1840 Natchez tornado
View of Natchez by Henry Lewis, likely painted shortly before the Great Tornado | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | May 7, 1840, 1:01 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
| FU tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 317+ fatalities, 109+ injured |
| Damage | $1.26 million ($39,690,000 in 2025 USD) |
| Areas affected | Louisiana and Mississippi, particularly in and near Vidalia and Natchez |
The Great 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.