Portal:Tornadoes/Anniversaries/July 5

July 5

  • 1643 – An event commonly referred to as the earliest recorded tornado in North America destroyed a meeting house in Essex County, Massachusetts and reportedly killed a Native American. Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis states that this event was probably a gust front or downburst rather than a tornado.
  • 1905 – An unusual event for Texas at this time of year, an F4 tornado devastated small rural communities in Montague County, killing 18 people and hundreds of livestock. Little is known about this event due to nearly non-existent documentation of tornadoes in Texas at this time.