DECEMBJUR 1937 MONTHLY WEATHEX REVIEW 446
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON TORNADOES IN THE UNITED STATES DURING 1937
By J. P. KOHLER
[Weather Bnreau, Waahington, Feb. 3, 19381
I n keeping with the custom inaugurated in the Decem-
ber issue of the REVIEW, 1925, and continued each year thereafter, preliminary statements on loss of life and
property damage by tornadoes during the year 1937 are briefly set forth in this article. A final and more detailed
study will appear in the United States Meteorological Yearbook 1937. The data contained in the latter publi- cation prior to 1935 were printed in the statistical section
of the Report of the chief of the 17eather Bureau. Practically all the information given in this summary
is abstracted from table 3 SEVERE LOCAL STORMS, con- tained in the several monthly issues of the REVIEW. The
contents of the table of SEVERE LOCAL STORMS have been
compiled from the reports of many observers and the various section directors of the Bureau. While it is
thought that figures given are subst'antially correct, it must be remembered that all are subject to change after
the final study mentioned above.
While the year 1937 recorded 137 (possibly 150 torna-
does), only 9 less than the 1936 figure (159), fortunately they were far less disastrous. Only 28 deaths were re-
ported in 1937; injured numbered 192 (possibly 195), and property losses in the final study will be in the neqghbor- hood of 3 million dollars. This is a decidedly favorable
contrast to the 1936 figures-552 deaths; 2,928 injured, and property losses totalling $26,228,500.
Table 1, TORNADOEB AND PROBABLE~TORNADOEB, shows
the monthly frequency and comparative severity during
1937. June, with 44 and possibly 46(table2), was the month of greatest tornado frequency. May ranks second, with 33
(possibly 36); and April, third, with 18 (possibl 19).
than the June totals, vital figures, 14 deaths, 97 mjuries, greatly surpassed other monthly corresponding values.
Also, April in 1936, with 32 tornadoes, 492 deaths, and 2,539 injured, was the most destructive month. Tornado frequencies for the remaining months of 1937 were as
follows: July, 12 (possibly 14); February, 11 (possibly 13);
August, 5 (possibly 7); March, 5; October, 4 (possibly 5);
September, 4; and possibly 1 in November. No tornadoes
or storms bordering on the destructiveness of tornadoes
were reported in January or December. Provided the death figure 28 is not greatly modified by later analysis, it will stand as the lowest tornado. mortal-
ity total since comparative study was begun in 1916.
Previously, 1931, with 36 deaths, was the lowest on record.
Also monetary losses will rank close to or below the low
1923 figure of $2,958,750. Tornadoes occurred during the yeRr in 31 Stntes.
Alabama reported 5; Arizona 1, possibly 2 (table 2),
Arkansas 4, Colorado 2, Connecticut 1 (possibly 2),
Florida 5, Georgia 2, Illinois 1, Indiana 4, Iowa 32 (pos-
sibly 3 more), Kansas 19, Kentucky 1, Louisiana 3,
Maryland 8, Minnesota 4 (possibly 5), Mississippi 2
(possibl 3), Missouri 8 (possibly 9), Montana 1, Nebraska
5, New H exico 1, New York 1 (possibly 2), North Carolina
Although April's reported number was considerab T y less
1, North Dakota 1, Oklahoma 6, Oregon 1, Pennsylvania
1, South Carolina 3 (possibly 4), South Dakota 4, Ten- nessee 2, Tesas 5, Wisconsin 3, and there is some possibility
that later consideration may include Ohio, Virginia, and
West Virginia with 1 tornado each. The large number reported in Iowa and Kansas is due partly to the eEcient
service covering storms of this type by the Weather Bureau section directors for these respective States.
The number of deaths on a State basis was as follows: Alabama 7, Arkansas 3, Iowa 1, Kansas 1, Kentucky 5,
Louisiana 5, Minnesota 1, Missouri 3, Oklahoma 1, and
Tesas 1. Likewise the number injured was: Alabama 32,
Arkansas 40, Florida 5, Illinois 2, Iowa 5, Kansas 3,
Kentucky 23, Louisiana 8, Minnesota 3, Missouri 47,
North Carolina 2, Oklahoma 15, Pennsylvania 2, Ten-
nessee 3, and Texas 2.
Tornado occurrences with regard to frequency and distribution within the month showed SL niarked degree of
grouping or localization in respect to time and areti
affected. In February, seven tornadoes occurred within
2 days, February 20-21. The first occurred in AlIissouri; somewhat later in Louisiana and Mississippi on the 2Oth, and on the 21st Florida and North Carolina reported
tornadoes. The five disturbances in March occurred
over the period from the 19th to 25th in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and Kentucky. In early April, on 3 days, tornadoes were reported in Florida and Alabama. Beginning on April 14, and extending through May 5, a ser-
ies of 18 tornadoes occurred in the Southeastern States,
Gulf region, and interior valleys. In the remaining days of May, and during the summer months, June, July, and
August, tornadoes occurred frequently in the Southeast and
interior States, and occasionally in scattered points in New England, the Northern Rocky Mountains, and Southern
Plateau States. They were in general quite closely con- nected in respect to area and time, while occurrences in
September and October were widely scattered. The most singular destructive tornado action during
the year was the result of a series of three tornadoes which swept portions of Green, Christian, Webster, Wright, and
Douglas Counties, in the southwestern part of Missouri,
on the afternoon of February 20, causing property damage
of at least $200,000, and injuries to at least 13 persons, 2
critically, and killed considerable livestock and poultry. The paths of the tornadoes were about 10 miles apart and ran parallel in an alniost southwest to northeast direction
and were from 1,000 feet to one-fourth mile wide, and
from 10 to 30 miles long. A total of 55 homes was damaged or destroyed, together with as many or more
barns, garages, and outbuildings. Eyewitnesses reported well-defined, funnel-shaped or twisting clouds in the
sections visited by the tornadoes.
If further study shows the storms listed in table 2 on tornadic winds to be true tornadoes, the 1937 number is
150 tornadoes with 28 deaths, 195 injuries, and property
losses exceeding $2,924,000 (see tables on following page).
446 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW DECEMBER 1937
Jnnonry February March April hIay June July August
~-~~~~~~-~---
16 33 44 12 5 14 3 3 0 1 Number- - - - - __ - - - - -. - - - - - -. . - - -. . . . . -. - . Deaths reported ..________________________ .____._._. 0
Injuries reported. ______._________________ _._.--..-- 21 31 97 13 26 0 0 Damage1 ____________________-----------. .._._____. 426.3 210.0 31Y.8 733.3 738.5 23.5 11.5
11 ; 0
scptem- October
xrrmIII-
Total ber
4 4 1 0 137 0 0 0 -. - - -. -. . . 2s 0 5 0 -. -. . . . -. - 192 12.2 332.2 (a) .......... 2.809.3
~~
Se;;m- October Novem- Decem-
1 I ber I ber I Total
I __.___ _.__
I1 ____...__
I11 ______._
IV ..... ...
v .__._._..
VI ..-- _._
VI1 ._..___
VI11 ______
IS ..-- ~.--
1 Some of thrse may not he clasfcd as tornadors in the finel study.
1 Several reported injured.
July XtAug. 2-- Off west cuast of Fb~rida, Nova Sco-
Aug. 2-Y. .. - ___ Near 2.1' N., i o o W-- None ...________ __._.
Aug.2PSept.2. Northeast of Lee- Florida _____________.
Bept. Y-14 I _____ Near 1s' N., 55' 1%'. Nova Scotia, hIoine.
Sept. l P l 0 2 ____ Northeast of Lee- None
Sept. 16-21. ____ Gulf of Campeche-.. Florida ..___ ~-.
Sept. 2C-26 __.._ Near 15" N., 44' 'A'- Nova Scotia, New-
Sept. 26-30 _._._ Near north coast of Newfoundland
Scpt. 30-0ct. South of Yucatan Louisiana
Florida. tia.
ward Islands.
ward Islands.
foundland.
Cuba.
4.3 Channel.
I In thousands ofdo1br.u.
4 Several hundred.
roila.
sels.
Olson.
Force 12, several ves-
Force 10, S. 8. Oliwr
Force 12.6.9. hrorden-
NORTH ATLANTIC TROPICAL DISTURBANCES OF 1937
By WILLIS E. HURD
[Weather Bureau, Wnshington, January 19381
2S.20, on hl. S. C d - NorthAtlant1c.- Hurricane ...-.
29.W Port Eads. La.. Florida __________ Not of hurri-
2 s .W .. .
~ ~
~. __ __ __ __._ Arctic Ocean .__. Hurricane.. .-.
fornia Ei-pres8.
cane force.
The hurricane season of 1937 was of comparatively
short duration. The first tropical disturbance originated
on July 29 and the last of clefinite tropical origin dis- integrated over land on October 4. There were nine
tropical disturbances in all over the North Atlantic, including the Gulf of Mexico. The final occurrence of
the season was the only ?ne on waters of the Caribbean
Sea and that over only its extreme northwestern part.
The year 1936 was also deficient as to occurrences in the
Caribbean. As in 1936, with 17 disturbances, of which less than 30
percent attained hurricane intensity, the percentage of
those of like force, 2 in number, in 1937, was only 22.
Thus for 2 consecutive years the percentage of disturb-
ances of full hurricnne force w-as much below the normal of about 50 percent for the pnst 51 years. The two hurri-
canes of tho year occurred in September. Of the nine
disturbances charted, seven occurred wholly or partly in
September. Four were charted in the Gulf of Mexico;
ham.
hawk.
prince.
Force 8, 8. 6 . Qui/-
Force 8, S. 9. Oulf-
and the tracks of three, two of which were hurricanes, lay
almost entirely in Atlantic waters. Five of the disturb- ances dissipated over land, one n t sea south of Nova
Scotia, and three continued toward upper waters of the Atlantic or into the Arctic Ocean. The only disturbance of the year to cause any consid-
erable amount of damage was that of August 24Sep-
tember 2 (track I11 in the chart). The damage occurred partly as the result of wind and rain in northern Florida
on August 30, but was largely clue to the heavy rains of the disturbance with accompanying floods over sou them
Alabama on August 31-September 1. A disturbance was in progress in the Gulf of Mexico from November 23 to 26,
but it was apparently of extratropical origin. This disturb- ance was discussed in the November issue of the REVIEW.
A synopsis of some of the more important features of the nine disturbances of 1937 is given in the table here-
with. Their tracks, numbered I to I S chronologically, are shown in the accompanying chart.
2 9 .~8 ~ .. ~.
~~
~~~~~... NorthAtl8ntic.- Not of hurri-
29.62 _.__.............. Arkansas ._...___ .____do _..____..
cane force.
North Atlantic tropical disturbances of 1937
[Synopsis of tropical disturbances of 1037 (number of storm in tnble corresponds to number-of track on accompanyin? chart)]
Date 1 1 Coast lines crossed Storm reported hlaximum wind Lowest barometer Place of dissi- Intensity velocity reported reported pation
60 miles, SW. 8. 8. 28.44,s. 8. Clare ______ Mundirie. Force 10. I S. 5. Clare.
Force 10, on 3 vessels.. 20.67. 8. 8. American Near Salile Is- _____do _..______
Force 10, 6 . S. Solana. 29.38, Coast Guard, Arkansas ________ _____do ____.____
.
1
Trader. land..
I Dayton8 Beach, Fla.
Force 10, S. S. 1I'inq- I 29.30, on 3 vessels ._._. I __.__ do _.___.__. mac and 9. S. Dar-
Remarks
8 m a l l d a m a g e t o fruit and roads in Florida (A). No damage reported
( 31.
Sdie-damage due to wind, rain, and floods (B).
(0.
Complete reports of these disturbances may be found in the MONTELY WEATEER REVIEW: (A) July 183i; 65: 231, 2%. (Bj August 1W37; 65: 303, 804. (C) September 1037; 65:
I Disturbed conditions were reported in the viduity 8s early as the 6th, but no evidences until the 9th of a st.nriu crntrr.
2 On Sept. 10 the S. 8. Chincha, near 19?4' N., 40' W., reported a fresh to strong est-southedst gale and signs of e trtroicul cyclone.
1 This disturbance was associated with a second LOW on Oct. 1. The 2 apparently merged on Oct. 3.
332-335.