| Fort Smith, Arkansas, tornadoes of January 11, 1898 | |
| Duration: | January 11, 1898 |
| Tornadoes: | ≥5 |
| Fujitascale: | F4 |
| Year: | 1898 |
| Damages: | ≥$453,000 (≥$ in USD) |
| Fatalities: | 56 |
| Injuries: | 118 |
| Affected: | Arkansas, Missouri, and Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) |
| Season: | tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1898 |
On January 11, 1898, a series of tornadoes affected the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri, as well as the Indian Territory, presently Oklahoma. At least five in all, these included the Fort Smith tornado, which struck the city of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Retroactively rated a violent (F4) tornado on the modern-day Fujita scale, it was part of a tornado family that formed 60abbr=onNaNabbr=on to the southwest,[1] and struck the city around midnight, killing 55 people and injuring 113. The twister nearly destroyed the newly constructed Fort Smith High School that had opened in fall 1897. Other tornadoes were reported that night in Arkansas and Missouri. The Fort Smith tornado is tied with one that struck Warren in 1949, also rated F4, for the deadliest tornado to strike Arkansas.[2]
Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991. 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.
| Location | County / Parish | State | Time (UTC) | Path length | Width | Damage | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F2 | W of Fayetteville | Washington | Arkansas | 04:00–? | |||||
| A two-story home was wrecked, injuring a person. | |||||||||
| F2 | Bradleyville | Taney | Missouri | 05:00–? | 5abbr=onNaNabbr=on | 300abbr=onNaNabbr=on | |||
| 1 death – Homes were wrecked, with five injuries. One of the injured died weeks later. | |||||||||
| F4 | Western Fort Smith to E of Van Buren | Sebastian, Crawford | Arkansas | 05:15–? | 10abbr=onNaNabbr=on | 200abbr=onNaNabbr=on | |||
| 55 deaths – See section on this tornado – 113 people were injured. | |||||||||
| F2 | S of Alma to NW of Ozark | Crawford, Franklin | Arkansas | 05:30–? | 15abbr=onNaNabbr=on | 200abbr=onNaNabbr=on | |||
| Four homes lost roofs, and several barns were wrecked. Outbuildings were damaged as well. | |||||||||
| FU | Near Sans Bois | Choctaw Nation | Indian Territory | ||||||
| This, the first member of the Fort Smith family, formed over the Sans Bois Mountains. | |||||||||
| Fort Smith, Arkansas | |
| Formed: | January 11, 1898, 11:15 p.m. CST |
| Basin: | atl |
| Fujita-Scale: | F4 |
| Fatalities: | 55 |
| Injuries: | 113 |
| Damages: | $450,000 ($ in USD) |
Part of a long-lived tornado family, this event may have first damaged trees near the Arkansas River in Oklahoma, beginning near Cache Creek. Intermittent damage to vegetation continued past the Poteau River. The tornado was confirmable at the Fort Smith National Cemetery, where it leveled a 1adj=midNaNadj=mid, 5adj=midNaNadj=mid stretch of masonry, downed trees, and severely damaged a lodge. Farther on, it extensively damaged a schoolhouse. The tornado then tracked into the business district of Fort Smith, causing scores of fatalities. "Dozens" of businesses and residences were flattened, some homesites being left bare. At city hall, 40 large trees, up to 50feet tall, were felled, and an iron flagstaff, embedded in granite and fastened by 1adj=midNaNadj=mid guy wires, was pulled out, the wires being snapped. A 500adj=midNaNadj=mid brick wall, 1feet thick and NaNfeet tall, was leveled. A three-story brick building was moved off its foundation, and 30 homes in town, mostly frame, were destroyed, along with a quartet of churches. 130 other homes of similar composition were damaged. An iron beam, driven into a brick wall, could not be dislodged, clothing was found 30miles away, and signage from Fort Smith was carried 22miles. Initial reports indicated that 33 people died instantly, while 18 later succumbed of injury. Of the 113 injuries, 44 were severe, 73 minor. Final tabulations totaled 55 dead and 113 injured, including three dead near Van Buren, where rural farmsteads were wrecked.[3]
. Thomas P. Grazulis . Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. A Chronology and Analysis of Events . The Tornado Project of Environmental Films . July 1993 . . 1-879362-03-1 . 1.