February 1950 tornado outbreak
F # Location County / Parish State Start Coord Time ( UTC ) Path length Max width Summary
F2 WNW of Corley to Boston to S of New Boston Bowie TX 33°20′N 94°25′W / 33.33°N 94.42°W / 33.33 ; -94.42 ( Corley ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 0630 8 miles ( 12.9 km ) 833 yd ( 762 m ) 1 death - Possibly continuous with the Hughes Springs event , this tornado crossed the northwestern part of Corley , affecting 15 homes , some of which were wrecked . One death occurred in the Corley area , and there were eight injuries . Total losses from both tornadoes reached $ 200,000 . According to Thomas P. Grazulis , both events were the same tornado and attained F3 intensity , not the official F2 designation
F1 Dublin Erath TX 32°05′N 98°21′W / 32.08°N 98.35°W / 32.08 ; -98.35 ( Dublin ( Feb. 12 , F1 ) ) 0715 2.3 miles ( 3.7 km ) 233 yd ( 213 m ) A weak , but damaging tornado moved directly through Dublin , seriously damaging five buildings
F2 Groesbeck Limestone TX 31°31′N 96°33′W / 31.52°N 96.55°W / 31.52 ; -96.55 ( Groesbeck ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 1210 3.4 miles ( 5.5 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) This tornado struck 20 homes and business establishments as it entered Groesbeck . Several of the structures lost their roofs or were destroyed . Debris rained on the courthouse in town , though the tornado dissipated beforehand . Losses reached $ 25,000
F1 W of Center to N of James Shelby TX 31°48′N 94°12′W / 31.8°N 94.2°W / 31.8 ; -94.2 ( Center ( Feb. 12 , F1 ) ) 1757 7.7 miles ( 12.4 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) A tornado caused severe damage to many homes and killed hundreds of chickens . At least one home was leveled , possibly leading to a few deaths . 32 or more injuries occurred along the path
F2 N of Myrtle Union MS 34°36′N 89°07′W / 34.6°N 89.12°W / 34.6 ; -89.12 ( Myrtle ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 1800 0.1 miles ( 0.2 km ) 10 yd ( 9.1 m ) 3 deaths - Starting west of New Albany , this tornado leveled a small residence in its path . Additionally , it destroyed three barns nearby . Two people were injured
F1 N of Myrtle Union MS 34°36′N 89°07′W / 34.6°N 89.12°W / 34.6 ; -89.12 ( Myrtle ( Feb. 12 , F1 ) ) 1800 2 miles ( 3.2 km ) 10 yd ( 9.1 m ) A brief tornado struck several homes and a barn near Hell Creek . Three of the homes lost their roofs , and at least one home and barn were flattened . At least one of the two Mississippi tornadoes may have actually occurred at 3:20 a.m. CST on February 13 and not at the time listed in the official records
F3 Center Shelby TX 31°48′N 94°12′W / 31.8°N 94.2°W / 31.8 ; -94.2 ( Center ( Feb. 12 , F3 ) ) 1800 1.9 miles ( 3.1 km ) 50 yd ( 46 m ) 3 deaths - An intense tornado struck Center , causing damage to numerous structures in the area . 15 people were injured . The three confirmed deaths may have actually occurred in connection with the preceding tornado . This and the previous Center event may have been the same tornado and may have continued into Louisiana , forming part of the track of the Logansport-Shreveport F4 tornado
F2 NW of Cane Creek Grant AR 34°29′N 92°24′W / 34.48°N 92.4°W / 34.48 ; -92.4 ( Cane Creek ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 1830 0.1 miles ( 0.2 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) A brief but strong tornado swept away a barn , flattened a home , and knocked down trees
F4 Logansport to N of Shongaloo DeSoto , Caddo , Bossier , Webster LA 31°58′N 94°00′W / 31.97°N 94.0°W / 31.97 ; -94.0 ( Logansport ( Feb. 12 , F4 ) ) 1900 82.6 miles ( 132.9 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) 18 deaths - The deadliest tornado of the outbreak , a long-tracked F4 that struck several cities , was probably a tornado family . It first touched down in Logansport and traveled north-northeast . Near Logansport , the tornado caused one death and wrecked 12 homes . This segment of the path may have been continuous with one of the tornadoes in Shelby County , Texas . The tornado then struck the north edge of Stonewall and continued into Forbing , where it leveled homes on the northwest side of the community . On the southern outskirts of Shreveport , the tornado caused two more deaths before striking the Shreveport Holding and Reconsignment Depot near Barksdale Air Force Base , known then as Slack AFB . The tornado destroyed the Depot , causing the deaths of six people , including five airmen and a civilian worker . Nearby , injuries occurred in a mess hall and barracks as the tornado hit the AFB . With a forward speed of 35 mph ( 56 km/h ) , the parent supercell progressed into Arkansas , where it later spawned the Mount Holly F2 tornado . At least 18 people were killed and 77 were injured . The 20 mi ( 32.2 km ) of the path from near Stonewall to the AFB may have been a distinct tornado , and others may have occurred at both ends of the track in Louisiana
F2 W of Williams to W of Haynesville DeSoto , Red River , Caddo , Bossier , Webster , Claiborne LA 32°12′N 93°35′W / 32.2°N 93.58°W / 32.2 ; -93.58 ( Williams ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 1920 58.4 miles ( 94.0 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) 5+ deaths - A very long-tracked tornado - also likely a tornado family - largely struck rural areas for most of its life , but caused substantial loss of life . It developed in the Bayou Pierre Wildlife Management Area and paralleled the previous F4 event , passing southeast of the towns of Caspiana and McDade . The tornado then devastated areas northeast of there . On a plantation , the tornado leveled a tenant home , killing three family members inside the structure . Nearby , the tornado overturned a vehicle onto a pedestrian who was sheltering in a ditch , crushing him to death . At least one additional fatality took place before the tornado dissipated ; according to Grazulis , there were two more deaths , bringing the death toll to seven rather than the official total of five . At least 10 - possibly 30 - injuries occurred . While the tornado is officially rated F2 , a reassessment by Grazulis in 1993 awarded an F3 rating to the event . Grazulis only analyzed a path length of 35 mi ( 56.3 km ) , suggesting that the latter part of the track may have consisted of separate , weaker tornadoes
F3 Zwolle to Castor to Mt . Lebanon to E of Gibsland Sabine , Natchitoches , Red River , Bienville , Claiborne LA 31°38′N 93°39′W / 31.63°N 93.65°W / 31.63 ; -93.65 ( Zwolle ( Feb. 12 , F3 ) ) 2000 74.5 miles ( 119.9 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) 5+ deaths - This was the third and final long-tracked tornado to affect northwestern Louisiana on February 12 . Like the others in the series , it was also a probable tornado family . It first touched down in Zwolle , causing minor , F1-level damage , intermingled with downburst -related effects . The worst damage occurred in the settlement of Roy , where sawmill operations ran . There , the tornado affected 25 homes , some of which were leveled , with several deaths in one of them ; the exact number is disputed , with Grazulis indicating six and official data indicating five at most . At least two other deaths may have occurred in Roy and are listed in the work of Grazulis , but are unofficial . The tornado then hit the town of Castor , passing from southwest to northeast of town . One final death is noted northeast of Castor by Grazulis , but again is not recorded on official databases . The tornado obliterated numerous small homes in its path , but its damage is poorly documented outside Roy . The tornado carried bodies as far as .25 mi ( 0.4 km ) from their original locations . Grazulis only listed a path length of 10 mi ( 16.1 km ) , so the rest of the path likely consisted of distinct tornadoes and downbursts . At least 25 people sustained injuries , and perhaps as many as 40 were injured
F2 Mt . Holly Union AR 33°16′N 92°57′W / 33.27°N 92.95°W / 33.27 ; -92.95 ( Mt . Holly ( Feb. 12 , F2 ) ) 2100 5.7 miles ( 9.2 km ) 100 yd ( 91 m ) Another strong tornado damaged electrical wires , a store , and an oil camp . Additionally , the tornado leveled many barns and three homes . Losses reached $ 20,000
F1 E of Epps East Carroll LA 32°36′N 91°20′W / 32.6°N 91.33°W / 32.6 ; -91.33 ( Zwolle ( Feb. 12 , F1 ) ) 0500 0.5 miles ( 0.8 km ) 30 yd ( 27 m ) A brief , weak tornado struck several structures , causing minimal damage
Confirmed tornadoes -- February 12 event
The February 1950 tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that devastated parts of Louisiana and Tennessee on February 11-13, 1950. The outbreak covered about a day and a half and produced numerous tornadoes, mostly from East Texas to the lower Mississippi Valley, with activity concentrated in Texas and Louisiana. Most of the deaths occurred in Louisiana and Tennessee, where tornadoes killed 28 and nine people, respectively. Several long-lived tornado families struck the Red River region of northwestern Louisiana, especially the Shreveport-Bossier City area. One of the tornadoes attained violent intensity, F4, on the Fujita scale and caused 18 deaths, including six at the Shreveport Holding and Reconsignment Depot near Barksdale Air Force Base. It remains one of the top ten deadliest tornadoes on record in the state of Louisiana, in eighth place. Also in Louisiana, two other destructive tornadoes on parallel paths killed five each. Five additional deaths occurred across the border in East Texas. Nine people died in a tornado in western Tennessee as well. In all, official data indicate that the entire outbreak killed 45 people and left about 200 injured, though tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis counted 42 deaths in a reanalysis published in 1993. The number of confirmed tornadoes, 19, is likely an underestimate, given the lack of NEXRAD and sparse storm spotting in the early 1950s. Also, several long-tracked tornadoes recorded in the outbreak likely contained more, shorter-lived tornadoes.