View source for 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak

{{short description|Tornadoes that struck the United States}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name = 1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak
| image = Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak weather map 4-6-1936 (9663211).jpg
| caption = Weather map of the storm complex over Canada that would spawn the tornado outbreak in the Southeastern U.S, including the two tornadoes that would hit Tupelo, Mississippi and Gainesville, Georgia on April 6, 1936.
| duration = April 5–6, 1936
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado outbreak
| tornadoes = ≥14
| fujita-scale = F5
| duration = 18 hours
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = ≥454
| injuries = >2,498
| damages = ≥$15.9 million (1936 [[United States dollar|USD]])<br>≥${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|15,900,000|1936|r=-4}}}} ({{inflation/year|US}} USD)
| affected = [[Southern United States]]
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer
}}
On April&nbsp;5–6, 1936, an outbreak of at least fourteen [[tornado|tornadoes]] struck the [[Southeastern United States]], killing at least 454 people (with 419 of those deaths caused by just two tornadoes) and injuring at least 2,500 others. Over two hundred people died in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] alone, making it the deadliest disaster ever recorded in the state.<ref>{{cite web |title=The deadliest disaster to ever happen in each state |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/the-deadliest-disaster-to-ever-happen-in-each-state/ss-AA15iVyW?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=b852eb5146d44c5497c7b7a63e1e26f8&ei=70#image=11 |website=MSN |access-date=25 April 2023}}</ref>

Although the outbreak is often centered on the violent tornadoes in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]] (with an estimated [[Fujita scale|F5 rating]]), and [[Gainesville, Georgia]] (estimated [[Fujita scale|F4 rating]]), there were other destructive tornadoes in the cities of [[Columbia, Tennessee]]; [[Acworth, Georgia]]; and [[Anderson, South Carolina]]. One long-track F4 tornado killed six people in rural parts of Tennessee, and two other long-track tornadoes (rated F3) killed an additional thirteen people in southern Tennessee and northern Alabama. Another pair of F3 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi, claiming an additional eight lives.

This was the second deadliest tornado outbreak in U.S. history (after that of the [[Tri-State tornado outbreak|Tri-state tornado]] in 1925) and the only one in which two separate tornadoes killed more than 200 people each.<ref name="RecordsSection">Multiple sources:
*{{cite web |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |last2=Grazulis |first2=Doris |title=The United States' Worst Tornadoes |url=http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |website=The Tornado Project |publisher=Environmental Films |access-date=3 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514002740/http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm |archive-date=14 May 2008 |location=[[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]] |date=26 April 2000}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001a|p=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/232 232]}}
</ref>{{refn|group=nb|name=Outbreak|An [[tornado outbreak|outbreak]] is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An [[tornado outbreak sequence|outbreak sequence]], prior to (after) the start of modern records in 1950, is defined as a period of no more than two (one) consecutive days without at least one [[Fujita scale#Rating classifications|significant]] (F2 or stronger) tornado.<ref name=OutbreakClimo>{{cite conference |url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/schneider/otbrkseq.pdf |title=Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875–2003) |last1=Schneider |first1=Russell S. |last2=Brooks |first2=Harold E. |last3=Schaefer |first3=Joseph T. |author-link2=Harold E. Brooks |year=2004 |publisher=[[American Meteorological Society]] |location=Hyannis, Massachusetts |conference=22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms |conference-url=https://ams.confex.com/ams/11aram22sls/techprogram/programexpanded_230.htm |access-date=September 17, 2019}}</ref>}}{{refn|group=nb|name=Fujita|The [[Fujita scale]] was devised under the aegis of scientist [[Ted Fujita|T. Theodore Fujita]] in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=141}}{{sfn|Grazulis|2001a|p=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/131 131]}} While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] in the U.S. since February&nbsp;1, 2007,<ref name="EFscale">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html|website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=March 5, 2015}}</ref> Canada used the old scale until April&nbsp;1, 2013;<ref name="FscaleCanada">{{cite web |title=Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale) |url=https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 |website=Environment and Climate Change Canada |access-date=February 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220706/http://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |date=June 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the [[TORRO scale]].<ref name="TORROscale">{{cite web|title=The International Tornado Intensity Scale |url=http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php |website=Tornado and Storm Research Organisation |access-date=February 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305120332/http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |year=2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}{{refn|group=nb|name=Count|Historically, the number of tornadoes globally and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded. Documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.{{sfn|Grazulis|2001a|pp=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/251 251]–[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/254 4]}} Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology|website=Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes|publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]]|access-date=February 25, 2016|date=March 5, 2015}}</ref> Significant low biases in U.S. tornado counts likely occurred through the early 1990s, when advanced [[NEXRAD]] was first installed and the [[National Weather Service]] began comprehensively verifying tornado occurrences.{{sfn|Cook|Schaefer|2008|p=3135}}}}

==Confirmed tornadoes==
{{Tornado Chart|Total= ≥ 14|FU= 1|F0= ?|F1= ?|F2= 2|F3= 7|F4= 3|F5= 1}}
{{clear}}

===April 5 event===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Confirmed tornadoes – Sunday, April 5, 1936{{refn|group=nb|name=Date/Time|All dates are based on the local [[time zone]] where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in [[Coordinated Universal Time]] and dates are split at midnight [[Central Time Zone|CST/CDT]] for consistency.}}{{refn|group=nb|name=Width|Prior to 1994, only the average widths of tornado paths were officially listed.{{sfn|Brooks|2004|p=310}}}}
! scope="col"  style="width:3%; text-align:center;"|[[Fujita scale|F#]]
! scope="col"  style="width:7%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|Location
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|County / Parish
! scope="col"  style="width:5%; text-align:center;"|State
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|Time ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]])
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|Path length
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|{{abbr|Max.|Maximum}} width
! scope="col" class="unsortable" style="width:48%; text-align:center;"|Summary
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|[[LaCrosse, Arkansas|LaCrosse]]–[[Larkin, Arkansas|Larkin]]
|[[Izard County, Arkansas|Izard]]
|[[Arkansas|AR]]
|01:00–?
|{{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|1 death – An intense tornado destroyed a dozen homes approximately {{convert|7|mi|km}} north-northeast of [[Melbourne, Arkansas|Melbourne]]. Four or five people were injured, depending on the source, and estimated losses were $40,000{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=169}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat4}} | F4
|N of [[Waynesboro, Tennessee|Waynesboro]] to S of [[Hohenwald, Tennessee|Hohenwald]]
|[[Hardin County, Tennessee|Hardin]], [[Wayne County, Tennessee|Wayne]], [[Lewis County, Tennessee|Lewis]]
|[[Tennessee|TN]]
|01:45–?
|{{convert|35|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|300|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|6 deaths – A violent tornado leveled homes and destroyed other buildings in several communities. The mining village Smith's Branch was obliterated, with four deaths and 27 injuries. Eight other injuries were also reported, for a total of 35, and damages totaled between $150,000 and $200,000. {{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=169}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|Northwestern [[Booneville, Mississippi|Booneville]]
|[[Prentiss County, Mississippi|Prentiss]]
|[[Mississippi|MS]]
|02:05–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|4 deaths – This tornado wrecked spacious homes, killing three people in one of them. The tornado also destroyed a number of smaller homes. Twelve people were injured and losses totaled $20,000.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|[[Bryant, Mississippi|Bryant]]
|[[Yalobusha County, Mississippi|Yalobusha]]
|[[Mississippi|MS]]
|02:10–?
|{{convert|18|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|4 deaths – This, the first member of the Tupelo [[tornado family]], touched down south of [[Coffeeville, Mississippi|Coffeeville]]. It splintered hundreds of pine trees and wrecked five homes. All known fatalities were in one of the homes. Seven people were injured and losses totaled $10,000.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=169}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|NW of [[Columbia, Tennessee|Columbia]]
|[[Maury County, Tennessee|Maury]]
|[[Tennessee|TN]]
|02:30–?
|{{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|300|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|5 deaths – An intense tornado leveled hovels and large homes alike in a mining village. A total of approximately 30 homes were destroyed or damaged, with losses estimated at $50,000. 30 injuries occurred.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=169}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat5}} | F5
|Northern [[Tupelo, Mississippi|Tupelo]]
|[[Lee County, Mississippi|Lee]], [[Itawamba County, Mississippi|Itawamba]]
|[[Mississippi|MS]]
|02:55–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|1000|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|216+ deaths – ''[[1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak#Tupelo, Mississippi|See section on this tornado]]'' – At least 700 injuries were reported, with damages of up to $3 million.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|[[Red Bay, Alabama|Red Bay, AL]] to W of [[Frankfort, Alabama|Frankfort, AL]]
|[[Itawamba County, Mississippi|Itawamba (MS)]], [[Franklin County, Alabama|Franklin (AL)]], [[Colbert County, Alabama|Colbert (AL)]]
|[[Mississippi|MS]], [[Alabama|AL]]
|03:02–?
|{{convert|25|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{unk}}
|8 deaths – This tornado formed from the same storm as the Tupelo F5 and may have been an extension of the latter tornado. It destroyed or damaged 30 homes in Red Bay, killing four people. Three additional deaths took place in a filling station and a fourth in another home. 55 injuries occurred and losses totaled $145,000.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|pp=865–6}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|E of [[Rogersville, Alabama|Rogersville, AL]] to [[Shady Grove, Lincoln County, Tennessee|Shady Grove, TN]]
|[[Lauderdale County, Alabama|Lauderdale (AL)]], [[Limestone County, Alabama|Limestone (AL)]], [[Madison County, Alabama|Madison (AL)]], [[Lincoln County, Tennessee|Lincoln (TN)]]
|[[Alabama|AL]], [[Tennessee|TN]]
|04:15–?
|{{convert|50|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|5 deaths – This intense tornado family formed from the same storm as the Tupelo F5. It produced most of its damage to farms near [[Elkmont, Alabama]], where four people died in a pair of homes that were obliterated. Papers marked from Tupelo, Mississippi, landed in fields near [[Flintville, Tennessee]]. 13 people were injured and losses totaled $40,000.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=866}}
|}

===April&nbsp;6 event===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
|+ Confirmed tornadoes – Monday, April 6, 1936{{refn|group=nb|name=Date/Time}}{{refn|group=nb|name=Width}}
! scope="col"  style="width:3%; text-align:center;"|[[Fujita scale|F#]]
! scope="col"  style="width:7%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|Location
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;" class="unsortable"|County / Parish
! scope="col"  style="width:5%; text-align:center;"|State
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|Time ([[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]])
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|Path length
! scope="col"  style="width:6%; text-align:center;"|{{abbr|Max.|Maximum}} width
! scope="col" class="unsortable" style="width:48%; text-align:center;"|Summary
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat3}} | F3
|NE of [[Acworth, Georgia|Acworth]]
|[[Cobb County, Georgia|Cobb]], [[Cherokee County, Georgia|Cherokee]]
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]]
|12:22–?
|{{convert|8|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|100|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|An intense tornado destroyed several homes, a store, and a [[gristmill]] with damage to other structures also reported. Five people sustained injuries.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=866}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=170}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|unk}} | FU
|Northern [[Gainesville, Georgia|Gainesville]] to [[New Holland, Georgia|New Holland]]
|[[Hall County, Georgia|Hall]]
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]]
|13:27–?
|{{unk}}
|{{unk}}
|This was the first of three destructive tornadoes to strike Gainesville. It hit [[Brenau University|Brenau College]], which is now a [[university]], and continued eastward into New Holland. Trees and buildings on the campus sustained minor damage.{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=170}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat4}} | F4
|Downtown [[Gainesville, Georgia|Gainesville]] (Two tornadoes) 
|[[Hall County, Georgia|Hall]]
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]]
|13:37–?
|{{convert|7|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|203+ deaths – ''[[1936 Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak#Gainesville, Georgia|See section on this tornado]]'' – 1,600 people were injured. These were the most destructive tornadoes of the outbreak, with $12.5 million in losses.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=866}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=170}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat2}} | F2
|Northwestern [[Anderson, South Carolina|Anderson]]
|[[Anderson County, South Carolina|Anderson]]
|[[South Carolina|SC]]
|14:55–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|1 death – This strong tornado, formed by the same storm as the Gainesville tornado, felled a number of trees and destroyed 50 homes as well as multiple farmhouses and a couple of mills. An elderly farmer was killed by falling bricks, and 30 other people were injured. Letters marked as being from Gainesville were found nearby. Total losses were estimated at $250,000-300,000. {{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=866}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=171}}{{sfn|USWB|1936|p=157}}
|-
|bgcolor=#{{Storm colour|cat2}} | F2
|W of [[Carnesville, Georgia|Carnesville]] to [[Lavonia, Georgia|Lavonia]]
|[[Franklin County, Georgia|Franklin]]
|[[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]]
|15:00–?
|{{convert|15|mi|km|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|{{convert|200|yd|m|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|1 death – This strong tornado destroyed nine homes and damaged 15 others. Six injuries were reported along with $25,000 in losses.{{sfn|Grazulis|1993|p=866}}{{sfn|Kincer|1936|p=171}}
|}
{{clear}}

===Tupelo, Mississippi===

{{Infobox weather event
| name = Tupelo, Mississippi
| image = 1936 Tupelo tornado Aerial Photo.jpg
| caption = An aerial photo showing the aftermath in Tupelo
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado
| fujita-scale = F5
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = ≥216
| injuries = ≥700
| damages = $3 million (1936 USD)<br>${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|3,500,000|1936|r=-4}}}} ({{inflation/year|US}} USD)
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}}

Making its way toward Tupelo, the massive tornado killed a family of 13&nbsp;as their house was swept away, and injured many more before reaching Tupelo's west side. Retroactively rated F5 on the modern [[Fujita scale]], it caused total destruction along its path through the Willis Heights neighborhood. Dozens of large and well built mansions were swept completely away in this area. Although missing the [[business district]], the tornado moved through the residential areas of north Tupelo, destroying many homes, and killing whole families. The Gum Pond area of Tupelo was the worst hit. Homes along the pond were swept into the water with their victims. The majority of the bodies were found in Gum Pond, the area which is now Gumtree Park. Reportedly, many bodies were never recovered from the pond. Reports were that the winds were so strong, pine needles were embedded into trunks of trees. As the tornado exited the city's east side, the large concrete [[Battle of Tupelo]] monument was toppled to the ground and destroyed. Two nearby brick gate posts were broken off at the base and blown over as well. East of town, granulated structural debris from the city was strewn and wind-rowed for miles through open fields. According to records, the Tupelo tornado leveled 48&nbsp;city blocks and between 200&ndash;900&nbsp;homes, killing at least 216&nbsp;people and injuring at least 700&nbsp;others. The tornado destroyed the water tower and produced numerous fires in its wake, though overnight rains which left knee-deep water in some streets contained the flames. Though 216&nbsp;remained the final death toll, 100&nbsp;persons were still hospitalized at the time it was set. Subsequently, the Mississippi State Geologist estimated a final, unofficial death toll of 233. Notably, among the survivors were one-year-old [[Elvis Presley]] and his parents.<ref name="TupeloSummary">Multiple sources:
*{{harvnb|Blade|2012|p=68}}
*{{harvnb|Dundy|2004|p=71}}
*{{cite web |editor-last=Edwards |editor-first=Roger |editor-link=Roger Edwards (meteorologist) |title=The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) |publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]] |location=[[Norman, Oklahoma]] |access-date=7 April 2023}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|1984|p=A-47}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|1993|p=865}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001b|p=18}}
*{{harvnb|Lindley|1936|p=13}}
*{{harvnb|Mason|2007|p=15}}
*{{harvnb|Morse|1936|p=11}}
*{{harvnb|Sandlin|2013|p=215}}
*{{harvnb|Steed|2012|p=71}}
*{{cite news|title=Tornado Alley|newspaper=Florence Times|date=March 2, 1979|location=[[Florence, Alabama]]}}
*{{cite web|title=Tornadoes devastate Tupelo and Gainesville — History.com This Day in History — 4/5/1936|url=http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tornadoes-devastate-tupelo-and-gainesville|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308011020/http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/tornadoes-devastate-tupelo-and-gainesville|archive-date=March 8, 2010|access-date=June 19, 2013|publisher=History.com}}
*{{harvnb|Tracy|2007|pp=1–2}}
</ref>
{{clear}}

===Gainesville, Georgia===
{{See also|Cooper Pants Factory fire}}
{{Infobox weather event
| name = Gainesville, Georgia
| image = Gainesville Public Square aftermath.png
| caption = Gainesville Public Square after the tornado
}}{{Infobox weather event/Tornado family
| tornadoes = 2
| fujitascale = F4
}}{{Infobox weather event/Effects
| fatalities = ≥203
| injuries = ≥1,600
| damages = $12{{frac|1|2}} million (1936 USD)<br>${{Formatprice|{{Inflation|US|12,500,000|1936|r=-4}}}} ({{inflation/year|US}} USD)
}}{{Infobox weather event/Footer}}

After producing the Tupelo tornado, the storm system moved through [[Alabama]] overnight and reached Gainesville, Georgia, at around 8:30&nbsp;a.m local [[standard time]]. According to [[Ted Fujita]], this early morning tornado was a double tornado event: one&nbsp;tornado moved in from the [[Atlanta]] highway, while the other moved in from the [[Dawsonville, Georgia|Dawsonville]] highway. The two&nbsp;merged on Grove Street and destroyed everything throughout the downtown area, causing wreckage to pile {{convert|10|ft|m|lk=on}} high in some places. The worst tornado-caused death toll in a single building in U.S. history was at the Cooper Pants Factory.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 6, 1995 |title=TODAY'S WEATHER |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/707173863/?match=1&terms=Cooper%20Pants%20Factory |url-access=subscription |work=Okmulgee Times |location=[[Okmulgee, Oklahoma]] |pages=1}}</ref>

President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] spoke from a train platform in Gainesville on April&nbsp;9, after the devastating tornado struck the town a few days earlier.<ref name="GainesvilleSummary">Multiple sources:
*{{cite web |author1=Blake Naftel |author2=Jon Chamberlain |author3=Becky Monroe |author4=Ed Lacey Jr. |author5=Dick Loney |title=April 11th 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado Outbreak |url=https://www.weather.gov/iwx/1965_palmsunday_50 |website=Northern Indiana [[List of National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices|Weather Forecast Office]] |publisher=National Weather Service |access-date=14 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404011605/https://www.weather.gov/iwx/1965_palmsunday_50 |archive-date=4 April 2015 |location=[[Syracuse, Indiana]] |date=2015}}
*{{cite web |editor-last=Edwards |editor-first=Roger |editor-link=Roger Edwards (meteorologist) |title=The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes |url=https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html |website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC) |publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]] |location=[[Norman, Oklahoma]] |access-date=7 April 2023}}
*{{cite web|title=Franklin Delano Roosevelt|url=http://collectionsdev.atlantahistorycenter.com:2011/cdm/ref/collection/athpc/id/1350|website=Atlanta History Photograph Collection, Kenan Research Center|publisher=[[Atlanta History Center]]|access-date=June 3, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616215948/http://collectionsdev.atlantahistorycenter.com:2011/cdm/ref/collection/athpc/id/1350|archive-date=June 16, 2016}}
*{{cite web |title=Gainesville, GA Tornado, Apr 1936 - graphic account |website=GenDisasters |access-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407191600/http://www3.gendisasters.com/georgia/6635/gainesville-ga-tornado-apr-1936-graphic-account |url=http://www3.gendisasters.com/georgia/6635/gainesville-ga-tornado-apr-1936-graphic-account |archive-date=7 April 2014}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|1993|pp=700, 866–7}}
*{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001a|p=[https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz/page/26 26]}}
*{{harvnb|Kincer|1936|pp=170–1}}
*{{cite web |last1=Ripley |first1=Leigh Ann |title=Introduction to the Gainesville Tornado Disaster of 1936 |url=http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/tornado/history.php |website=The 1936 Gainesville Tornado: Disaster and Recovery |publisher=[[Digital Library of Georgia]] |access-date=7 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080503002422/http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/tornado/history.php |archive-date=3 May 2008 |date=June 30, 2007}}
</ref>
{{clear}}


==See also==
*[[1903 Gainesville, Georgia, tornado]] — Also devastated part of the same city as in 1936

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Sources==
*{{Cite book|last=Blade|first=Robert|year=2012|title=Tupelo Man: The Life and Times of George McLean, a Most Peculiar Newspaper Publisher|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|isbn=978-1617036286}}
*{{cite journal |last1=Brooks |first1=Harold E. |author-link1=Harold E. Brooks |title=On the Relationship of Tornado Path Length and Width to Intensity |journal=[[Weather and Forecasting]] |date=April 2004 |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=310–19 |doi=10.1175/1520-0434(2004)019<0310:OTROTP>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2004WtFor..19..310B }}
*{{cite journal|last1=Cook|first1=A. R.|last2=Schaefer|first2=J. T. |title=The Relation of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) to Winter Tornado Outbreaks|journal=[[Monthly Weather Review]] |date=August 2008|volume=136|issue=8|page=3135|doi=10.1175/2007MWR2171.1 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2008MWRv..136.3121C}}
*{{Cite book|last=Dundy|first=Elaine|year=2004|title=Elvis and Gladys|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1578066346}}
*{{cite tech report|last=Grazulis|first=Thomas P.|author-link=Thomas P. Grazulis|date=May 1984|title=Violent Tornado Climatography, 1880–1982|series=NUREG|number=CR-3670|website=[[Office of Scientific and Technical Information|OSTI]]|institution=[[Nuclear Regulatory Commission]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|osti=7099491 |osti-access=free}}
**{{cite book | last = Grazulis | first = Thomas P. |title = Significant Tornadoes 1880–1989 |date=November 1990 | publisher = The Tornado Project of Environmental Films | location = [[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]] | isbn = 1-879362-02-3 |volume=2 |author-mask=1}}
**{{cite book |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |title=Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |date=July 1993 |publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films |location=[[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]] |isbn=1-879362-03-1 |author-mask=1}}
**{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|title=The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm|url=https://archive.org/details/tornadonaturesul0000graz|url-access=registration|date=2001a|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|location=[[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]|isbn=978-0-8061-3538-0|author-mask=1}}
**{{Cite book|last=Grazulis|first=Thomas P. |title=F5-F6 Tornadoes|publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films|year=2001b |location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont|author-mask=1}}
*{{cite journal|last=Kincer|first=J. B.|date=May 1936|title=Tornado disasters in the Southeastern states, April 1936|journal=Monthly Weather Review|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|publisher=[[National Weather Service|United States Weather Bureau]]|volume=65|issue=5|pages=168–171|bibcode=1936MWRv...64..168K|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1936)64<168:TDITSS>2.0.CO;2|doi-access=free}}
*{{Cite journal|editor-last=Lindley|editor-first=R. T.|date=April 1936|title=General Summary|department=Mississippi section|journal=Climatological Data|volume=41|issue=4|publisher=[[National Weather Service#History|United States Weather Bureau]]|publication-place=Washington, D.C.|location=[[Vicksburg, Mississippi]]|url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/cd/cd.html}}
*{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NqCQo9nqVHYC&q=Tornado|title=Elvis Presley|last=Mason|first=Bobbie Ann|date=2007|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0-14-303889-4|language=en|via=[[Google Books]]}}
*{{Cite tech report|last=Morse|first=William Clifford|date=April 11, 1936|title=The Tupelo Tornado|series=Mississippi State Geological Survey|number=31, ''The Tupelo Tornado''|publisher=[[University of Mississippi]]|location=[[University, Mississippi]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213161642/http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/pdf/Geology_Bulletin31TheTupeloTornado/$File/Bulletin%2031.pdf?OpenElement|archive-date=13 December 2013|url=http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/pdf/Geology_Bulletin31TheTupeloTornado/%24File/Bulletin%2031.pdf?OpenElement|access-date=9 April 2023|via=[[Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality]]}}
*{{Cite book|last=Ramage, Jr.|first=Martis|year=1997|title=Tupelo, Mississippi, Tornado of 1936|publisher=Northeast Mississippi Historical and Genealogical Society}}
*{{Cite book|last=Sandlin|first=Lee|year=2013|title=Storm Kings: The Untold Story of America's First Storm Chasers|publisher=[[Pantheon Books]]|isbn=978-0307378521}}
*{{Cite journal|title=Severe local storms|journal=Monthly Weather Review|publisher=United States Weather Bureau|date=April 1936|volume=64|issue=4|pages=156–8|location=Washington, D.C.|doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1936)64<156:SLSA>2.0.CO;2|doi-access=free|bibcode=1936MWRv...64..156K|ref={{harvid|USWB|1936}}}}
*{{Cite book|last=Steed|first=Bud|year=2012|title=The Haunted Natchez Trace|publisher=[[The History Press]]|isbn=978-1609495312}}
*{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HP5XSyrE9rQC&q=April+5%2C+1936|title=Elvis Presley: A Biography|last=Tracy|first=Kathleen|date=2007|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-33827-4|language=en|via=Google Books}}

{{Alabama tornado events}}
{{Portal bar|Modern history|United States|Weather}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1936 Tupelo-Gainesville Tornado Outbreak}}
[[Category:1936 natural disasters in the United States|Tupelo-Gainesville Tornado Outbreak, 1936]]
[[Category:April 1936 in the United States]]
[[Category:F5, EF5 and IF5 tornadoes]]
[[Category:20th-century tornadoes]]
[[Category:1936 meteorology]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Alabama]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Tornadoes in Tennessee]]