Clay County Alabama Newspapers  The Tornado of 1932 and Clay County

http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/clay/newspapers/tornado.txt 
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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Linda S. Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 Dec 2002



Copied from the Lineville Headlight March 24, 1932
Information in Brackets added by Linda S. Ayres

‘’Eight lives were lost in Clay County Monday night when the cyclone traveling northeastward, 
came down with terrific speed about eight o’clock. It first strike was in the western part of 
the county, demolishing houses and outbuildings. The trail was one-half mile wide. It wrecked 
everything in its path. Eight were killed and a hundred or more were injured, some seriously. 
Around Lineville, forty homes were destroyed, many trees uprooted, while others either leaned 
precariously or had their tops twisted out, as soon as the storm cloud had ceased, the cry for 
help was given. It soon became known that many citizens in the Bellview and Barfield communities 
were in great danger from the wreckage and exposure some being pinned beneath the debris of 
their homes and others homes bring the dead and suffering’’

The list of the Clay County dead form the tornado are shown below:

Birchfield, William  [Willard Houston born Sep 20, 1892]
Birchfield, Buell    [W. Buel born Mar 21, 1914]
Birchfield, Larry Dell [Mary Dell born Mar 22, 1918]
Birchfield, Lucille    [born Feb 18, 1920]
McKay, Leslie      [born Jan 4, 1919]
Garrett, Pauline
Quarles, Mrs. R.L. of Hatchett Creek
Miss Stockdale of Pole Bridge  

[Just before the tornado made its way to the Randolph County line, it hit the home of Mr. Jim Davis; 
he would be found the next day in the cornfield near his home, he would suffer for nearly six weeks 
before he died on May 2, 1932]

Statewide the tornado killed 315 people according to a report from the Birmingham News, the total of 
the ones that died in the weeks to come from their injures could be near 400 people. 


~~~~~~~note added by Paula PaFae@aol.com Jan 2003~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1932 Tornado in Clay County. My gr-gr grandmother Sarah Ruth Peek Hampton 
was also a victim of the 1932 tornado. She was 76 years old and was laid to 
rest in the Macedonia Cemetery. She died from injuries she suffered when the 
home of her daughter, with whom she lived, was demolished during the storm. 
She was survived by four sons and two daughters.
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