Spencer, South Dakota Tornado
The Spencer, South Dakota tornado was the most destructive and second deadliest tornado in the history of the state. It was also the fifth deadliest tornado of the year. It began as a large, dust-cloaked tornado Northwest of Farmer, SD in Hanson County, concurrent with the demise of the "Fulton" tornado. Continuing toward the East-Southeast, it struck several farmsteads before crossing the Hanson/McCook County line a half mile West-Northwest of Spencer. At this time, the tornado was being observed by OU's Doppler on Wheels crew, whose mobile Doppler radar data showed up to 220 mph winds in the tornado only a few decameters above the ground.
This tornado carved a 3⁄8 miles (600 m) wide path directly across the town of Spencer between 8:38 and 8:44 CDT, destroying or damaging all but a few houses on the northeast side of town. The tornado killed six people, injured more than one-third of the town residents, and destroyed most of the town's 190 buildings. Damage has been estimated at $18 million. The population of the town diminished soon after to less than half of what it was previous to the tornado, from 315 to 145 in April 1999.
Read more about this topic: Late-May 1998 Tornado Outbreak And Derecho
Famous quotes containing the words south and/or tornado:
“A friend and I flew south with our children. During the week we spent together I took off my shoes, let down my hair, took apart my psyche, cleaned the pieces, and put them together again in much improved condition. I feel like a car that’s just had a tune-up. Only another woman could have acted as the mechanic.”
—Anna Quindlen (20th century)
“The sumptuous age of stars and images is reduced to a few artificial tornado effects, pathetic fake buildings, and childish tricks which the crowd pretends to be taken in by to avoid feeling too disappointed. Ghost towns, ghost people. The whole place has the same air of obsolescence about it as Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)