March 16, 1942

Map shows the path of the tornado through three counties. The News-Gazette, March 17, 1942.

“This scene of destruction shows the wreckage of the home in which Mrs. Aletha Rowland, mother of nine children, was fatally injured in the tornado which struck east central Illinois Monday. The house was on the Ray Russell farm, two miles east of Mayview. Mrs. Rowland died Monday evening, the 11^th victim in Champaign and Vermilion counties.” The News-Gazette, March 17, 1942.

Tornados stretched across Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana on a Monday afternoon, killing 144 and injuring over 1,000 individuals. In Illinois, the storms claimed 19 lives. In Champaign County, the tornado mainly kept to rural areas threading through Savoy, Myra, Mayview, and St. Joseph before hitting the village of Alvin in Vermilion County. In Alvin, at least 20 dwellings were utterly destroyed. The tornado blew off the town hall's roof and damaged two grocery stores, a bank, and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois and Illinois Central railway depots. Estimates of the damage in Alvin alone ranged from $150,000 to $400,000.

The extent of damage done in Alvin, Vermilion county town of 329, was more than half destroyed by the tornado. Above is what had only a few hours before been the business district of the little farm community. An expanse of about two blocks is included in the "shot." Five people died in Alvin. Photograph by Joe Blessman, The News-Gazette, March 17, 1942.