoes from Texas
to South Carolina
, and as far north as Illinois
. Alabama
was hardest-hit; the outbreak is considered to be the deadliest ever in the state, and among the worst ever in the US, trailing only the Tri-State Tornado
in 1925 and the Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak
in 1936 whilst producing a similar number of fatalities to the 1974 Super Outbreak
and the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
. Over 330 people were killed in the 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak, including 268 in Alabama alone.
to the Tennessee and Georgia borders. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s for most of the area.
The most severe tornado of the outbreak, (one of the deadliest tornadoes to ever to hit the state), carved a 60-mile path southeast of Birmingham
across Perry
, Bibb
, Chilton
, Shelby
and Coosa
Counties in Central Alabama. 49 people were killed by this single tornado.
Another destructive tornado hit the Tuscaloosa
and Northport
area in Tuscaloosa County
at around 4:00 PM. It destroyed about 100 homes as well as the Tuscaloosa County Club but narrowly missed downtown Tuscaloosa. About 2000 people were left homeless from this tornado, 37 were killed in the area.
There were at least 8 other severe tornadoes across Alabama, Tennessee
and Georgia. In Alabama, 18 people were killed near the Cullman
area in Cullman County
, 14 in the Columbiana
area in Shelby County, 31 in and around the Clanton
area in Chilton County, 41 in Coosa and Talladega Counties
near Sylacauga
and 13 in Bellview in Wilcox County
. A tornado near the Tennessee-Alabama stateline also killed 38 people near Bolivar (Jackson County
) towards Tennessee.
At least 25 cities in Alabama reported one fatality or more during the day including Demopolis
, Union Grove
, Linden
, Plantersville
, Sycamore, Thorsby
, Northport, Huntsville
, Decatur
, Marion
, Stanton
, Scottsboro
, Paint Rock
, Collins Chapel, Columbiana, Faunsdale
, Bethel Church, Jemison
, Falkville
, Sylacauga, Bridgeport
, Lineville
, Gantt's Quarry, Cullman and Corinth. 11 counties were particularly hard hit. 7 000 homes and businesses were destroyed statewide.
Outside Alabama, 6 people were killed near Pulaski
, Tennessee
in Giles County (just north of the Alabama state line). A large tornado near the Tennessee-Georgia state line left a mile-wide damage path, and killed 15 people from Beaverdale (Whitfield County
) to Conasauga (Polk County) All of the fatalities listed resulted from F4 tornado strikes. Several hundred people were also injured - at least 100 injuries caused by 7 of the 10 tornadoes across the 3 states - a total of 1,750 injuries in Alabama alone.
The event is also nicknamed the "Super Outbreak" by the National Weather Service
Office in Birmingham. While Alabama was the hardest hit state with 86 fatalities during the 1974 event, there were three times as many fatalities on March 21, 1932.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on March 21–22, 1932. The outbreak produced tornadoes from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, and as far north as Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
was hardest-hit; the outbreak is considered to be the deadliest ever in the state, and among the worst ever in the US, trailing only the Tri-State Tornado
Tri-State Tornado
The Tri-State Tornado of Wednesday, March 18, 1925, was the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. With 695 confirmed fatalities, the tornado killed more than twice as many as the second deadliest, the 1840 Great Natchez Tornado...
in 1925 and the Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak
Tupelo-Gainesville Outbreak
The 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak was an outbreak of seventeen tornadoes that struck the Southeastern United States from April 5 to 6th, 1936. Approximately 436 people were killed by these tornadoes...
in 1936 whilst producing a similar number of fatalities to the 1974 Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak
The Super Outbreak is the second largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the tornado outbreak of April 25–28, 2011...
and the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak
An extremely large and violent tornado outbreak, the largest tornado outbreak ever recorded, and popularly known as the 2011 Super Outbreak, occurred from April 25 to 28, 2011. The outbreak affected the Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern United States, leaving catastrophic destruction in...
. Over 330 people were killed in the 1932 Deep South tornado outbreak, including 268 in Alabama alone.
Event summary
At least 20 tornadoes struck the Deep South with 10 of those violent F4 storms. Forecasters had predicted an end to very warm temperatures and a sharp cool down but had not anticipated the magnitude of the severe weather that would hit most of the state from the north of MontgomeryMontgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
to the Tennessee and Georgia borders. Temperatures were in the mid to upper 70s for most of the area.
The most severe tornado of the outbreak, (one of the deadliest tornadoes to ever to hit the state), carved a 60-mile path southeast of Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
across Perry
Perry County, Alabama
Perry County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. It was established in 1819, and is named in honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry of Rhode Island and the United States Navy. As of 2010 the population was 10,591...
, Bibb
Bibb County, Alabama
Bibb County is a county in the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of William W. Bibb, the first Governor of Alabama. As of 2010 the population was 22,915. The county seat is Centreville...
, Chilton
Chilton County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*84.1% White*9.7% Black*0.4% Native American*0.3% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.2% Two or more races*7.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Shelby
Shelby County, Alabama
Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2010 U.S. Census the population was 195,085. Shelby...
and Coosa
Coosa County, Alabama
Coosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name derives from a town of the Creek tribe. As of 2010 the population was 11,539, but since that time it has lost the most population by percentage of any Alabama county...
Counties in Central Alabama. 49 people were killed by this single tornado.
Another destructive tornado hit the Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
and Northport
Northport, Alabama
Northport is a city in Tuscaloosa County in the west central part of the U.S. state of Alabama. Located on the Black Warrior River across from downtown Tuscaloosa, it is currently the 24th largest city in Alabama with an estimated population of 23,442 in 2009...
area in Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Tuscaloosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.It is named in honor of the pre-Choctaw chief Tuskaloosa. In 2010, the population was 194,656...
at around 4:00 PM. It destroyed about 100 homes as well as the Tuscaloosa County Club but narrowly missed downtown Tuscaloosa. About 2000 people were left homeless from this tornado, 37 were killed in the area.
There were at least 8 other severe tornadoes across Alabama, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Georgia. In Alabama, 18 people were killed near the Cullman
Cullman, Alabama
Cullman is a city in Cullman County, State of Alabama. Cullman is located along Interstate 65, about north of Birmingham, and about south of Huntsville. According to the U.S...
area in Cullman County
Cullman County, Alabama
Cullman County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Colonel John G. Cullmann. As of 2010, the population was 80,406. Its county seat is the town of the same name, Cullman, Alabama. It is a "moist" county in terms of availablity of alcoholic beverages, which means...
, 14 in the Columbiana
Columbiana, Alabama
Columbiana is a city in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 4,197. The city is the county seat of Shelby County.-History:...
area in Shelby County, 31 in and around the Clanton
Clanton, Alabama
Clanton is a city in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 7,800. The city is the county seat of Chilton County.-History:...
area in Chilton County, 41 in Coosa and Talladega Counties
Talladega County, Alabama
Talladega County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Talladega is a Muscogee Native American word derived from TVLVTEKE, which means "border town." As of 2010, the population was 82,291...
near Sylacauga
Sylacauga, Alabama
Sylacauga is a city in Talladega County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 12,616.Nicknames for Sylacauga include: "The Marble City," "Buzzard's Roost" and "Sly Town"....
and 13 in Bellview in Wilcox County
Wilcox County, Alabama
Wilcox County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Lieutenant J. M. Wilcox, who fought in the wars against the Creek tribe. As of 2010, the population was 11,670...
. A tornado near the Tennessee-Alabama stateline also killed 38 people near Bolivar (Jackson County
Jackson County, Alabama
Jackson County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Andrew Jackson, general in the United States Army and President of the United States of America. As of 2010, the population was 53,227. The county seat is Scottsboro. Jackson County is a prohibition or dry county,...
) towards Tennessee.
At least 25 cities in Alabama reported one fatality or more during the day including Demopolis
Demopolis, Alabama
Demopolis is the largest city in Marengo County, Alabama, United States. The population was 7,483 at the time of the 2010 United States Census....
, Union Grove
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Grove is a town in Marshall County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. Union Grove is located approximately three miles from Guntersville Lake and six miles from Arab. Electricity service in Union Grove is provided through Arab...
, Linden
Linden, Alabama
Linden is a city in and the county seat of Marengo County, Alabama, United States.. The population was 2,424 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally known as the Town of Marengo, it was changed to Hohenlinden in 1823 to honor the county's earliest European settlers, French Bonapartist refugees to...
, Plantersville
Plantersville, Alabama
Plantersville is an unincorporated community in Dallas County, Alabama. It lies near the county's border with Autauga and Chilton Counties. Plantersville was named for the local cotton planters and plantations. The town is home to Dallas County High School and J. E. Terry Elementary...
, Sycamore, Thorsby
Thorsby, Alabama
Thorsby is a town in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town was 1,820. The town mayor is Dearl Hilyer. The Swede-founded town's name, "Thorsby" is Swedish for "Thor's Village."-Geography:...
, Northport, Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
, Decatur
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
, Marion
Marion, Alabama
Marion is the county seat of Perry County, Alabama. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 3,511. First called Muckle Ridge, the city was renamed after a hero of the American Revolution, Francis Marion.-Geography:...
, Stanton
Stanton, Alabama
Stanton is an unincorporated community in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. The community has a post office, with postmasters appointed from 1883 to 2006.-Geography:Stanton is located at and has an elevation of ....
, Scottsboro
Scottsboro, Alabama
Scottsboro is a city in Jackson County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 14,770. Named for its founder Robert Scott, the city is the county seat of Jackson County....
, Paint Rock
Paint Rock, Alabama
Paint Rock is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, along the Paint Rock River, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 185....
, Collins Chapel, Columbiana, Faunsdale
Faunsdale, Alabama
Faunsdale is a town in Marengo County, Alabama, U.S. At the 2000 census the population was 87. The town was named for nearby Faunsdale Plantation. Faunsdale is home to a medium-sized community of Amish Mennonites and the only Amish Mennonite community in this area of Alabama outside of Greensboro,...
, Bethel Church, Jemison
Jemison, Alabama
Jemison is a town in Chilton County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,248. The center of population of Alabama is located outside of Jemison, an area known as Jemison Division. .-Geography:...
, Falkville
Falkville, Alabama
Falkville is a town in Morgan County, Alabama, in the United States, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,202.-Geography:...
, Sylacauga, Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Alabama
Bridgeport is a small city in Jackson County, Alabama, United States. At the time of 2000 census the population was 2,728. Bridgeport is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area.-History:...
, Lineville
Lineville, Alabama
Lineville is a city in Clay County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,401.-History:Native Americans were the first to inhabit the area now known as Lineville. The Creek Indian War of 1813, however, resulted in their removal. The first white settlers in the area were...
, Gantt's Quarry, Cullman and Corinth. 11 counties were particularly hard hit. 7 000 homes and businesses were destroyed statewide.
Outside Alabama, 6 people were killed near Pulaski
Pulaski, Tennessee
Pulaski is a city in Giles County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,870 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Giles County. It was named to honor the Polish-born American Revolutionary War hero Kazimierz Pułaski...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in Giles County (just north of the Alabama state line). A large tornado near the Tennessee-Georgia state line left a mile-wide damage path, and killed 15 people from Beaverdale (Whitfield County
Whitfield County, Georgia
Whitfield County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 30, 1851. The 2010 Census shows a population of 102,599. The county seat is Dalton.It is part of the Dalton, Georgia, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Civil War:...
) to Conasauga (Polk County) All of the fatalities listed resulted from F4 tornado strikes. Several hundred people were also injured - at least 100 injuries caused by 7 of the 10 tornadoes across the 3 states - a total of 1,750 injuries in Alabama alone.
The event is also nicknamed the "Super Outbreak" by the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
Office in Birmingham. While Alabama was the hardest hit state with 86 fatalities during the 1974 event, there were three times as many fatalities on March 21, 1932.