1886 St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids tornado outbreak

Weather event in the United States May 2025 February 2025 1886 St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids tornado outbreak Pf037671.jpg Black-and-white photograph highlighting wreckage and wooden boards Destruction in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, after the F4 tornado of April 14, 1886 April 14–15, 1886 ≥ 18 confirmed F4 ≥ 87 fatalities, ≥ 324 injuries nb Losses All losses are in 1886 USD unless otherwise noted. Midwestern and Southern United States On April 14–15, 1886, a destructive tornado outbreak affected portions of the Midwestern and Southern United States. The outbreak generated at least 18 tornadoes, four of which were violent, including the St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids tornado, an F4 tornado that tore through the cities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, and Rice, Minnesota, on April 14, destroying much of the town of Sauk Rapids and killing 72 people along its path. It is the deadliest tornado on record in Minnesota. Other tornadoes occurred in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas on the same day, suggesting the possibility of a large outbreak. In all, the entire outbreak killed at least 87 people and injured at least 324.Zurek 2002nb Outbreak An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/schneider/otbrkseq.pdf Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875-2003) Schneider Russell S. Brooks Harold E. Schaefer Joseph T. Harold E. Brooks 2004 American Meteorological Society Hyannis, Massachusetts 22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms https://ams.confex.com/ams/11aram22sls/techprogram/programexpanded_230.htm 17 September 2019nb Fujita The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.Grazulis 1993 141Grazulis 2001a 131 While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,Edwards Roger Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) Storm Prediction Center 25 February 2016 5 March 2015 Canada utilized the old scale until April 1, 2013;Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale) https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 Environment and Climate Change Canada 25 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220706/http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 3 March 2016 6 June 2013 dead nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.The International Tornado Intensity Scale http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php Tornado and Storm Research Organisation 25 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305120332/http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php 5 March 2016 2016 dead nb Count Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.Grazulis 2001a 251–4 Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.Edwards Roger The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes Storm Prediction Center 25 February 2016 5 March 2015 Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced NEXRAD was first installed and the National Weather Service began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.Cook A. R. Schaefer J. T. The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks Monthly Weather Review American Meteorological Society Norman, Oklahoma Boston August 2008 136 8 3135 10.1175/2007MWR2171.1 2008MWRv..136.3121C free Confirmed tornadoes thumb|Weather map of the storm system that would produce the tornado outbreak in the Midwestern and Southern United States on April 14, 1886. The ratings for these tornadoes were done by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and are not official ratings. 18 ? ? ? 10 4 4 0 April 14 event + Confirmed tornadoes – Wednesday, April 14, 1886nb Date/Time All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time and dates are split at midnight CST/CDT for consistency.nb Width Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.Brooks Harold E. Harold E. Brooks On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity Weather and Forecasting April 2004 19 2 310 10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2 American Meteorological Society Boston 2004WtFor..19..310B free F#LocationCounty / ParishStateTime (UTC)Path lengthMax. Maximum widthSummary F2ShubertRichardsonNE21:00–?5 mi km on100 yd m on1 death – Tornado injured 10 people and destroyed or damaged three or more homes.Grazulis 1993 637 F2Lake Reno to Lake MaryPope, DouglasMN21:00–?9 mi km onTornado destroyed or damaged six barns on five farmsteads. A few homes lost their roofs or tipped onto their sides.Grazulis 1993 637 F4S of Griswold to NNE of Coon RapidsCass, Audubon, Guthrie, CarrollIA21:00–?55 mi km on400 yd m on3 deaths – Long-tracked tornado family destroyed or damaged 70 farmhouses, several of which were swept clean of debris, leaving only foundations behind. Hundreds of cattle were killed and a train was thrown off its tracks. Tornado also destroyed 32 structures in Coon Rapids, nine of which were homes. 18 injuries were reported along the path and losses were estimated at $100,000.Grazulis 1993 637 F4SSW of St. Cloud to Sauk Rapids to SSE of RiceStearns, BentonMN22:20–?25 mi km on800 yd m on72 deaths – See section on this tornado – 213 people were injured and losses totaled $400,000.Grazulis 1993 637 F2ESE of OneidaNemahaKS22:30–?3 mi km on200 yd m onTornado injured four children and destroyed several homes.Grazulis 1993 637 F2E of Hubbard to E of Park RapidsHubbardMN22:30–?10 mi km on200 yd m onTornado injured seven people, downed hundreds of trees, unroofed a few farmhouses, and destroyed a number of barns. As the tornado crossed Long Lake it tossed water 100 ft m on on high.Grazulis 1993 637 F4SW of Little Rock to SW of BuckmanBenton, MorrisonMN22:50–?14 mi km on200 yd m on2 deaths – Tornado formed from the same supercell as the St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids F4. Two entire farms were obliterated and seven people were injured. "Tons" of debris from St. Cloud littered the landscape.Grazulis 1993 639 F2E of Story CityStoryIA23:00–?3 mi km on70 yd m onTornado caused one injury and unroofed or partly destroyed three homes, one of which lost its upper story. Several barns were destroyed as well.Grazulis 1993 639 F2N of Circleville to E of WetmoreJackson, NemahaKS23:30–?7 mi km on50 yd m onTornado injured four people and destroyed four homes, along with stables and barns.Grazulis 1993 639USASC 1886 101 F2NW of ChurdanGreeneIA00:00–?Tornado destroyed several barns.Grazulis 1993 639 F3Lickskillet to Strahan to Wheeler GroveFremont, Mills, Montgomery, PottawattamieIA00:15–?45 mi km on100 yd m onLong-tracked tornado family destroyed at least 15 homes. Tornado began south of Thurman and passed west of Sidney. Near Sidney a school was destroyed and scattered for 2 mi km on. At Strahan the tornado destroyed a church and a store. Five homes, a church, and several other structures were damaged or destroyed in Wheeler Grove. Five injuries occurred along the path.Grazulis 1993 639USASC 1886 101 F4N of Mound City to Burlington JunctionHolt, NodawayMO01:30–?15 mi km on300 yd m on6 deaths – Tornado destroyed structures on 15 farmsteads, including four homes that were leveled. 20 injuries were reported.Grazulis 1993 639 F3NW of Bedford to PrescottTaylor, AdamsIA01:45–?20 mi km on200 yd m onTornado injured 15 people and destroyed several homes, leaving only scattered pieces of lumber behind.Grazulis 1993 639 F2BlodgettScottMO03:00–?3 deaths – Tornado injured two people and destroyed three farmhouses.Grazulis 1993 639 F2W of Orient to E of GreenfieldAdairIA03:00–?5 mi km on100 yd m onTornado injured two people and destroyed three farmhouses.Grazulis 1993 639 F3S of RhomeWise, DentonTX03:45–?15 mi km on300 yd m onTornado produced possible F4–F5 damage to five farmsteads, but little information was available with which to assign a rating higher than F3. 13 injuries were reported along the path, and total losses reached $100,000. One death may have occurred.Grazulis 1993 639 F3SW of TerrellKaufmanTX04:00–?4 mi km on200 yd m onFarms were obliterated, possibly at F4 intensity, but information was insufficient with which to assign a rating higher than F3.Grazulis 1993 639 April 15 event + Confirmed tornadoes – Thursday, April 15, 1886nb Date/Timenb WidthF#LocationCounty / ParishStateTime (UTC)Path lengthMax. Maximum widthSummary F2Island FordRutherfordNC23:00–?5 mi km onTornado injured five people and destroyed a few homes.Grazulis 1993 639 St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids, Minnesota St. Cloud–Sauk Rapids, Minnesota Pf077683.jpg Black-and-white photograph showing piles of debris and splintered wood The Sauk Rapids courthouse in ruins April 14, 18864:20 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00)Stearns County, Minnesota F4 72 fatalities, 213 injuries $400,000 (1886 USD)$US 400,000 1886 -4 (US USD) Central Minnesota, United States At 4:20 p.m., a tornado of approximately F4 intensity cut through the heart of Sauk Rapids. It was one of at least four tornadoes that affected the region between 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. that day. It had a maximum width of 1/2 mi km on and covered an area of 14 mi km on. Seeley Mark W. Minnesota Weather Almanac Minnesota Historical Society press 2006 0-87351-554-4 registration https://archive.org/details/minnesotaweather0000seel As the storm moved across the Mississippi River, it temporarily sucked the river dry. Some of the structures the tornado destroyed included an iron truss bridge spanning the Mississippi River, the post office, the courthouse, a flour mill, a school, and two churches.USASC 1886 101 15 railcars were demolished, and iron rails from the train track were pulled up and mangled.USASC 1886 101 After passing through Sauk Rapids, the tornado moved on to Rice, where it killed 11 people in a wedding party, including the groom, when the home they were occupying was destroyed. In all, 72 people were killed by the twister, including 38 in Sauk Rapids and 20 in St. Cloud. Over 200 more were injured.Hill 2019https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/climate/summaries_and_publications/tornadoes.html Minnesota Tornado History and StatisticsWelter 2013 Impact, aftermath, and recovery left|thumb|100px|St. Paul Daily Globe coverage on April 18, 1886 St. Benedict's Hospital in St. Cloud, which was spared by the tornado, became the center of relief efforts following the destruction. The Benedictine nuns who operated the hospital worked 48 hours straight until aid arrived from the nearby towns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Over 50 patients were taken to St. Mary's school and convent in St. Joseph, where the teaching sisters served as nurses. Dominik John J. That You May Find Healing St. Cloud Hospital 1986 St. Cloud, Minn 8 Before the tornado struck, Sauk Rapids was considered one of the most important towns in Minnesota and a center of business for central Minnesota. Sauk Rapids History City of Sauk Rapids http://saukrapids.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7BBC290869-DC15-48C6-AABC-5B38E05EC174%7D 2007-05-15 Communities In Crisis Stearns County History Museum http://www.quest.stearns-museum.org/pages/Quest_III/chapters3/5.html 2007-05-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20110323013239/http://www.quest.stearns-museum.org/pages/Quest_III/chapters3/5.html 2011-03-23 dead It was a blossoming community located on the Mississippi River. However, the tornado changed the economic structure of the entire area, destroying at least 109 commercial and public buildings in Sauk Rapids alone, including every business on Main Street, and causing over $400,000 ($ in US) in damages. April in the Upper Midwest Intellicast http://www.intellicast.com/Almanac/Midwest/April/ 2007-05-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20060815035324/http://www.intellicast.com/Almanac/Midwest/April/ 2006-08-15 dead After the tornado, St. Cloud became the dominant business center in the region. See also Climate of Minnesota List of Minnesota weather records List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks Notes nb References 2 Sources Winds Monthly Weather Review April 1886 14 4 100–1 10.1175/1520-0493(1886)14[100b:W]2.0.CO;2 USASC 1886 United States Army Signal Corps Washington, D.C. free E. S. Hill St. Cloud, MN 2019 http://cdm.csbsju.edu/digital/collection/SBM/id/59 SBM.05d Aftermath of the cyclone in St. Cloud that left 58 dead and hundreds injured, April 14, 1886 Image Collection of the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University June 23, 2019 Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events July 1993 The Tornado Project of Environmental Films St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1-879362-03-1 Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz registration 2001a University of Oklahoma Press Norman 978-0-8061-3538-0 Grazulis Thomas P. F5-F6 Tornadoes The Tornado Project of Environmental Films 2001b St. Johnsbury, Vermont April 15, 1886: St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids in ruins Ben Welter http://www.startribune.com/april-15-1886-st-cloud-sauk-rapids-in-ruins/206303521/ Star Tribune 43369847 May 6, 2013 June 23, 2019 Zurek Ronald Christopher Sauk Rapids and Benton County 2002 Arcadia Publishing 9780738519609 - Total pages: 128 External links Section of With Lamps Burning discussing the cyclone from the book With Lamps Burning, an early history of the Saint Benedict's Monastery, by Grace McDonald. Made available online by the College of Saint Benedict Archives. Category:Benton County, Minnesota Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes Category:Natural disasters in Minnesota Category:Stearns County, Minnesota Category:19th-century tornadoes Category:Meteorological events in 1886 Category:Tornadoes in Minnesota Category:1886 in Minnesota Category:1886 natural disasters in the United States Category:April 1886 in the United States 1886-04-14