Seventy-five years ago, on January 3, 1949, the serene timber town of Warren found itself in the crosshairs of one of the deadliest storms in the state’s history. Originating ten miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana, this tornado left a trail of destruction, taking lives and reshaping the landscape of the once-peaceful community.
The storm’s destructive journey began with the loss of two lives in Haynesville, Louisiana, claiming two more victims in El Dorado, and one near the community of Grapevine. By historical accounts, the tornado struck Warren at approximately 5:43 p.m., carving a devastating path from the south to the northeast. Interestingly, this storm eerily mirrored the trajectory of a subsequent tornado in 1975, adding an extra layer of tragedy to the town’s history.
In the aftermath, the local newspaper’s January 6th edition painted a grim picture – 360 homes destroyed or damaged, 450 buildings hit, 56 lives lost, and significant damage to the Bradley Lumber Company, a major employer with over 1000 workers. The property damage soared to an astronomical $13 million in 1949, making it the deadliest tornado of the 20th century in Arkansas. The only comparable tragedy dated back to 1898 in Fort Smith, where 55 lives were lost.
British news clip from 1949 covering the Warren tornado
By 3:00 a.m. the next morning, Frazer’s Funeral Home was faced with the somber task of handling 40 bodies. In response to this calamity, State Representative C.C. Hollensworth took action, filing a bill in the Arkansas House of Representatives earmarking $50,000.00 of state funds to aid Warren in its recovery. At the time, Mayor James Hurley, Sr. led the town.
However, the road to recovery was fraught with challenges. Despite the approval of the bill by both houses of the legislature, Governor Sid McMath, who visited Warren on January 27th, shockingly vetoed the funding. He cited concerns about setting a precedent for state intervention in local disasters, leaving Warren to fend for itself in the aftermath.
In a heartening turn of events, support arrived unexpectedly from Boreculo, a city in the Netherlands. Remembering the aid they had received from the United States in 1925 after a devastating storm, Boreculo sent items to assist the people of Warren. Some of the donated furniture still resides in Warren today, proudly used in the Mayor’s Office.
Despite the lack of state assistance, Warren’s resilient citizens rallied together to rebuild homes, and the Bradley Lumber Company gradually reconstructed its operations. Overcoming the taxing challenges, the town eventually regained its strength, but the scars of that fateful tornado lingered for years. Today, Warren stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of a community that, against all odds, rebuilt and triumphed over adversity.
There were 55 people killed in the tornado. Included in that number were:
- Sam Baker
- Mrs. Sam Baker
- Mrs. Mary Bartram
- Mrs. Frank Beard
- Mrs. H. S. Bliss
- Ben Braswell
- Ethyl Bryant
- Joe Creed
- Mrs. R. C. Derryberry
- Richard Derryberry
- Carolyn Rose Derryberry
- Clint Eason
- Mrs. Clint Eason
- Mrs. Blanche Enos
- Clifford Godfrey
- H. E. Green
- Mrs. H. E. Green
- Mrs. Jesse Hamilton Mrs. Josephine Harding
- Ben Hayes
- Hubert L. Henderson
- Leonard Henderson
- Mrs. Leonard Henderson
- Mrs. Leonard Johns
- Betty Jo Johns
- Shirley Ann Johns
- Kenneth Jones
- Jimmie King
- Theodore Lovell
- Mrs. Theodore Lovell
- Dianne Lovell
- Mrs. Erwin Lowe
- Mary Jane Maginnie
- Carolyn McKinney
- James Carlton McKinney
- Bobby Moore Charles Moore
- Linda Moore
- Mrs. Wayburn Moore
- Mrs. Earline White Nelson
- Alvin Reep
- Mrs. Alvin Reep
- Mrs. N. B. Robbins
- Mrs. Jim Sanders
- Jim Simon
- Douglas Sinks
- Mrs. S. A. D. Sinks
- Mrs. Everett Sipes
- Mrs. J. E. Stewart
- V. O. Sullivan
- William F. West
- Melvin White
- Mrs. Melvin White
- Mrs. John Whitman