The beginning of March marks the beginning of Severe Weather Preparedness Month. Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois are each scheduled to have tornado drills throughout the month.

Princeton, Indiana's Mayor Greg Wright shared a reminder on social media about the deadly tornado that destroyed the entire town in March of 1925. I was not even a thought back then but growing up in Princeton, we were taught to get in the basement if there's a tornado warning. No matter how disgusting and creepy the basement was.

Read More: Free Indiana Weather Spotter Training 2025 Online Classes NWS

Modern Warning Systems Save Lives

I have no idea how people back in the day knew when there was a tornado warning. I mean sometimes our pets act a little odd, and if it's daylight, you can see a storm coming. But without enough warning time, the tornado of 1925 killed hundreds of people across three states in the middle of the day.

Memories Like It Was Yesterday

Princeton's Mayor, Greg Wright, is basically a walking history book of Princeton. He even has two books full of historical pictures and facts. He shared this video interview of residents who lived through the storm, and they tell stories like it was yesterday.

Residents comb the wreckage of the town of Griffin, IN after the March 1925 tornado.

That Fateful Day

If you have ever taken that first Princeton exit from 41, you've been through the area that was destroyed in 1925. Picture where Taco Tiera is today, then drive a couple of miles to the public pool, and that side of town was not touched. Isn't that crazy?

Get our free mobile app

Train cars were tipped over, and power lines were all over the place, but it actually could've been worse. Some people who would've normally been home or working on the south side during this daytime storm were not home. There was a special drawing and 'Sale Day' in the square, and that actually kept them safe. Many teachers would've died at Baldwin Heights school, but they had been dismissed for the downtown event.