The Tornado outbreak of June 1881 was a tornado outbreak that occurred on June 11–12, 1881. It affected the West North Central States of the Midwestern United States and produced numerous strong tornadoes, killing at least 20 people, primarily in parts of Kansas and Missouri. One of the strongest tornadoes in the outbreak was an F4—possibly an F5—that hit near Hopkins, Missouri, in Nodaway County. In all, the outbreak killed at least 20 people and injured at least 141.
Confirmed tornadoes
The ratings for these tornadoes were done by tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis and are not official ratings.
A tornado struck north of the "Hickory Grove" cemetery near Belmond, in the northeast edge of Wright County, displacing a home from its foundation and leveling a barn. Local residents reported that 15 cattle died. An F5 tornado hit the Belmond area on October 14, 1966.
1 death – A tornado razed 15 structures in a frontier outpost 4 mi (6.4 km) northwest of Garner. Nearby, the tornado leveled homes and barns. According to reports, winds lofted a clock for 2 mi (3.2 km), and several people sustained severe injuries. The tornado killed one person who had stepped outside to check the weather.
2 deaths – This violent tornado just missed Des Moines and Avon, sweeping away two homes. Only the basements remained, and two people died—one in each home. As the tornado traversed the Des Moines River, it hurled water 100 feet (30 m) into the air. The tornado damaged or destroyed 11 more homes near Colfax before dissipating.
2 deaths – This strong tornado leveled three farmhouses near Lura Township. A couple died in one of the destroyed houses. Another tornado, estimated to have been an F2, hit the same area near Winnebago on July 15.
This tornado struck two homes just north of Mulvane, both of which were razed. The tornado obliterated another home northwest of Douglass as an onlooker watched from nearby. The snakelike funnel resembled "water being sprayed from a huge hose."
3 deaths – This disastrous tornado destroyed the community of Floral, where two people died and many homes were called "leveled." However, residents sought shelter as the storm neared, reducing the death toll. One other person died on a farm outside Floral, and 28 other homes were razed along the path.
5 deaths – This tornado narrowly missed 100 farms along the Marais des Cygnes River, but still leveled 50 homes and barns in its path. From northwest of Melvern to north of Quenemo, the tornado obliterated farmhouses, dispersing debris for several miles.
2 deaths – This large and extremely intense multiple-vortex tornado obliterated a pair of farms near Hopkins and may have caused F5 damage in the area.
5 deaths – This powerful tornado produced F4 damage north of Flag Springs. The tornado razed 80 structures, many of which were homes and barns, and killed numerous livestock in its path.
This was probably an F4 tornado that obliterated all structures on free farms, one of which had its farmhouse swept away, with debris strewn for up to 0.5 mi (0.80 km). The funnel dissipated as it approached the Raccoon River. An F5 tornado hit near Adair on June 27, 1953.
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN1-879362-03-1
National Historical Company (1882), "34: Tornadoes", The History of Nodaway County, Missouri, National Historical Company, pp. 502–11