Event Description
The tornado formed southwest of Natchez, shortly before 1 p.m., and moved northeast along the Mississippi River.
The vortex then struck the riverport of Natchez Landing, located below the bluff from Natchez. The mile-wide tornado tossed 60 flatboats into the river, drowning their crews and passengers. A piece of a steamboat window was reportedly found 30 miles (50 km) from the river. Many doing business onshore were also killed. At Natchez Landing, the destruction of dwellings, stores, steamboats and flatboats was almost complete.
It then moved into the town of Natchez, though its full width of devastation also included the river and the Louisiana village of Vidalia, across the river. The central and northern portions of Natchez were slammed by the funnel and many buildings were completely destroyed.
Read more about this topic: Great Natchez Tornado
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