March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak


The March 1875 Southeast tornado outbreak was a devastating event that struck the Southern United States from March 19–20, 1875. It produced least 19 tornadoes were recorded, with seven that were rated F4 by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis. Georgia bore the brunt of the destruction and fatalities, with two tornado families causing most of the damage. These families followed parallel paths, apart, through Georgia and South Carolina, consisting of multiple long-tracked and intense tornadoes.
The deadliest tornado of the outbreak, rated F4, killed 28–42 people in and around Sparta, Georgia, and Edgefield, South Carolina, on March 20. Another F4 tornado on a similar path may have caused up to 30 additional fatalities. Overall, the outbreak resulted in at least 96 deaths, 377 injuries, and $650,000 in damages - a staggering toll for the time.

Confirmed tornadoes

The ratings for these tornadoes were done by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and are not official ratings.
  • Note: Some of the events listed as individual tornadoes were probably tornado families.

Sparta, Georgia/Edgefield, South Carolina

A massive F4 carved a path of destruction through parts of Georgia and South Carolina, with a width ranging from to over. The tornado first struck northwest of Sparta, Georgia, in Hancock County, destroying numerous farms and claiming four lives, three of whom were on a single farm. Remarkably, a door hinge from the farmhouse was found embedded deep in a tree over a away.
In Warren County, at least six people died, including one at a church west of Warrenton. The pastor credited the survival of most congregants to the pews, which shielded them from falling timbers. The tornado continued through Camak, where 39 of the town's 40 homes were either damaged or obliterated. McDuffie County reported at least seven fatalities, potentially as many as 9, primarily among residents of small cabins.
Columbia County may have experienced up to 20 deaths, although only eight deaths were confirmed. In Appling at least four people perished, with reports suggesting as many as eight may have died on a single plantation. After crossing the state line into Edgefield County, South Carolina, the tornado caused comparatively less destruction. though six farms and plantations were destroyed, and three fatalities were recorded. The tornado finally dissipated south of Edgefield.
The death toll from this tornado is officially listed at 28, but with uncertainties and unconfirmed reports of additional deaths, the number may be as high as 42.