| Tornado outbreak of February 24−25, 1961 | |
| Active: | February 24−25, 1961 |
| Tornadoes: | 14 |
| Fujitascale: | F2 |
| Tornado Duration: | 22 hours and 20 minutes |
| Highest Winds: | 97mph Ardmore[1] |
| Hail: | 1.75inches Watson, Louisiana[2] |
| Maximum Snow: | 4inches-6inchesin (-in) |
| Casualties: | 11 injuries |
| Damages: | $460,030 (1961 USD)[3] |
| Enhanced: | no |
| Partof: | the tornado outbreaks of 1961 |
A destructive outbreak of 14 tornadoes hit the Southeast.[4] Seven of the 14 tornadoes were significant (F2+) and multiple populated areas were struck. Overall, the outbreak injured 11 and caused $460,030 (1961 USD) in damage.
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start | Time (UTC) | Path length | width | Summary | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | W of Pinehurst to SW of Unadilla | Dooly | GA | 19:40–? | 4.9miles | 200yd | Tornado moved through mostly rural areas, ending south-southeast of Snow Spring. Three homes and two barns were destroyed and trees and utility lines were downed. Damage was estimated $25,000.[5] [6] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Lizella to W of West Oak | Bibb | GA | 20:30–? | 3.8miles | 30yd | A tornado moved through Lizella, destroying one house and damaging two others. Losses totaled $25,000.[7] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Danville/Allentown | Twiggs | GA | 20:30–? | 1miles | 50yd | Tornado struck Danville and Allentown, damaging several residencies and outhouses and uprooting trees. There was $25,000 in damage.[8] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Ararat to Milan | Chauncey | GA | 21:45–? | 0.5miles | 600yd | Short-lived, but large tornado moved through Ararat, blowing the roofs off of five houses and causing $25,000 in damage.[9] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Hurtsboro to Hatchechubbee to Seale to Flournoys | Russell | AL | 22:30–? | 25.6miles | 10yd | See section on this tornado – Four people were injured and losses totaled $25,000.[10] [11] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | Jackson to Savannah River Site | Aiken | SC | 23:30–? | 0.5miles | 60yd | A tornado moved through Jackson, causing heavy damage in a trailer camp. Five people were injured, two of which were hospitalized, and damages were estimated at $25,000 in damage. The tornado did not have a visible condensation funnel.[12] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | McBean | Richmond | GA | 23:30–? | 1miles | 100yd | Tornado demolished a post office and damaged two homes, causing $25,000 in damage.[13] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | New Ellenton | Aiken | SC | 00:00–? | 0.5miles | 50yd | Tornado may have come from the same cell that formed the Jackson tornado. The area struck was sparsely populated, but losses still reached $2,500. Two people were injured. The tornado did not have a visible condensation funnel.[14] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Western Butler | Taylor | GA | 00:45–? | 2miles | 30yd | Destructive tornado moved through the west side of Butler, damaging 10 homes and causing $25,000 in damage.[15] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F0 | Woodford | Orangeburg | SC | 01:00–? | 0.5miles | 37yd | A brief, weak tornado caused $30 in damage in Woodford.[16] |
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start | Time (UTC) | Path length | width | Summary | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | Egypt Lake-Leto | Hillsborough | FL | 14:00–? | 0.3miles | 50yd | A brief tornado caused $2,500 in damage in Northwestern Tampa. A large building was unroofed near the Tampa International Airport, but that was listed as a strong wind event. | [17] [18] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | Holden Heights | Orange | FL | 15:45–? | 0.1miles | 10yd | A brief tornado hit Southwestern Orlando, causing $2,500 in damage. | [19] [20] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F1 | SE of Piney Wood | Pender | NC | 17:06–? | 0.1miles | 10yd | A brief tornado touched down just southeast of Piney Wood, where a farm building was shifted 60 feet off its foundation. Damages was estimated at $2,500. | [21] [22] | ||
| bgcolor=# align="center" | F2 | Oak Hill | Fayette | WV | 18:00–? | 3miles | 100yd | Strong tornado struck Oak Hill. Rosedale Elementary School was obliterated, roofs and antennas were ripped off houses, and large trees were uprooted. One small house was shifted off its foundation and telephone and electric power services were disrupted. Damage was estimated at $250,000. Multiple towns may have been hit, but the exact track of the tornado is unknown. The tornado was very unusual as it was followed almost immediately by a snowstorm that bought 4to of snow to the area. | [23] [24] |
| Hurtsboro–Hatchechubbee–Seale–Flournoys, Alabama | |
| Fujitascale: | F2 |
| Casualties: | 4 injuries |
| Damages: | $25,000 (1961 USD) |
| Enhanced: | no |
This strong F2 tornado first touched down in Hurtsboro and moved east-northeast. It hit Southern Wende, before moving directly through the town Hatchechubbee, which was heavily damaged. It then hit Northern Colbert before moving through Seale, which was also heavily damaged. The tornado then struck Southern Lato before striking Nuckols, again causing heavy damage. The tornado then crossed over Lake Bickerstaff and dissipated in Flournoys. Although it moved mostly through rural areas, the tornado left several homes obliterated while others were heavily damaged and many trees were blown down or broken off. Four people were injured and damage estimates totaled $25,000. The NWS Birmingham list the tornado's maximum width as 100yd.[25]
The only report of hail from this event came out of Watson, Louisiana on February 24, where golf-ball sized hail was confirmed.[26] Strong winds were much more common during the event. February 25 saw a wind gust of 97mph was recorded just southwest of Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the suburb Ardmore. A 85mph wind gust was also recorded in Edgewood in Roanoke, Virginia.[27]