 The F4 Fayetteville, Tennessee, tornado dissipating after damaging the town. | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | February 29, 1952 |
| Highest gust | 63 miles per hour (101 km/h) |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 8 |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 4 hours, 15 minutes |
| Largest hail | .75 inches (1.9 cm) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 10 inches (25 cm) |
| Fatalities | 5 fatalities (+4 non-tornadic), 336 injuries (+14 non-tornadic) |
| Damage | $3.100 million (1952 USD)[1] $35.6 million (2024 USD) |
| Areas affected | Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1952 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
A localized, but destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia on Leap Day in 1952. Thanks in part to unseasonably strong jet stream winds and a strong cold front, eight tornadoes left trails of damage and casualties. The tornado to cause the most casualties was an F1 tornado in Belfast, Tennessee, which killed three people and injured 166. A violent F4 tornado moved through Fayetteville, Tennessee, destroying most of the town and killing two and injuring 150 others. On the north side of Fort Payne, Alabama, an F3 tornado caused major damage and injured 12 people. In all, the outbreak killed five, injured 336, and caused $3.1 million (1952 USD) in damage. Four more fatalities and 14 more injuries occurred from other non-tornadic events as well.
- ^ "Tornado Summaries". National Weather Service. National Center for Environmental Information. Retrieved 28 August 2020.