Tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1956

Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Infobox weather event Template:Infobox weather event/Tornado outbreak Template:Infobox weather event/Effects Template:Infobox weather event/Footer From April 2–3, 1956, a large, deadly tornado outbreak affected the Great Plains, parts of the South, and the upper Midwest in the contiguous United States, especially the Great Lakes region. The outbreak produced at least 55 tornadoes, including an F5 that devastated the Grand Rapids metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Michigan on April 3. It was one of three tornadoes to move across southwest Lower Michigan on that day. A fourth tornado struck north of the Manistee area, in the northern part of the peninsula. The Hudsonville–Standale tornado killed 18 and injured 333. It remains the fourth deadliest tornado on record in Michigan and is the most recent F5 on record there. Several other deadly, intense, long-tracked tornadoes also occurred during the outbreak. In addition to the fatalities in Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan and Berlin, Wisconsin, three people were killed in Tennessee, one person in Kentucky and two more people in Wisconsin. In total, 39 were killed during the entire event.Template:Refn

Background

Tuesday, April 3, 1956, was a warm and humid day across most of the Midwestern U.S., the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley. Temperatures in the areas affected by the worst of the outbreak were well into the 70s °F, approaching in Michigan, with anomalously high dew points—the latter exceeding near the shoreline of Lake Michigan. A potent low-pressure area accompanied an intense mid-latitude cyclone with a pronounced dry line located near the western Great Lakes. An attendant warm front extended eastward over Wisconsin, a vigorous cold front southward through Illinois. In tandem with the advancing trough, a strong jet stream with winds up to extended over Little Rock, Arkansas, and impinged on the Upper Midwest. Prior to the arrival of the storms in the region, schools had closed earlier than usual due to the threat of severe weather. By late afternoon, the cold front crossed over the western Great Lakes including Lake Michigan.

Outbreak statistics

Daily statistics of tornadoes during the tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1956

DateTemplate:Refn	Total	F-scale ratingTemplate:Refn							Deaths	Injuries	DamageTemplate:Refn
		FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5
April 2	20	0	3	4	7	3	3	0	7	144	≥ Template:Nts
April 3	35	3	1	2	18	5	5	1	32	646	Template:Nts
Total	55	3	4	6	25	8	8	1	39	790	≥ Template:Nts

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating

FU	F0	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	Total
3	4	6	25	8	8	1	55*

Prior to 1990, there is a likely undercount of tornadoes, particularly E/F0–1, with reports of weaker tornadoes becoming more common as population increased. A sharp increase in the annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991.Template:Refn 1974 marked the first year where significant tornado (E/F2+) counts became homogenous with contemporary values, attributed to the consistent implementation of Fujita scale assessments.Template:Refn Numerous discrepancies on the details of tornadoes in this outbreak exist between sources. The total count of tornadoes and ratings differs from various agencies accordingly. The list below documents information from the most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis.

• In addition to confirmed tornadoes, a funnel cloud near Jenera, Ohio, was officially but incorrectly listed as a tornado.

Color/symbol key

Color / symbol	Description
†	Data from Grazulis 1990/1993/2001b
¶	Data from a local National Weather Service office
※	Data from the 1956 Climatological Data National Summary publication
‡	Data from the NCEI database
♯	Maximum width of tornado
±	Tornado was rated below F2 intensity by Grazulis but a specific rating is unavailable.

List of confirmed tornadoes in the tornado outbreak of April 2–3, 1956

F#	Location	County / Parish	State	Start Coord.Template:Refn	DateTemplate:Refn	Time (UTC)	Path length	WidthTemplate:Refn	Damage
F1	SE of Allendale	Worth	Missouri		Template:Nts	07:00–?	※		Template:Nts‡
	A tornado intermittently damaged outbuildings on three farms.
F1	Wilmette	Cook	Illinois		Template:Nts	07:30–?			Template:Nts‡
	A small, short-lived tornado generated minor damage.
F1	Owasso	Tulsa	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	16:30–?	※		Template:Unk
	A few outbuildings were destroyed in a brief touchdown over remote areas.
F0	NW of Pawnee Rock	Barton	Kansas		Template:Nts	00:00–?	‡	‡	Template:Unk
	A farm was damaged.
F2†	NW of Ellinwood to E of Claflin to NE of Holyrood†	Barton, Ellsworth†	Kansas		Template:Nts	00:30†–?	†	†	≥Template:Nts†
	This long-tracked tornado family first produced F1-level damage to hangars and aircraft at the Ellinwood airport. It then damaged drilling rigs, small homes, and utility lines in and near an oil camp on K-4. In southern Holyrood the tornado shifted five homes on their foundations, and a gym and bleachers were wrecked. One person was injured.
F3	Hopeton to W of Burlington※	Woods, Alfalfa	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	01:05–?			Template:Nts†
	This tornado damaged or destroyed 30 buildings, including 20 homes, and a grain elevator. Three people were injured.
F0	WNW of Attica	Harper	Kansas		Template:Nts	01:10–?	‡	‡	Template:Unk
	Trees were felled and structures shifted on their foundations.
F0	N of Hunter	Mitchell	Kansas		Template:Nts	01:30–?	※	‡	Template:Unk
	A tornado damaged agricultural outbuildings and transmission lines.
F3†	W of Kremlin to S of Medford†	Garfield, Grant	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	01:45–?	※		Template:Nts†
	Eight farmsteads were impacted, a few of which incurred borderline-F4 damage. A home near the end of the path was wrecked as well. Three head of cattle perished in a collapsed barn. Four injuries were confirmed.
F2±	N of Billings	Kay	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	02:45–?	※	‡	Template:Nts‡
	Every building on a farm was wrecked except for the farmhouse. Chickens were killed, and agricultural machinery was also destroyed.
F1	Northern Tishomingo	Johnston	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	03:29–?		※	Template:Nts‡
	Many outbuildings, a metal fence, and a concession stand at a drive-in theater were destroyed. Posts at the theater were broken off as well.
F3†	E of Skedee to E of Fairfax‡	Pawnee, Osage	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	03:30–?	†		Template:Nts†
	This tornado destroyed a home and unroofed a pair of others. Barns were leveled, outbuildings damaged, and livestock killed as well. One injury occurred.
F4	ENE of Kildare (OK) to NW of Howard (KS)†	Kay (OK), Cowley (KS), Chautauqua (KS), Elk (KS)	Oklahoma, Kansas		Template:Nts	03:30–04:10	†	†	Template:Unk
	This was the first member of a long-lived, violent tornado family and likely consisted of multiple tornadoes. Near Hardy several funnel clouds were seen to form a single large tornado. In this area, just south of the Oklahoma–Kansas state line, a home incurred near-F5-level damage, and numerous trees nearby were entirely stripped of their bark. Several outbuildings were wrecked as well, debris strewn over a large area, and a horse and six cattle killed. Only a few people were injured before the tornado entered Kansas. In the latter state F4 damage was reported south of Grenola. Along the entire path 25 people were injured.
F2†	Between Elbing and Whitewater to ENE of Florence†	Butler, Marion	Kansas		Template:Nts	03:30–?	†	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	Many sheds and barns were destroyed, debris of which was carried for miles. A stone penetrated the roof of a home. One injury was reported.
F4†	Jacktown to Davenport† to Drumright※	Lincoln, Creek	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	03:33–?	†		Template:Nts†
	5 deaths – A long-tracked, violent tornado began east of Fowler. Eight injuries occurred in Davenport. The tornado passed west of Stroud and continued into Drumright. In Drumright, 63 homes were destroyed and 203 damaged, with five deaths, four of which were in one family. A church and numerous rural farms were destroyed as well. In all, 98 people were injured.
F2†	Near Cedar Point†	Chase	Kansas	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	03:50–?†	†	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	A barn was unroofed and a home wrecked. This is believed to be the first member of a long-tracked family, with five or more tornadoes along the same path, all spawned from the same supercell.
F2†	W of Strong City (1st tornado)†	Chase	Kansas	‡	Template:Nts	04:40–?†	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	An automobile was tossed and its driver injured.
F2†	W of Strong City (2nd tornado) to N of Dover†	Chase, Lyon, Wabaunsee, Osage, Shawnee†	Kansas	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	04:40–05:30※	†	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	This was possibly a family of several tornadoes or a multiple-vortex event. As the tornado crossed Lake Kahola, 16 lakefront summer houses were wrecked. A number of trailers were turned onto their sides as well. Six people were injured, among them a boy near Bushong who was blown through a window and whose leg was injured, along with four men at a quarry near Eskridge.
F2±	SE of Auburn	Nemaha	Nebraska		Template:Nts	04:45–?	※		Template:Nts‡
	A garage was destroyed.
F4†	SW of Toronto to SE of Gridley	Greenwood, Woodson, Coffey	Kansas		Template:Nts	04:58–?※	†	†	Template:Unk
	2 deaths – This was likely a family of tornadoes. A trailer and a seven-room house were leveled. One of the dead was reportedly found more than away. Four injuries were reported.
FU※	E of Harveyville to southwestern Topeka	Osage, Shawnee	Kansas	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	05:30–05:47	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	This tornado passed west of Auburn and through the Seabrook section of Topeka. In Seabrook, the tornado broke glass, blew out bricks, and damaged television antennae and trees. Crops were impacted as well.
F3†	Near Meriden to NW of Nortonville†	Jefferson, Atchison	Kansas		Template:Nts	05:55–?†	†	†	≥Template:Nts†
	This was the last member of a tornado family. Several farmhouses were wrecked and 19 cattle were killed in a barn. Two people were injured.
F2†	Sobol※	Pushmataha	Oklahoma		Template:Nts	06:05–?			Template:Nts†
	An entire farmstead was wrecked and a school, house, and various outbuildings damaged. Three injuries were reported.
F4	SW of Narcissa (OK) to SE of Carterville (MO)‡	Ottawa (OK), Cherokee (KS), Jasper (MO)	Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri		Template:Nts	06:10–?	†	†	Template:Nts†
	This violent, long-tracked tornado affected the Joplin, Missouri, metropolitan area. A home sustained F4 damage in the Quapaw–Miami area, its debris being dispersed . 61 homes were destroyed or damaged in this area. The tornado then crossed the Oklahoma–Kansas state line into Baxter Springs, destroying or damaging 27 homes, along with a grandstand at a baseball field, and felling trees. The tornado crossed into Missouri west of Joplin and passed through Webb City, damaging 30 homes and several businesses. In all, 54 people were injured.
F2†	S of Noel to Pineville‡	McDonald	Missouri		Template:Nts	06:30–?	†	†	Template:Nts‡
	Five barns were wrecked and roofing of homes damaged. One person was injured.
F2	NE of Highland†	Iowa	Wisconsin		Template:Nts	17:00–?	※		Template:Nts†
	A tornado leveled a pair of barns, one of which had its CBU foundation dislodged.
F2±	Thebes※	Ashley	Arkansas		Template:Nts	18:25–?	※	※	Template:Nts‡
	Several sheds and a barn were destroyed. A home sustained damage as well.
F3†	Western Bancroft to NW of Amherst†	Portage	Wisconsin		Template:Nts	18:50–?	※		Template:Nts†
	2 deaths – Various outbuildings and barns were destroyed at eight different locations. The deaths occurred separately in homes that were destroyed. Seven injuries were reported.
F2	SSW of Lake Village†	Chicot	Arkansas		Template:Nts	19:00–?			Template:Nts†
	A pair of homes were destroyed and another pair damaged. Sheds and barns were wrecked as well.
F4	SSW of Berlin to northwestern Omro‡	Green Lake, Waushara‡, Winnebago※	Wisconsin		Template:Nts	19:30†–20:05※	※	※	Template:Nts†
	7 deaths – 20 or more homes and a factory were destroyed; many of the homes were leveled, sustaining F4 damage. Lightweight items from Berlin were found up to away. 50 injuries were confirmed.
F2†	E of Ogdensburg to near Symco	Waupaca	Wisconsin	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	19:45–?			Template:Unk
	Nine barns, a rural school, and a general store were wrecked.
F2	Linn†	Sunflower	Mississippi		Template:Nts	20:30–?	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	This strong tornado wrecked a pair of homes, injuring a few people. It was the first member of a long-tracked tornado family that began west of Sunflower, passed near Chesterville, and continued to Belden and Saltillo.
F2±	NE of Lawrenceville※	Lawrence	Illinois		Template:Nts	20:30–?	※	‡	Template:Nts‡
	This strong tornado struck a sawmill, wrecking a spacious outbuilding there. A concrete structure was also damaged, with packaged lumber strewn all about. Several windows were broken as well.
F2±	ESE of Kempton	Ford	Illinois		Template:Nts	22:00–?			Template:Nts‡
	A barn was unroofed, other structures damaged, a newly-built chicken coop destroyed, and windows shattered.
F3	E of Dixon to NNE of Zion‡	Webster, Henderson	Kentucky		Template:Nts	22:00–?	※	†	Template:Nts†
	1 death – One home and several barns were wrecked. Many livestock were killed as well. The lone victim was thrown from her home. Two other individuals were injured.
F2±	NE of Klondyke※	Vermillion※	Indiana		Template:Nts	22:00–?※	※		Template:Nts‡
	A brief tornado unroofed a barn and stripped a farmhouse of some roof shingles. A window was smashed as well.
F2	SW of Weldon to E of De Land‡	De Witt, Piatt	Illinois		Template:Nts	22:08–?	※		Template:Nts†
	Buildings were wrecked on four farmsteads and other structures were unroofed.
F4¶	Western Saugatuck to Gibson to southwestern Holland	Allegan	Michigan		Template:Nts	22:45–23:00			Template:Unk
	See section on this tornado – Seven people were injured.
F4	SE of Chapel Hill to Lexington to Alberton‡	Henderson	Tennessee		Template:Nts	22:45–23:00※	※		Template:Nts†
	3 deaths – A violent tornado destroyed a pair of businesses, along with 46 homes, a number of which received F4 damage. Additionally, 250 homes and 20 businesses were damaged. Bodies were tossed , and 60 people were injured as well.
F3†	SW of Salem to Canton to near Little York†	Washington	Indiana		Template:Nts	22:45–?※	※	※	Template:Nts†
	This intense tornado shifted a large bridge and destroyed or damaged more than 100 structures, including numerous barns. One of the victims later died in another tornado on March 19, 1963. A freezer was reportedly thrown a . A dozen injuries were reported.
F1	Pana※	Christian※	Illinois		Template:Nts	23:00–?	※		Template:Nts‡
	Trees were felled and a pair of outbuildings overturned.
F2†	NW of Silver Lake†	Kosciusko	Indiana		Template:Nts	23:04–?※			Template:Nts†
	10 cottages on Yellow Creek Lake received damage, half of which were flattened.
F5	E of Vriesland to Hudsonville to Standale to N of Trufant¶	Ottawa, Kent, Montcalm	Michigan		Template:Nts	23:30¶–00:41※	¶	¶	Template:Unk
	18 deaths – See section on this tornado – 333 people were injured.
F0	SW of Pride‡	Union	Kentucky		Template:Nts	23:30–?	‡	‡	Template:Nts‡
	A brief tornado, probably spawned by the same storm as the Dixon–Zion F3, damaged a garage, a barn, and a number of homes.
F4	Portage Point to E of Suttons Bay¶	Manistee, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau※	Michigan		Template:Nts	23:35–00:45¶	¶	†	Template:Nts†
	1 death – This possible tornado family, which passed northwest of Onekama, destroyed 13 homes and at least 26 barns before ending over Grand Traverse Bay. Two homes in Benzie County were leveled, one of which was a multi-story building, resulting in the lone death. Other homes were wrecked at Lake Ann, at Cedar Run, and near Solon, along with a barn at Bear Lake. The tornado affected very rural areas for most of its life, and was rated F3 by Grazulis. However, a reanalysis by the National Weather Service in 2008 reaffirmed the official F4 rating. 25 people were injured.
F2†	Near Chesterville to Belden to Saltillo†	Pontotoc, Lee	Mississippi	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	00:00–?†	†	†	Template:Unk
	A gym at a school was wrecked, along with four homes. Four injuries occurred.
F3	SW of Bangor to S of Lowell※	Van Buren, Allegan, Barry, Kent	Michigan		Template:Nts	00:15–01:30※	¶	†	Template:Nts†
	See section on this tornado – 12 people were injured.
FU※	Emma	LaGrange	Indiana	Template:Unk	Template:Nts	00:20–?	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	A brief tornado threw two people from a horse and buggy, neither of whom was injured. Several structures were impacted as well.
F1	ESE of Fountain Head‡	Sumner	Tennessee		Template:Nts	00:45–?※	‡	‡	Template:Nts‡
	A dozen barns and many homes were wrecked.
F2	Northern Topeka to W of LaGrange†	LaGrange	Indiana		Template:Nts	01:05–?†	†	Template:Unk	Template:Nts†
	A number of spacious homes lost part of their roofs and were otherwise damaged or moved. Four barns were wrecked as well.
F2	Cedarbluff to Siloam※	Clay	Mississippi		Template:Nts	01:30–?	※	†	Template:Nts†
	Many barns and homes were wrecked, along with a pair of churches. A few people were injured, and livestock was killed as well.
F2±	E of Leiters Ford to WNW of Richland Center‡	Fulton	Indiana		Template:Nts	01:30–?	‡	‡	Template:Nts‡
	This tornado damaged many barns.
F2†	W of Wawaka※	Noble	Indiana		Template:Nts	01:50–?		※	Template:Nts†
	A brief tornado destroyed or damaged six barns, lifting one onto a highway. Another barn was blown to pieces.
F2±	WSW of Boston	Wayne	Indiana		Template:Nts	02:30–?	※	※	Template:Nts‡
	Farmsteads and homes received damage.
FU†	Template:Unk	Leflore, Grenada, Yalobusha, Calhoun	Mississippi		Template:Nts	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk	Template:Unk
	One or more tornadoes occurred along the path.

Saugatuck–Gibson–Graafschap–Holland, Michigan

Template:Infobox weather event Template:Infobox weather event/Tornado Template:Infobox weather event/Effects Template:Infobox weather event/Footer This violent tornado was the first member of a long-lived, destructive family. It and the Hudsonville–Standale F5 are officially listed as a single, long-tracked, continuous tornado with a path, but were retrospectively and separately determined by Thomas P. Grazulis and the National Weather Service to have been a family of two or more tornadoes, one of which was a F4 (possibly an F5 as well) and the other a F5, the latter being the most recent F5 tornado on record in the U.S. state of Michigan. The first tornado may have passed through or near Gibson and Graafschap, lifted near Holland, and passed aloft over Zeeland Charter Township before reforming into and touching down as a second tornado just east of town. This second tornado then continued northeast before lifting a short distance north of Trufant.

The first member of the family developed over Lake Michigan and moved ashore a short distance south of Oval Beach, damaging a CBU building and several summer houses at Camp Gray. Heading north-northeastward, it passed near Mount Baldhead, wrecking a wooden beachfront home. An old, well-constructed, anchor-bolted lighthouse, fastened by a dozen iron pylons, was leveled, along with a trio of outbuildings and a cabin; all the pylons at the lighthouse were snapped or dislodged, indicating F4 winds. The tornado crossed part of the present-day Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Along the rest of its path, the tornado wrecked three homes—one brick, a pair frame, a twin-storied among the latter—and unroofed or destroyed a few barns. A few of the homes sustained at least F4 damage. Windows were smashed at a multi-story retail structure as well. Barns, outbuildings, and garages were wrecked along the path. Seven people were injured.

Vriesland–Hudsonville–Standale–Grand Rapids–Comstock Park–Trufant, Michigan

Beginning a short distance east of Vriesland in Ottawa County, Michigan, this violent tornado formed shortly after the dissipation of the Saugatuck F4. Rapidly intensifying, it moved northeastward over the southwestern and northern suburbs of Grand Rapids, causing F5 damage to businesses and homes there. Within half an hour the tornado killed 13 people as it tracked from Hudsonville to Standale and thence to Comstock Park, the last of which would be hit by an F4 tornado on Palm Sunday in 1965. Homes in Hudsonville and Standale were cleanly swept away from their foundations, with only small pieces of debris recovered in some locations. At least one home was so obliterated that all the floor tiles had been completely scoured from the foundation. Vehicles nearby were tossed hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition. Extensive wind-rowing of debris was observed, and hundreds of trees were snapped and debarked as well. After devastating the Hudsonville–Standale area, the tornado continued northeastward, past Rockford, obliterating a home, destroying a mobile home park, and damaging several farmsteads before dissipating. 18 people were killed and 333 others were injured by the storm. This, the fourth deadliest tornado in Michigan on record, was the last F5 (confirmed and/or possible) in the U.S. state of Michigan and occurred three years after the Flint–Beecher tornado that killed 116. The tornado that struck the Grand Rapids area was the inspiration for the La Dispute song "Hudsonville, MI 1956". Meanwhile, Hudsonville would be hit directly by a brief-but-strong F2 tornado just one year later, although that tornado caused no casualties.

Bangor–Allegan–Lowell, Michigan

Template:Infobox weather event Template:Infobox weather event/Tornado Template:Infobox weather event/Effects Template:Infobox weather event/Footer This intense, long-lived tornado family passed through or near Bangor, Bloomingdale, and the southern half of Allegan. Near the Van Buren–Allegan County line, it leveled a farmhouse and swept away several lakeside cabins; the farmhouse may have sustained F4 damage, but may not have been sufficiently well built, so only F3 damage is confirmable. In Allegan, the tornado mostly unroofed a road commission building and a factory, and 12 or more farms reported severe losses to livestock. Afterward, the tornado weakened, veered rightward, and may have lifted and reformed into a new event, as no structural damage occurred and damage to vegetation was lighter than elsewhere along the path. The tornado then re-intensified in Barry and Kent counties, badly damaging many farms. In all, the tornado destroyed 29 homes, mostly at low-end F3 intensity. A dozen people were injured.

See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
• 1920 Palm Sunday tornado outbreak — Also produced multiple violent tornadoes in Michigan
• 2011 Joplin tornado — Also affected the Joplin metropolitan area