1920 — April 20, Tornadoes (7), MS (131 deaths), AL (92), TN (1) — 224
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 6-1-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–229 Monthly Weather Review. “The Four Tornadoes of April 20, 1920.” April, 1920, p. 203.[1]
–224 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 467, 769-770. (Blanchard tally)
–24 07:00 Union, Tippah, Prentiss, Alcorn, Tishomingo counties, MS, F4. P. 769.
–88 08:00 Oktibbeha/Clay/Monroe/Itawamba co. MS; Marion/Franklin/Colbert/Lawrence, AL F4.
–27 08:30 Neshoba, Winston counties MS. (Grazulis 1993, pp. 467 and 769.)
–36 09:55 Jasper, Clarke, Lauderdale counties, MS. (Grazulis 1993, pp. 467 and 769.)
–21 10:00 Fayette, Walker, Winston, Cullman, Morgan counties, AL. (Grazulis, p. 467, 769)
— 1 10:30 Williamsson and Matrix counties, TN. (Grazulis 1993, p. 770.)
–27 12:30 Madison County, AL. (Grazulis 1993, pp. 467 and 770.)
— 88 Brooks and Doswell 2000. MS-AL Tornado Family. (The Grazulis 08:00 tornado.)
— 88 Storm Prediction Center, NOAA. “The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes.” No. 23.[2] (MS-AL)
Alabama ( 92)
–136 Alabama (3). NOAA, NWS, WFO Birmingham AL. AL Tornado Database
- 27 Madison County (Lily Flag, Huntsville) Tornado
- 21 Fayette/Walker/Winston/Cullman/Morgan Counties Tornado
- 88 Marion/Franklin/Colbert/Lawrence Counties Tornado (This is AL and MS)
- 26 Elmore/Tallapoosa/Chambers Counties Tornado
— 92 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 492-493.
–44 08:00 Marion, Franklin, Colbert, Lawrence Counties. P. 769. (Blanchard tally)
— 9 Bexar area, Marian County
–11 NE Marian County
–19 Franklin County, mostly Waco area
— 4 Colbert County
— 1 Lawrence County
–21 10:00 Fayette, Walker, Winston, Cullman, Morgan Counties, AL. P. 769
–19 Arlen-Helicon area, Winston County
–27 12:30 Madison County, 12:30 (Pp. 492-493 and 770)
–92 National Weather Service, WFO, Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database.
–27 12:30 Madison [County}, F4
–21 10:00 Fayette-Walker-Winston-Cullman-Morgan (counties), F4.
–44 08:00 Marion-Franklin-Colbert-Lawrence [counties], F4.
— 92 NWS, WFO Birmingham AL. Top 10 Weather Events in 20th Century for AL.
— 90 Stevens, W. R.. “Tornadoes in Alabama,” Monthly Weather Review, October 1925, 440.
–44 Marion, Franklin, Colbert, Lawrence Counties
Mississippi (131)
–131 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 467, 769-769. (Blanchard tally)
–24 07:00 Union, Tippah, Prentiss, Alcorn, Tishomingo counties, MS, F4. P. 769.
–5 Glen, Alcorn County
–6 Ingomar, Union County
–5 Tippah County
–44 08:00 Oktibbeha, Clay, Monroe, Itawamba counties.
— 7 Starkville area Oktibbeha County
–10 Cedar Bluff area Clay County
–22 Aberdeen area Monroe County
— 5 elsewhere after leaving Aberdeen area
–27 08:30 Neshoba, Winston counties MS. (Grazulis 1993, pp. 467 and 769.)
–36 09:55 Jasper, Clarke, Lauderdale counties, MS. (Pp. 467 and 769.)
–130 Jaqua. “Tornadoes in Eastern Mississippi, April 20, 1920.” Monthly Weather Review, Apr 1920, 203.
— 36 Meridian MS. Brooks and Doswell 2000; NOAA 25 Deadliest Tornadoes.
Tennessee ( 1)
— 1 10:30 Williamsson and Matrix counties, TN. (Grazulis 1993, p. 770.)
Narrative Information
Monthly Weather Review. “The Four Tornadoes of April 20, 1920: “The tornadoes of April 20, which were even more destructive than those of March 28 were apparently the result of a cold northerly wind overrunning the southerly surface wind. There was apparently no line of wind convergence, as in the case of March 28; but the striking feature is the formation, at approximately 60-mile intervals in a north-south line, of four tornadoes which swept along parallel paths from Mississippi into Alabama and Tennessee. The regular formation of these storms probably indicates the successive stages of the advancing cold air aloft: and the location of this front could be roughly determined by a line drawn through the synchronous positions of the tornadoes. According to news-paper accounts, which seem reliable, ‘loss of life * * *in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee stood to-day (April 24) at 229 persons, with at least 700 injured, and a property loss of several million dollars.’ – Editor.”
Alabama
Murray, Bill. “An Unusually Strong Morning Tornado Outbreak…” AlabamaWx Weather Blog. 4-19-2008:
“On April 21, 1920…one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in Alabama history struck northwestern sections of the state after causing catastrophic damage in Northeast Mississippi also.
“The unusual thing was that the tornadoes occurred early in the morning. Something we need to keep in mind when we think late night and early morning events might not be as strong becuase it is typically when instabilities are lowest.
“About an hour later, another F4 tornado touched town near Bradley in Oktibbeha County. It would remain on the ground 130 miles all the way across Marion, Franklin, Colbert and into Lawrence Counties in Alabama. Seven people died near Starkville and twenty two died on the west side of Aberdeen. A total of 20 people perished in Marion County, including nine at Bexar. Nineteen people died at Waco in Franklin County, including nine from one family.
“About thirty minutes later, another F4 killed 27 in Neshoba County, Mississippi. AN F4 close to Meridian killed thirty six.
“At 10 a.m., another intense tornado touched down in Fayette County, southwest of Carbon Hill. Arley and Helicon in Winston County were especially hard hit with 19 fatalities. This tornado was on the ground for fifty miles and claimed a total of twenty one people.”
Sources
Brooks, Harold E. and Charles A Doswell III (NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory). “Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890-1999.” Revised manuscript submitted as Note to Weather and Forecasting, Vol. 16, 9 p., Sep 2000. Accessed 11-25-2017 at: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/users/brooks/public_html/damage/tdam1.html
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
Jaqua, J. H., Observer, Meridian, MS, 5-21-1920. “Tornadoes in Eastern Mississippi, April 20, 1920.” Monthly Weather Review, Apr 1920, p. 203. Accessed 6-1-2025 at: file:///C:/Users/Wayne/Downloads/mwre-1520-0493_1920_48_203b_tiema_2_0_co_2.pdf
Monthly Weather Review. “The Four Tornadoes of April 20, 1920.” April, 1920, p. 203. Accessed 6-1-2025 at: https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0493(1920)48%3C203b:TIEMA%3E2.0.CO;2
Murray, Bill. “An Unusually Strong Morning Tornado Outbreak…” AlabamaWx Weather Blog. 4-19-2008. Accessed 6-1-2025 at: https://www.alabamawx.com/?p=6579
National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database. NWS/NOAA. Accessed 1-4-2009 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/tornadoes/mainlist2.php
National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office Birmingham, AL. Top 10 Weather Events in the 21st Century For Alabama. NWS, NOAA, March 22, 2006 modification. Accessed at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/significant_events/climate/top10.php
Smyth, P.H., Meteorologist, Weather Bureau, Montgomery, AL. “The Tornadoes of April 20, 1920, in Alabama.” Monthly Weather Review, April, 1920, pp. 205-210. Accessed 6-1-2025 at: file:///C:/Users/Wayne/Downloads/mwre-1520-0493_1920_48_205_ttoaia_2_0_co_2.pdf
Stevens, Welby R. “Tornadoes in Alabama,” Monthly Weather Review, October 1925, pp. 437-443. Accessed at: http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/053/mwr-053-10-0437.pdf
Storm Prediction Center, NOAA. “The 25 Deadliest U.S. Tornadoes.” No. 23. Accessed 6-1-2025 at: https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/killers.html
[1] “According to newspaper accounts, which seem reliable, ‘loss of life…in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee stood to-day (April 24) at 229 persons, with at least 700 injured…”
[2] Starkville MS to Waco AL.