The Aug. 11, 1999, Salt Lake City tornado often overshadows a lesser known, more destructive tornado that just hit a few miles north of Weber State University. On June 23, 1951, at 5:33 p.m., an extremely rare and violent tornado, later rated as an F3, touched down on the west side of Ogden, near Warren, marking a 25-mile track into the neighboring town of North Ogden.
Storm prediction at the time was difficult and was typically localized. Doppler radar was in its infancy, and there were only two doppler radars in Utah. Storms were typical around this time of year, but tornadoes were nearly unheard of in Utah.
The North Ogden tornado reached estimated wind speeds of 165mph, marking it as a “severe tornado.” This tornado killed eight and injured 52 people, taking out power for days and leaving hundreds homeless. 173 homes were destroyed along with industrial and commercial buildings. The worst of the damage would be toward the end of the tornado’s life in North Ogden. The peak width of the tornado would reach 0.3 miles, or around 1,600ft in diameter.
Witness accounts from this time describe the twister as large, destructive and loud. A survivor of the tornado, Emilie Hart was 21 at the time of the tornado, and her house was completely destroyed.
“I thought it was just a bad storm until the walls started to cave in. Next thing you know, I woke up in the street with no house and no idea what to do. I had never seen anything like it,” Hart said.
Some of the other damage included 3-inch ground scouring, trees toppled and missing large branches. One large grocery store suffered major damage and was forced to shut down due to the cost of repair. Large-scale recovery and rebuilding efforts went underway in the days following the storm. The damage cost of the tornado came out to be $563,000 or around $7 million today adjusted for inflation.
This was the most severe tornado in Utah’s history, and the impact would last with locals for years to come. Today, there are plaques and memorials around North Ogden, and many residents still remember the day, Nov. 14, 1951.
