Killer Tornado

On April 24, 1908 at 11:45AM The Amite/Pine/Purvis Tornado, with a F-Scale of F4, struck Louisiana and Mississippi killing 143 people and injuring 770. It was the 7th deadliest tornado on record.

COUNTIES: LIVINGSTON / ST.HELENA / TANGIPAHOA / WASHINGTON, LA / MARION / LAMAR / FOREST / PERRY / WAYNE, MS--

This major tornadic event touched down near "Weiss," in northwest Livingston Parish, and moved east-northeast. Two people were killed at "Dennis Springs." In St. Helena Parish, two were killed near Montpelier. The worst damage in Louisiana took place at Amite, Tangipahoa Parish, where the path was said to have been over two miles wide. At least 29 people were killed in the town of Amite, and four others died south of Wilmer. Eleven people were injured in the Aurora-Franklinton area of Washington Parish, and nine people were killed near Pine. Crossing into Mississippi near Balltown, the tornado killed two people in Marion County. In Lamar County, 55 of the 60 deaths occurred as most of the town of Purvis was leveled to the ground. Only seven of 150 homes in town were reported standing, as losses totalled over $500,000, and 400 people were injured. Four more people were killed in Forrest County, 8 miles south of Hattiesburg near McCallum, when a railroad work crew hid from the approaching storm in box cars. The box cars were thrown 150 feet and torn apart. Seven people died in each of two families, southwest of Richton.

[from The Tornado Project]