Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Tornado Tragedies

Oh, those heart-breaking photos from Joplin.  The devastation of  what they hold dear - as we all know, it's not just a house - is hard to comprehend.  Of course much worse is the loss of life.  153 folks have died in Joplin Missouri as a result of this tornado.  I don't remember Iowa having twisters causing harm on a level anywhere near Joplin's.  You have to go back over a century.
On June 30, 1860 a tornado ripped through 6 Iowa counties. Hardin, Linn, Marshall, Cedar, Jones and Clinton counties were hard hit. 125 people were killed by this 'Camanche' tornado. The storm was named for the town of Camanche which was leveled by its ferocity.
On July 6, 1893, 71 citizens died when a tornado nearly wiped out the small town of Pomeroy.  As a poignant memorial, the people of Pomeroy have posted online the names of the victims of that storm. 
People Killed in the Pomeroy Cyclone on July 6, 1893
Des Moines Register 07/25/1989 p5A