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NATCHEZ – Today, May 7, marks the anniversary of the nation’s second deadliest tornado – a massive storm that swept through Natchez and left more than 300 people dead.

The storm is known as the “Great Natchez Tornado,” hit the city on May 7, 1840, and is estimated to have been an F5 on the Fujita Scale.

In an era without advanced warning capabilities, the storm proved devastating.

The twister first developed about 20 miles southwest of Natchez and then tore through Natchez Landing before striking the city itself. An estimated 317 people were killed, making it the second-deadliest U.S. tornado on record, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center.

Reliable reports suggest 269 of those perished as flatboats were sunk. This death toll may be forever underestimated, as fatalities from slaves were not counted in that era. Reportedly a fragment of a steamboat’s window was carried 30 miles away.