1930 Montello tornado

During the afternoon hours of Thursday July 24, 1930, a powerful tornado struck northeastern Italy, resulting in the deaths of 23 people and injuring another 110. The tornado caused extensive damage to several small communities from Treviso to Udine, with the village of Montello particularly affected.

The tornado is widely accepted to have been one of the strongest and most violent tornadoes in European history, causing some of the most intense tornado damage ever documented on the continent.

The tornado initially touched down northeast of Casoni at 1:08 p.m., causing extensive damage as it moved eastward through the town. It tracked for another mile before hitting Pozzetto at an estimated F4 intensity, destroying a church and causing ground scouring. The tornado passed just north of Ca' Onorai and Corte, narrowly missing both towns while still maintaining F4 intensity.

The tornado then impacted the northern portions of Mottinello Vecchio, damaging multiple warehouses and resulting in one fatality. It crossed a river and continued into Alberone from the west. The tornado shifted northward and rapidly intensified, reaching high-end F4 intensity as it narrowly missed Grande and Panevecco.

The tornado directly hit the small community of Castello di Godego, impacting multiple bars and warehouses with estimated F5 intensity, resulting in several fatalities. It destroyed a road in the community before continuing in a northward pattern. Moving on, it struck the southern portions of Muson, causing damage but fortunately no fatalities.

The tornado moved parallel to Via 27 Aprile before striking the town of Vallá at F5 intensity. Vallá suffered heavy damage, with power lines knocked over and roads becoming impassable. While in the town center, the tornado turned slightly more northward, narrowly avoiding a collision with the town of Fanzolo.

The tornado proceeded through less populated areas, avoiding collisions with small communities. It narrowly missed Busta, with significant ground scouring observed in the vicinity. As it crossed Via Santa Andrea, the tornado started to veer southward, bypassing Montebelluna by approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km). Crossing several roads, it demolished a large church at F4 intensity before resuming a northward trajectory.

The tornado struck Volpago del Montello with F5 intensity, flattening well-built structures and sweeping an entire warehouse off its foundation. It caused multiple fatalities and injured 50 or more people. The tornado accelerated, creating deep ground scouring as it followed an erratic and unpredictable path.