Butler County community remembers 1927 tornado with ceremony

BUTLER COUNTY, Mo. (KFVS) - Members of the Butler County community came together on Monday, May 2 to remember the lives lost from a deadly tornado nearly a century ago.

A ceremony to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the 1927 tornado took place on the second floor of the Butler County Courthouse.

86 people were killed when a tornado stormed through the Butler County on May 2, 1927. Community leaders read their names aloud.

It took the twister only three minutes to tear through Poplar Bluff.

In 1927 estimates, the storm caused $2 million in damages.

Officials said it’s important to remember those victims today, even though they were gone long before many people in the community were even born.

“Because it inspires us to do the partnerships and the hard work, to keep that from ever happening again,” Robbie Myers, Butler County EMA director, said. “We can’t stop a tornado from coming through our community, but we can limit the impact of loss of life.”

In 2021, a memorial was placed across from the Black River Coliseum to remember and honor the lives lost.

The remembrance event began with a reception at 11 a.m., followed by brief remarks on the appreciation of county community partners in weather preparedness.

The ceremony then moved outdoors to the Courthouse Gazebo as the monthly outdoor siren test took place at 12 p.m.

The event ended with the song God Bless America.

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