1922 — April 8, Tornadoes, TX/14 and OK/4, esp. Rowena (7) and Oplin area (5), TX– 18
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-21-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–18 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 436 and 778.
Narrative Information
Grazulis:
“TX Apr 8, 1922 00:15 12k [killed] 90inj 150y 45m F3 Runnells/Coleman/Callahan [counties]
“OK Apr 8, 1922 03:00 1k 1 inj F2 Tillman [County]
“TX Apr 8, 1922 06:15 1k 10inj 100y 3m F2 Wichita [County]
“OK Apr 8, 1922 07:15 3k 40inj 300y 5m F3 Comanche [County]
“TX Apr 8, 1922 10:00 1k 1inj 50y 2m F2 Johnson [County]
Newspaper
April 8, AP: “By the Associated Press.
“Fourteen persons are known to have been killed and scores of others more or less seriously injured in a tornado that swept through Northern Texas and Southern Oklahoma early Saturday morning. Property damage amounting into thousands of dollars was reported from various points. Rowena, Texas, near Ballinger, where eight persons were killed and seven injured, reported the greatest loss of life. Other places that suffered from the tornado were:
“Oplin, Callahan County, Texas, three dead and five injured.
“Cisco, Texas, one dead and more than a dozen injured, one seriously.
“Electra, Texas, one dead and an unknown number injured.
“Lawton, Okla., one dead and several seriously injured.
“Serious property damage was reported from all of the towns where there were fatalities, many residences being demolished and hundreds of telephone and telegraph wires being blown down.
“At Oklahoma City, about $10,000 damage was sustained at the Oklahoma State Fair grounds when the roof was torn from the automobile building and dropped on the Liberal Arts Building. At Cleburne a number of buildings were blown over and one woman, Mrs. Walter Bakr, was seriously injured when her home was demolished….” (San Antonio Light, TX. “Texas-Oklahoma Tornado Kills 14.” 4-8-1922, p. 1.)
April 8, Abilene Daily Reporter, TX:
“17 Known Dead Result of Tornadoes in Texas and South Oklahoma.
“Special to The Reporter
“Oplin, Texas, April 8 – The worst cyclone that ever hit this section of the country struck about two or three miles east of here Saturday morning shortly after one o’clock, killed three persons, injured eight or ten others and did about $20,000 worth of damage to property. The report that Oplin was wiped off of the face of the earth is false, as this city itself was not harmed in the slightest.
“Eight farm homes were completely destroyed and the occupants left in their night clothing to face the dark night and storm with a six inch downpour of rain pelting them.
“The dead are:
Mrs. E. P. Cundiff and daughter,
Miss Fada Cundiff, aged about 15, and baby in the arms of Mrs. Cundiff.
_______
“Special to The Reporter
“Baird, Texas, April 8 – One of the severest wind storms ever known in Callahan county occurred about 15 miles southwest of here Friday night on the Bayou where considerable damage was done to property, one child reported dead and some injury to other persons, though the injury to the people had not been confirmed at a late hour Saturday night….
________
“By the Associated Press)
“Dallas, April 8. – Seventeen persons are reported dead and more than [unclear] injured as a result of tornadoes which swept from West Texas east into Oklahoma toward Arkansas early today. Tonight’s tally of the dead and injured may be increased as reports from some of the stricken towns are meager.
“The list of casualties reported tonight showed:
“Runnels county, near Rowena, Texas six dead, seven injured.
“Oplin, Callahan county, four dead, 20 injured.
“Electra, one dead, several injured
“Cleburne, Texas, one dead, one injured.
“Lawton, Okla., two dead, 17 injured.
….[unclear]
“Cisco, Texas, two injured.
“Ranger, Texas, one injured.
“Caddo, Texas, six injured.
“Whitewright, Texas, one injured.
Echo, Texas, six injured.
“Breckenridge, three injured.
“Graham, Texas, one injured….”
(Abilene Daily Reporter, TX. “Three Dead at Oplin and Six at Rowena In Storm.” 4-9-1922, p. 1.
Sources
Abilene Daily Reporter, TX. “Three Dead at Oplin and Six at Rowena In Storm.” 4-9-1922, p. 1. Accessed 4-21-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-daily-reporter-apr-09-1922-p-1/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
San Antonio Light, TX. “Texas-Oklahoma Tornado Kills 14.” 4-8-1922, p. 1. Accessed 4-21-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/san-antonio-light-apr-08-1922-p-1/