Photo from Ohio Army National Guard historical Collections
Ohio National Guard Soldiers conduct patrols in a damaged section of Lorain, Ohio after a deadly tornado struck the city on June 28, 1924. Nearly 1,500 Guard members provided military support to local officials and earned considerable praise for their rapid response.
1924 Lorain-Sandusky Tornado
Compiled by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio Army National Guard Historian
On Saturday, June 28, 1924, a deadly F4 tornado struck the Lake Erie shoreline communities of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio. The storm killed eight people in Sandusky before moving east over Lake Erie and striking Lorain, where 72 were killed. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for the injured, guarding property and protecting against vandalism. Elements of the 145th and 148th Infantry, 112th Engineers, 135th Collecting Company and 37th Tank Company, under the command of Brig. Gen. John R. McQuigg, focused their efforts in Lorain where nearly 125 city blocks were destroyed or damaged. The 1924 Lorain-Sandusky Tornado remains the deadliest single tornado in Ohio history.
Photo from Ohio Army National Guard historical Collections
An Ohio National Guard Soldier guards the remains of a theater in Lorain, Ohio where 15 people died when the building collapsed after a tornado struck the city on June 28, 1924.
On Jan. 28, 1919, the 37th Division was inspected by Gen. John J. Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces, in France during World War I. He presented several awards including the Distinguished Service Cross.
Ohio National Guard Soldiers and Airmen on state active duty assisted in the cleanup efforts in Xenia, Ohio after an April 3, 1974, tornado. The F-5 storm that destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, businesses and schools was responsible for 33 deaths, and hundreds more injured.
