book on april 30 1967 tornadoes


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everal tornados hit Minnesota and Iowa on Sunday evening, April 30th , without warning, and left 13 dead. Those killed were unaware of the seriousness of the storm and were unable to take cover before the tornado struck. Many children were left parentless and homeless by the deadly and devastating storms.

 

Late in the afternoon of April 30th the U. S. Weather Bureau issued a tornado watch for south central Minnesota. Just before the storm hit at approximately 6:50 pm., residents of Waseca experienced a dramatic decrease in temperature. The tornado hit the area with very little warning because there was no funnel sighted and therefore the tornado sirens were never sounded. Most people estimated the time of the storm to be about 10 seconds long. Yet, in that brief time period, damage of unbelieveable proportions resulted. The tornado that hit Waseca originated a mile west of Hartland.
To the right is an aerial picture of the destruction along the southwest corner of Clear Lake. (The tornado moved from the upper left of the picture down to the lower right which is south to north.)
	

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
	
To the left is a picture showing the six separate tornados that swept through Iowa and into Minnesota counties the early evening of Sunday, April 30th, 1967, taking 13 lives all together and destroying property estimated at over $11 million.
Six people of those 13 left dead were from Waseca County. Over 15 other people were injured and hospitalized with serious injuries at Waseca Area Memorial Hospital and an additional 30 people were treated and released.

 
This map shows the path of the tornado as it passed through this portion of the city of Waseca. The dots indicate partial damage and the stars indicate complete destruction. This tornado caused great damage along 8th and 11th streets, S.E., the south shore of Clear Lake, then passed over Clear Lake only to drop down again on the north shore.
	

 
	
This tornado was not done yet, for soon after it landed on the north shore of the lake it leveled the White Castle night club. This picture of the inner view of the White Castle is after a large tree was uprooted and came crashing down on it. There were an estimated 25 persons in the club at the time, some of which were sitting playing cards, but luckily there were no injuries.

 
This is an evening scene picture of the Doherty home with John Riple and Mrs. Hundertmark debris against it. Mr. and Mrs. John Riple of 421 11th St. S.E., Waseca met death when the tornado demolished their home. Their bodies were removed early Sunday evening. Crews had to struggle through debris of all kinds before finding the bodies. Miraculously the couple living in the upstairs of the Riple's home escaped death, but were seriously injured.

	

 
	
Scene of disaster is evident here looking northeast toward the Wm. Doherty home. Workers are prying through the wreckage of the home searching for bodies.

 

Nothing but the foundation remained where the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rux once stood at 1120 East Elm Ave. The family car, heavily damaged can be seen on the left. Mr. and Mrs. Rux were killed instantly when the tornado threw them and parts of their home into Clear Lake across highway 14 from the homesite. Mr. Rux was found lying on top of lumber and debris and Mrs. Rux was found floating in Clear Lake under debris. The home still standing at the right is owned by Loren Hecht.
	

 
	

The Waseca Firemen search through the remains of the Manley Youngberg home at 1501 8th St. S.E. The house was completely destroyed in the wake of the tornado, but fortunately, the Youngbergs were not at home when the tornado struck.

 

This is a picture of what remains of the barn at Archie Draheim's farm, five miles east of Waseca on Highway 14. The two silos in the background stand virtually untouched by the tornado. This is the barn where eight children were playing in the haymow. All of them escaped with minor bruises while eight cows and three heifers in the lower part of the barn were killed. Archie Draheim and his son, Larry, 15, and a brother-in-law, Ray Schwein of Chaska were also in the lower part of the barn and somehow, too, escaped injury oddly enough.
	

 
	

Here is a picture from the Stiernagle farm on Route 3, Waseca. Donald Stiernagle lost 2 head of cattle. This cow actually walked around for a few hours, with a two-by-six impaled through its body, before it died.

 
It's a wonder that so many people did survive this gigantic force that picked up houses and turned them upside down, crumbled brick buildings, and took heavy objects like furnaces out of basements, uprooted trees, and destroyed everything in it's path. Throughout the world and in Vietnam the first reports of Minnesota and Iowa said that 97 people had died. When the final death count was in only 13 people were actually killed. Below is a collage of the victims of the tornados.
Top left to right: Mrs. & Mr. Bickford, Mr. & Mrs. Riple, Mrs.& Mr. Manuel, Mrs. Willock
Bottom left to right: Mrs. & Mr. Rux, Harlan Holleschau, Herman Nehring, Mrs. Hassing, Mr. Willock

 

We now have interviews with survivors of the tornado!

Please click here to go to the "My Memories" page, where we have featured interviews with survivors of the tornado.

Please click here to view the "Comments" section of stories people have shared with us.

 

Site created by
Heather McClune


Updated and revised by Michael Meschke

Special thanks to Larry Draheim, Dave Dunlop, Bob Johnson, and Manley Youngberg for the contribution of their interviews

Resources:"The Streets Are Wider Now" by Carol Rutledge;"The Waseca Daily Journal";"Tornados"
Page hits since exhibit creation.

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