On This Day in 1884: Enigma Tornado Outbreak

On this day in 1884, an extremely violent, widespread tornado outbreak tore through the Southeast.

During the morning of February 19, 1884, a strengthening low pressure was entering the Ohio Valley, allowing southerly flow to develop across the Southeast, with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico streaming northward. While surface winds were out of the south, much stronger, westerly winds were found aloft. This turning of wind with height, called directional wind shear, is a key ingredient in producing tornadic storms.

The first tornadoes touched down by early afternoon across the Mid-South from Alabama to northern Georgia. Georgia would be the hardest-hit state throughout the day as at least 20 tornadoes touched down during the afternoon.

By the end of the outbreak, at least 37 tornadoes had torn through six states; Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina and Kentucky. Of the 37 tornadoes, 13 were ranked EF-3 or EF-4 on the Enhanced-Fujita scale, meaning the tornadoes packed wind gusts in excess of 136 mph. As a result of the outbreak, at least 167 people lost their lives.

The February 19, 1884, received the nickname the “Enigma Outbreak”. Observations and records of events in 1884 were much less organized and frequent as today, making the true scale of the tornado outbreak and its effects, including the death toll, rather unknown, hence the nickname.

Sources: spc.noaa.gov, worldhistoryproject.org
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Story Image: 6-hour tornado tracks leading up to 7 p.m. EST February 19, 1884 (spc.noaa.gov).