The March 1917 tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that occurred on March 23, 1917. It affected the Ohio Valley and produced several strong tornadoes, the worst of which devastated the city of New Albany, Indiana.
40 farms were damaged or destroyed,[citation needed] and one person was injured. The tornado killed 50 head of livestock and unroofed or severely damaged approximately 20 homes. The highly visible funnel gave people time to seek shelter.[4]
1 death — At least 40 farms were impacted, about half of which were shorn of a barn, the roof of the farmhouse, or both. A man was killed near Flat Rock, Illinois, and 20 other people were injured.[4]
46 deaths — Major damage occurred in the town of New Albany. Two schools, a factory, and 300 houses were destroyed. Many of the houses were wiped clean off their foundations. More than 250 people were injured.[5][6]
^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 CST/CDT for consistency.
^The listed width values are primarily the average/mean width of the tornadoes, with those having known maximum widths denoted by ♯. From 1952 to 1994, reports largely list mean width whereas contemporary years list maximum width.[1] Values provided by Grazulis are the average width, with estimates being rounded down (i.e. 0.5 mi (0.80 km) is rounded down from 880 yards to 800 yards.[2][3]
— (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN1-879362-03-1.