1924 – Apr 30, southern tornadoes, AL (13 deaths), GA (16), SC (76), NC (5), VA (1) — 111
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 3-29-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–119 UP. “Deaths From Storm Reach Total of 119.” The Anniston Star, AL. 5-2-1924, p. 1.
–20 Alabama [Highlighted states [April 30 tornadoes) totals to 116.]
–14 Georgia
–76 South Carolina
— 5 North Carolina
— 1 Virginia
— 2 Louisiana [We do not include in that these deaths were on April 29.]
— 1 Arkansas [We do not include in that these deaths were on April 29.]
–111 Blanchard tally from Grazulis listings, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 787-788
–13 Alabama. Grazulis, p. 787.
— 1 Chambers, Randolph counties 04:30 F2 Roanoke vicinity.
— 1 Butler County 04:50 F3 Greenville vicinity.
— 4 Lee County 05:00 F2 Gentry Hill vicinity.
— 6 Bullock/Macon counties 05:50 F2 Thompson, Bullock County.
— 1 Pike/Barbour counties 06:30 F2 Cleo area, Barbour County.
–16 Georgia. Grazulis, pp. 263 and 787.
— 1 Gwinnett County 06:00 F2 Lawrenceville area woman.
— 1 Meriwether County 06:15 F2 Warm Springs to Greenville.
–10 Harris County 08:30 F3 Chipley and rural vicinity
— 3 Bibb County 09:45 F4 Rural homes.
— 1 Wilkes County 09:45 F2 Ficklin postmaster.
–76 South Carolina. Grazulis, pp. 389, 787-788.
— 9 Anderson/Greenville/Laurens 07:15 F3 Anderson and Walnut Grove
–53 Lee/Lexington/Richland/Sumter co’s. 11:00 F4.
— 8 Lexington County
–24 Richland County,
–12 Horrell Hill, including four at a school.
–20 Sumter County
— 1 Lee County
–14 Sumter, Florence counties. 14:45 F3 All deaths in Florence County.
— 5 North Carolina. Grazulis 1993, p. 788.
— 4 Chatham County 12:30 F3 Pittsboro area.
— 1 Pitt/Martin/Bertie counties 14:30 F3 Robersonville, Martin county
— 1 Virginia. Grazulis 1993, p. 788.
— 1 Amelia County 17:30 F3 Chula area man in barn.
–108 AP. “Ten Million Damage…108…Dead…” Daily Times Enterprise, Thomasville, GA. 5-1-1924, 1.
–11 Alabama
–13 Georgia
–66 South Carolina
— 3 North Carolina
— 1 Arkansas
— 1 Louisiana
— 99 United Press. “Storm Toll In South Grows; 99 Killed…” Anniston Star, AL. 5-1-1924, p.1.[1]
—20 Alabama
–10 Clio [Barbour County]
— 4 Opelika [Lee County]
— 1 Roanoke [Randolph County]
— 5 Union Springs [Bullock County]
—68 South Carolina
— 8 Anderson, Anderson County
— 1 Columbia, Richland County
— 1 Darlington County
–25 Florence, Florence County
–17 Horrell, Richland County
— 8 Lee County
— 6 Lexington County
–12 Sumter County
— 7 Georgia
— 2 Chipley
— 1 Fricklen
— 1 Lawrenceville
— 3 Macon
Narrative Information
Alabama
National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL; NOAA: A series of six tornadoes strike in Alabama beginning at 2:45 a.m. and continuing until 6:30 a.m. through the counties of Autauga, Chambers-Randolph, Butler, Lee, Bullock-Macon, and Pike-Barbour, killing 13 people. (NWS WFO Birmingham AL. Alabama Tornado Database.)
April 30, Mobile News Item: “Greenville, Ala., April 30. – Four persons, all members of one family, were injured in a tornado which struck Greenville and vicinity early this morning…Two negroes are reported missing and are thought to have been killed….The storm made a path half a mile wide through the town. Buildings destroyed include the Louisville and Nashville freight depot, two cotton warehouses of the Planters Mercantile Company, a blacksmith shop and several dwellings. The First Baptist church was badly damaged. At least 6 buildings were badly damaged….A negro named Smith is believed to have perished in the flames that burned his little shack following its destruction by the wind. A negro girl is also reported missing.
________
“Opelika, Ala., April 30. – Four negroes were killed and five others injured by a tornado which struck a negro settlement early today in the suburbs of Opelika. About 12 houses in the negro section were demolished. Two women, a man and a little boy make up the list of dead. The tornado struck about 5 o’clock and lasted only a few minutes.” (Mobile News Item, AL. “Greenville Hit.” 4-30-1924, p. 1.)
South Carolina
SC State Climatology Office: “Horrell Hill Tornado: On April 30, 1924, a disastrous tornado ripped a 135 mile path across the state, the longest in the state’s history. Starting in Aiken County and ending in Darlington County, the tornado left a swath of death and destruction. When it was over, 67 people had lost their lives. Almost half of the deaths occurred in Richland County, half of these in the Horrell Hill Community (hence the name). Modern day examination of damage records and storm history places the tornado at F4 on the Fujita scale with an estimated wind speed in the 207 – 260 mile per hour range.” (SC State Climatology Office. South Carolina Storms of the Century.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Ten Million Damage Estimated; 108 Persons Dead in Great Wind Storms in the South Yesterday.” Daily Times Enterprise, Thomasville, GA. 5-1-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-29-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/thomasville-daily-times-enterprise-may-01-1924-p-1/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
Mobile News Item, AL. “Greenville Hit.” 4-30-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-29-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-mobile-news-item-apr-30-1924-p-1/
National Weather Service Forecast Office, Birmingham, AL. Alabama Tornado Database. NWS/NOAA. Accessed 1-4-2009 at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bmx/tornadoes/mainlist2.php
South Carolina State Climatology Office. South Carolina Storms of the Century. Accessed 6-6-2009 at: http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/Publications/storms_of_centry.php
United Press. “Deaths From Storm Reach Total of 119.” The Anniston Star, AL. 5-2-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-29-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/anniston-star-may-02-1924-p-1/
United Press. “Storm Toll In South Grows; 99 Killed…” Anniston Star, AL. 5-1-1924, p. 1. Accessed 3-29-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/anniston-star-may-01-1924-p-1/
[1] We exclude the death noted at Lake Charles, LA, which was on the 29th, as well as one in Texarkana, AR on 29th.