Customer Reviews

The Forgotten Storm: The Great Tri-state Tornado of 1925

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
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Although author Wallace Akin describes the Tri-State Tornado as "the forgotten storm," that title is a bit of a misnomer. Meteorologists and those like myself who are interested in severe weather have never forgotten this tremendous, seemingly unique convulsion of nature. And, having happened in 1925, the Tri-State Tornado is still just within living memory.

Akin does a workmanlike job of tracing the path of this enormous tornado and telling the stories of the people and towns affected along the way. He himself is a survivor of the storm although, being two years old at the time, he has no conscious memories of the disaster. His recollections of the aftermath and growing up in the area in the 1920s and 30s are a useful and often moving addition to the book.

One place the book is thin is in covering the scientific mystery of this storm. Was it truly one tornado or a family? What caused it to remain so powerful for such a long period? Why does it appear that the tornado was near the front of the storm - a very unusual position? Akin does not discuss these questions in depth, unfortunately, for the Tri-State Tornado is a meteorological puzzle that continues to inspire research and debate (and, of course, the inevitable, if usually unspoken question - was this a "hundred year" storm? A "thousand year" storm? Could it happen again this year, or next?).

Another reviewer has argued that Akin has recycled material previously available. This is true (and what author does not recycle material? That is, after all, what research involves), but most of the books that have been published on the Tri-State Tornado have been out of print and hard to obtain for some time. Akin's book is a very readable addition to the literature on this horrible storm.

Although I fear the wrath of nature, I have found myself wanting to read another book on weather since I devoured Isaac's Storm two or three years ago. Although not as comprehensive as I would have liked it to be, this book still drew enough of my attention that I finished it in only two days.

The Forgotten Storm details the path of an F5 tornado that devasted a 219 mile stretch of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana in 1925. It contains general information on tornados in general, and on what kind of weather forces created such a monstrously huge storm. Although the author's family lived in one the towns demolished in the tornado, he admirably manages to avoid an egocentric viewpoint by telling not only his own story, but that of a myriad of people in the towns and rural areas whose lives were also affected.

This book is not only an exploration in weather, but effectively and gently unfurls stories of heroism, bravery, and tragedy.

It has been extremely difficult to obtain a quality book on this massive weather event, and the present text solves that dilemma. I would have preferred a few more pictures from areas other than Murphysboro, Illinois, and the discussion of meteorological factors was somewhat attenuated. These quibbles aside, the book is a feeling, sensitive chronology of the most terrible tornadic event ever to strike the United States. The stories of human suffering and courage in the face of this awesome convulsion of nature will sometimes reach to your marrow.

I liked the organization of the book, beginning with a few general introductory remarks, and then tracing the course of the tornado during its three and one half hour passage from Missouri to Indiana, narrating the horror of its fury at each point. The author's own experiences in the storm. and its effects on his family and town, added flesh to the book, but did not overwhelm it. I liked that.

I note that some reviewers have complained that the author has simply recycled old news accounts, but what better way to show how the neighboring towns, and the outside world, viewed this stupendous catastrophe? I believe any readers interested in regional history of the Midwest in the early part of the last century, weather buffs, and many persons who simply enjoy a gripping account of man being outmatched by the elements will enjoy this book.

At around 1:00 p.m., March 18, 1925, a tornado touched down in Reynolds Country, Missouri. But, this was no ordinary tornado. This was an F5 multivortex tornado that proceeded east-northeast across 219 miles, 13 counties and three states (Missouri, Illinois and Indiana). By the time the tornado dissipated, it had destroyed a number of small towns, erased a number of farms, and killed 695 people. This was the most deadly tornado in U.S. history, and this book tells its story.

This fascinating book was actually written by a survivor of the Tri-State Tornado. On March 18, 1925, Wallace Akin lived in the town of Murphysboro, Illinois, which was 40% destroyed by the tornado. Throughout this book, the author mixes person recollections with other eyewitness accounts to bring that fateful day back to life. As an added bonus, the book ends with an account of the fate of the area after the tornado (the Great Depression beginning a mere four years later), and then discusses the next four top killing tornadoes in U.S. history.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating and highly informative book about a little known subject. If you are interested in tornadoes, then you simply must get this book about the granddaddy of them all! I highly recommend this book.

I quite enjoyed this narrative of the great Tri-state tornado of 1925. I found the straightforward linear presentation easy to follow and the background explanations of the storm's formation added to one's understanding of the weather systems that produced such a massive tornado.
The fact that the author is a survivor of the storm adds to the sense of immediacy and gives a human dimension to these events.
The one minor quibble I have with this book doesn't occur until the final page of the main text, in which the author states that the last single tornado with a death toll of over 100 took place in 1944. As anyone from my area knows, however, the Beecher tornado which struck the north part of Flint, MI on June 8, 1953 killed 116.
That aside, however, I found this book an interesting insight into a disaster which - as the book's title indicates - is largely forgotten.

I'm a total amateur concerning meteorological disasters but I enjoy reading about some of the major disasters in America's past. So I skipped some of the technical stuff because I wouldn't have understood it anyway. But the human stories are what I like to read and, considering how long ago it was, I found this book pretty well written. Of course, he would have to rely on newspaper reports and family stories since most of the survivors, adults who would have the most accurate memories, would be dead now. I was also touched that he was writing about his own family's experience. I would have loved to see more photos but I'm sure they are few and rare to find now. It's not like the disasters of today with total media coverage. Anyway, I thought Akin did a good job of telling the human stories.

Akin is a survivor of the Tri State tornado. He was only 2 at the time, but his experiences resulted in him taking a lifelong interest in geography and weather. This book sets out to explain this March, 1925 tornado and its devastating effect on cities and communities in the three states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana.
I found this book entertaining and informative about tornadoes and this particular disaster. This is a summary read, since the book only explains the disaster and how tornadoes form. I think Akin does a great job in detailing tornadoes and the 1925 Tri State tornado. I have not seen any other books about this particular disaster, so I am unsure why some of the previous reviewers have been harsh on this particular book. I found this a great and interesting read. At a little over 150 pages, a good reader can read this entire book in five or six hours.

If you're a scientist, storm chaser or just are fasinated with Tornadoes then this book is for you. I couldn't put it down. Although it happened some time ago, to know that something that powerful happened is amazing! And all the compellind details and stats were good too. A great read for any severe weather lover.

The Forgotten Storm chronicles the Tri-State Tornado of 1925, which traveled from southeastern Missouri through southern Illinois before dissipating in southern Indiana.

Author Wallace Akin has first hand knowledge of this terrible tornado; he was two years old when the tornado hit his home in Murphysboro, IL.

Akin uses first hand interviews, recollections, period newspaper reports and solid resources to reconstruct the path of the tornado town by town. It is a compelling, heart-breaking account about the small town people, miners and farmers; these people had no idea that the tornado was approaching until it was upon them.

Mr. Akin was a professor at Drake University and has studied weather and climate. The book is thorough and knowledgeable. However, I found it a little academic. I would have liked to have read more first hand accounts, as the personal stories of both victims and survivors were better than any fiction I've ever read.

The meteorological studies were fine for me, but I had just taken a course on meteorology. For those not familiar with terminology, I feel that the charts and explanations could be difficult to understand and that some readers will merely skip over them to get to the human, more personal accounts of this disaster.

It is definitely worth reading with a word of caution about the academics.

As well as killing more people than any other tornado in our history, the Tri-state disaster of 1925 is remarkable for many other features as well. It travelled 219 miles in just over three hours, moving at over sixty mph while packing winds that may well have been over three hundred mph. There is no evidence of any other tornado either. A single monster left the trail of wreckage and death from Missouri through to Indiana. Nothing quite like it has been seen before or since.

Wallace Akin survived the storm as a small child in Illinois. Tales of his early life and interest in the storm feature significantly here. It is all interesting enough, as is most of what is written in these pages, but it should be noted that this book is only 149 pages, large print. I would have preferred a little more tornado and a little less Akin. The writing style is also a bit choppy, and I suspect the author would make a better researcher than writer. But perhaps I am being too harsh. After all, this is a valuable resource for any weather historian and is recommended for anyone with an interest in the subject. It is not, however, the definitive work on the subject.