1878 Wallingford tornado
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
Picture of a destroyed house in Wallingford
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| Formed | August 9, 1878 6:15 p.m. EST |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Damage | ~$5.3 million (2007 USD) |
| Casualties | ~34 fatalities, 70+ injuries |
| Areas affected | Southern Connecticut |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
Coordinates: 41°27′49″N 72°49′36″W / 41.4637°N 72.8268°W
The Wallingford Tornado was an F4 tornado that struck the town of Wallingford, Connecticut, on August 9, 1878. The violent tornado destroyed most of the town, killing about 34 people—estimated totals varied—and injuring at least 70, many severely. This was the deadliest tornado ever to strike the state of Connecticut, and the second deadliest ever in New England, after the Worcester tornado of 1953.
The storm system that eventually spawned the Wallingford tornado produced damaging winds and at least one tornado far before it reached the town. The first tornado from this storm system touched down in South Kent, unroofing houses, blowing down barns, and uprooting and tossing trees into the air. It moved steadily southeast for 12 mi (19 km), moving just south of New Preston, and then through Washington, before turning north and dissipating. The next path of damage started further north along the Shepaug River. It is unknown whether this was a tornado or straight-line winds, but the damage path continued southeast for three miles before disappearing again. More damage was reported near Waterbury, where a house was unroofed two miles west of the town. In the town itself, branches and chimneys were damaged.
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Wikipedia