Tornado outbreak of May 29, 1953
TypeTornado outbreak
DurationMay 29, 1953
Tornadoes
confirmed		9
Max. rating1F5 tornado
Duration of
tornado outbreak2		9 hours
Fatalities2 fatalities, 22 injuries
Damage$827,500 (1953 USD)[1]
Areas affectedGreat Plains

1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale
2Time from first tornado to last tornado

A destructive outbreak of nine tornadoes struck the Great Plains on May 29, 1953. The worst one was an F5 tornado that hit Fort Rice, North Dakota, destroying multiple structures and causing the majority of the casualties that day. Other strong tornadoes occurred that day, including an F2 tornado that did major damage when it struck McLaughlin, South Dakota. Overall, the outbreak killed two people, injured 22 others, and caused $827,500 (1953 USD) in damage.

Meteorological synopsis

An unusually strong surface low-pressure system moved into northwestern South Dakota during the afternoon of May 29, 1953. Surface observations indicated that it, along with another nearby low to its southeast, had a pressure lower than 996 mb (29.41 inHg). A dryline extended from this strong low southward ahead of a cold front that curled southwestward while a warm front extended east-northeastward into the Coteau des Prairies of southeastern North Dakota Behind the surface low, an upper-level low moved northeastward through Montana, increasing the pressure gradient over the Northern Plains and inducing high wind shear across the area. Temperatures that afternoon reached anywhere from the upper-80s to mid-90s and with dew points from 60-70°F, the atmosphere was ripe for an outbreak of severe thunderstorms.[2][3]

Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 0 3 5 0 0 1 9
List of confirmed tornadoes – Friday, May 29, 1953[nb 1][nb 2]
F# Location County / Parish State Start
coord.		 Time (UTC) Path length Max. width Summary
F1 ENE of Kendrick Sheridan WY 44°45′N 106°10′W / 44.75°N 106.17°W / 44.75; -106.17 (Kendrick (May 29, F1)) 20:00–? 0.2 mi (0.32 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) A tornado occurred of open country with little to no damage reported.[nb 3][2][5]
F2 Bloom Ford KS 37°29′N 99°55′W / 37.48°N 99.92°W / 37.48; -99.92 (Bloom (May 29, F2)) 21:00–? 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) A strong tornado struck the town of Bloom, destroying several small buildings. No damage estimate was given. Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis did not classify the tornado as an F2 or stronger.[2][6][7]
F2 McLaughlin Corson SD 45°49′N 100°49′W / 45.82°N 100.82°W / 45.82; -100.82 (McLaughlin (May 29, F2)) 21:45–? 0.5 mi (0.80 km) 33 yd (30 m) This brief, but strong tornado hit the town of McLaughlin. An auditorium was unroofed, barns and outbuilding were destroyed and seven homes and two businesses were damaged or destroyed. Two people were injured and damages totaled $250,000.[2][3][6][8]
F5 NNW of Cannon Ball to Fort Rice to SSW of Brittin Morton, Emmons, ND 46°27′N 100°40′W / 46.45°N 100.67°W / 46.45; -100.67 (Clayton (May 29, F5)) 23:00–23:30 14.8 mi (23.8 km) 600 yd (550 m) 2 deaths – A large, violent tornado struck Fort Rice, destroying 16 homes and levelling a church. Pews from the church were driven four feet (1.2 m) into the ground. Additionally, components of a car were transported for one-half mile (0.80 km). The tornado also crossed Lake Oahe before dissipating. One person was killed in Fort Rice while another person was killed near the touch down point north of Cannon Ball. There were 20 injuries and $500,000 in damage. Despite the damage, tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis questioned some of the construction of the buildings and initially rated this as an F4 tornado. However, he did subsequently rate the tornado F5. This tornado was one of the only two F5 tornadoes to strike North Dakota, the other being the Fargo tornado which would occur a few years later. [2][3][6][9][10]
F2 S of Wyndmere Richland ND 46°12′N 97°08′W / 46.20°N 97.13°W / 46.20; -97.13 (Wyndmere (May 29, F2)) 00:00–? 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) This brief but strong tornado struck a farm, wrecking or flattening several large barns, one of which measured up to 70 feet (21 m) in length, causing $2,500 in damage.[2][3][6][11]
F1 Conde Spink SD 45°10′N 98°07′W / 45.17°N 98.12°W / 45.17; -98.12 (Conde (May 29, F1)) 03:00–? 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) A tornado moved at 70–80 miles per hour (110–130 km/h) through Clark and Codington counties, destroying building and machinery and causing $25,000 in damage. The funnel cloud from this tornado was seen from Conde and Wallace. The NCEI only lists this as a brief tornado northwest of Conde.[2][3][12]
F2 NNE of Willow Lake to WSW of Vienna Clark SD 44°39′N 97°37′W / 44.65°N 97.62°W / 44.65; -97.62 (Willow Lake (May 29, F2)) 03:30–? 1.9 mi (3.1 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) This strong tornado formed near Willow Lake and moved northeastward, destroying buildings on five farmsteads. The damage estimate from the tornado was $25,000, although Grazulis did not classify the tornado as an F2 or stronger.[2][3][6][13]
F1 NW of Chapman Hall NE 41°03′N 98°13′W / 41.05°N 98.22°W / 41.05; -98.22 (Chapman (May 29, F1)) 03:30–? 0.1 mi (0.16 km) 10 yd (9.1 m) A set of farm buildings was destroyed, although no damage estimate was given.[2][14]
F2 E of Gardner to NW of Perley, MN Cass ND 47°09′N 96°56′W / 47.15°N 96.93°W / 47.15; -96.93 (Gardner (May 29, F2)) 05:00–? 3.6 mi (5.8 km) 100 yd (91 m) A strong tornado moved northeast, damaging or destroying buildings on three farms and causing $25,000 in damage before lifting just west of the Red River at the Minnesota border. Grazulis did not classify the tornado as an F2 or stronger.[2][3][6][15]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
  2. ↑ Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.[4]
  3. ↑ All losses are in 1953 USD unless otherwise noted.

References

  1. ↑ "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bureau, United States Weather (1953). "Climatological Data: National summary". U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "North America Tornado Cases 1950 to 1959". bangladeshtornadoes.org. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. ↑ Brooks, Harold E. (April 2004). "On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity". Weather and Forecasting. Boston: American Meteorological Society. 19 (2): 310. Bibcode:2004WtFor..19..310B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2.
  5. ↑ Wyoming Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. p. 972. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
  7. ↑ Kansas Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. ↑ South Dakota Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  9. ↑ North Dakota Event Report: F5 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  10. ↑ North Dakota Event Report: F5 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  11. ↑ North Dakota Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  12. ↑ South Dakota Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "South Dakota Event Report: F2 Tornado". National Weather Service. National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  14. ↑ Nebraska Event Report: F1 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  15. ↑ North Dakota Event Report: F2 Tornado. National Weather Service (Report). National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
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