The Great Natchez Tornado of 1840

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May 7th began as a sultry, overcast day with a dusty haze. A continual rumble of thunder started at nine in the morning and lasted until one in the afternoon along the Mississippi River between Natchez and Vidalia.

The river teemed with activity. Boatmen on steamboats and 120 flatboats—large rafts that floated goods down to New Orleans—were at work that fateful Thursday in 1840.

The townspeople went about their business as black clouds, some swirling, caused “no particular alarm.” The sky grew so dark as they ate lunch that residents lit candles.

Driving rain fell. The tornado followed the river, uprooting massive trees. People heard the devastation for miles.

Homes, stores, and businesses on either side of the river in Vidalia and Natchez were destroyed. Crews and passengers on the river endured the worst of the storm.

The tornado whipped the river into massive waves that tossed boats and men into the air. Reports were that the water rose 10 to 15 feet. Even experienced swimmers couldn’t swim the raging waters.

An estimated 200 people from the flatboats drowned. One hundred sixteen flatboats sank. The steamboat Prairie sank while another steamboat, Hinds, floated to Baton Rouge with 51 dead aboard.

Twelve Natchez city blocks were completely destroyed, a loss that included two churches, a theater, hotels, and the town square.

Killing 317 people and injuring 109, the Great Natchez Tornado of 1840 is recognized as the second worst in the history of the United States.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Sources

Hyde, James. “The Natchez, Mississippi Tornado of 1840,” U.S. Tornadoes, 2018/01/07 http://www.ustornadoes.com/2017/05/07/natchez-ms-tornado-1840/.

Nelson, Stanley. “The Great Natchez Tornado of 1840,” Natchez.ms.us, 2018/01/07 http://www.natchez.ms.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/128.