Tri-State Remembers November 6 Tornado

Everyone Has a November 6 Story

I remember vividly where I was when the storms started. I was in my early twenties, up way too late, riding horses in the hills of Kentucky. It was early morning, and we were riding late. The horses were acting absolutely mad, doing what they wanted and not listening to any commands. We knew something was wrong, so we headed in. Atop one of the hills, we sat, watching the storm roll across what we assumed was Ellis Park. Unfortunately, it was, and next on the trail of terror was the Eastbrooke Mobile Home Park. 20 lives were lost in that park alone. The tornado continued to tear through Warrick and Spencer counties, leaving its path written in our history forever. In total, 24 lives were lost, 238 others were injured, and nearly 500 buildings were damaged or destroyed. To this day, any time I'm atop a hill overlooking the beauty of something, I still feel the chill of that early morning, sitting on a horse on that Kentucky hill, watching my hometown seem to disappear.

Check out the full path of the tornado and its damage on the Newburgh Museum website. Joe Bird breaks down the weather of the evening below:

Don't Forget The Tri-State Tornado of 1925

Unfortunately, for the Midwest, we have a historical marker that's terrifying. The deadliest tornado in United States history occurred on March 18, 1925, and is commonly referred to as the "Tri-State" tornado. A total of 695 people lost their lives, and more than 2,000 were injured. Starting in eastern Missouri, the tornado ravaged through southern Illinois and then into southern Indiana, finally dissipating in Pike County. The tornado destroyed the town of Griffin, Indiana, and barely left Princeton for us to have today. Due to the early date of this tornado, photographs and video are not available, just a terrifying legend from the time. Joe Bird has an excellent breakdown of the tragedy below.

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Here are more pictures from the November 6 tornado.