Retroactively rated F5 on the modern Fujita scale, it caused total destruction along its path through the Willis Heights neighborhoo… The Journal reported in the Monday, April 6, 1936, paper that “a light twister, enroute to Gainesville” early that morning had “paused near Acworth, to unroof homes north of the city limits in the mill section.” There were no serious injuries reported, but four people were said to have been slightly hurt. Brumby was also reported as heading to the area along with the “ambulances of Mayes Ward and Albert Dobbins.”. Information for the Tupelo event were gathered from the following resources: Here are the stats on this event from Thomas Grazulis: Hit at 2055 local time. Those words were penned by William Clifford Morse, Ph.D, Mississippi State Geologist in his bulletin about the devastating Tupelo, MS tornado of April 5, 1936. One notable survivor of the 1936 twister is Elvis Presley, who was just one-year-old at the time. Her step-daughter, Irene Tribble, who also worked in Gainesville, was unhurt. Here are a couple of newspaper clips from April 1936.
On Monday, April 13, 1936, the paper reported on front page the death of Leona Moore, a 28-year-old Atlanta nurse “who so devotedly threw aside all thoughts of herself and went into the torn Gainesville area … to work with tornado victims.” Moore was laid to rest at the Austell Baptist Church following her death from pneumonia at noon the Saturday before. Keep it Clean. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. Damon Poirier is the Newsroom Administrator for the Marietta Daily Journal. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! Over the course of three days, The Marietta Daily Journal covered the disaster on its front page. Enter your e-mail address for things to do, restaurants to try and much more! The local chapter of the American Red Cross “made an urgent appeal” to local citizens. Sigmund Tumlin was reported as losing his relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Tumlin and three children. Smyrna officials were said to have raised “nearly $150 in cash” along with bundles of clothing. James Petty Jr. of Marietta, an advertising manager with Davison-Paxon in Atlanta, was reported as leaving Marietta “with company trucks filled with clothes, blankets and other comforts.”, In the Tuesday, April 7, 1936, paper Carmichael reported to the Journal that $1,273 had donated so far for tornado relief in Gainesville. The business section of Tupelo was spared the full force of the blow and the Lee county courthouse, the Tupelo Military Institute and churches were turned quickly into morgues for the dead and hospitals for the injured.
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Don't knowingly lie about anyone April 5, 1936, 216 killed. Join the tornado history discussion on our Discord Channel: Celina, OH EF2 Tornado – November 5, 2017, Mitchellville, TN F2 Tornado – March 4, 1955, Lea County, NM EF2 Tornado – March 23, 2007, Crestview, FL F2 Tornado – January 5, 1962. Do you have any storm stories to share? In the Monday, April 6, 1936, paper after word spread about the lethal tornado in Gainesville scores of local residents headed for that city’s destroyed downtown. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. The path length was 15 miles through parts of Lee & Itawamba Counties. The first of the deadly twisters touched down in Coffeeville then headed to Tupelo, devastating the town. The official record lists 216 fatalities. And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: Though Daniella was born in New York and has lived in a couple of other states, Mississippi has been her home for the past 25 years. Did you enjoy reading about this event? He was quoted as saying – “Every citizen of Marietta and Cobb County should feel it is his Christian duty to help in this disaster.”.