Thirteen White Roses

The devastating F4 tornado that struck the small town of La Plata, Maryland, on November 9, 1926, was the deadliest tornado recorded in the state. It killed 13 children attending an elementary school and two adults in a nearby home. The story of La Plata's grief reached an international audience. Papers in virtually every U.S. state and territory, as well as in Canada, England, and even Australia, carried the story. Despite the severity and strength of this tornado, the disaster could not equal the sheer determination and resilience of the people of the Town of La Plata, who pulled together to meet the crisis, share the pain of loss and then rise from the depths of despair to rebuild their beloved town, turning their renewed hope for the future into a victory of the human spirit.