Tornado outbreak of April 8, 1957
# Tornado outbreak of April 8, 1957

On Monday, April 8, 1957, a widespread tornado outbreak struck the Southeastern United States, particularly the Carolinas, and was responsible for seven deaths and 203 injuries across the region. Most of the activity occurred on either side of the Piedmont, including portions of the Cumberland Plateau. At least 18 tornadoes occurred, including several long-tracked tornado families, one of which included a violent tornado that was retrospectively rated F4 on the Fujita scale. Besides tornadoes, the outbreak also generated other severe weather phenomena such as large hail.

## Outbreak statistics

Impacts by region :

| Region | Locale | Deaths | Injuries | Damages |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| United States | Alabama | 2 | 95 | $525,500 |
| United States | Arkansas | 0 | 0 | $2,500 |
| United States | Georgia | 1 | 26 | $550,000 |
| United States | Mississippi | 0 | 0 | ≥ $25,000 |
| United States | North Carolina | 4 | 64 | $1,500,000 |
| United States | South Carolina | 0 | 16 | $775,000 |
| United States | Tennessee | 0 | 0 | $5,000 |
| United States | Virginia | 0 | 2 | $250,000 |
| Total | Total | 7 | 203 | ≥ $4,108,000 |

## Confirmed tornadoes

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating :

| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 0 | ≥ 18 |

Confirmed tornadoes – Monday, April 8, 1957 :

| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max. width | Summary |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| F2 | Elm Park | Scott | AR | 34°54′N 94°06′W﻿ / ﻿34.9°N 94.1°W﻿ / 34.9; -94.1﻿ (Elm Park (April 8, F2)) | 05:05–? | 4.7 miles (7.6 km) | 300 yards (270 m) | Tornado, attended by minor hail, damaged roofing and three barns. Losses totaled $2,500. Tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis did not list the tornado as an F2 or stronger. |
| F2 | Northeastern Red Bay | Franklin | AL | 34°27′N 88°08′W﻿ / ﻿34.45°N 88.13°W﻿ / 34.45; -88.13﻿ (Red Bay (April 8, F2)) | 05:35–? | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | 33 yards (30 m) | Low-end F2 tornado may have begun in Mississippi before entering Red Bay, Alabama, unroofing a home, tearing porches off other homes, and destroying garages and barns. Losses totaled $25,000. Grazulis listed total damages as $12,000. |
| F2 | Old Union to S of Verona | Lee | MS | 34°06′N 88°49′W﻿ / ﻿34.1°N 88.82°W﻿ / 34.1; -88.82﻿ (Old Union (April 8, F2)) | 09:10–? | 9 miles (14 km) | 200 yards (180 m) | Tornado passed through the agricultural experiment station—now the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center—south of Verona, destroying, unroofing, or otherwise damaging several homes and other structures. Losses totaled $250,000. Grazulis listed total damages as $100,000. |
| F2 | NNE of Plateau to NE of Isoline | Cumberland | TN | 36°06′N 85°06′W﻿ / ﻿36.1°N 85.1°W﻿ / 36.1; -85.1﻿ (Plateau (April 8, F2)) | 12:00–? | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) | 10 yards (9.1 m) | Tornado downed several trees and damaged a number of outbuildings. Five houses and three barns were damaged as well. Losses totaled $2,500. Grazulis did not list the tornado as an F2 or stronger. |
| F1 | ESE of Banner | Calhoun | MS | 33°58′N 89°20′W﻿ / ﻿33.97°N 89.33°W﻿ / 33.97; -89.33﻿ (Banner (April 8, F1)) | 14:00–? | 0.1 miles (0.16 km) | 100 yards (91 m) | Tornado severely damaged or destroyed a few homes. Losses were unknown. |
| F3 | Southern Hamilton to NNW of Piney Grove | Marion, Winston, Lawrence | AL | 34°07′N 87°59′W﻿ / ﻿34.12°N 87.98°W﻿ / 34.12; -87.98﻿ (Hamilton (April 8, F3)) | 15:46–? | 51.4 miles (82.7 km) | 100 yards (91 m) | Long-tracked tornado family leveled a few small houses near the end of its path. Trees were damaged along a 1-mile-wide (1.6 km) swath, and a car was lofted and rolled 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km). Five people were injured and losses totaled $250,000, $150,000 of which were to timberland, mainly in the William B. Bankhead National Forest. Tornado family consisted of two segments with intermittent damage in between, passing south of Ashridge and Grayson. |
| F3 | ENE of Battleground to NNE of Cottonville | Morgan, Marshall | AL | 34°19′N 86°59′W﻿ / ﻿34.32°N 86.98°W﻿ / 34.32; -86.98﻿ (Battleground (April 8, F3)) | 16:15−? | 38.8 miles (62.4 km) | 200 yards (180 m) | 2 deaths – Long-tracked tornado hit between Florette and Oleander, destroying or damaging more than 150 homes in the small, rural communities of Rock Creek, Lawrence Cove, Briddle Mountain, and Cotaco Valley—all in southern Morgan County. At least 90—perhaps as many as 125—people were injured and losses totaled $500. |
| F3 | S of Hulaco to SE of Union Grove | Cullman, Morgan, Marshall | AL | 34°18′N 86°36′W﻿ / ﻿34.3°N 86.6°W﻿ / 34.3; -86.6﻿ (Hulaco (April 8, F3)) | 16:30–? | 16.3 miles (26.2 km) | 33 yards (30 m) | Tornado, roughly paralleling the previous event, destroyed several barns and small homes. Losses totaled $250,000. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2. NCEI lists the path as extending to near Warrenton and Mount Carmel. |
| F2 | SSE of Reeves to Southern Calhoun to NNE of Crane Eater | Gordon | GA | 34°26′N 85°00′W﻿ / ﻿34.43°N 85°W﻿ / 34.43; -85﻿ (Reeves (April 8, F2)) | 19:00–? | 10.3 miles (16.6 km) | 200 yards (180 m) | Yellowish-appearing tornado destroyed or damaged 70 structures, including mobile homes in a trailer park. 20 people were injured and losses totaled $250,000. |
| F2 | Cross Keys to SSE of Santuc | Union | SC | 34°38′N 81°47′W﻿ / ﻿34.63°N 81.78°W﻿ / 34.63; -81.78﻿ (Cross Keys (April 8, F2)) | 21:00–21:30 | 15.2 miles (24.5 km) | 100 yards (91 m) | Tornado destroyed or damaged approximately 60–63 homes and 67 other structures. Two people were injured and losses totaled $25,000. Climatological Data National Summary and Grazulis listed a 20-mile-long (32 km) path length. Tornado may have begun as far west as Cross Anchor. Damage at Santuc and nearby Carlisle may have been downburst-related. |
| F1 | SE of Chula to Eastern Douglas | Tift, Irwin, Coffee | GA | 31°32′N 83°32′W﻿ / ﻿31.53°N 83.53°W﻿ / 31.53; -83.53﻿ (Chula (April 8, F1)) | 21:00–22:00 | 41.3 miles (66.5 km) | 90 yards (82 m) | Intermittent, long-tracked tornado unroofed a large home and shifted other homes on their foundations. A lumber mill and a barn were destroyed as well. Damage occurred near Harding, Riverbend, Gladys, and Lax. Losses totaled $250,000. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F2. |
| F3 | China Hill to NW of Stave's Landing | Telfair | GA | 31°51′N 83°05′W﻿ / ﻿31.85°N 83.08°W﻿ / 31.85; -83.08﻿ (China Hill (April 8, F3)) | 21:30–? | 14.7 miles (23.7 km) | 400 yards (370 m) | 1 death – Intense tornado hurled a truck 100 yd (300 ft), the two occupants of which it killed and injured, respectively. A church and a pair of small homes were destroyed as well, and a large refrigerator was moved 250 yd (750 ft). Four other people were injured and losses totaled $25,000. |
| F2 | SSW of Bowmantown to WNW of Fairview | Washington | TN | 36°17′N 82°35′W﻿ / ﻿36.28°N 82.58°W﻿ / 36.28; -82.58﻿ (Bowmantown (April 8, F2)) | 21:30–21:40 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | 440 yards (400 m) | Short-tracked tornado unroofed a silo and felled approximately 20 large trees. A barn was shifted 3 ft (1.0 yd) off its foundation, and flying debris damaged a home. Losses totaled $2,500. Grazulis did not list the tornado as an F2 or stronger. |
| F4 | NNW of Pleasant Plain, SC to Eastern Roseboro, NC | Lancaster (SC), Chesterfield (SC), Marlboro (SC), Scotland (NC), Robeson (NC), Cumberland (NC), Sampson (NC) | SC, NC | 34°38′N 80°35′W﻿ / ﻿34.63°N 80.58°W﻿ / 34.63; -80.58﻿ (Pleasant Plain (April 8, F4)) | 22:00–? | 121.4 miles (195.4 km) | 150 yards (140 m) | 4 deaths – See section on this tornado – 80 people were injured and losses totaled $13⁄4 million. |
| F1 | Northern Norfolk | Norfolk | VA | 36°56′N 76°17′W﻿ / ﻿36.93°N 76.28°W﻿ / 36.93; -76.28﻿ ((April 8, F1)) | 22:20–? | 1 mile (1.6 km) | 33 yards (30 m) | Brief tornado passed between Naval Station Norfolk and Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, southwest of Ocean View, wrecking signage, damaging a warehouse being built, shattering windows, unroofing structures, and splintering utility poles. Two people were injured and losses totaled $250,000. |
| F2 | ESE of Benevolence to SSW of Weston | Randolph | GA | 31°52′N 84°42′W﻿ / ﻿31.87°N 84.7°W﻿ / 31.87; -84.7﻿ (Benevolence (April 8, F2)) | 23:30–? | 5.2 miles (8.4 km) | 200 yards (180 m) | Tornado destroyed or damaged a school, a church, a few barns, and three homes. One person was injured and losses totaled $25,000. |
| F4 | Downtown Pembroke | Robeson | NC | 34°41′N 79°12′W﻿ / ﻿34.68°N 79.2°W﻿ / 34.68; -79.2﻿ (Pembroke (April 8, F4)) | 01:00–? | 0.8 miles (1.3 km) | 150 yards (140 m) | Brief but violent tornado damaged approximately 100 structures, of which it reportedly destroyed 25. Many small homes were leveled as well. 21 people were injured and losses totaled $250,000. Grazulis classified the tornado as an F3. |
| F3 | NE of Brices Crossroads | Duplin | NC | 34°50′N 78°05′W﻿ / ﻿34.83°N 78.08°W﻿ / 34.83; -78.08﻿ (Brices Crossroads (April 8, F3)) | 02:00–? | 8 miles (13 km) | 150 yards (140 m) | Intense tornado leveled nine homes and damaged a dozen others near Rose Hill and Magnolia, scattering debris over many acres and tearing apart a concrete foundation. 29 people were injured and losses totaled $250,000. |

### Flat Creek–Jefferson–Cheraw–Wallace–McColl, South Carolina/Johns–Maxton–Roseboro–Parkersburg, North Carolina

This was a long-lived tornado family containing at least two separate tornadoes, both of which may have been tornado families themselves. The first member of the tornado family touched down near Flat Creek and moved into the town of Jefferson, tearing apart 23 of 25 buildings on Main Street and destroying or damaging 141 homes and 156 other structures. Near-continuous damage of F2 and F3 intensity extended from Jefferson to near Cheraw and Wallace. The tornado destroyed or damaged 25 homes in Wallace. Parts of a cotton gin were found 10 mi (16 km) distant. 16 injuries occurred in South Carolina, all in Chesterfield County, and losses statewide totaled $750,000 (Grazulis listed damages as $1 million). The second member of the tornado family touched down near McColl and crossed into North Carolina near Johns and east of Maxton. In this area the tornado destroyed several barns, a gas station, and small homes, but was not of violent intensity. The tornado later tracked near St. Pauls en route to Roseboro. The only confirmable F4 damage occurred in a pair of small communities between Roseboro and Parkersburg, where four people died and approximately 20 homes were destroyed. More than 387 homes, businesses, and other structures were damaged or destroyed along the path, including more than 100 in Sampson County alone. In all, 80 people were injured and losses totaled $13⁄4 million.

## Non-tornadic effects

Severe thunderstorm winds gusted to 75 mph (121 km/h) at Bristol, Virginia. Additionally, 4-inch-diameter (10 cm) hail was recorded in Anderson County, South Carolina.

