The Tri-State Tornado was by far the
worst in U.S. history. It
wreaked havoc for more than three hours. Records were
set for both
speed and path length. Tornado damage stretched from Reynolds, Iron,
Madison, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry
counties in Missouri,
through Jackson, Williamson, Franklin, Hamilton, and White counties in
Illinois and Posey, Gibson and Pike counties in Indiana. The
worst devastation was in Illinois, where the town of Gorham was destroyed. In
Murphysboro, 25 deaths occurred in three schools, with students crushed
under falling brick and stone walls.