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33-572: A series of potent storm systems traversed the US during March 1913, described by the US Weather Bureau as "...the most extraordinary situation in regards to the weather since the creation of the bureau." Anomalously high moisture had gathered near the US Gulf Coast, as an intense upper level storm system moved in from the west. According to retrospective numerical modeling of this event, a strong cap aloft

66-730: A dust storm in Kansas and hit Missouri with hail and heavy rain. The Omaha tornado marked the beginning of the destruction from storms associated with the Great Flood of 1913 . On Monday and Tuesday, March 24 and 25, the storms brought heavy rains to the Midwest and upstate New York , causing widespread flooding. Remarkably, operators from the Webster Telephone Exchange Building in Omaha did not leave their stations either during or after

99-428: A few children near Beebeetown and causing further damage. Passing north of Persia , the tornado tracked through or near Defiance , Panama , and Manilla . South of Arcadia it hurled a farmhouse 50 ft (15 m), shortly before dissipating. Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis variously estimated a total path length of 40 to 45 mi (64 to 72 km), but subsequent analysis by other researchers in 2007 indicated

132-449: A path more than twice as long. In all, 103 people died, 94 of which were in Omaha, and at least 350 were injured. Reportedly, 1,700 homes in Omaha alone were destroyed or damaged, with $ 8 million total damage from the storm, $ 5 1 ⁄ 2  million of which was in Omaha (financial damage estimates vary; the NOAA reports more damage than this). In the aftermath of

165-620: A solid red line. Gold Coast Historic District (Omaha, Nebraska) The Gold Coast Historic District is located in Midtown Omaha, Nebraska . Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997, this historic district covers approximately a 30 block area roughly bounded by 36th, 40th, Jones, and Cuming Streets. The neighborhood housed many of Omaha's cultural and financial leaders between 1900 and 1920, taking over from Omaha's original Gold Coast in prominence. After

198-534: Is a density discontinuity located at the leading edge of a homogeneous warm air mass , and is typically located on the equator-facing edge of an isotherm gradient. Warm fronts lie within broader troughs of low pressure than cold fronts , and move more slowly than the cold fronts which usually follow because cold air is denser and less easy to remove from the Earth's surface. This also forces temperature differences across warm fronts to be broader in scale. Clouds ahead of

231-448: Is present will condense and form extensive cloud cover. The first clouds that indicate an approaching warm front tend to be mostly high cirrus at first, changing to cirrostratus as the front approaches. However, if cirrocumulus also appears, there is greater airmass instability approaching ahead of the front. When these high clouds progressively invade the sky and the barometric pressure begins to fall, precipitation associated with

264-559: The NE, the prevalence of tornadic storms moved southward with the dryline / cold front intersection, lasting until 8:00 PM local in NW Missouri. A serial derecho then formed and moved across Iowa and Illinois through the nighttime hours, hitting Chicago in the early morning. 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

297-550: The annual average E/F0–1 count by approximately 200 tornadoes was noted upon the implementation of NEXRAD Doppler weather radar in 1990–1991. 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. 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

330-508: The area was developed in the late 1800s and early 1900s the area had mostly middle- and upper-class residents, and it included mansions as well as single family homes, and also some apartment buildings and duplexes. The West Farnam neighborhood, later called the Blackstone, was distinct from the Cathedral neighborhood at the time; both are included in the larger Gold Coast. This historic district

363-435: The cold front was still to the west near Osceola. They also noted that the surface low passed just to the north of Omaha and was in western Iowa at 01Z 24 March 1913. With all of this observed information, it is likely that the quality moisture required to produce convection strong enough for tornadoes arrived just an hour or two before the strong forcing associated with the surface low pressure and attendant frontal systems. At

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396-466: The disturbance is likely about 6 to 8 hours away. A thickening and lowering of these high clouds into middle-stage altostratus or altocumulus is a good sign the warm front or low has moved closer and precipitation may begin within less than six hours. Once the clouds have thickened to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) from the earth’s surface, precipitation can begin to fall from heavy nimbostratus . If unstable altocumulus castellanus accompanies or takes

429-606: The dry line in western Kansas, but in the warm sector the day remained dry until mid afternoon when light showers began to form in central Nebraska. A cooperative observer in Osceola noted that the wind shifted from S to NW at 2230Z (4:30 PM local). Professors at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln noted that the relative humidity there jumped from 53% at 2150Z to 78% at 2230Z, indicating much higher dewpoints had rapidly arrived in Lincoln since

462-426: The equatorward side of an extratropical cyclone . With its warm and humid characteristics, this air is susceptive to convective instability and can sustain thunderstorms , especially if lifted by the advancing cold front. On weather maps , the surface location of a warm front is marked with a red line of half circles pointing in the direction of the front. On colored weather maps, warm fronts are illustrated with

495-477: The extent of the damage throughout the city. The federal government poured in assistance soon after. The massive damage caused by the tornado inspired new engineering techniques aimed at creating a tornado-proof edifice. The first such building was the First National Bank of Omaha building, built in 1916 at 1603 Farnam Street. The 14-story building was built in a "U"-shape. Warm front A warm front

528-404: The front and temperature changes will be larger. In the northern hemisphere , a warm front causes a shift of wind blowing from southeast to southwest, and in the southern hemisphere a shift from winds blowing from northeast to northwest. Common characteristics associated with warm fronts include: The warm sector is a near-surface air mass in between the warm front and the cold front , on

561-563: The housing styles of the times. The Joslyn Castle neighborhood is also within the area. The area is the location of several locally and nationally historically significant landmarks, including Joslyn Castle, Saunders School and St. Cecilia Cathedral , as well as several homes which are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Omaha Women's Club moved into the Henninger House at 518 South 38th Street in

594-501: The most contemporary official sources alongside assessments from tornado historian Thomas P. Grazulis . 41°15′N 96°00′W  /  41.25°N 96°W  / 41.25; -96 The Omaha Easter Sunday tornado struck Omaha, Nebraska , at approximately 6:00 p.m. local standard time on March 23, 1913. The storm's path was reported as being 1 ⁄ 4 – 1 ⁄ 2  mi (0.40–0.80 km) wide and contained multiple vortices . The Omaha tornado followed

627-409: The ocean, it is not only warmer but also more moist than the air ahead of it. If the air mass is relatively stable, rainfall will increase until the front reaches the location, at which time the clouds can extend all the way to the earth’s surface as fog . Once the front passes, the location experiences some warming and clearing. If the air mass is unstable, thunderstorms may precede and follow

660-491: The path of Little Papillion Creek as it entered the city. It moved through the west side of town alongside the Missouri Pacific Railroad , destroying the small workers cottages in the area. The tornado was so strong that steel train cars were later found pierced by pieces of shattered lumber from the demolished homes. By the time the tornado reached Dewey Avenue it was five blocks wide. When it reached Farnam Hill,

693-409: The place of the main altostratus layer, cumulus congestus or cumulonimbus producing showers or thunderstorms may follow. Low stratus and stratocumulus commonly form underneath the main precipitating clouds. A warm front is also defined as the transition zone where a warmer air mass is replacing a cooler air mass. Warm fronts generally move from southwest to northeast. If the warmer air originates over

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726-473: The surface location of a warm front is marked with a red line of semicircles pointing in the direction of travel. Air masses are large bodies of air with similar properties of temperature and humidity that form over source regions. The warm air mass behind a warm front is not only warmer, but often (but not always) also higher in humidity than the colder air preceding it. Because of a warm air mass’s higher temperature and thus lesser density , mixing between

759-504: The time of the tornadoes it is estimated that surface temperatures were in the upper 60s, dewpoints were in the upper 50s, and surface winds were southerly around 25-30 knots. Numerical modeling estimates that 500 hPa flow was around 80 knots from the WSW and that CAPE was from 1000 to 2000 J/kg. These conditions are similar to those found in other tornado outbreaks. Tornadic storms developed from 5:00-6:00 PM local time and while storm motions were to

792-590: The tornado followed a shallow valley through this upscale neighborhood. The large mansions of Farnam were no match for the winds, and many houses were torn to pieces, along with several in the Gold Coast Historic District including the Joslyn Castle , which sustained considerable damage. Buildings were found chopped in half, pipes and supports dangling into space, such as the Duchesne Academy which

825-479: The tornado near this area. Thanks to the quick action of operator Ord Hensley in ordering passengers to lie on the floor of the car, everyone survived. Later, photographers would spot the wrecked machine and would call it the "Streetcar of Death", imagining that no one on board could have survived given the immense damage. The F4 tornado skirted the downtown area and moved over the Missouri River into Iowa, killing

858-435: The tornado, a cold front moved into Omaha and caused further misery, as newly homeless residents struggled to escape the snowy weather. Many homes, mostly small, throughout the northern side of the city were leveled, and "dozens" were swept away. Photographs at the time showed empty foundations, suggestive of F5 damage, but these may have been related to post-tornado clean-up. The same storm system that struck Nebraska created

891-444: The tornado. The building was used as an infirmary for the wounded and dying, with physicians and nurses coming from area hospitals. US Army troops from Fort Omaha set up headquarters in the building, as soldiers patrolled the area for looters and to offer assistance. Initially, James Dahlman , the longtime mayor of Omaha, refused assistance from any outside sources, including the federal government. However, he relented after seeing

924-430: The two air masses is unlikely. Being light, the warm air mass is unable to displace the cooler air mass and instead is forced upward along the upper boundary of the colder air in a process known as overrunning. The boundary between the two air masses has a gradual slope of 1:200 and lifting is slow but persistent. As the air mass rises into regions of lower pressure, it expands and cools. As it cools, any water vapor that

957-405: The upper 50s were confined to southern Oklahoma and Arkansas, far away from where the tornadoes were to later occur in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. As the day progressed, the surface low ejected through Nebraska, with a dry line and trailing cold front . South winds blowing 40-50 knots at times brought the moister air rapidly northward. One of the worst dust storms on record occurred behind

990-401: The warm front are mostly stratiform , and rainfall generally increases as the front approaches. Fog can also occur preceding a warm frontal passage. Clearing and warming is usually rapid after frontal passage. If the warm air mass is unstable, thunderstorms may be embedded among the stratiform clouds ahead of the front, and after frontal passage thundershowers may continue. On weather maps ,

1023-417: Was a trendy social hotspot in the 1920s, and was called the "Gold Coast" for its concentration of high-value homes. From 1880 through the 1940s several large mansions were built for upper middle and upper class commuters. During this time Omaha's downtown was a long trolley -ride away, and the community was in the country. Two neighborhoods within the district (the Blackstone and Cathedral neighborhoods) reflect

1913 Easter tornado outbreak - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-506: Was in place over the central Plains, as is common as the elevated mixed layer advects eastward from the Rockies. Observations taken at 13Z 23 March 1913 showed that surface low pressure was located in Colorado, and a warm front stretched due eastward from there into Illinois. Morning temperatures near this front were in the 30s. South of the front warmer and moister air was present, but dewpoints in

1089-565: Was nearly obliterated. At North 24th and Lake Streets in the Near North Side neighborhood a large African American crowd was enjoying an Easter Sunday performance when the tornado flattened the building and killed more than two dozen people. Other brick structures in this small commercial district took similar hits, and more people died here than in any other part of Omaha. A streetcar running down North 24th Street in North Omaha encountered

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