The Rodessa tornado was a destructive

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

that hit Rodessa,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

on February 17, 1938. This F4 tornado left an estimated 21 people dead and upwards of 24 people injured.

Meteorological synopsis & Tornado summary

The rural location of the event has left a lot of the facts up for speculation. Despite this, it is believed that the tornado began forming five miles northeast of the town near the border of

Caddo Parish Caddo Parish () () is a parish located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 237,848. The parish seat and largest city is Shreveport, which developed al ...

and Miller County,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. The tornado moved south before changing direction, touching down, and striking the town from the east at 9:45 p.m. The tornado destroyed the entire southeastern portion of the town or what was once known as "Supply House Row", knocking over power lines and leaving an estimated 200 yard path of decimation in its wake. It is stated that the tornado only lasted two minutes, but was followed by heavy rains that would impede the search for victims amongst the rubble. Only one tornado was confirmed. Despite the damage to power lines, the telephone lines were fully operational and residents began phoning nearby villages for assistance. Tornado Strikes Rodessa 1938

Aftermath

Immediately following the event, residents began carrying the injured to nearby settlements such as Vivian to the south and

Atlanta, Texas Atlanta is a city in Cass County, northeastern Texas, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the city had a population of 5,675, which decreased to 5,433 as of 2020. History Atlanta was established in 1872 with the building of the ...

to the west for medical care. By 10:30 p.m. 16 medical staff in three ambulances were sent from the Charity Hospital in

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

. By 2:00 a.m. on February 18, the power was restored. It is thought around this time that then Governor of Louisiana Richard W. Leche was informed of the situation in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. He was known to have said to the

Shreveport Times ''The Times'' is a Gannett daily newspaper based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Its distribution area includes 12 parishes in Northwest Louisiana and three counties in East Texas. Its coverage focuses on issues affecting the Shreveport-Bossier market ...

"That was an awful thing―a terrible disaster. Anything the state can do to help the people up there, we will be glad to do". At 2:45 a.m. twenty national guardsmen were sent to assist with patrol work in conjunction with local and

state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...

Later into the morning and the subsequent days the true destruction of the tornado was revealed. Multiple homes and businesses were flattened, with one car being picked up and thrown on top of the wreckage. A doctor from Vivian named Edgar Galloway said that some of the dead were so disfigured that identification would be difficult. It is thought that the final death toll was 21 ±1-2 people with the number of injuries being less certain. The Shreveport Times claims that the injury count following the event was 24, while other sources state that the number was as high as 60. These numbers were likely worsened by the weak infrastructure of the town as it was observed that the pieces of

sheet metal Sheet metal is metal formed into thin, flat pieces, usually by an industrial process. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil (metal), foil or Metal leaf, leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 ...

that made up many homes played a roll in much of the disfigurments.

References

{{Reflist Tornadoes in Louisiana F4, EF4 and IF4 tornadoes 1938 natural disasters in the United States 1938 in Louisiana