AJC Archival Photos: The Gainesville tornado of 1936

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AJC Archival Photos: The Gainesville tornado of 1936

On April 6, 1936, two F4 tornadoes hit the North Georgia city of Gainesville head on, leaving over 200 dead, 1,600 injured and 2,000 homeless. The devastated town suffered millions of dollars' worth of damage. Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution photographers were there.

On April 6, 1936, two F4 tornadoes hit the North Georgia city of Gainesville head on, leaving over 200 dead, 1,600 injured and 2,000 homeless. The devastated town suffered millions of dollars' worth of damage. Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution photographers were there to document the aftermath. Here, the National Guard sets up tents to help tornado victims in Gainesville.

People inspect the widespread ruins of Gainesville on April 6, 1936.

Prison inmates (wearing striped uniforms) help clean up after the destruction from the tornado.

Only the remnants of its sign are left as the ruins of a beauty parlor spill onto the street it once fronted.

The original caption for this photo noted that the rubble was that of a hardware store and auto agency at "Bradford Street and Spring." The picture is marked with an arrow and the words "Nally's Automobile" along with areas that were edited with white-out.

The roof of a ruined auto parts store is twisted and cars parked out front are buried beneath debris.

Trays of plants sit untouched on tables amid the remains of Jackson Nurseries as the greenhouses that once surrounded them lay in shambles. Tornadoes may completely destroy a building, leaving nothing in its wake, or may ruin the surroundings of a structure only to leave articles inside wholly untouched and intact.

The storm that struck with 'lightning swiftness' in 1936 left over 200 people dead in Gainesville. The tornado hit the Royal Theatre straight on, also doing major damage to train cars and train tracks running through town.

Utility poles in Gainesville were blown over and hung with twisted metal, the Atlanta newspaper photographer on scene noted, adding that the building in the background had its windows blown out.

Stunned survivors survey what's left of their town in this view of the widespread damage in Gainesville's city streets after the April 6, 1936, tornado. In this photo, fires are still burning in buildings wrecked by the twin tornadoes.

The tornado destroyed Gainesville City Hall, located at Broad and Main Streets.

The square in Gainesville, photographed soon after the tornado struck on April 6, 1936. In the center is the statue of a Confederate soldier, which came through the storm unharmed. Military covered trucks are parked in the foreground of the photo. The twister stripped trees surrounding the town square of their leaves and branches.

Original photo caption: "April 6, 1936 -- The ruins of a downtown Gainesville, Ga. garment factory where many died when a roaring tornado took at least 43 lives. Much of the business section, and some residential areas, in an area two and a half miles long and half a mile wide, were ravaged by the storm."

A 1930s era photo of Washington Street in Gainesville. The construction shown might indicate that this picture was shot in 1936 and repairs were being made to buildings damaged in the devastating tornado that occured on April 6, 1936.

Another 1930s era photo of downtown Gainesville, specifically Main Street. Again, the original photo caption suggests that the shot might have been taken during the city's effort to rebuild after the 1936 tornadoes.

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On April 6, 1936, two F4 tornadoes hit the North Georgia city of Gainesville head on, leaving over 200 dead, 1,600 injured and 2,000 homeless. The devastated town suffered millions of dollars' worth of damage. Atlanta Journal and Atlanta Constitution photographers were there to document the aftermath. Here, the National Guard sets up tents to help tornado victims in Gainesville.

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