Tornadoes of 1875
Grazulis's record has 55 significant tornadoes in the United States in 1875, which killed 188 people and injured 824. 10 were rated F4 or above. Before 1950 the record is Thomas P. Grazulis’s list of significant tornadoes: those rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. Grazulis rated these tornadoes on the Fujita scale decades after the fact, from written accounts of the damage. The scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
Grazulis gave no rating: the surviving account records a tornado without enough about the damage to rate it. Almost all of these are before 1880.
The violent tornadoes of 1875
- F4, N Sparta/N Warrenton/Camak/N Thomson/Appling/NW Augusta, GA/S Edgefield, SCMarch 20, 1875
- F4, S Gray to E Milledgeville, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, S Hamilton/E Shiloh/Valley Plain, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, N Columbus/N Talbotton/Baughville, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, ESE Sparta/S Gibson, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, Opelika, AL/S West Point/Whitesville, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, N Rutledge/S Maxeys/N Greensboro, GAMay 1, 1875
- F4, W Keysville/SSE Augusta, GA/Jackson/New Ellenton to Williston, SCMarch 20, 1875
- F4, S Alexis/NW Galesburg/Wataga, ILAugust 5, 1875
- F4, N Knoxville/Truro Twp./Millbrook Twp./Jubilee Twp./Radnor Twp., ILAugust 5, 1875
The deadliest of 1875
- F4, N Sparta/N Warrenton/Camak/N Thomson/Appling/NW Augusta, GA/S Edgefield, SCMarch 20, 1875
- F3, Opelika/Goodwater/Oak Bowery, AL/N Talbotton, GAMay 1, 1875
- F3, N West Point/Redbone, GAMay 1, 1875
- F4, S Gray to E Milledgeville, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, S Hamilton/E Shiloh/Valley Plain, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F4, N Columbus/N Talbotton/Baughville, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F3, Rienzi, MSMarch 15, 1875
- F4, ESE Sparta/S Gibson, GAMarch 20, 1875
- F3, Batesburg/Columbia, SCMay 1, 1875
- F4, Opelika, AL/S West Point/Whitesville, GAMarch 20, 1875
By state
Filed under the state each path begins in.
| State | Significant tornadoes |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 16 |
| Illinois | 7 |
| South Carolina | 6 |
| Alabama | 4 |
| Indiana | 4 |
| Arkansas | 2 |
| Nebraska | 2 |
| Minnesota | 2 |
| Michigan | 2 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 |
| West Virginia | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
Every significant tornado of 1875
Times are local standard time, where the record has one. Blank cells are not recorded.
February 23 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 23 | 3:40 PM CST | F3 | Housatonia, MO | 8.1 | 200 | 2 | 8 |
February 24 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 24 | 6:30 PM CST | F3 | E Columbus, MS | 150 | 3 | 15 |
March 5 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 5 | 9:00 PM CST | F2 | Drew Co., AR | 1 | 10 |
March 15 2 tornadoes
March 20 17 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | 10:20 AM EST | F4 | S Hamilton/E Shiloh/Valley Plain, GA | 25.2 | 800 | 11 | 40 | |
| March 20 | 11:00 AM EST | F3 | E Thomaston/S Forsyth, GA | 30.0 | 15 | |||
| March 20 | 11:30 AM EST | F4 | N Columbus/N Talbotton/Baughville, GA | 34.9 | 600 | 9 | 50 | |
| March 20 | 11:50 AM EST | F3 | N Gray, GA | 15.2 | 200 | 1 | 10 | |
| March 20 | 12:40 PM EST | F4 | N Sparta/N Warrenton/Camak/N Thomson/Appling/NW Augusta, GA/S Edgefield, SC | 70.7 | 1,000 | 28 | 70 | |
| March 20 | 12:50 PM EST | F4 | S Gray to E Milledgeville, GA | 25.0 | 600 | 13 | 30 | |
| March 20 | 1:30 PM EST | F4 | ESE Sparta/S Gibson, GA | 22.2 | 400 | 8 | 40 | |
| March 20 | 2:00 PM EST | F4 | W Keysville/SSE Augusta, GA/Jackson/New Ellenton to Williston, SC | 51.5 | 400 | 6 | 30 | |
| March 20 | 1:30 PM CST | F4 | Opelika, AL/S West Point/Whitesville, GA | 23.5 | 300 | 7 | 20 | |
| March 20 | 2:55 PM EST | F3 | SW Columbia, SC | 5.0 | 300 | 2 | 12 | |
| March 20 | 3:30 PM EST | F3 | N Sumter/S Cartersville/S Florence/S Marion, SC/Tabor City, NC | 83.6 | 400 | 5 | 30 | |
| March 20 | 5:00 PM EST | Unrated | W Raleigh, NC | |||||
| March 20 | 5:00 PM EST | F2 | S Norway/S Orangeburg, SC | 25.0 | 200 | 3 | 20 | |
| March 20 | 6:30 PM EST | Unrated | Indiantown, SC | |||||
| March 20 | 7:00 PM EST | Unrated | NW Conway, SC | 9.8 | ||||
| March 20 | 7:00 PM EST | F2 | Dogwood Neck, SC | |||||
| March 20 | 8:00 PM EST | F2 | SW Sylvania, GA | 200 |
April 7 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 7 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | Schulyer, NE |
April 8 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 8 | F3 | SE Little Rock | 400 | 6 | 20 |
April 10 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | F2 | S Whitesville, GA | 3.8 | 150 | 2 |
May 1 7 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1 | 10:00 AM CST | F3 | N West Point/Redbone, GA | 79.6 | 400 | 15 | 50 | |
| May 1 | 12:00 PM CST | F3 | Opelika/Goodwater/Oak Bowery, AL/N Talbotton, GA | 70.2 | 300 | 22 | 30 | |
| May 1 | 2:00 PM EST | F3 | SE Jonesboro/S Covington/S Stockbridge, GA | 29.1 | 4 | 15 | ||
| May 1 | 3:00 PM EST | F4 | N Rutledge/S Maxeys/N Greensboro, GA | 40.3 | 200 | 7 | 35 | |
| May 1 | 3:30 PM EST | F3 | Batesburg/Columbia, SC | 100.7 | 200 | 8 | 50 | |
| May 1 | 4:00 PM EST | F3 | Fort Valley, GA | 11.6 | 1 | 10 | ||
| May 1 | 6:00 PM EST | F2 | Waynesboro, GA | 39.7 | 1 | 5 |
May 9 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9 | F3 | NW Tiffin/Fort Seneca/Green Springs/Clyde, OH | 16.0 | 400 | 2 | 20 |
June 2 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2 | 6:00 PM EST | F1 | Richmond, IN |
June 4 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 4 | 7:40 PM CST | F3 | Syracuse, NE | 8.1 | 100 | 15 |
June 24 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 24 | 4:00 PM CST | F2 | S Mendota, MN | 2.9 | 30 | 5 |
June 27 2 tornadoes
July 24 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 24 | 8:40 PM CST | F1 | Lacrosse, WI | 1.2 | 10 |
July 25 2 tornadoes
July 29 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 29 | 3:00 PM EST | F1 | Little Egg Harbor, NJ |
August 5 6 tornadoes
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 5 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | Colona, IL | |||||
| August 5 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | Hume Twp./Tampico Twp., IL | 5.1 | 400 | |||
| August 5 | 5:00 PM CST | F2 | Genesee Twp./Jordan Twp./S Milledgeville, IL | 5.7 | 400 | |||
| August 5 | 7:00 PM CST | F4 | S Alexis/NW Galesburg/Wataga, IL | 15.2 | 500 | 2 | 15 | |
| August 5 | 7:00 PM CST | F4 | N Knoxville/Truro Twp./Millbrook Twp./Jubilee Twp./Radnor Twp., IL | 29.6 | 400 | 40 | ||
| August 5 | 7:20 PM CST | F1 | E Somonauk, IL |
August 11 2 tornadoes
August 22 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 22 | F1 | Albany, NY | 2 |
August 25 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 25 | F2 | S Hutchinson, MN |
September 9 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | 7:00 PM CST | F2 | Normal, IL | 2.1 | 2 |
October 30 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 30 | 9:00 PM EST | F2 | S Goshen, IN | 2.1 | 150 |
December 26 1 tornado
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 26 | 4:00 PM CST | F3 | Reelfoot Lake, TN to Matfield, KY | 49.2 | 300 | 5 | 15 |
About the record before 1950
- Significant tornadoes only
- Grazulis listed tornadoes rated F2 or stronger, and weaker ones that killed somebody. Most tornadoes are weaker than F2, so the list holds a fraction of the tornadoes that happened.
- The early years are thin
- A tornado is on record only where somebody saw it and wrote it down. The count rises through the 1800s with settlement and newspapers, not with the weather.
- Rated from accounts
- Grazulis rated each tornado decades later from newspaper reports, Weather Bureau records and local histories, not from a damage survey.
- The tracks are reconstructed
- Tornado Archive drew each path through the places Grazulis names, most often as a straight line from the first to the last. A track can miss a town it hit, and a tornado with one named place is a point. The counties are today’s.
- A separate record
- SPC’s database, from 1950, counts every confirmed tornado of any strength. The two are kept apart on every page and never added together.
Nearby
Every year before 19501950, the first year of SPC's databaseThe tornado profiles
What this means
Ratings are Grazulis's, read from written accounts of the damage; the rating scale is above. About the record before 1950 says what it holds and what it leaves out.
Sources
Thomas P. Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991 and Significant Tornadoes 1880-1989, as digitized by Tornado Archive (Maas and others, 2024). Public domain. Counties assigned by this site from today’s NWS county lines.