1840 Natchez tornado
View of Natchez by Henry Lewis, likely painted shortly before the tornado | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 7, 1840, 1:01 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
| F4+ tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 317+ fatalities, 109+ injured |
| Damage | $1.26 million ($40,640,000 in 2025 USD) |
| Areas affected | Louisiana and Mississippi, particularly in and near Vidalia and Natchez |
The 1840 Natchez tornado was a deadly tornado that hit Natchez, Mississippi, on Thursday, May 7, 1840. The tornado, while officially unrated, was the second-deadliest tornado in United States history; at least 317 people were killed and at least 109 were injured. Its 35-mile-long (56 km), 1,000-yard-wide (910 m; 3,000 ft; 0.57 mi; 0.91 km) path was marked by severe damage and uncertain estimates of casualties, though many enslaved Africans—possibly numbering in the hundreds—reportedly died on plantations in Louisiana. Tornado expert Thomas P. Grazulis retroactively rated the tornado F4 on the Fujita scale, while another report ranked it F5.