1856 Philadelphia tornado

1856 FU tornado in Pennsylvania, US September 2022 the 1856 FU tornado For the 2011 EF5 tornado in Mississippi 2011 Philadelphia, Mississippi tornado March 2026 March 2026 April 12, 1856 10-15 minutes 9 $100,000($US 100000 1840 in US dollarsUS) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania On April 12, 1856, a strong derecho struck the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the morning hours, Philadelphia was experiencing high westernly winds, with little rain and humid air.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030213/1856-04-15/ed-1/seq-5/ New-York daily tribune. (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, April 15, 1856, Image 5 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-15 2019-07-24 5 2158-2661 It was around 10 pm where winds started to pick up, occupied with lightning, and hail. The storm was most felt at Northern Philadelphia, where the tornado struck. This tornado might have been part of a tornado family, as 30 minutes before the Philadelphia tornado struck, another tornado struck West Chester, killing one.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85055197/1856-04-18/ed-1/seq-3/ Lewisburg chronicle. (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850–1859, April 18, 1856, Image 3 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-18 2019-07-24 2333-1666 This tornado also may have been part of a Derecho event producing an outbreak, as another strong tornado struck Alliance, Ohio, and storm damage reported from Chicago to Cleveland down to New Jersey.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-04-15/ed-1/seq-4/ The New York herald. (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, April 15, 1856, MORNING EDITION, Image 4 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-15 2019-07-24 4 2474-3224https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-04-19/ed-1/seq-6/ The New York herald. (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, April 19, 1856, MORNING EDITION, Image 6 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-19 2019-07-24 4 2474-3224 Impact The tornado formed in Chester County, between 9:30 and 10 pm moving east, striking Norristown, tearing fences. The tornado continued to move east, knocking down a train and then turned more southeast until it struck Northeast Philadelphia at 10 pm, lasting for 10 to 15 minutes, immediately smashing windows, lifting signs, damaging and unroofing 200 houses.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1856-04-16/ed-1/seq-2/ Alexandria gazette. (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834–1974, April 16, 1856, Image 2 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-16 2019-07-23 1946-6153https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89060060/1856-04-17/ed-1/seq-2/ Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845–1898, April 17, 1856, Image 2 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-17 2019-07-23 2474-7289 The estimated damage caused by the tornado is said to be around $100,000 ($2.51 million in 2018).https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1856-04-16/ed-1/seq-2/ Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, April 16, 1856, Image 2 National Endowment for the Humanities April 16, 1856 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov The tornado continued southeast and struck Camden. Several trains were knocked off of their rails; one loaded with 10 cars was moved 100 yards on the track, with 5 of the cars blown off.Daily American organ. [volume], April 14, 1856, Image 3 Two large brick churches and three factories were unroofed in Kensington, with parts of the roof landing and demolishing a two-story frame building that had 6 children in the lower floor. Five houses were completely destroyed. The worst damage from this tornado was a large boiler house of the Franklin Iron Works that was completely demolished. After the tornado dissipated, the storm itself would still cause damage, lifting a shed 150 yards in Tacony, stripping and damaging many buildings in Newark, blowing down a house near Elkton, killing two, blowing in a church in Bridgewater, ripping a roof off of a bridge in Beaver, and blowing down the York Furnace Bridge.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024738/1856-04-17/ed-1/seq-1/ The daily dispatch. (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, April 17, 1856, Image 1 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-17 2019-07-24 2157-1260https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024738/1856-04-18/ed-1/seq-1/ The daily dispatch. (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, April 18, 1856, Image 1 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-18 2019-07-24 2157-1260https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-04-19/ed-1/seq-11/ The New York herald. (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, April 19, 1856, MORNING EDITION, Image 11 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-19 2019-07-24 8 2474-3224 The tornado caused telegraph line outages lasting several days west of Philadelphia.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022548/1856-04-25/ed-1/seq-2/ Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, April 25, 1856, Image 2 National Endowment for the Humanities April 25, 1856 chroniclingamerica.loc.gov Aftermath The tornado left North Philadelphia in ruins, leaving 9 injured.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015672/1856-04-26/ed-1/seq-2/ The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, April 26, 1856, Image 2 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-26 2019-07-23 2381-3210 The storm damaged most of eastern Pennsylvania.https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85025007/1856-04-18/ed-1/seq-2/ Alexandria gazette. (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834–1974, April 18, 1856, Image 2 Humanities National Endowment for the 1856-04-18 2019-07-24 1946-6153 References Category:Tornadoes in Pennsylvania Category:History of Philadelphia Category:19th-century tornadoes Category:1856 natural disasters Category:Meteorological events in 1856 Category:F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes Category:April 1856 Category:1856 in Pennsylvania