1886 Sauk Rapids tornado

1886 Sauk Rapids Tornado

F4 tornado
The Sauk Rapids courthouse in ruins
Formed	April 14, 1886 4:00 p.m. CST
Max rating1	F4 tornado
Damage	$400,000
Casualties	72 fatalities, 200+ injuries
Areas affected	Central Minnesota, United States
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale

The 1886 Sauk Rapids Tornado was a violent tornado that tore through the cities of Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud, and Rice, Minnesota, on April 14, 1886. It destroyed much of the town of Sauk Rapids and killed 72 people along its path. It is the deadliest tornado on record in Minnesota. Other tornadoes occurred in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Texas on the same day, suggesting the possibility of a large outbreak.

At 4:00 p.m., a tornado of approximately F4 intensity cut through the heart of Sauk Rapids. It was one of at least four tornadoes that affected the region between 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. that day. It had a maximum width of 1/2 mile (0.8 km) and covered an area of 14 miles (22 km). As the storm moved across the Mississippi River, it temporarily sucked the river dry. Some of the structures the tornado destroyed included an iron truss bridge spanning the Mississippi River, the post office, the courthouse, a flour mill, a school, and two churches. Fifteen rail cars were demolished, and iron rails from the train track were pulled up and mangled. After it passed through Sauk Rapids it moved on to Rice, where it killed 11 people in a wedding party when the home they were occupying was destroyed. In all, 72 people were killed by the twister, including 38 in Sauk Rapids and 20 in St. Cloud. Over 200 more were injured.

St. Benedict's Hospital in St. Cloud, which was spared by the tornado, became the center of relief efforts following the destruction. The Benedictine nuns who operated the hospital worked 48 hours straight until aid arrived from the nearby towns of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Over 50 patients were taken to St. Mary's school and convent in St. Joseph, where the teaching sisters served as nurses.