A twister brought national attention to Tupelo, Miss., long before its favorite son, Elvis Aron Presley, wiggled his way to fame on the Ed Sullivan Show.

AP
Elvis Presley performs in Tupelo, Miss. in Sept., 1956. That year, Presley had a No. 1 hit with "Heartbreak Hotel."

In fact, Elvis, born on Jan. 8, 1935, was just barely a toddler when an F-5 tornado roared through his hometown 70 years ago today, claiming the lives of 233 people. It was one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history.

The newspaper that serves Tupelo, the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, has a nice four-part series about the tornado. The retrospective features interviews with survivors and stories of those who didn't make it through the storm. Weatherwise magazine also did a nice feature article on the 1936 Tupelo tornado. Not only did the storm rip through the town of Tupelo, but its 15 mile path affected rural communities as well. The morning after the storms rolled through Tupelo, other tornadoes developed near Gainesville, Ga., claiming the lives of an additional 203 people.

Photo by Michael A. Schwarz, USA TODAY
Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo, Miss.

The storm, despite its ferocity, left the home where Elvis was born relatively unscathed. The home stands today, much as it did in 1936, though the ceiling and roof have been replaced due to age, not because of the tornado.

I've had the pleasure of visiting the Elvis Presley Birthplace. My wife, Meredith, is from Tupelo, and most of her family still resides in the area.

Anyone out there who remembers the Tupelo tornado or has family members who survived the storm? Feel free to post a comment below.