On march 18, 1925 a violent swirling approximately three miles northeast of Ellington Missouri. It would become known as the Tri-State Tornado. By everyone who witnessed this terrible event, the Tri-State Tornado was one for the record books.

The Tri-State Tornado is currently the U.S. record holder for longest tornado track (219 miles), most deaths in a single tornado (695), and most injuries in a single tornado (2027). While it occurred before the modern record, it is considered by all accounts to be a F5/EF5 Tornado. It crossed the three states, hence its name “Tri-State,” tearing through thirteen counties of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana. It crossed over and destroyed or significantly damaged nine towns and numerous smaller villages.

The damage was estimated at $16.5M and in 2011 in our time that’s $1.4B.

Three states were affected by the Tri-State Tornado: Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.

Thirteen counties in three states were affected.

The path of the Tri-State Tornado was 235 miles with an average width of 3600 feet, however there were moments when the width reached over 1 mile wide.

15,000 homes across three states were severely damaged or destroyed.

9 schools across the three affected states were destroyed and killed 69 students.