1957 Ruskin Heights tornado

F5 tornado in the midwestern United States December 2024 Ruskin Heights tornado.jpg The tornado near peak intensity as it approached Martin City, Missouri May 20, 1957, 7:15 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) May 20, 1957, 8:53 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) 1 hour and 38 minutes atl F5 >261 mi/h km/h on 44 531 Franklin County, Kansas and Jackson County, Missouri, especially Ruskin Heights $2,500,000 ($ in US USD) tornado outbreaks of 1957 and the tornado outbreak of May 19–22, 1957 In the evening hours of May 20, 1957, a large, long-tracked and deadly tornado moved through portions of eastern Kansas and western Missouri, killing forty-four people and injuring over five hundred. The tornado is the deadliest to strike the Kansas City metropolitan area, and was the deadliest worldwide in 1957. The tornado was rated F5 on the Fujita scale, the first of three worldwide in 1957 to receive this rating. The tornado touched down near Williamsburg at 7:15 p.m., headed northeast. As the tornado neared Homewood, it took on a multi-vortex shape and lofted gravestones in the air. As it passed near Spring Hill, the tornado leveled numerous buildings and killed seven people before crossing state lines into Missouri, where the worst damage was observed in the Martin City area. The tornado left an estimated eighty-five percent of Martin City "uninhabitable", and killed another thirty-seven people before dissipating at 8:53 p.m., over an hour after touching down. Meteorological synopsis Tornado outbreak of May 19–22, 1957#Background left|thumb|Tornado watches issued on May 20, 1957. Early on May 20, a 75 to 80 kn mi/h km/h on mid-level jet stream bisected dew points of 65 F C on on, coincident with a 986 mb inHg on low-pressure area and warm front over southeastern Nebraska. Soundings and surface weather observations indicated a robust, unstable warm sector, showing 3,000 J/kg of surface-based convective available potential energy (CAPE) and the presence of strong wind shear, all which favored the development of supercells.Ruskin Heights Tornado of May 20 1957 https://www.weather.gov/eax/RuskinHeights September 4, 2024 Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO Weather Forecast Office National Weather Service Pleasant Hill, MissouriJonathan Finch North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959 https://bangladeshtornadoes.org/UScases50to59.html September 4, 2024 Bangladesh Tornadoes At 17:00 UTC (12:00 p.m. CDT) the Severe Local Storms Unit (SELS) in Kansas City had already issued a severe weather watch, mentioning tornadoes, for the Kansas–Nebraska state line and its environs. Subsequent updates covered much of the eastern Great Plains, from the Green Country to southeastern Nebraska. Upon formation, severe thunderstorms traveled at up to 42 mi/h km/h on, attended by extremely large hail. Tornado summary thumb|The tornado near Ottawa in Kansas|left thumb|The tornado widening in size The tornado, which was likely a family of tornadoes, was first seen as it was forming near Williamsburg, it then moved northeastward through several counties, producing near-continuous damage; a single tornado was likely present for 50 mi km on or more. Around Homewood, the tornado was attended by up to 10 tentacle-like vortices or satellite tornadoes, producing major damage to rural property and carrying gravestones miles away. Near Homewood, it was determined from ground surveys that two tornadoes were on the ground at the time, with the second one being rated F3.Wells Michael May 17, 2017 The Ruskin Heights Tornado: Sixty Years Since https://kchistory.org/blog/ruskin-heights-tornado-sixty-years November 28, 2024 The Kansas City Public LibraryStorm Events Database - Event Details National Centers for Environmental Information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/storm-events-database/event-details/10027754 November 28, 2024 www.ncdc.noaa.gov Passing near Ottawa, Rantoul, and Spring Hill, it leveled many homes and caused seven fatalities. South of Wellsville, the tornado may have dissipated and reformed; it then continued uninterrupted for the rest of its life. Along the Kansas–Missouri border the tornado followed a near-straight line, causing $1 million in losses in Kansas, along with seven deaths. Affecting the southern suburbs of Kansas City, it entered Missouri, tearing through Martin City, Hickman Mills, and Ruskin Heights, along with the northeastern side of Grandview. An occupied car was thrown into a water tower; the occupants survived.May 21, 2022 Survivor describes flying into water tower on KC's deadliest tornado anniversary https://fox4kc.com/news/survivor-describes-flying-into-water-tower-on-kcs-deadliest-tornado-anniversary/ December 2, 2024 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV News, Weather, Sports en-US Ground scouring was observed near Hickman Mills, and large trees were snapped.May 20, 2021 Thursday marks 64 years since the most destructive and deadliest tornado in Kansas City history https://fox4kc.com/news/thursday-marks-64-years-since-the-most-destructive-and-deadliest-tornado-in-kansas-city-history/ December 2, 2024 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV News, Weather, Sports en-US Housing incurred F5 damage, besides some businesses at a shopping center. Some areas were reportedly "swept clean", and a newly built brick school in Ruskin Heights was badly damaged; 85% of Martin City was uninhabitable. In total, over 800 homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed.December 18, 2023 CAUGHT IN THE PATH, THE RUSKIN HEIGHTS TORNADO https://www.jchs.org/jchs-e-journal/2023/12/14/caught-in-the-path-the-ruskin-heights-tornado December 2, 2024 JCHS en-US The tornado claimed 37 lives in Missouri and injured 500 or more people. Debris from Hickman Mills was found in Iowa, 165 mi km on away, and other debris was carried aloft 30,000 ft m mi km on. Historically, the 1957 F5 was not the only significant tornado to affect the area: an F3 tornado also affected Martin City and nearby Holmes Park on May 23, 1946, destroying or damaging chicken coops, silos, a marketplace, barns, and homes. The tornado killed a couple and injured five people.Multiple sources: 55th Anniversary of the Ruskin Heights-Hickman Mills Tornado http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/?n=ruskinheightstornado dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080605035843/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/?n=ruskinheightstornado June 5, 2008 September 4, 2024 NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO National Weather Service Pleasant Hill, Missouri Brewer 1997 5, 13, 31, 106–7 March 19, 2021 Edwards Roger Roger Edwards (meteorologist) F5 and EF5 Tornadoes of the United States, 1950-present https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/f5torns.html February 3, 2022 The Online Tornado FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes Storm Prediction Center Norman, Oklahoma Grazulis 1984 A-67 Grazulis 1993 923, 1007 Grazulis 2001b 22 June 11, 2007 Ruskin Heights Tornado Memorial http://www.ruskinheightstornado.org/index.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20070929040203/http://www.ruskinheightstornado.org/index.htm September 29, 2007 September 4, 2024 Ruskin Heights Tornado Ruskin Heights Memorial Tree Arbor Foundation Ruskin Heights, Missouri USWB 1957 185 Aftermath thumb|Aerial view of damage caused by the Ruskin Heights F5. Martial law was declared in Ruskin Heights and neighboring areas. National Guard troops were called in to assist with rescue and cleanup operations.May 21, 1957 Ruskin Tornado 21 May 1957 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-times-ruskin-tornado-21/11263559/?locale=en-US November 30, 2024 The Kansas City Times 1 In total, the tornado caused $2,500,000 ($ in US USD) in damage in Kansas and Missouri. A memorial was constructed to honor the victims of the tornado; it was completed in May 1958. In September 2024, the memorial was damaged due to a car crash.November 28, 2024 Push to rebuild after Ruskin Heights Tornado Memorial damaged https://fox4kc.com/news/push-to-rebuild-after-ruskin-heights-tornado-memorial-damaged/ December 1, 2024 FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV News, Weather, Sports en-US +List of confirmed fatalities from the tornadoBrewer 1997Euston Diane May 16, 2017 The New Santa Fe Trailer: Remembering the Ruskin Heights Tornado 60 Years Later https://newsantafetrailer.blogspot.com/2017/05/remembering-ruskin-heights-tornado-60.html December 2, 2024 The New Santa Fe TrailerNameAgeStateCityGladys Erwin54MissouriHickman MillsLinda Sue Stewart0Goldie Marie Taylor49Caroline Kay Taylor3Cornelia Davis25Katherine Sue Davis7Marjorie Wackemagle Hower31Oral Glenn Hower35John Hower9Lena Rucker39Gerald Rucker41Dorothy Lavonne Leopold31Harold Keith Leopold11Charles Johnston36Ruskin HeightsCatherine Armon31Alta Guyll41George Kildow45Robert W. Yost, Jr9Diane Boyd-Rossi7Hester Timm39Denise Woodling3Maxine Nehring30Jeanette Nelson Dorris79Arthur Frechette80Charles Thompson50Amma Marsh78KansasOttawaJames A. Marsh84Isham Davis34Spring HillBarbara Davis31Pamela Davis7Tamera Davis5Lowell Atkinson43MissouriMartin CityMargaret Erlene Smith24Joseph Vinchier78GrandviewRandall McGill0Edward S. Henton50Bessie Knorpp Smith50Maybelle Gabbert73Knob TownHenry Gabbert71UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownDied due to tornado-caused injuries over the years.UnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown See also Fargo tornado, another F5 tornado that touched down the same year 2011 Joplin tornado, a large and destructive EF5 tornado that struck Missouri over 50 years later Notes and footnotes Notes note Footnotes Sources Brewer Carolyn Glenn 1997 Caught in the Path: the Fury of a Tornado, the Rebirth of a Community Leathers Publishing Overland Park, Kansas https://archive.org/details/caughtinpathfury0000unse/ registration 0-9655774-0-6 Internet Archive Grazulis Thomas P. Thomas P. Grazulis May 1984 Violent Tornado Climatography, 1880–1982 NUREG CR-3670 OSTI Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 7099491 free Grazulis Thomas P. 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. F5-F6 Tornadoes The Tornado Project of Environmental Films 2001b St. Johnsbury, Vermont USWB 1957 U.S. Weather Bureau Storm data and unusual weather phenomena Climatological Data National Summary May 1957 8 5 182–89 National Climatic Data Center Asheville, North Carolina https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/cdns/cdns.html Further reading 55th Anniversary of the Ruskin Heights-Hickman Mills Tornado http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/?n=ruskinheightstornado dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080605035843/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/eax/?n=ruskinheightstornado June 5, 2008 September 4, 2024 NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office Kansas City/Pleasant Hill, MO National Weather Service Pleasant Hill, Missouri 1957-05-20 1957-05-20 05-20 1957-05-20 Category:May 1957 in the United States