Tornado history Wikipedia pages

April 17–19, 1970 tornado outbreak sequence
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from April 1970 Tornado Outbreak)
Jump to: navigation, search

The April 17–19, 1970 tornado outbreak sequence was a tornado outbreak sequence[nb 1][nb 2] that occurred on April 17–19, 1970, across parts of the Midwest and South. An outbreak on April 17 produced many strong tornadoes, including four violent and long-lived tornadoes, in New Mexico, western Texas, and the Texas Panhandle. More tornadoes hit East Texas and Oklahoma on April 18, and additional tornadoes affected the Mississippi Valley and Midwest regions on April 19. At least 33 tornadoes occurred, 17 of which were F2 or greater (significant) in intensity.[2][3] In addition to confirmed tornadoes, a possible F2 tornado hit the southern suburbs of Pampa, Texas, at 12:40 a.m. CST on April 18, unroofing or severely damaging 20 homes, destroying several trailers, and damaging municipal buildings.[4]



Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 April 17
2.2 April 18
2.3 April 19
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References 5.1 Bibliography


Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
33 1 4 11 10 2 5 0
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
April 17[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 17, 1970

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

New Mexico
F1 W of McDonald Lea 0030 7.1 miles (11.4 km) Utilities and chicken coops were damaged in a skipping tornado that "dipped and rose twice."[5]
F1 S of Tatum Lea 0030 0.1 miles (0.16 km) An abandoned house and chicken coops were damaged. 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of power poles were downed.[5]
F2 N of House to S of San Jon Quay 0200 39.8 miles (64.1 km) A tornado passed through McAlister, north of Forrest, and near Glenrio, Grady, and Ragland. Numerous farm buildings, windmills, outhouses, fences, granaries, utility poles, and a television antenna were damaged.[5] The roofs and windows of two churches also sustained damage. Glass was found embedded .5 inches (1.3 cm) in the pulpit and pews.[5] Total losses reached $53,000. This tornado is not listed as significant by tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis.[6]
Texas
F4 Whiteface to W of Anton Cochran, Hockley 0250 30 miles (48 km) A violent tornado, .5 miles (805 m) wide, caused $20,000,000 in damage and 20 injuries as it passed through Whiteface.[6] Most of the injuries occurred in trailers, but five were in a school auditorium.[6] A school gymnasium in Whitharral was destroyed minutes after spectators and players had left.[6] Several large warehouses in Whiteface were leveled and had their concrete block foundations swept clean.[4] The tornado was said to have resembled a "rain cloud" and a "'ball of fire'."[5]
F4 NE of Cotton Center to SW of Hedley Hale, Floyd, Swisher, Briscoe, Hall, Donley 0400 96.6 miles (155.5 km) 5 deaths – A long-tracked tornado family first damaged rural areas between Cotton Center and Hale Center, where two tornadoes were reported to have been on the ground simultaneously. Four to five funnel clouds were observed in the area, and a continuous damage path extended 20 mi (32 km) long.[5] Two people died as their pickup truck was "'smashed flat as a pancake'," and eight homes nearby were destroyed, with seven injuries and $750,000 damage reported.[5] The tornado caused $4.5 million in damage as it passed through Plainview, first appearing aloft over storm observers on the southwest edge of town, then skipping east as it downed trees and power lines, destroying some buildings.[5] Turning to the northeast, the tornado badly damaged taller structures and produced an intermittent path 400–600 yards (366–549 m) wide through Plainview. The tornado then touched down continuously as it hit Seth Ward, leveling everything in a three-to-six-block-wide swath. Two rural homes east of Claytonville were leveled, one of which had only its concrete block foundation left.[6] Near Claytonville, a continuous path 20 mi (32 km) long and 300–400 yards (274–366 m) wide was reported.[5] Damages there reached $445,000, and 70 cattle were killed or injured. In Silverton, the tornado killed a 14-year-old girl and destroyed eight homes.[4] Damages reached $1.5 million, half of which was to a large grain elevator. Two tanks 50 feet (15 m) tall were carried for .25 mi (0.40 km), and a bushel tank weighing 1,500,000 pounds (680,389 kg) was moved 50 feet (17 yd).[4] The last damage occurred near Hedley as a farmhouse and barns were destroyed.[4]
F4 Lazbuddie to SE of White Deer Parmer, Randall, Armstrong, Carson, Gray 0430 130 miles (210 km) 1 death – A violent tornado first struck the Lazbuddie community, destroying three farmhouses and killing a woman.[5] Three other homes were damaged, as were many barns and businesses.[4] The tornado produced a continuous path 26 mi (42 km) long before lifting and possibly reforming as a new tornado.[5] The tornado touched down again for 20 mi (32 km) from near Happy to south of Canyon. Other damage was reported in another touchdown near Conway.[5]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 18[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 18, 1970

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Texas
F4 W of Vigo Park to W of McLean Swisher, Briscoe, Armstrong, Donley, Gray 0700 65 miles (105 km) 16 deaths – The final long-tracked tornado of the night touched down northeast of Tulia, causing $100,000 damage to ranches and farms.[4] The tornado leveled two homes on each side of U.S. Route 287, west-northwest of Clarendon, killing a man and injuring his wife.[4] Next, the tornado struck the Sherwood Shores community on the Greenbelt Reservoir, destroying about 172 mobile homes, killing 13 people, and injuring 35 others.[4] Nearby, two more people died in another mobile home,[5] and several farmhouses were damaged in Donley County.[4] Near I-40, railroad tank cars were blown off railroad tracks, one of which landed on the interstate.[4] Three farmhouses and a cottage were destroyed near McLean, and several other cottages were damaged before the tornado lifted.[4]
F2 Near Lake Worth Tarrant 2100 2 miles (3.2 km) A tornado struck the Roy Rogers marina on Lake Worth, destroying one houseboat and badly damaging two other boats. The houseboat was picked up and moved 50 feet (17 yd).[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[4]
F2 N of Cross Mountain Bexar 0030 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Two homes were unroofed, trees were uprooted, and power lines were downed. A pumphouse was thrown 100 yards (91 m).[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F1 NE of Plano Collin 0330 1 mile (1.6 km) A brief tornado threw a vehicle into a fence, injuring two high school students inside the vehicle.[5]
F2 Royse City Rockwall 0400 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed a "large mobile home," unroofed a dairy store, and damaged one home.[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F0 N of Franklin Robertson 0420 0.8 miles (1.3 km) Only minor damage was reported.[5]
New Mexico
F0 NE of Tatum Lea 2200 0.1 miles (0.16 km) No damage reported.[5]
Oklahoma
F2 SW of Ada Pontotoc 2210 5.2 miles (8.4 km) A tornado destroyed a barn and damaged a home.[4]
F0 W of Wainwright McIntosh 0015 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Brief tornado.[5]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993

April 19[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 19, 1970

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Texas
F2 E of Longview Gregg 0655 1.2 miles (1.9 km) At a nursing home, a tornado twisted a porch, resulting in roof damage. Numerous large trees were twisted off and in some cases were thrown into homes.[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
Louisiana
F3 SW of Elm Grove to S of Taylortown Caddo, Bossier 1000 6.8 miles (10.9 km) A tornado produced a discontinuous path from Wallace Lake to near Taylortown. A mobile home was turned onto its side, and a home, tenant homes, barns, and tractor sheds sustained damage.[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
Tennessee
F2 SW of Cordova Shelby 1645 0.3 miles (0.48 km) A brief tornado struck a golf course and a clubhouse, unroofing a large storehouse and dropping steel trusses onto the clubhouse.[5] The tornado hit north of Germantown. It is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
Mississippi
F4 W of Ripley to Corinth to N of Counce, TN Tippah, Alcorn, Hardin (TN) 1806 47.6 miles (76.6 km) 4 deaths – A probable tornado family produced an intermittent damage path for 40 mi (64 km) across northern Mississippi. In and near Ripley, several homes sustained roof damage, windows were broken, a trailer was blown off its foundation, a barn was destroyed, and trees were uprooted.[5] A school auditorium roof was lifted and displaced slightly. Losses in Ripley reached $50,000. The tornado may have lifted and reformed into a new tornado before touching down for 3 mi (4.8 km) on the south side of Corinth.[5] The main damage was concentrated in three segments 200–250 yards (183–229 m) wide, with roof and tree damage between each segment. Three churches were destroyed, numerous homes were wrecked, and several gas leaks were reported.[5] In all, the tornado destroyed 69 homes and damaged 149 at Corinth,[5] where losses reached $1.8 million and all four deaths occurred, two of which were in a church[7] that was unroofed.[5] Across the Mississippi–Tennessee state line in Hardin County, Tennessee, a house, a mobile home, two farm buildings, and a garage sustained severe damage. Damage at Counce reached $30,000.[5]
Utah
F1 Annabella Sevier 2100 1.5 miles (2.4 km) A brief tornado damaged two trailers and carried a woman 30 feet (10 yd). The woman sustained minor injuries to her head.[5]
Arkansas
F2 SW of Harrisburg Poinsett 2215 1.3 miles (2.1 km) A church was partly unroofed and shifted on its foundation. Six trailers were severely damaged, and downed trees damaged carports, porches, and roofs.[5] The tornado is not listed as significant by Grazulis.[7]
F3 Greasy Corner St. Francis 2215 1.8 miles (2.9 km) A small tornado touched down north of Hughes, destroying a small farmhouse and injuring two occupants. Nearby homes and other structures sustained damage.[7] The tornado is listed as an F2 by Grazulis.[7]
Illinois
F1 SE of Thebes Alexander 2250 0.1 miles (0.16 km) One unoccupied mobile home was overturned and another mobile home was shifted 1.5 feet (0.5 yd) on its foundation. Roofs were damaged and windows broken in the Olive Branch area.[5]
Missouri
F0 SE of East Prairie Mississippi 2300 0.2 miles (0.32 km) A tornado touched down at several points in the Big Oak Tree State Park, snapping trees 2.5–3.5 feet (0.8–1 m) in diameter and damaging the forest canopy.[5]
F1 Miner Scott 2330 0.2 miles (0.32 km) A dozen trailers sustained damage in a brief touchdown.[5]
Florida
F? Destin Okaloosa 0045 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A small building was blown off its foundation, a boat was overturned, and there was other minor damage.[5]
Georgia
F2 W of Cataula Harris 0200 0.5 miles (0.80 km) One home was destroyed and another damaged.[7]
Indiana
F1 Bloomfield Greene 0230 0.8 miles (1.3 km) 
F1 SW of Bloomfield Greene 0230 0.8 miles (1.3 km) 
F1 NE of Harrodsburg Monroe 0245 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A brief tornado caused $100,000 damage to boats and a dock.[5]
F2 SW of Bloomington Monroe 0245 5.6 miles (9.0 km) A "small" tornado struck Highland Village near Bloomington, moving one home 75 feet (25 yd), damaging several homes, overturning trailers, and damaging five planes at the county airport.[7]
F1 S of Versailles Ripley 0300 3.3 miles (5.3 km) A three-car garage and three farm buildings were destroyed.[5]
F1 N of New Elizabethtown to NW of Hayden Jackson, Jennings 0345 12.8 miles (20.6 km) Farm buildings were damaged.[5]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, Grazulis 1993
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ An outbreak is generally defined as a group of at least six tornadoes (the number sometimes varies slightly according to local climatology) with no more than a six-hour gap between individual tornadoes. An outbreak sequence, prior to (after) modern records that began in 1950, is defined as, at most, two (one) consecutive days without at least one significant (F2 or stronger) tornado.[1]
2.Jump up ^ All damage totals are in 1970 United States dollars unless otherwise noted.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Schneider, Russell S.; Harold E. Brooks; Joseph T. Schaefer. "Tornado Outbreak Day Sequences: Historic Events and Climatology (1875-2003)". Norman, Oklahoma: Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
2.Jump up ^ Bangladeshtornadoes.org (2008). "April 17, 1970 Tornado Outbreak". Retrieved 2008-04-04.
3.Jump up ^ Bangladeshtornadoes.org (2008). "April 19, 1970 Tornado Outbreak Map". Retrieved 2008-04-04.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Grazulis 1993, p. 1111
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 12 (4). 1970.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Grazulis 1993, p. 1110
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Grazulis 1993, p. 1112
Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas (1993), Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events, St. Johnsbury, Vermont: Environmental Films, ISBN 1-879362-03-1
Grazulis, Thomas (2003), The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm, Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0
 


Categories: Tornadoes in New Mexico
Tornadoes in Texas
Tornadoes of 1970
1970 natural disasters in the United States
1970 in New Mexico
1970 in Texas


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 18 June 2014 at 06:45.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1970_Tornado_Outbreak








1970 Lubbock tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

1970 Lubbock tornado

F5 tornado

Date
May 11, 1970
Time
9:35 pm
Casualties
26 killed, Approximately 500 injured
Damages
$1.52 billion (2013 Dollars)
Areas affected
Central Lubbock, Texas
The 1970 Lubbock tornado was a tornado event that occurred in Lubbock, Texas, on May 11, 1970. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas history, and occurred exactly 17 years to the day after the deadly Waco Tornado. It is also the second most recent F5 tornado to have struck a central business district of a large or mid-sized city, only to the 2011 Joplin Tornado.[1]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
2 0 1 0 0 0 1


Contents  [hide]
1 Development
2 Tornado Activity Begins
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Development[edit]
At 10 AM on 11 May 1970, the SELS (Severe Local Storms unit) issued an outlook that stated that isolated thunderstorms were possible in the High Plains region of West Texas, and amended the outlook at 1:25 PM to include the possibility that some of the storms may become severe. Warm and dry conditions dominated the area throughout the afternoon; the temperature peaked at a high of 90°F (32°C) with moderate humidity. At 6 PM, large cumulus clouds began to appear in the area, and at 6:30 the first echoes indicating thunderstorms began to appear on radar scopes in nearby Amarillo. Less than half an hour later, Lubbock radar indicated the first thunderstorm activity in the immediate Lubbock vicinity: a moderate storm just south of the city near the small farming community of Woodrow.
Conditions continued to deteriorate through the early evening, and at 7:30 the local weather bureau issued a forecast which included the developing thunderstorm activity. By 7:45 the thunderstorm south of the city was indicated by radar to be increasing in intensity, and at 7:50 the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Lubbock, Crosby and Floyd counties. Shortly afterward, reports of rapidly deteriorating conditions on the south side of the city of Lubbock began to come into the weather bureau and by 8:05, citizens south of the city were reporting golf ball-sized hail to the bureau.[2]
Tornado Activity Begins[edit]
At 8:10PM, an off-duty Lubbock police officer spotted a funnel cloud on the east side of the city, and grapefruit-size hail was reported. At 8:15, local radar indicated a hook echo and a tornado warning was issued for Lubbock and Crosby counties, and the first tornado to strike the city touched down seven miles south of Lubbock Municipal Airport, near the intersection of Quirt Avenue and Broadway. Since it was in a relatively sparsely populated area of the city, this first tornado caused little significant damage; however, reports of damaging hail continued to come in from around the city. At 9:15, tornado sirens in Idalou were sounded, and by 9:30 baseball-sized hail was falling in the northeastern sector of Lubbock.
At about 9:35PM, a second and much more significant tornado touched down near the campus of Texas Tech University, snapping light poles at Jones Stadium, home of the Red Raider football team, then began to track northeast, carving a path of destruction that at its peak reached almost two miles in width right through the heart of the city. The devastating twister tore through several densely populated residential areas before slicing through downtown, dealing a direct blow to the First National Bank building and the Great Plains Life building. The tornado then moved north toward the airport, where at 10:00PM, anemometers were already reading winds of 77 knots (approximately 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). At 9:46, power failed at the Lubbock Civil Defense headquarters, and three minutes later, the local weather bureau lost power and its personnel took shelter from the tornado, which was now bearing down on the area and passed over the Weather Bureau building at 10:03PM.
The tornado continued north-northeast toward the communities of Abernathy and New Deal, where local authorities had begun sounding tornado sirens due to alerts passed along to them via two-way radio by the officials at the crippled Lubbock Weather Bureau office.[2] The tornado finally dissipated at about 10:10PM near the community of Petersburg.
Aftermath[edit]



 Storm damage is still visible on the Metro Tower.
The second tornado was devastating, affecting a 25-square-mile (65 km2) area or roughly a quarter of Lubbock. Hardest hit were the inner city commercial and residential areas, the light industrial area south of Loop 289, and the residential area north of Loop 289 and the Lubbock Municipal Airport. A total of 430 homes were destroyed, 519 sustained major damage, and 7,851 more sustained minor damage. Some of the homes were completely swept away. Another 600 apartments were destroyed and 549 damaged, and one hundred mobile homes were severely damaged or destroyed. The Guadalupe neighborhood, consisting of mostly old wood frame or stucco homes, and parts of the Mesa Road area near the Lubbock Country Club, were almost completely leveled.
Since the tornado hit the downtown area, over 250 businesses were also severely damaged or destroyed, including 20 city and county offices. Every motel along 4th Street and Avenue Q north of 10th Street sustained major damage, and several motels and other businesses along Avenue Q, which is a major artery through the city, were destroyed. Several banks and warehouses were severely damaged, and one nightclub lost its entire top floor. Eight elementary schools were damaged, as well as Lubbock and Estacado High Schools, the latter losing a large portion of the roof over the gym. Damage was especially severe in the industrial areas of north Lubbock. At a grain storage complex, thick steel covers were peeled back from the tops of silos like soup cans. A 41-foot long metal fertilizer tank, weighing 26,000 pounds, was thrown nearly a mile through the air. Large oil tanks in this area were hurled up to 300 yards away, and a railroad car was rolled for 50 yards.[3]
The 271-foot (83 m) tall Great Plains Life Building was left with a visible twist in its super-structure, leaving many to fear it was in danger of collapse; several radio towers on the roof were twisted or broken off. Much of the plaster in the stairwell walls between the 4th and 16th floors had cracked, and 60% of the building's windows were shattered. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and amid cries to demolish, the owners chose to repair it instead, and it still stands. Some sources erroneously claim that the building was impacted by F5 winds. A thorough damage survey indicated that the F5 damage contour commenced farther north in the Guadelupe neighborhood.
In addition to damage to buildings, there was damage to other property. Over 10,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and at Lubbock Municipal Airport, one hundred private aircraft and 19 military planes were destroyed. Many utilities were damaged or destroyed and 220 light poles were toppled, leaving the city's two utility companies scrambling to restore power in the days immediately following the storm. The Southwestern Bell Company reported that 25,000 telephones were knocked out of service and 600 long distance lines were ruined. There was extensive ecological damages as well; many trees were damaged or destroyed, including the city’s aged Chinese elm trees. Mackenzie State Park, Pioneer Park, Guadalupe Park and the Texas Tech campus lost almost all of their trees. Damage totaled $250 million, ($1,411,900,000 in 2008 dollars), making it the costliest U.S. tornado until it was surpassed by the Omaha Tornado of 1975.
The storm's final death toll was 26; victims ranged in age from 9 months to 88 years of age. Many of the victims were found in their homes, where they had been killed by flying debris or structural collapse. One boy lost his life when he was sucked out of the car he was riding in, and an entire family of five died when their house was lifted from its foundation, hurled over 200 yards, and slammed into a field. Another five hundred people were injured.
After the storm, Mayor Jim Granberry imposed a curfew, and Police Chief J.T. Alley issued orders that looters would be shot on sight. No looting was reported throughout the ordeal. The city council was directed to lead the rebuilding process, which continued under Granberry's successor, Morris W. Turner. The Lubbock Tornado also served as a model for the development of the Fujita scale, developed a year later. Bud Andrews and Ernesto Barton, Lubbock radio broadcasters, were given Presidential Citations from then U.S. President Richard M. Nixon for coverage of the disaster.
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Downtown Tornadoes
2.^ Jump up to: a b [1]
3.Jump up ^ http://extremeplanet.me/2013/03/11/violent-tornadoes-that-have-struck-downtown-areas/
External links[edit]
[2] - Official City of Lubbock Tornado Anniversary website
Lubbock Tornado - Tornado History Project
1970 Lubbock Tornado archives from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
http://www.lubbockonline.com/tornado/stories/20Years/022.shtml
http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/0512_morn.shtml
http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/May13/003.shtml
http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/20Years/001.shtml
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/?n=events-1970-19700511
http://www3.gendisasters.com/texas/5698/lubbock-tx-devestating-tornado-rips-city-may-1970
The short film "Twister" is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]

[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 costliest US tornadoes
Rank
Area affected
Date
Damage 1
Adjusted Damage 2

1
Joplin, Missouri May 22, 2011 2800 2935
2
Tuscaloosa, Alabama April 27, 2011 2450 2569
3
Moore, Oklahoma May 20, 2013 2000 2025
4
Oklahoma City Metro, Oklahoma May 3, 1999 1000 1415
5
Hackleburg, Alabama April 27, 2011 1290 1352
6
Wichita Falls, Texas April 10, 1979 400 1299
7
Omaha, Nebraska May 6, 1975 250 1094
8
Washington, Illinois November 17, 2013 935 947
9
Lubbock, Texas May 11, 1970 250 820
10
Topeka, Kansas June 8, 1966 250 726
Source: Brooks, Harold E.; C. A. Doswell (Feb 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 16 (1): 168–76. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2. 3
1. These are the unadjusted damage totals in millions of US dollars.
 2. Raw damage totals adjusted for inflation, in millions of 2014 USD.
 3. A search of NCDC Storm Data indicates no tornadoes between 1999 and 2010 have caused more than $400 million in damage.
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1970
Tornadoes in Texas
1970 in Texas
History of Lubbock, Texas


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 17 December 2013 at 00:26.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_Lubbock_tornado








February 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

February 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak

Date(s)
February 21–22, 1971
Duration
~32 hours
Tornadoes caused
19
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
unknown
Casualties
123
The February 1971 Mississippi Delta tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak that struck portions of the Lower Mississippi River Valley and the Southeastern United States on February 21–22, 1971. The two-day outbreak produced 19 tornadoes and killed 123 people across three states. The majority of the fatalities were caused by three violent tornadoes across western Mississippi and northeastern Louisiana.
Activity started early on the morning of February 21. The first tornadoes touched down in Texas east of Austin and north of Waco. The main activity intensified during the afternoon over the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys until the late evening hours.
At around 3:00 pm CST a tornado touched down in Madison Parish, Louisiana, and moved northeast into Waverly, just east of Delhi and near present-day Interstate 20. Destroying several homes in Waverly, the tornado killed a family of 10 and caused F5 damage in the area. It continued through or near Alsatia and Melbourne before crossing the Mississippi River into Mississippi. Turning to the north-northeast, it struck areas near Mayersville and Delta City, causing more deaths. The funnel then made a sharp turn into the towns of Inverness and Moorhead before dissipating. It killed 47 people, 11 in Louisiana and 36 in Mississippi, with 21 of the deaths in Inverness alone, where 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed.[1] The Delhi tornado is the only official F5 to have hit the State of Louisiana since official tornado records began in 1950 and the only F5 tornado ever recorded in the month of February. It is also the deadliest F5 tornado since the Candlestick Park tornado in 1966 killed 58 people across Mississippi and Alabama. 74 people died in the state of Mississippi.[2]
At around 4:00 pm CST, the deadliest tornado of the outbreak touched down just east of the Mississippi River near Fitler. Moving north-northeast, the tornado affected areas in and around Issaquena, Rolling Fork, Cary, Anguilla, Itta Bena, and Oxford before dissipating just across the Tennessee state line. Most of its path was just a few miles east of the areas affected by the F5 tornado and several counties were affected by both tornadoes. With 58 fatalities, including 14 near Cary and 21 in Pugh City,[3] this tornado was the deadliest on record since the Udall tornado in 1955 killed 80 people. It was eventually displaced from this title during the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak. It is also the deadliest tornado in Mississippi since 1950, surpassing the Candlestick Park tornado in 1966 by one fatality, though the Candlestick death occurred in Alabama.[4][5] However, the number of deaths is well short of the 216 killed in the Tupelo F5 in 1936.[2]
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Louisiana 11 Madison 11
Mississippi 110 Humphreys 32
Leflore 14
Sharkey 23
Sunflower 28
Warren 2
Yazoo 11
North Carolina 2 Cumberland 2
Totals 123 
All deaths were tornado-related
Two other tornadoes in Mississippi killed at least 16 people in Yazoo, Warren and Sunflower Counties. The Yazoo County tornado is the 16th longest ever in Mississippi as it traveled for nearly 70 mi (110 km).[2]
The outbreak is also one of the deadliest ever in the state, with 110 deaths. Most of the region was declared a disaster area by then-US President Richard Nixon. Additional tornadoes touched down on the following day from Indiana to the Carolinas, including one in the Columbus Metropolitan Area. A long-lived F3 tornado in North Carolina also killed two people near Fayetteville. The entire outbreak is the second deadliest ever in February, behind only the Enigma tornado outbreak in 1884 and ahead of the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak.


Contents  [hide]
1 Tornado table
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 February 21 event
2.2 February 22 event
3 References
4 External links
5 See also

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
19 2 4 7 3 2 1
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
February 21 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Texas
F2 Bellmead area McLennan 1330 0.1 miles (160 m) Brief tornado struck downtown Bellmead, badly damaging multiple businesses, some of which lost roofs and walls. One home had its roof torn off and a trailer was completely destroyed. A shopping center was badly damaged as well.[6]
F1 SW of Lincoln Lee 1415 0.3 miles (480 m) 
Louisiana
F5 SW of Delhi to S of Schlater, MS Madison, East Carroll, Issaquena (MS), Sharkey (MS), Washington (MS), Humphreys (MS), Sunflower (MS), Leflore (MS) 2050 109.2 miles (175.7 km) 47 deaths – Tornado touched down just outside of Delhi and tore through the small community of Waverly, where homes were completely leveled and 10 fatalities occurred. F5 damage was observed in this area. Homes and trailers were also completely destroyed in the Alsatia/Melbourne area before the tornado crossed into Mississippi. The tornado passed near Mayersville before tearing through Delta City, where seven people died. The tornado continued northeast, completely leveling the town of Inverness, where 21 people died. The tornado then leveled the north side of Moorhead, killing four people there before dissipating. In all, the tornado destroyed hundreds of homes along its path.[6]
Arkansas
F2 SW of Dermott to E of McGehee Drew, Desha 2100 17.1 miles (27.5 km) Tornado downed numerous trees along its path. Homes in McGehee were badly damaged.[6]
F2 S of Wynne St. Francis 2300 4.6 miles (7.4 km) 
Mississippi
F4 S of Fitler to SW of Middleton, TN Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys, Leflore, Grenada, Marshall, Hardeman (TN) 2200 202.1 miles (325.2 km) 58 deaths – Tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and plantations along its path, some of which were swept away. Areas in and around Swiftown, Cary, Pugh City, and Morgan City were devastated by the tornado, with 21 fatalities alone in Pugh City, which was entirely wiped out and never rebuilt. The funnel may have weakened and reformed into a new tornado near Cascilla and Tillatoba, causing scattered damage in those communities and near Oxford. The path in Tennessee may have been done by a separate F3 tornado that struck three homes, destroying one of them with $40,000 in damage.[6]
F4 S of Bovina to SW of Lexington Warren, Yazoo, Holmes 2306 65.2 miles (104.9 km) 13 deaths – Multiple homes were leveled along the path and at least 200 people were injured.[6]
F3 N of Whitney Sunflower 2330 8.6 miles (13.8 km) 3 deaths – Several houses and tenant houses were destroyed. Five people were injured.[6]
F0 S of McRaven Hinds 0054 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 SW of Ashland Benton 0100 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 SW of Florence Rankin 0110 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 Brandon area Rankin 0135 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 NE of Pontotoc Pontotoc 0230 0.1 miles (160 m) In the community of Hurricane, a school was destroyed and surrounding school buildings were damaged. A church and two stores were damaged as well.[6]
Tennessee
F2 SE of Selmer McNairy 0335 1.5 miles (2.4 km) A tornado struck the town of Selmer, destroying 11 businesses and 20 homes. It damaged four businesses and 20 homes as well. The tornado injured 36 people, of whom six were hospitalized. Caused $1,000,000 in damage. Rating is disputed by Thomas P. Grazulis, who indicates that it may have been F3 rather than F2.[6]
Source: Tornado History Project - February 21, 1971 Storm Data
February 22 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Indiana
F1 SW of Greensburg Decatur 1800 9.1 miles (14.6 km) 
South Carolina
F1 E of St. Matthews Calhoun 2120 11.9 miles (19.2 km) One factory and two small homes were unroofed.[6]
Ohio
F2 SE of Pancoastburg Fayette, Pickaway 2125 2 miles (3.2 km) 
F3 Columbus area Franklin 2155 6.8 miles (10.9 km) Moved through the southeast side of Columbus, damaging and destroying multiple homes. Other buildings were unroofed and warehouses were destroyed. Caused $2,800,000 in damage.[6]
North Carolina
F3 Fayetteville Cumberland, Sampson, Greene, Edgecombe, Pitt 2230 85.7 miles (137.9 km) 2 deaths – Moved across the north side of Fayetteville, destroying 40 homes and damaging another 325.[6]
Source: Tornado History Project - February 22, 1971 Storm Data
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ This Day in History 1971: Tornadoes move across Mississippi River Delta
2.^ Jump up to: a b c National Weather Service Forecast Office - Jackson, MS
3.Jump up ^ The United States' Worst Tornadoes
4.Jump up ^ http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/mstorn.htmZ
5.Jump up ^ Tornado history project
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
External links[edit]
Full map of the 1971 Mississippi Valley tornado outbreak
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1971
Tornadoes in Louisiana
Tornadoes in Mississippi
Tornadoes in North Carolina
Tornadoes in Ohio
Tornadoes in Tennessee
1971 in the United States


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 20 June 2014 at 20:50.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_1971_Mississippi_Delta_tornado_outbreak










1972 Portland–Vancouver tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from 1972 Portland-Vancouver tornado)
Jump to: navigation, search

1972 Portland–Vancouver Tornado

F3 tornado

Date
April 5, 1972
Casualties
6
Damages
$3–5 million (1972 USD)
Areas affected
Northern Oregon, Southern Washington
The 1972 Portland–Vancouver Tornado was a destructive tornado that struck on April 5, 1972. The tornado carved a nine mile (14 km) path of destruction across Oregon and Washington. The tornado left 6 people dead, 301 injured and $3–5 million (1972 USD) in damage. The tornado was considered the worst to hit the state of Washington and Oregon since 1871 and was the deadliest tornado in 1972. While the Portland-Vancouver tornado was not the first F3 tornado in Washington (December 12, 1969 in the Seattle area), it was the only recorded F3 tornado in Oregon history.[1] It is also the deadliest recorded tornado in West Coast history.[2][3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Storm history
2 Impact 2.1 Non-tornadic events
3 See also
4 References

Storm history[edit]
A very turbulent squall line of thunderstorms moved northeast across Portland, Oregon and was tracked by the National Weather Service. The strongest thunderstorm was tracked near the town of Tigard. The tornado formed from this thunderstorm and touched down near the edge of the Columbia River. The tornado moved 1½ miles before crossing the Oregon/Washington border. The tornado was difficult to observe because of the fog and the mud and flying debris drawn up by the tornado. After making landfall on the Washington side of the Columbia River, the tornado continued its 9-mile (14 km) journey before dissipating.[3]
Impact[edit]
In Oregon, the tornado damaged four boat moorings and 50 small boats. Damage in Oregon from the tornado totaled up to $250,000 dollars (1972 USD).[3][4]
In east Vancouver, the tornado struck at 12:51 p.m. (PST), where it destroyed a grocery store, along with Peter S. Ogden Elementary School injuring 70 students.[5] Nearby, the storm demolished a bowling alley and damaged 100 homes, some severely. Trees and power lines were downed and vehicles were flipped as well.[6] Overall, the tornado killed six people and left 3-5 million dollars (1972 USD) damage in Washington.[2] Two F2 tornadoes and another F3 touched down in rural parts of Washington state later that day, though these tornadoes caused no fatalities. The small severe weather outbreak was the deadliest and most significant tornado event to occur in the Pacific northwest.
Non-tornadic events[edit]
High winds brought by the thunderstorms caused minimal tree damage. In Tigard, the thunderstorm that spawned the tornado tore the roof off a warehouse and damaged five parked cars. A pressure jump of 0.12 inches (3.0 mm) was recorded by the National Weather Service. The Portland, Oregon National Weather Service office, approximately one mile east of the tornado touchdown, recorded winds gusting up to 63 mph (101 km/h). Another weather station reported sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h).[3]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com
2.^ Jump up to: a b ""Tornado of April 5, 1972, Vancouver, Washington" Details". Waymark. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d National Weather Service (2006). "NWS Oregon Tornadoes". NOAA. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
4.Jump up ^ NCDC (1972). "Oregon Event Report 141987". NOAA. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
5.Jump up ^ Columbian.com - History
6.Jump up ^ NBC Evening News (1972). "Headline: Washington Tornado". Vanderbilt Television Archive. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
 


Categories: F3 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1972
Tornadoes in Oregon
Tornadoes in Washington (state)
1972 in Oregon
1972 in Washington (state)
History of Vancouver, Washington
Pacific Northwest storms


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 10 January 2014 at 05:30.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Portland-Vancouver_tornado









Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The 1972 Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak, the third-deadliest tropical cyclone-related outbreak in the United States since 1900, was the deadliest tornado outbreak related to a tropical cyclone in Florida. The outbreak, produced by Hurricane Agnes, lasted about 15 hours on June 18–19, 1972. In all, the outbreak resulted in 30 tornadoes in Florida and Georgia, including 6 F0 events, 12 F1 events, 10 F2 events, and two F3 events on the Fujita scale. Originally, only fifteen tornadoes were confirmed. Two of the tornadoes killed seven people and were not officially classified as tornadoes in the National Weather Service records. In Florida alone, the outbreak inflicted at least 140 injuries and destroyed fifteen homes, while 119 homes received damage. In that state, 217 trailers were destroyed and 196 trailers incurred damage. Additionally, six Florida businesses were destroyed, while six others were damaged.[1]



Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Officially recorded tornadoes 2.1 June 18
2.2 June 19
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 LaBelle/Okeechobee, Florida
3.2 Unconfirmed tornadoes
4 Oddities/records
5 See also
6 References

Meteorological synopsis[edit]



 Satellite image of Hurricane Agnes


 Reanalysis of the 1972 Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak
The interaction of baroclinic features with Agnes resulted in a tropical cyclone with "hybrid" characteristics, which increased the threat of strong tornadoes with longer path lengths.[2][3] The outbreak became the most significant tornado outbreak associated with a tropical cyclone prior to landfall.[1] The presence of strong wind shear surrounding the tropical cyclone facilitated the development of strong tornadoes, including the greatest number of tornadoes of at least F2 intensity within one 24-hour period in Florida.[1][2] Studies have suggested strong wind shear in the lower levels of the atmosphere is a common feature during tornado outbreaks involving the outer rain bands of tropical cyclones near Florida.[4] Additionally, in Florida cases, the favored region for tornado outbreaks is the northeastern quadrant of north moving tropical cyclones. Agnes represented one of these cases.[4][5]

Officially recorded tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
17 1 7 7 2 0 0
June 18[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Florida
F2 Big Coppitt Key Monroe 0615 1 mile
 (1.6 km) In all, five homes and 47 trailers incurred damage. One frame residence lost its roof. 40 people were injured.[6] Damages reached $342,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F2 Key West Monroe 0700 1 mile
 (1.6 km) Buildings were destroyed and lost roofs on the northern side of Key West. 50 people were injured.[6] Losses reached $400,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F1 Key Colony Beach to Long Key Monroe 1000 2 miles
 (3.2 km) The funnel passed through Key Colony Beach, Grassy Key, Conch Key, and Long Key. The majority of the damage occurred on Conch Key, where the tornado damaged six trailers. Damages were below $10,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F1 Basinger area Okeechobee 1755 1 mile
 (1.6 km) The tornado touched the ground on U.S. Route 98. Two trailers were destroyed. One person received injuries, and four trailers were damaged. Damages reached $20,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F2 Sanibel Island Lee 1838 0.3 mile
 (0.5 km) Five stores and the roof of a church were destroyed. Losses reached $15,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F2 Pine Island Lee 1900 2 miles
 (3.2 km) The tornado passed through three trailer parks and destroyed four trailers. Several stores received damage. Losses were near $50,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F1 Haines City area Polk 1910 0.3 mile
 (0.5 km) Six mobile homes were severely damaged at the Haines City Mobile Home Park. Three minor injuries occurred. Damages reached $43,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F2 Lehigh Acres Lee 2000 0.5 mile
 (0.8 km) One TV transmitting tower was destroyed. Damages were estimated at $60,000 (1972 USD). The path of the tornado moved north.[7]
F1 S of Zephyrhills Pasco 2140 0.2 mile
 (0.3 km) The tornado, striking Crystal Springs, damaged several mobile homes. Four people were injured. One of the injuries was classified as serious. Damages reached $20,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F1 North Palm Beach area Palm Beach 2240 0.3 mile
 (0.5 km) Tennis courts, a sailboat, and one home received damage. Losses reached $10,000 (1972 USD).[7] The sailboat was lifted from a lake and deposited on a roof.[8]
F0 W of Okeechobee Highlands 2245 1 mile
 (1.6 km) A brief tornado produced minimal damage near the intersection of the Kissimmee River and State Road 70.[7]
F2 Malabar Brevard 2346 2 miles
 (3.2 km) The Century Oaks Trailer Park was affected. In all, six trailers were destroyed, while nine trailers incurred damage. Homes were also damaged in Port Malabar. 11 people were injured, and damage estimates reached $100,000 (1972 USD) at the trailer park.[7][8]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, NCDC Storm Data publication, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

June 19[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Florida
F3 Merritt Island Brevard 0635 4 miles
 (6.4 km) One apartment building was destroyed as the tornado struck a subdivision.[6] Two hangars were destroyed at the Merritt Island Airport, where 44 planes were also completely destroyed.[6][7] One plane was carried more than 0.25 mile (0.40 km) from the airport and crashed into one home.[8] Damages reached $3 million (1972 USD).[7] One source, citing F2 damage, suggests that the tornado never attained F3 intensity.[6]
F3 Cape Canaveral Brevard 0700 3 miles
 (4.8 km) The second F3 tornado struck the town of Cape Canaveral.[8] Two homes and 30 trailers were destroyed. The Port Canaveral Coast Guard station incurred $50,000 (1972 USD) in damages. 20 other homes were damaged, 100 residents were left homeless, and 23 people were injured.[6] Losses exceeded $500,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F1 Geneva area Seminole 0849 0.1 mile
 (0.2 km) Five homes were destroyed within a narrow swath of a trailer park. Losses reached $40,000 (1972 USD).[7]
Georgia
F1 SE of Homestead Pierce 1825 1 mile
 (1.6 km) The first tornado in Georgia related to Agnes touched down around 12:25 pm CST near Homestead. The F1 tornado produced minor damage along its path; however, one person sustained injuries. Losses were estimated up to $25,000 (1972 USD).[7]
F2 NE of Bethel Coffee 2000 2 miles
 (3.2 km) The second and strongest tornado in Georgia related to Agnes touched down around 2:00 pm CST near Bethel. The F2 tornado produced moderate damage along its path, with losses estimated up to $250,000 (1972 USD).[7]
Sources: NCDC Storm Events Database, SPC Storm Data, NCDC Storm Data publication, Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events by Thomas P. Grazulis

Notable tornadoes[edit]
LaBelle/Okeechobee, Florida[edit]
On June 18, a tornado touched down around 4:13 p.m. (EDT) near Fort Denaud, which is located near LaBelle in Hendry County. The tornado, killing one person, destroyed a truck and a trailer. The funnel also prostrated citrus trees and caused six injuries near LaBelle. Ten mobile homes were destroyed in two mobile home parks. In all, the tornado affected three mobile home parks and inflicted $200,000 (1972 USD) in property damage.[1][7] Another tornado, occurring around 10:55 p.m. (EDT),[7] destroyed 50 mobile homes[1] and one fish camp near Okeechobee.[6] This event killed six people[6] and caused damage along a path that reached a width of 100 yards (0.05 mi).[1] These tornadoes were operationally classified as "windstorms"[9] in the official National Weather Service database, which indicated severe thunderstorm winds were responsible for the seven deaths.[1][4] However, newspaper reports did cite the Okeechobee event as a tornado.[6] Subsequently, an independent case study of the Hurricane Agnes outbreak in 1998 unveiled evidence that the events were two strong (F2–F3) tornadoes.[1][3] However, the official database still lists the original number of tornadoes.[10]

Unconfirmed tornadoes[edit]
There were two unconfirmed tornadoes in Collier County. A brief tornado reportedly damaged a roof and two planes in the town of Immokalee. Power lines were downed in the area. Another possible tornado affected Everglades City, where trees were prostrated and portions of a home were transported for 0.25 mile (0.4 km).[8] Lee County was affected by three F2 tornadoes, while an F1 tornado touched down in Seminole County.[10] In all, the tornadoes in Lee, Seminole, and Brevard counties produced damages in excess of $100,000 (1972 USD).[8]

Oddities/records[edit]
Agnes produced a total of 8–11 strong (F2–F3) tornadoes in Florida.[1][10] The accuracy of the ratings for many strong tornadoes in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s has been questioned by some authorities. Thomas P. Grazulis states that his criteria yielded fewer strong tornadoes than the official records. The author cites only four strong tornadoes for the Hurricane Agnes tornado outbreak. Only one F3 tornado is listed, while three F2 tornadoes are included in the analysis.[6] The official database lists six F2 events and two F3 events.[10]

See also[edit]
List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
History of tropical cyclone-spawned tornadoes

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i Hagemeyer, Bartlett C. et al. "Thirty Years After Hurricane Agnes - The Forgotten Florida Tornado Disaster". American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original on October 16, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Hurricanes and Tornadoes". Central Pacific Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on 3 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
3.^ Jump up to: a b Hagemeyer, Bartlett C. "1.2: Significant Tornado Outbreaks Associated With Tropical Cyclones in Florida". National Weather Service Melbourne, Florida office. Archived from the original on 2009-05-05. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c Hagemeyer, Bartlett C (1997). "Peninsular Florida Tornado Outbreaks". American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
5.Jump up ^ Hagemeyer, Bartlett C. et al. "Florida Tornado Outbreaks Associated With Tropical Cyclones". National Weather Service Melbourne, Florida office. Archived from the original on 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t U.S. Department of Commerce (1972). Storm Data: June 1972 (Vol. 14, No. 6). NOAA.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Tornadoes". Naples Daily News. Retrieved 2008-11-15.[dead link]
9.Jump up ^ U.S. Department of Commerce (1972). Storm Data: June 1972 (Vol. 14, No. 6) NOAA.
10.^ Jump up to: a b c d National Climatic Data Center. "Storm Events Database". NOAA. Archived from the original on 2008-08-12. Retrieved 2008-11-15.
 


Categories: F3 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1972
Tornadoes in Florida
1972 in the United States





Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 22 April 2014 at 04:55.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Agnes_tornado_outbreak












List of tornadoes in the Super Outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search





Map of the tornado paths in the Super Outbreak(April 3–4, 1974)
This is the list of tornadoes confirmed that occurred during the record-breaking Super Outbreaktornado event that occurred on April 3–4, 1974 across the eastern half of the United States and in Ontario, Canada.



Contents [hide]
1Tornadoes confirmed1.1April 3 event
1.2April 4 event
2See also
3Notes
4Further reading
5External links

Tornadoes confirmed[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
143* 11 37 30 35 23 7
Note:Some tornadoes are not included in this table. The official total is 148.

April 3 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 3, 1974

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Georgia
F2 Ellijayto Blue Ridge Gilmer, Fannin 1800 15.6 miles (25.1 km) Tornado unroofed or destroyed several homes.
F4 W of Calhounto E of Chatsworth Gordon, Whitfield, Murray 2240 29.5 miles (47.5 km) 9 deaths– Homes destroyed in Sugar Valleyand on the northwest side of Resaca. Tornado killed more than 50,000 chickens in Gordon County alone. Seven of the nine deaths occurred at Sugar Valley.
F4 NW of Dawsonville Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin 0030 17.7 miles (28.5 km) 6 deaths– Deaths were at Yellow Creekand Juno. Tornado destroyed nine homes along its path. 17 injuries were reported from Pickens County.
F4 W of Pleasant Hillto NE of Murphy, NC Fannin, Cherokee (NC) 0120 24 miles (39 km) 4 deaths– Crossed into North Carolina. Storm traversed rugged terrain. $13 million (1974 USD) in damage, with massive timber damage. Tornado destroyed utilities and 45 homes in a neighborhood at Murphy.
Illinois
F0 Morrisarea Grundy 1810 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F0 E of Carlock McLean 1907 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 SE of Lincoln Logan, McLean 1908 16.7 miles (26.9 km) 
F3 N of Blue Moundto NE Decatur Macon 1930 20.9 miles (33.6 km) 1 death– Tornado struck northwest side of Decatur, destroying 35 homes and damaging 120. Some homes were leveled, but were not well-built enough to warrant an F4 rating. Figure of 26 injuries only represent patients hospitalized.
F3 S of Anchor McLean 1930 7.4 miles (11.9 km) Tornado destroyed buildings and equipment on eight separate farms, with two homes destroyed and a third removed form it's foundation. Multiple vorticescaused cycloidal marks in farm fields. Debris was carried up to 10 miles away.
F1 E of Taylorville Christian 1945 8.5 miles (13.7 km) 
F1 E of Farmer City Piatt, Champaign 2010 10.9 miles (17.5 km) 
F0 NW of Pierson Piatt 2025 3.3 miles (5.3 km) 
F3 E of Tolono Champaign 2048 5.9 miles (9.5 km) 1 death– Tornado killed a man in a trailer and destroyed farms near Philo. Worst damage occurred west of Philo, where numerous buildings were destroyed.
F3 NE of Bongardto Fithian Champaign, Vermilion 2055 14.9 miles (24.0 km) Tornado destroyed homes and a park headquarters near Homer Lake. Three trucks were blown off of Interstate 74, near Ogden, and trailers were obliterated. Part of a house was thrown into a lake.
F2 N of Bismarck Vermilion 2125 7.8 miles (12.6 km) Tornado hit and damaged a local high school. Also heavily damaged homes in western Bismarck.
F1 S of Mattoonto NE of Charleston Coles 2130 14.8 miles (23.8 km) 
Tennessee
F3 Clevelandarea(1st tornado) Bradley, Polk 1905 18.1 miles (29.1 km) 1 death– Tornado hit two subdivisions near Blue Springsand destroyed 19 out of 20 trailers in a trailer park. One woman died in the trailer park.
F2 NE of Maryville Blount 2000 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Not listed as F2 tornado by some authorities.
F1 Etowaharea(1st tornado) McMinn 2030 3.6 miles (5.8 km) 1 death– Tornado produced minor property damage.
F1 NW of Hopewell Hamilton 2050 5.9 miles (9.5 km) 
F1 NW of Springfield Robertson 2100 4.3 miles (6.9 km) 
F2 N of Greenback Loudon 2200 0.1 miles (160 m) Tornado unroofed a home and damaged six others at Greenback.
F2 E of Madisonville Monroe 2200 1 mile (1.6 km) 
F3 Clevelandto Etowah(2nd tornado) Bradley, Polk, McMinn 2215 21.2 miles (34.1 km) 3 deaths– Tornado passed through southern Etowah, destroying 23 homes and killing two people in trailers. One additional death elsewhere. Tornado damaged or destroyed 37 homes in McMinn County alone.
F2 Nashvillearea Davidson 2218 4.7 miles (7.6 km) Tornado hit southeastern Nashville, causing significant damage to large homes, trailers, and businesses. May have been an F3 rather than an F2 tornado due to severity of damage.
F1 E of Columbia Maury, Marshall 2230 7.9 miles (12.7 km) 
F2 NE of Lebanonto Cato Wilson, Trousdale, Smith 2300 15.8 miles (25.4 km) Tornado destroyed six homes at Dixon Springs. Produced damage of at least F3 and possibly F4 intensity at Dixon Springs according to Grazulis.
F1 NE of Lewisburgto Rover Marshall, Bedford 2300 12.9 miles (20.8 km) 
F3 Murfreesboroto E of Cainsville Rutherford, Wilson 2310 15.9 miles (25.6 km) Tornado produced high-end F3 damage to three homes, which were completely destroyed.
F1 NW of Lewisburgto N of Deason Marshall, Bedford 2315 26.1 miles (42.0 km) 
F2 NE of Jamestownto W of Flat Rock, KY Fentress, Pickett, McCreary (KY) 0015 27.4 miles (44.1 km) Tornado mostly hit forested land but caused F2 damage.
F1 Livingstonarea(1st tornado) Overton 0030 4.3 miles (6.9 km) 
F3 SW of Gassawayto NE of Dowelltown Cannon, DeKalb, 0030 14.6 miles (23.5 km) 1 death– Tornado killed a woman in a trailer at Sycamore. Destroyed one factory, a post office, and 18 homes in Dowelltown.
F4 SE of Fayettevilleto SE of Tullahoma Lincoln, Franklin 0045 27.5 miles (44.3 km) 11 deaths– Intense tornado swept away homes at Harmony Hill, Pleasant Ridge(northwest of Huntland), and Broadview. Destroyed roughly 46 homes and 90 barns in Franklin County alone. Developed from the same thunderstorm that produced the first F5 Tanner tornado.
F1 SE of Gainesboro Jackson, Overton 0100 8.6 miles (13.8 km) 
F4 SE of Cookevilleto S of Windletown White, Putnam, Overton 0115 28.4 miles (45.7 km) 10 deaths– Tornado destroyed as many as 50 homes near Cookeville, killing 10 people in the vicinity. One person injured in the tornado died a month later.
F4 S of Moodyvilleto SE of Jimtown, KY Pickett, Wayne (KY) 0130 11 miles (18 km) 5 deaths– Tornado caused all five deaths and destroyed homes at Moodyville before crossing the Tennessee-Kentucky border.
F4 NE of Obey City/E of Jamestownareas Fentress 0150 18.8 miles (30.3 km) 7 deaths– Tornado injured 150 people and destroyed 48 homes in four separate subdivisions near Jamestown. All seven deaths occurred in the four subdivisions.
F3 NW of Providence Franklin, Coffee 0200 7.1 miles (11.4 km) Tornado destroyed just one home and a trailer west of Altamont.
F2 E of Viola Warren 0215 8.7 miles (14.0 km) 1 death– Tornado destroyed two trailers and two frame homes near Viola-Shiloh. Swept a pickup truck off of a road, killing the driver, and transported another vehicle 500 yards (457 m).
F0 SE of Bridgeport Cocke 0300 0.5 miles (0.80 km) 
F1 N of Beech Hillto SW of Shelbyville Giles, Marshall, Bedford 0300 27.5 miles (44.3 km) 
F3 Livingstonarea(2nd tornado) Overton 0430 9.4 miles (15.1 km) 3 deaths– Tornado destroyed two subdivisions in northwest Livingston. Damaged more than 275 homes and destroyed 50 homes and trailers each. All three deaths occurred in trailers.
F1 N of McMinnville Warren 0445 7.2 miles (11.6 km) 
F1 N of Board Valley White 0445 3 miles (4.8 km) 
F3 NE of Sunbrightto W of Winona Morgan, Scott 0450 12.2 miles (19.6 km) Tornado tore apart two trailers and other buildings. Also damaged or destroyed a dozen additional homes.
F3 Oneidaarea Scott 0450 13 miles (21 km) Tornado tore apart 10 homes at Black Oakand destroyed numerous trailers.
F2 W of Clarktownto NW of Crossville White, Cumberland 0530 16.2 miles (26.1 km) Tornado destroyed 11 or more homes along with three businesses, 16 barns, and 18 trailers. Was an F3 tornado according to Grazulis.
F1 SW of Blaine Knox 0530 1 mile (1.6 km) 2 deaths– Tornado struck a mobile home park, damaging or destroying multiple homes. May have been an F2 according to Grazulis.
F0 W of Andersonville Anderson, Union 0630 8.7 miles (14.0 km) 
F0 NW of Jefferson City Jefferson 0700 4.5 miles (7.2 km) 
F0 W of Rogersville Hawkins 0730 0.5 miles (0.80 km) 
Indiana
F1 SE of Orangevilleto NE of Orleans Orange, Lawrence 1915 14 miles (23 km) 
F5 E of New Bostonto Depauwto NE of Underwood Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington, Clark, Scott 1920 68 miles (109 km) 6 deaths– See section on this tornado– One in a series of five F4-F5 tornadoes that travelled from Perry County to northeast of Cincinnati. The tornado lacked a defined condensation funnel and was almost invisible while at F5 intensity.
F3 E of Tunneltonto SE of Elizabethtown Lawrence, Jackson, Bartholomew, Jennings 1930 35.8 miles (57.6 km) 1 death– Tornado killed one woman as it destroyed a home. Majority of damage was reported on farms. Parent thunderstorm later produced the F4 Hamburg tornado.
F3 Fairlandto NE of Greenfield Shelby, Hancock 1945 20.7 miles (33.3 km) 1 death– 11 homes were destroyed at Fountaintown.
F4 Westlandto NE of Kennard Hancock, Rush, Henry 2000 18.9 miles (30.4 km) 1 death– Multiple-vortex tornado damaged or destroyed 70% of Kennard, including the school which had its second story torn off. Destroyed 48 homes there and 11 in nearby Grant City. F4 damage was reported at Kennard.
F4 E of Elizabethtownto NE of Hamburg Bartholomew, Decatur, Franklin 2001 35.6 miles (57.3 km) 4 deaths– Tornado damaged or destroyed 90% of Hamburg and produced near-F5 damage to a farm near New Point. Rural homes and barns destroyed in Decatur County.
F4 NE of Henryvilleto Madisonto NE of Barbersvillearea Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Ripley 2019 35.6 miles (57.3 km) 11 deaths– See section on this tornado
F4 W of Blountsvilleto NE of Parker City Henry, Delaware, Randolph, Jay 2035 18 miles (29 km) 1 death– This large multiple-vortex tornado was widely photographed. It destroyed the steel-reinforced Monroe Central Schooland leveled homes near Parker City. Numerous homes were destroyed and a forest suffered significant loss of trees.
F4 E of Madisonto E of Cochran Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, Dearborn 2040 27.1 miles (43.6 km) The tornado formed immediately as the Madison/Hanover was dissipating. Homes were leveled near the Fairviewarea with a church also being leveled near Bear Branch.
F5 N of Rising Sunto Cincinnati/Sayler Park, OHto W of White Oak, OH Ohio, Boone (KY), Hamilton (OH) 2120 20.8 miles (33.5 km) 3 deaths– See section on this tornado– Crossed three states (Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio) before reaching full strength in Sayler Park.
F3 W of Williamsportto NE of Templeton Warren, Benton 2130 25.9 miles (41.7 km) Tornado damaged all of the 20 homes in the community of Rainsville.
F4 N of Otterbeinto Monticelloto W of Valentine VermilionBenton, Tippecanoe, White, Cass, Pulaski, Fulton, Marshall, Kosciusko, Elkhart, Noble 2145 108.7 miles (174.9 km) 18 deaths– See section on this tornado– May have been a tornado familyof three separate F4 tornadoes linked by downbursts. The tornado path was 121 miles (195 km) long according to some sources.
F1 E of North Manchester Wabash, Huntington 2335 7.1 miles (11.4 km) 
F2 N of Windfall Cityto N of Marionarea Howard, Grant 2345 19 miles (31 km) Numerous homes and mobile homes heavily damaged in Swayzee.
F3 NW of Albionto NE of Angola Noble, LaGrange, Steuben 2350 36.2 miles (58.3 km) 5 deaths– Two of the victims were in mobile homes, while two others drowned in Turkey Lake. Tornado ended in a downburst near Angola.
F1 E of LaGrange Lagrange 2355 8.8 miles (14.2 km) 
F2 N of Warren Huntington, Wells 0010 11.5 miles (18.5 km) 16 buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed in Plum Tree.
F1 NE of Bluffton Wells, Adams 0015 14.4 miles (23.2 km) Eight homes suffered extensive damage and two mobile homes were destroyed.
F1 W of Decatur Wells, Adams 0145 10.9 miles (17.5 km) 
Ohio
F5 SW of Xeniato E of Springfield Greene, Clark 1930 31.3 miles (50.4 km) 32 deaths– See section on this tornado– The tornado caused more than 1,150 injuries, the most of any tornado in the outbreak. Believed to be among the strongest of the seven F5 tornadoes this day.[1]
F2 Londonarea Clark, Madison 2055 15.7 miles (25.3 km) Destroyed one warehouse, grain bins, and trailers.
F4 Cincinnatito N of Mason Hamilton, Warren 2128 19.8 miles (31.9 km) 2 deaths– Formed from the same thunderstorm that spawned the Sayler Park tornado, with the first damage seen in northern Cincinnati. Some homes in Mason were completely leveled. Was the last in a series of five violent F4‑F5 tornadoes spawned by the same storm, beginning in southwest Indiana.
F2 Lebanonarea Warren 2200 9.8 miles (15.8 km) Destroyed barns and mobile homes.
F2 NE of New Albany Franklin 2205 5.1 miles (8.2 km) Caused damage to 20 homes and destroyed a home along with three barns.
F1 W of Circleville Pickaway 2218 1 mile (1.6 km) 
F2 Continentalarea Paulding, Putnam 2330 9.2 miles (14.8 km) Destroyed one home, a garage, and two barns.
F3 SW of Peebles Adams 0000 15.5 miles (24.9 km) 1 death– Tornado destroyed 5 homes, a barn, and some small buildings. One woman killed as she attempted to seek cover in her basement.
F1 W of Manchester Adams 0000 9.1 miles (14.6 km) 
F3 E of Paulding Paulding 0045 8.7 miles (14.0 km) Destroyed five mobile homes and a barn.
F1 W of Melrose Paulding 0100 1.3 miles (2.1 km) Destroyed two barns and a mobile home.
F1 SW of Paulding Paulding 0100 6.4 miles (10.3 km) 
F1 NE of Aberdeen Brown 0130 4.1 miles (6.6 km) 
Kentucky
F5 SW of Hardinsburgto Brandenburgto N of Laconia, IN Breckinridge, Meade, Harrison (IN) 2020 32 miles (51 km) 31 deaths– See section on this tornado– Devastating F5 damage in Brandenburg as the town was destroyed. Same storm later produced the Louisville tornado.
F4 S of Caneyvilleto Leitchfield Grayson 2100 14 miles (23 km) F4 damage was noted to a home south of Caneyville.
F4 Louisvilleto NE of Brownsboro Jefferson, Oldham 2137 18.5 miles (29.8 km) 3 deaths– See section on this tornado
F4 Elizabethtownto N of Wakefield Hardin, Nelson, Spencer 2145 37.9 miles (61.0 km) 3 deaths– Businesses just northwest of Elizabethtown were leveled, killing two people in that area. Damage also noted near Cox's Creekwhere a third person was killed. 52 homes and 100 barns destroyed in Nelson County alone. Tornado lifted near Bullitt County.
F3 Franklinto Railton Simpson, Warren, Barren 2145 31.1 miles (50.1 km) 3 deaths– Seven homes and 40 barns were destroyed in Temperance, where one person was killed. Fatalities also occurred in Three Forksand Rocky Springs.
F1 N of Ballardsvilleto SE of Bromley Henry, Owen 2215 31.7 miles (51.0 km) This is a secondary storm that followed the Louisville storm. 18 were injured and the path width was similar to that of the first event.
F4 S of Greensburgto Mannsville Green, Taylor 2240 20.2 miles (32.5 km) Most of Mannsville was heavily damaged or destroyed. A total of 50 homes and 60 barns destroyed along the entire track, including 40 homes in Mannsville. 56 people injured.
F4 N of Geeto Frankfortto S of Sadieville Anderson, Franklin, Scott 2250 79.4 miles (127.8 km) 4 deaths– One of the largest recorded tornadoes in the outbreak, over 1 mi (1.6 km) wide. A total of 120 homes as well as businesses and factories damaged or destroyed in the southern sections of Frankfort. 12 homes destroyed in the Altonarea. Over 120 people injured.
F3 S of Ellisburgto NE of Danville Casey, Lincoln, Boyle 2335 21.1 miles (34.0 km) 1 death– Over 100 homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in Junction City. Damage figures were estimated at $5 million in Lincoln County alone. 98 people were also injured.
F4 NE of Peytonsburgto NE of Monticello Cumberland, Clinton, Wayne 2340 38.4 miles (61.8 km) 10 deaths– Tornado struck several communities in Clinton County. Eight of the 10 fatalities occurred in that county. Over 50 homes damaged or destroyed.
F3 SW of Cynthianato E of Claysville Harrison, Robertson 2355 19.3 miles (31.1 km) 40 homes and 75 barns were destroyed. 27 people were injured.
F3 SW of Parnellito W of Bronston Wayne, Pulaski 0005 18 miles (29 km) Some sources list up to two deaths, but none is listed officially.
F2 Harrodsburgarea Boyle, Mercer 0012 16.2 miles (26.1 km) In Mercer County four homes were destroyed and 60 homes were damaged.
F4 Richmondto E of Winchester Garrard, Madison, Clark 0020 31.9 miles (51.3 km) 7 deaths– Tornado narrowly missed the central sections of Richmond. Produced F4 damage near Richmond. Affected Hackley, Cottonburg, and Mount Stirling, destroying 30 homes.
F2 E of Cuzick Madison, Fayette 0030 9 miles (14 km) Several buildings were destroyed in southern Fayette County.
F3 E of Somersetto E of Livingston Pulaski, Laurel, Rockcastle 0055 22.3 miles (35.9 km) 7 deaths– Tornado caused 40 injuries. Tornado dissipated near Elgin. May have caused one death in Rockcastle County, but this is not listed officially.
F3 E of Camargo Montgomery 0105 4.9 miles (7.9 km) Listed as an F1 tornado by some sources.
F2 N of Georgetown Scott 0115 10 miles (16 km) Over 130 homes were left uninhabitable.
F1 NW of Maysville Mason 0125 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F3 NE of Monticello Wayne, Pulaski 0150 13.9 miles (22.4 km) 2 deaths– Tornado caused 16 injuries. Some sources indicate three deaths rather than two.
F3 N of Corbinto Fogertown Laurel, Clay 0155 19.8 miles (31.9 km) 1 death– Tornado caused 22 injuries. The Quality Inn Motel at the I-75interchange and 12 homes were destroyed. Some sources do not list the death.
F4 SW of Whitley City Wayne, McCreary 0300 16.1 miles (25.9 km) Passed near Mount Pisgahand north of Greenwood. Destroyed homes along with 10,000,000 board feet (23,597 m3) of timber in the Daniel Boone National Forest.
F2 NE of Whitley City McCreary, Whitley 0330 8 miles (13 km) Tornado damaged 20 homes and unroofed a motel near Whitley City.
F3 NE of Jabezto W of Plato Russell, Pulaski, Rockcastle 0430 28.8 miles (46.3 km) Tornado destroyed at least a dozen homes along its path.
North Carolina
F1 S of Rosman Transylvania 2100 1 mile (1.6 km) 
F1 N of Brasstown Cherokee 2200 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F2 SW of Robbinsvilleto NW of Almond Graham, Swain 0005 24.1 miles (38.8 km) 2 deaths– Widespread damage centered around the community of Stecoah, in rugged areas south of Fontana Lake. Tornado later dissipated in the southern part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.[2]
Alabama
F2 Concordarea Jefferson 2130 1 mile (1.6 km) A trailer and a house were damaged, and an outbuilding was completely destroyed.
F1 NW of Jacksonville Calhoun 2221 1 mile (1.6 km) Damage to trees and power lines west of Jacksonville.
F2 W of Macedoniato NE of Acworth, GA Cleburne, Haralson (GA), Paulding (GA), Cobb (GA), Bartow (GA), Cherokee (GA) 2250 65.9 miles (106.1 km) 1 death– Crossed into Georgia where numerous homes were destroyed.
F5 W of Moultonto Tannerto Harvest(1st tornado) Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Madison 2315 52 miles (84 km) 28 deaths– See section on this tornado– Second tornado, also rated F5, struck the same homes just 30 minutes after this tornado left. An EF5 tornadoalso struck the Moulton‑Tanner‑Harvest area on April 27, 2011.
F2 E of Phil Campbell Franklin 2330 12.8 miles (20.6 km) One home and one mobile home factory were heavily damaged. An EF5 tornadolater struck Phil Campbell in 2011.
F4 W of Carrolltonto Jasperto NE of Cullman Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Walker, 2335 110.6 miles (178.0 km) 3 deaths– See section on this tornado– Officially the longest continuous tornado of the outbreak, though unofficial sources say either the Guin, Alabama, or Monticello, Indiana, tornado lasted longer. Path paralleled that of an EF4 tornadoin 2011 that affected nearby Cordova.
F3 NE of Gadsdento W of Kirks Grove Cherokee 0000 20.9 miles (33.6 km) 20 people were injured in the storm while numerous trailers and mobile homes were destroyed.
F5 SW of Tannerto SE of Manchester, TN(2nd tornado) Limestone, Madison, Lincoln (TN), Franklin (TN), Coffee (TN) 0035 83.3 miles (134.1 km) 22 deaths– See section on this tornado– Originally disputed but ranked F5 in latest official data,[3][4]bringing the number of F5 tornadoes in the Super Outbreak to seven.[5]No effort made to determine the exact number of buildings destroyed by the two F5 tornadoes in Tanner.
F5 N of Vernonto Guinto S of Basham Lamar, Marion, Winston, Lawrence, Morgan 0150 79.5 miles (127.9 km) 28 deaths– See section on this tornado– Possibly the most intense tornado in Alabama history. May have begun in Monroe County, Mississippi, near Columbus, which would make the total path length 102 miles (164 km).
F3 SE of Decaturto NE of Huntsville Morgan, Limestone, Madison, Jackson 0324 46.5 miles (74.8 km) See section on this tornado– Developed after the F5 Guin tornado. 50 people were injured. Some sources list one fatality.[4]
Mississippi
F3 S of Laurel Jones 2200 12 miles (19 km) Only tornado of the outbreak in Mississippi. Destroyed a home and 30 farm buildings, killing 15,000 chickens. Also damaged 33 other homes and a trailer.
Michigan
F2 S of Rockwood Monroe 0030 2 miles (3.2 km) 
F2 Hillsdaleto NE of Liberty Hillsdale, Jackson 0044 19.3 miles (31.1 km) 2 deaths– Continuous damage from west of Hillsdale to Clark's Lake. Both deaths were inside mobile homes. Over 160 structures were heavily damaged or destroyed, including homes and trailers.
F3 Flat Rock/Windsor, ONareas Wayne, Essex (ON) 0050 6 miles (9.7 km) 9 deaths– This intermittent tornado was first sighted in Michigan. All nine deaths occurred at the Windsor Curling Club, which sustained total collapse of a large wall, and lost its roof as well. An addition to a mall that was undergoing construction was severely damaged, and a Chryslerplant lost a section of its roof.
F2 S of Hudson Hillsdale, Lenawee 0115 9.9 miles (15.9 km) Tornado unroofed one home, destroyed a mobile home, and damaged a barn in the Prattvillearea, causing three injuries.
F2 SW of Hudsonarea Hillsdale, Lenawee 0115 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 
F3 SW of Monroearea Monroe 0156 0.3 miles (480 m) Tornado destroyed a home and damaged another near Erie. Some sources say this was only an F2 tornado.
New York
F1 Frewsburgarea Chautauqua 0300 0.2 miles (0.32 km) Minor damage to the business district of the town.
Virginia
F1 N of Bartlick Dickenson, Buchanan 0720 7.3 miles (11.7 km) 
F0 E of Jonesville Lee 0721 8.6 miles (13.8 km) 
Sources:Storm Data for April 3, 1974, Grazulis (1974), National Weather Service[4]

April 4 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes - April 4, 1974

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Tennessee
F0 SE of Kingsportto Bristol, VA Sullivan, City of Bristol (VA) 0800 18 miles (29 km) Crossed into Virginia and had a width of 1 mi (1.61 km).
Virginia
F3 W of Saltville Washington, Smyth 0900 8.4 miles (13.5 km) 1 death– Destroyed four mobile homes, two frame homes, three barns and damaged 42 houses. Caused a death in a mobile home.
F1 N of Staunton Augusta 1040 15.2 miles (24.5 km) 
F2 Salem/Roanoketo Bosnackarea Roanoke County 1100 6.5 miles (10.5 km) Up to 1 mi (1.61 km) wide as it entered the city of Salem, but narrower near the end of the path. Two apartment buildings were severely damaged with 30 homes sustaining roof damage.
West Virginia
F1 E of Wilcoe McDowell 0805 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 W of Mullens Wyoming 0816 4.9 miles (7.9 km) 
F3 W of Shady Spring Raleigh 0820 9.2 miles (14.8 km) Destroyed homes while passing south of Beckley.
F3 W of Braggto Friars Hill Raleigh, Fayette, Greenbrier, 0826 32.2 miles (51.8 km) 1 death– Struck the town of Meadow Bridge. Caused near-F4 damage to frame homes, and killed a child when her mobile home was thrown 75 yards onto railroad tracks.
F0 NW of Hinton Summers 0900 0.1 miles (160 m) 
F1 Beckleyarea Raleigh 0925 0.1 miles (160 m) 
North Carolina
F2 NW of Granite Fallsarea Caldwell 1300 5.7 miles (9.2 km) Tornado removed roofs from homes and flipped trailers.
F0 W of Brasstown Cherokee 1300 9.7 miles (15.6 km) 
Sources: Storm Data for April 4, 1974

See also[edit]
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Super Outbreak
Tornadoes
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^"April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado Memorial Marker". Retrieved 12 December 2013.
2.Jump up ^Danville Register, Danville, Virginia. April 5, 1974, page 1.
3.Jump up ^"Alabama Tornado Database—Year 1974 Tornadoes". Alabama Tornado Database. Birmingham, Alabama: National Weather Service. 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
4.^ Jump up to: abc"National Weather Service Huntsville, AL - Tornado Database". Srh.noaa.gov. 2009-11-24. Retrieved 2012-09-03.
5.Jump up ^Roger, Edwards (23 March 2012). "What was the biggest outbreak of tornadoes?". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
Further reading[edit]
Deitz, Robert E., et al. (editor) (1974). April 3, 1974: Tornado!. The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. Library of Congress Catalog Number 74-80806.
Hartsfield, Ray J. with Robin Garr, Phyllis Morrisette, Jay Harris, Dave Knapp, Tom Scott, Terry Cowan, Mary Ann Woosley, Allen Hammer (editorial staff) (1974). April 3, 1974: The Kentucky Tornadoes. C. F. Boone.
Butler, William S. (editor) (2004). Tornado: A look back at Louisville's dark day, April 3, 1974. A 30th Anniversary Publication. Butler Books. ISBN 1-884532-58-6.
External links[edit]
Super Outbreak page with tornadoes path length, location, fatalities and Fujita scale rating
Path of destruction of Xenia tornado
Xenia tornado website with stories, photos and audio clip of tornado
1974 Tornado Table for Alabama



Categories: Lists of tornadoes in Alabama
History of Cincinnati, Ohio
History of Louisville, Kentucky
History of Windsor, Ontario
Tornadoes in Kentucky
Tornadoes in Illinois
Tornadoes in Indiana
Tornadoes in Ohio
Natural disasters in Ontario
Tornadoes in North Carolina
Tornadoes in Tennessee
Tornadoes in Canada
Tornadoes of 1974
1974 natural disasters in the United States


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk










Read

Edit

View history


















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 8 July 2014 at 23:05.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Useand Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tornadoes_in_the_Super_Outbreak









Super Outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak Map.jpg
Paths of the 148 tornadoes
 generated during the 1974 Super Outbreak.

Date(s)
April 3–4, 1974
Duration
~18 hours
Tornadoes caused
148 confirmed
Maximum rated tornado
F5 (Fujita scale)
Damages
$3.5 billion (2005 dollars)
Casualties
319 (5,484 injured)
The Super Outbreak was the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak. It was also the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded, with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes reported. From April 3 to April 4, 1974, there were 148 tornadoes confirmed in 13 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario.[nb 1] In the United States, tornadoes struck Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and New York. The entire outbreak caused more than $600 million (1974 USD) in damage in the United States alone, and extensively damaged approximately 900 sq mi (2,331 km2) along a total combined path length of 2,600 mi (4,184 km).[1][2] At one point, as many as 15 separate tornadoes were ongoing at the same time.[1][3]
The Super Outbreak of April 3–4, 1974 remains one of the most outstanding severe convective weather episodes of record in the continental United States. The outbreak far surpassed previous and succeeding events in severity, longevity and extent, with the notable exception of the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak. With a death toll of 319, this outbreak would not be surpassed until the April 25–28, 2011 outbreak that killed 324 people.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Events and aftermath
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 Xenia, Ohio
3.2 Brandenburg, Kentucky
3.3 Louisville, Kentucky
3.4 DePauw/Daisy Hill, Indiana
3.5 Hanover/Madison, Indiana
3.6 Cincinnati/Sayler Park, OH
3.7 Monticello, Indiana
3.8 Tanner, Alabama (1st tornado)
3.9 Tanner, Alabama (2nd tornado)
3.10 Jasper/Cullman, Alabama
3.11 Guin, Alabama
3.12 Huntsville, Alabama
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]



 Surface analysis at 6 pm CDT on April 3, as drawn by the National Meteorological Center
A powerful spring-time low pressure system developed across the North American Interior Plains on April 1. While moving into the Mississippi and Ohio Valley areas, a surge of very moist air intensified the storm further while there were sharp temperature contrasts between both sides of the system. Officials at NOAA and in the National Weather Service forecast offices were expecting a severe weather outbreak on April 3, but not to the extent that ultimately occurred. Several F2 and F3 tornadoes had struck portions of the Ohio Valley and the South in a separate, earlier outbreak on April 1 and 2, which included three killer tornadoes in Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee. The town of Campbellsburg, northeast of Louisville, was hard-hit in this earlier outbreak, with a large portion of the town destroyed by an F3.[4] Between the two outbreaks, an additional tornado was reported in Indiana in the early morning hours of April 3, several hours before the official start of the outbreak.[5] On Wednesday, April 3, severe weather watches already were issued from the morning from south of the Great Lakes, while in portions of the Upper Midwest, snow was reported, with heavy rain falling across central Michigan and much of Ontario.



 Upper-level winds during the Super Outbreak
By 12 UTC on April 3, a large-scale trough extended over most of the contiguous United States, with several modest shortwaves rotating around the broad base of the trough. The mid-latitude low-pressure center over Kansas continued to deepen to 980 mb (28.94 inHg), and wind speeds at the 850-mb level increased to 50 kn (58 mph) (25.7 m/s (93 km/h)) over portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Due to significant moisture advection, destabilization rapidly proceeded apace; the warm front near the Gulf Coast dissipated and then redeveloped northward over the Ohio River valley. Consequently, CAPE levels in the region rose to 1,000 j/kg. However, a warm temperature plume in the elevated mixed layer kept thunderstorms from initiating at the surface.[6] Meanwhile, a large mesoscale convective system (MCS) that had developed overnight in Arkansas continued to strengthen due to strong environmental lapse rates. Later in the day, strong daytime heating caused instability to further rise: by 18 UTC, CAPE values in excess of 2,500 j/kg were present over the lower Ohio and the Mississippi Valley. As wind speeds in the troposphere increased, Large-scale lifting overspread the warm sector. At the same time, the forward-propagating MCS spread into the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, where it evolved into the first of three main convection bands that produced tornadoes.[7] This first convective band moved rapidly northeast, at times reaching speeds of about 60 kn (69 mph) (30.9 m/s (111 km/h)).[6] However, thunderstorm activity, for the moment, remained mostly elevated in nature.[7]
By 1630 UTC, the large MCS began to splinter into two sections: the southern part slowed, lagging into southeast Tennessee, while the northern part accelerated, reaching Pennsylvania by 1930 UTC. The split was related to several factors, including a band of subsidence over eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia; local downslope winds over the Appalachians; and an inversion over the same area. These factors allowed the northern part of the MCS to accelerate due to efficient ducting, while the southern part slowed as the boundary layer warmed and moistened.[7] Numerous surface-based supercells began to develop in the southern area, beginning with one that produced an F3 tornado at about 1630 UTC near Cleveland, Tennessee.[6] Meanwhile, a new band of scattered thunderstorms developed at 1500 UTC over eastern Arkansas and Missouri; over the next four hours, this band became the focus for several intense supercells, starting in eastern Illinois and southern Indiana.[7] In the wake of the MCS, backing low-level winds, rapid diurnal destabilization, and perhaps cool, mid-level advection had occurred over the warm sector, weakening the convective inhibition (CINH) layer, and favorable wind profiles bolstered helicity to over 230 m²/s²—a combination of factors conducive to tornadogenesis.[6] Consequently, the storms increased in intensity and coverage as they moved into Illinois, Indiana, and northern Kentucky, producing several tornadoes, including the first F5 tornado of the day, at 1920 UTC, near Depauw, Indiana.[7] Several of the storms to form between 1920–2020 UTC became significant, long-lived supercells, producing many strong or violent tornadoes,[5] including three F5s at Depauw; Xenia, Ohio; and Brandenburg, Kentucky. These storms formed the second of three convective bands to generate tornadoes.[7]
While violent tornado activity increased over the warm sector, a third band of convection developed at about 16 UTC and extended from near St. Louis into west-central Illinois. Based upon real-time satellite imagery and model data, differential positive vorticity advection coincided with the left exit region of an upper-level jet streak that reached wind speeds of up to 130 kn (150 mph) (66.9 m/s (241 km/h)), thereby enhancing thunderstorm growth.[6] Storms grew rapidly in height and extent, producing baseball-sized hail by 1720 UTC in Illinois and, shortly thereafter, in St. Louis, Missouri, which reported a very severe thunderstorm early in the afternoon that, while not producing a tornado, was the costliest storm to hit the city up to that time.[7] By 1950 UTC, supercells producing F3 tornadoes hit the Decatur and Normal areas in Illinois. As thunderstorms moved into the warmer, moister air mass over eastern Illinois and Indiana, they produced longer-lived tornadoes—one of which began near Otterbein and ended near Angola in Indiana, a distance of 109 mi (180 km).[5][6] Meanwhile, by 00 UTC the southern half of the first convective band became indistinguishable from new convection that had formed farther south over Alabama and Tennessee in connection with convective band two. In this area, increasing west-southwesterly wind shear at all levels of the troposphere, juxtaposed over near-parallel outflow boundaries, allowed successive supercells, all producing strong, long-tracked tornadoes, to develop unconstrained by their outflow in a broad region from south Tennessee into eastern Mississippi.[7] These storms, forming after 23 UTC, produced some of the most powerful tornadoes of the outbreak, including two F5s near Tanner and an extremely potent F5 that devastated Guin in Alabama.[6]
Michigan was not hit as hard as neighboring states or Windsor, with only one deadly tornado that hit near Coldwater and Hillsdale, killing people in mobile homes; however, thunderstorm downpours caused flash floods, and north of the warm front in the Upper Peninsula, heavy snowfall was reported. Activity in the south moved towards the Appalachians during the overnight hours and produced the final tornadoes across the southeast during the morning of April 4.[5] A series of studies by Dr. Tetsuya T. Fujita in 1974–75—which were later cited in a 2004 survey by Risk Management Solutions—found that three-quarters of all tornadoes in the 1974 Super Outbreak were produced by 30 'families' of tornadoes—multiple tornadoes spawned in succession by a single thunderstorm cell.[2] The majority of these were long-lived and long-tracked individual supercells.[8]

Events and aftermath[edit]



 Super Outbreak storm system at 2100 GMT on April 3, 1974
Main article: List of tornadoes in the Super Outbreak
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
148 15 37 31 35 23 7
Never before had so many violent (F5 and F4) tornadoes been observed in a single weather phenomenon. There were seven F5 tornadoes[9] and 23 F4 tornadoes. The outbreak began in Morris, Illinois, at around 1:00pm on April 3. As the storm system moved east where daytime heating had made the air more unstable, the tornadoes grew more intense. A tornado that struck near Monticello, Indiana was an F4 and had a path length of 121 miles (195 km), the longest path length of any tornado for this outbreak. Nineteen people were killed in this tornado.[10] The first F5 tornado of the day struck the city of Xenia, Ohio, at 4:40pm EDT. It killed 34, injured 1,150, completely destroyed about one-fourth of the city, and caused serious damage in another fourth of the city.[5]
Seven F5s were observed—one each in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, three in Alabama and the final one which crossed through parts of Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. 31 were killed in Brandenburg, Kentucky, and 28 died in Guin, Alabama. One tornado also occurred in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, killing nine and injuring 30 others there, all of them at the former Windsor Curling Club. During the peak of the outbreak, a staggering sixteen tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously. At one point forecasters in Indiana, frustrated because they could not keep up with all of the simultaneous tornado activity, put the entire state of Indiana under a blanket tornado warning. This was the first and only time in U.S. history that an entire state was under a tornado warning.[11]
There were 18 hours of continuous tornado activity. The outbreak finally ended in Caldwell County, NC, at about 7:00am on April 4. A total of 319 were killed in 148 tornadoes from April 3 through April 4 and 5,484 were injured.
The 1974 Super Outbreak occurred at the end of a very strong, nearly record-setting La Niña event. The 1973–74 La Niña was just as strong as the 1998–99 La Niña. Despite the apparent connection between La Niña and two of the largest tornado outbreaks in US history, no definitive linkage exists between La Niña and this outbreak or tornado activity in general.[12]
Some tornado myths were soundly debunked (not necessarily for the first time) by tornado activity during the outbreak.[13]
Notable tornadoes[edit]
Xenia, Ohio[edit]



 Major structural damage to Xenia High School
The tornado that struck the city of Xenia, Ohio stands as the deadliest individual tornado of the Super Outbreak, killing 32 and destroying a significant portion of the town.[5] The tornado formed near Bellbrook, Ohio, southwest of Xenia, at about 4:30pm EDT. It began as a moderate-sized tornado, then intensified while moving northeast at about 50 mph (80 km/h). The tornado exhibited multiple-vortex structure and became very large as it approached town. Gil Whitney, the weather specialist for WHIO-TV in Dayton, alerted viewers in Montgomery and Greene County (where Xenia is located) about the possible tornado, broadcasting the radar image of the supercell with a pronounced hook echo on the rear flank of the storm several minutes before it actually struck. The storm was visible on radar because of raindrops wrapping around the circulation.[14] The massive tornado slammed into the western part of Xenia, completely flattening the Windsor Park and Arrowhead subdivisions at F5 intensity, and sweeping away entire rows of brick homes.[15][16]
When the storm reached central Xenia at 4:40pm, apartment buildings, homes, businesses, churches, and schools including Xenia High School were destroyed. Students in the school, practicing for a play, took cover in the main hallway seconds before a direct hit from the tornado. A school bus dropped on top of the stage the students were practicing on. The steel-reinforced high school building suffered extensive structural damage.[5][17] Several railroad cars were lifted and blown over as the tornado passed over a moving Penn Central freight train in the center of town.[18] It toppled gravestones in Cherry Grove Cemetery, then moved through the length of the downtown business district, passing west of the courthouse (which sustained some exterior damage). Numerous businesses in downtown Xenia were heavily damaged or destroyed, and several people were killed at the A&W Root Beer stand as the building was flattened. Past downtown, the tornado continued into the Pinecrest Garden district, which was extensively affected.



 The tornado as it is hitting downtown Xenia moving toward the old Xenia high school. This photo was taken by Kitty Marchant on Murray Hill Dr. The houses in the foreground are on Eavey St. and the large red brick structure is a house on S. Columbus St.


 The tornado now leaving Xenia through the Pinecrest subdivision heading towards Central State University in Wilberforce. This photo was taken near the corner of Wilshire Dr. and Hollywood Blvd.
The Xenia tornado was recorded on film by one resident, and its sound was recorded on tape by another from inside an apartment complex. Before the tornado hit the building, the resident left the tape recorder on, and it was found after the storm. At the same time a few blocks away, 16 year old Xenia resident Bruce Boyd captured 3 minutes and 21 seconds of footage with a "Super-8" 8mm movie camera, a pre-1973 model without sound recording capability. The footage was later paired with the nearby tape recording. Boyd's film[19] shows multiple vortices within the larger circulation as the storm swept through Xenia. Upon exiting Xenia, the tornado passed through Wilberforce, heavily damaging several campus and residential buildings of Wilberforce University.[20] Central State University also sustained considerable damage, and a water tower there was toppled. Afterwards, the tornado weakened before dissipating in Clark County near South Vienna, traveling a little over 30 miles (48 km). Its maximum width was a half-mile (0.8 km) in Xenia. The same parent storm later spawned a weaker tornado northeast of Columbus in Franklin County.[5]
Thirty-two people lost their lives in the twister, and about 1,150 were injured in Xenia. In addition to the direct fatalities, two Ohio Air National Guardsmen deployed for disaster assistance who were killed on April 17 when a fire swept through their temporary barracks in a furniture store. The memorial in downtown Xenia lists 34 deaths, in honor of the two Guardsmen.[21][22] About 1,400 buildings (roughly half of the town) were heavily damaged or destroyed. Damage was estimated at US$100 million ($471.7 million in 2013 dollars).[23] There was no early warning from NOAA Weather Wire Service about this storm.
President Richard Nixon made an unannounced visit to Xenia a few days later. It would be the first (and only) city affected by the 1974 Super Outbreak that he would visit. Upon inspecting the damage, he said: "As I look back over the disasters, I saw the earthquake in Anchorage in 1964; I saw the hurricanes... Hurricane Camille in 1969 down in Mississippi, and I saw Hurricane Agnes in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. And it is hard to tell the difference among them all, but I would say in terms of destruction, just total devastation, this is the worst I have seen."[24] President Nixon immediately declared Xenia a disaster area. Although the Federal Disaster Relief Act was already introduced in 1973, it still had not passed Congress. The 1974 Super Outbreak disaster was a catalyst for accelerated passage of the act through Congress in 1974, according to Nixon.[25] It took several months for the city to recover from the tornado, with the help of the Red Cross and the Ohio National Guard assisting the recovery efforts.[26] Most of the town was quickly re-built afterward. In recognition of their coverage of the tornado under difficult circumstances, the staff of the Xenia Daily Gazette won the Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting in 1975.[27] The Xenia tornado was one of two rated F5 that affected Ohio during the outbreak, the other striking the Cincinnati area (see Cincinnati/Sayler Park area tornado, below). Xenia was later struck by two other tornadoes—both a smaller one in April 1989 and a larger one in September 2000, which was an F4 twister that killed one and injured about 100 in an area parallel to and just north of the 1974 path.[28] Before the 1974 storm, the city had no tornado sirens. After the F5 tornado hit on April 3, 1974, ten sirens were installed across the area.[29]
Dr. Ted Fujita and a team of colleagues undertook a 10-month study of the 1974 Super Outbreak. Along with discovering much about tornadoes which was not known before, such as the downburst and the microburst, and assessing damage to surrounding structures, the Xenia tornado was determined to be the worst of the 148 storms.[30][31]
Brandenburg, Kentucky[edit]



 Remains of a house that was completely swept away in Brandenburg. Note the heavy debarking of trees and shrubbery in the foreground.
Outbreak death toll
State/Province
Total
County
County
 total
Alabama 77 Cullman 1
Fayette 2
Lawrence 14
Limestone 16
Madison 16
Marion 23
Winston 5
Georgia 16 Dawson 5
Gordon 6
Haralson 1
Murray 1
Pickens 1
Whitfield 2
Illinois 2 Champaign 1
Macon 1
Indiana 47 Clark 1
Decatur 2
Franklin 2
Fulton 6
Hancock 1
Harrison 2
Jackson 1
Jefferson 10
Kosciusko 1
Noble 4
Perry 2
Randolph 1
Scott 1
Steuben 2
Washington 1
White 10
Kentucky 71 Boyle 1
Clinton 8
Franklin 4
Hardin 2
Jefferson 3
Madison 7
Meade 31
Nelson 1
Pulaski 6
Rockcastle 1
Simpson 1
Warren 2
Wayne 4
Michigan 2 Hillsdale 2
North Carolina 6 Cherokee 4
Graham 2
Ohio 42 Adams 1
Greene 36
Hamilton 5
Ontario 9 Essex 9
Tennessee 45 Bradley 3
Cannon 1
Fentress 7
Franklin 5
Knox 2
Lincoln 6
McMinn 1
Overton 3
Pickett 5
Polk 1
Putnam 10
Warren 1
Virginia 1 Washington 1
West Virginia 1 Fayette 1
Totals 319 
All deaths were tornado-related
The Brandenburg tornado, which produced F5 damage and killed 31 people, touched down in Breckinridge County at 4:25 pm CDT and followed a 34-mile (55 km) path.[5] The tornado first moved across the north edge of Hardinsburg, inflicting F3 damage to homes at that location. The tornado quickly became violent as it moved into Meade County, producing F4 to F5 damage as it passed north of Irvington, sweeping away numerous homes in this rural area. Vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards from residences and mangled, and a few were completely wrapped around trees. One home that was swept away sustained total collapse of a poured concrete walk-out basement wall.[32] A news photographer reported that the tornado "left no grass" as it crossed Highway 79 in this area, and canceled checks from near Irvington were later found in Ohio.[32] Past Irvington, the tornado tore directly through Brandenburg at F5 intensity, completely leveling and sweeping away numerous homes.[5] 18 of the fatalities alone occurred along Green St in Brandenburg, and the town's downtown area was also devastated.[33] Trees and shrubbery in town were debarked and stripped, and numerous vehicles were destroyed as well, some of which had nothing left but the chassis and tires. A curtain rod was found speared deeply into the trunk of one tree in town.[34] Several tombstones in the Cap Anderson cemetery were toppled and broken, and some were displaced a small distance. Exiting Brandenburg, the tornado crossed into Indiana producing F4 damage there before dissipating.[5] The same storm would later produce tornadoes in the Louisville metro area.[5]
When the twister struck on April 3, 1974, many of the Brandenburg residents at that time had also experienced a major flood of the Ohio River that affected the area in 1937 as well as numerous other communities along the river, including Louisville and Paducah.
Louisville, Kentucky[edit]



 Major damage in the Northfield neighborhood of Louisville, including a destroyed vehicle
About an hour after the Brandenburg tornado, an F4 tornado formed in the southwest part of Jefferson County near Kosmosdale. Another funnel cloud formed over Standiford Field Airport, touched down at The Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, and destroyed the majority of the horse barns at the center and part of Freedom Hall (a multipurpose arena) before it crossed Interstate 65, scattering several vehicles on that busy expressway. The tornado continued its 22-mile (35 km) journey northeast where it demolished most of Audubon Elementary School and affected the neighborhoods of Audubon, Cherokee Triangle, Cherokee-Seneca, Crescent Hill, Indian Hills, Northfield, Rolling Fields, and Tyler Park. Numerous homes were destroyed in residential areas, including a few that were leveled. The tornado ended near the junction of Interstates 264 and 71 after killing three people, injuring 207 people, destroying over 900 homes, and damaging thousands of others. Cherokee Park, a historic 409-acre (1.66 km2) municipal park located at Eastern Parkway and Cherokee Road, had thousands of mature trees destroyed. A massive re-planting effort was undertaken by the community in the aftermath of the tornado.[5][35]
Dick Gilbert, a helicopter traffic reporter for radio station WHAS-AM, followed the tornado through portions of its track including when it heavily damaged the Louisville Water Company's Crescent Hill pumping station, and gave vivid descriptions of the damage as seen from the air.[36] A WHAS-TV cameraman also filmed the tornado when it passed just east of the Central Business District of Louisville.[36]
WHAS-AM broke away from its regular programming shortly before the tornado struck Louisville and was on-air live with John Burke, the chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Louisville office at Standiford Field when the tornado first descended. The station remained on the air delivering weather bulletins and storm-related information until well into the early morning hours of April 4. As electrical power had been knocked out to a substantial portion of the city, the radio station became a clearinghouse for vital information and contact with emergency workers, not only in Louisville but across the state of Kentucky due to its 50,000-watt clear-channel signal and the fact that storms had knocked numerous broadcasting stations in smaller communities, such as Frankfort, off the air. Then-Governor Wendell Ford commended the station's personnel for their service to the community in the time of crisis, and Dick Gilbert later received a special commendation from then-President Richard Nixon for his tracking of the tornado from his helicopter.[37]
DePauw/Daisy Hill, Indiana[edit]
Of the F5 tornadoes produced by the outbreak, the DePauw tornado was the first to form, touching down at 3:20 pm local time. It is probably the least-known of the F5 tornadoes in the outbreak as it traveled through rural areas in southern Indiana northwest of Louisville, traversing about 65 miles (105 km) through parts of Perry and Harrison Counties. F5 damage was observed near the community of Depauw, where numerous farms were leveled. Areas near Palmyra and Borden were also heavily affected by the tornado. All but 10 homes in Martinsburg were destroyed; and in the Daisy Hill community homes were completely swept away at F5 intensity. Published photographs of this storm reveal a very wide debris cloud and wall cloud structure, with no visible condensation funnel at times.[5] Overall, six were killed by the storm and over 75 were injured. One of the fatalities occurred when a woman was crushed by a school bus that flew into a ditch in which she was taking cover.[38]
Hanover/Madison, Indiana[edit]
Soon after the Depauw tornado lifted, the Hanover/Madison F4 twister formed near Henryville and traveled through Jefferson County and leveled many structures in the small towns of Hanover and Madison. Eleven were killed in this storm while an additional 300 were injured. According to a WHAS-TV Louisville reporter in a special report about the outbreak, 90% of Hanover was destroyed or severely damaged, including the Hanover College campus. Despite the fact that no one was killed or seriously injured at the college, 32 of the College's 33 buildings were damaged, including two that were completely destroyed and six that sustained major structural damage. Hundreds of trees were down, completely blocking every campus road. All utilities were knocked out and communication with those off campus was nearly impossible. Damage to the campus alone was estimated at about US$10 million. In Madison alone where seven of the fatalities took place, about 300 homes were destroyed. The tornado also brushed the community of China causing additional fatalities.[5][38]
The same storm would later strike the Cincinnati area, producing multiple tornadoes including another F5.
Cincinnati/Sayler Park, OH[edit]



 The Cincinnati Area F5 tornado taken near Bridgetown
The Sayler Park tornado was among a series of tornadoes that earlier struck portions of southern Indiana from north of Brandenburg, Kentucky, into southwest Ohio. This tornado was witnessed on television by thousands of people, as WCPO aired the tornado live during special news coverage of the tornadoes. It began shortly before 4:30 pm CDT or 5:30 pm EDT in southeastern Indiana in Ohio County north of Rising Sun near the Ohio River. It then traveled through Boone County, Kentucky, producing F4 damage in the Taylorsport area before crossing the Ohio River a second time into Ohio. Here, the tornado reached F5 intensity as it slammed into Sayler Park.[39] The first area of town hit was the Morehead Marina, where numerous boats were thrown and destroyed. A large floating restaurant barge at this location was lifted, ripped from its moorings, and flipped by the tornado. It was later recovered several miles downstream. A nearby house was lifted from its foundation and thrown into the river.[40][41] At a further inland area of Sayler Park, the tornado maintained F5 intensity as numerous homes were swept away at a hilly area near a lake, with only bare slabs remaining. NWS surveyors noted that a pickup truck in this area was carried a half block over the roofs of five homes before being smashed to the ground.[41] The tornado weakened somewhat as it continued northeastward, passing through multiple Cincinnati neighborhoods and destroying numerous homes. Some of the worst affected areas were Bridgetown, Mack, Dent and Delhi. Damage in Delhi was rated as high as F4.[42] The tornado killed 3 and injured over 100 in Hamilton County, Ohio. It was considered the most-photographed tornado of the outbreak.
This tornado dissipated west of White Oak, but the same thunderstorm activity was responsible for two other tornado touchdowns in the Lebanon and Mason areas. The Mason tornado, which started in the northern Cincinnati subdivisions of Arlington Heights and Elmwood Place, was rated F4 and killed two, while the Warren County tornado was rated an F2 and injured 10.[5]
Monticello, Indiana[edit]



 A close-up of the tornado tracks that occurred in Northern Indiana
This half-mile (0.8 km) wide F4 tornado developed (as part of a tornado family that moved from Illinois to Michigan for 260 miles) during the late afternoon hours. This tornado produced the longest damage path recorded during the 1974 Super Outbreak, on a southwest to northeast path that nearly crossed the entire state of Indiana. According to most records, this tornado formed near Otterbein in Benton County in west central Indiana to Noble County just northwest of Fort Wayne - a total distance of about 121 miles (195 km). Further analysis by Ted Fujita indicated that at the start of the tornado path near Otterbein, downburst winds (also called "twisting downburst") disrupted the tornado's inflow which caused it to briefly dissipate before redeveloping near Brookston in White County at around 4:50 pm EDT and then traveled for 109 miles (175 km).[43] It also struck portions of six other counties, with the hardest hit being White County and its town of Monticello. Much of the town was destroyed including the courthouse, some churches and cemeteries, 40 businesses and numerous homes as well as three schools. It also heavily damaged the Penn Central bridge over the Tippecanoe River. Overall damage according to the NOAA was estimated at about US$250 million with US$100 million damage in Monticello alone.[5][44]
After the tornado struck Monticello, the tornado reached peak strength and completely leveled several farms northwest of town. The tornado then went on to tear through the west side of Rochester, where businesses were destroyed and homes were completely leveled and swept away. Riddle Elementary School was badly damaged as well. The tornado then struck Talma, destroying most of the town, including a fastening plant and the schoolhouse. The tornado continued northeast and struck the south sides of Atwood and Leesburg, with additional severe damage occurring at both locations. The tornado then crossed Dewart Lake and Lake Wawasee, destroying multiple lakeside homes and trailers. The Wawasee Airport was hard hit, where hangars were destroyed and planes were thrown and demolished. The tornado destroyed several buildings as it passed between Ligonier and Topeka, including Perry School and a Monsanto Plant. Train cars near the plant blown off the tracks and thrown into the building. The tornado then finally dissipated near Oliver Lake airfield.[44]



 A destroyed Presbyterian Church in Monticello.
Eighteen were killed during the storm including five from Fort Wayne when their mini-bus fell 50 feet (15 m) into the Tippecanoe River near Monticello. One passenger did survive the fall.[45] Five others were killed in White County, six in Fulton County and one in Kosciusko County.[46] The National Guard had assisted the residents in the relief and cleanup efforts and then-Governor Otis Bowen visited the area days after the storm. One of the few consolations from the tornado was that a century-old bronze bell that belonged to the White County Courthouse and served as timekeeper was found intact despite being thrown a great distance.[47] The tornado itself had contradicted a long-time myth that a tornado would "not follow terrain into steep valleys" as while hitting Monticello, it descended a 60-foot (18 m) hill near the Tippecanoe River and heavily damaged several homes immediately afterwards.[13]

Tanner, Alabama (1st tornado)[edit]
As the cluster of thunderstorms were crossing much of the Ohio Valley and northern Indiana, additional strong storms developed much further south just east of the Mississippi River into the Tennessee Valley and Mississippi. The first clusters would produce its first deadly tornadoes into Alabama during the early evening hours.



 Bathtub deeply embedded into the ground in Harvest, AL.
Most of the small town of Tanner, west of Huntsville in Limestone County, was destroyed when two F5 tornadoes struck the community 30 minutes apart. The first tornado formed at 6:30 pm CDT in Lawrence County, Alabama and ended just over 90 minutes later in Madison County, Alabama, killing 28 people. The tornado first touched down near the small community of Mt. Hope,[48] and then tracked into the Mt. Moriah community, where the tornado rapidly intensified and swept away homes and hurled fleeing vehicles, and with numerous homes swept away near Moulton further along the path. A water pump was completely lifted out of a well house along Highway-157 in this area.[49] In one case, the destruction was so complete that a witness reported that the largest recognizable objects among scattered debris from an obliterated house, were some bed-springs.[50] The tornado crossed into Morgan County, causing additional destruction in rural areas near Hillsboro and Trinity.[51] Crossing the Tennessee River as a large waterspout into Limestone County, the tornado flattened a 3/4 mile wide swath of trees on the opposite bank. Ground scouring occurred in this area, as reddish soil was dug up and plastered against trees.[48] The storm then slammed into Tanner, where many homes were swept away, vehicles were tossed, and shrubbery was debarked. The Lawson's Trailer Park in town sustained major damage, and pavement was scoured from rural roads outside of town.[52][53] The tornado then continued into Madison County and struck the Harvest area where additional severe damage occurred, including large metal high-tension towers that were ripped from their anchors and thrown. One of the towers was completely missing after the tornado, and was never located. Additional major damage occurred in the Capshaw area.[5][53] Numerous homes in Harvest and surrounding rural areas of the county were swept completely away and scattered, and extensive wind-rowing of debris was noted. A bathtub from one residence was found deeply embedded into the ground. Past Harvest, the tornado abruptly dissipated NE of town.[54][55]
Tanner, Alabama (2nd tornado)[edit]
While rescue efforts were underway to look for people under the destroyed structures, few were aware that another violent tornado would strike the area. The path of the second tornado, which formed at 7:35 pm CDT was 50 miles in length, and the storm formed along the north bank Tennessee River less than a mile from the path of the earlier storm; with much of its path very closely paralleling its predecessor as it tore Limestone and Madison Counties. 22 people were killed by this second tornado. Tanner was the first community to be hit, and many structures that were left standing after the first tornado were destroyed in the second one. A man injured at Lawson's Trailer Park in the first tornado was taken to a church in the area, which collapsed in the second tornado, killing him.[5]



 Homes swept away and scattered across fields near Hazel Green, AL as a result of the second Tanner tornado.
After devastating what was left of Tanner, the tornado continued across rural Limestone County and into Madison County, where the communities of Capshaw and Harvest were devastated once again.[48] [56] Numerous homes throughout Madison County were swept completely away, with extensive wind-rowing of debris noted once again. Past Harvest, the tornado swept away multiple additional homes in the Hazel Green area.[55] The tornado continued northeastward through rural portions of Madison County before crossing into Tennessee, where major damage and 6 deaths occurred in Franklin and Lincoln Counties before the tornado dissipated in Coffee County. Two of the fatalities in Tennessee occurred when a church was destroyed during service.[57] The death toll from the two tornadoes was over 50 and over 400 were injured. Most of the fatalities occurred in and around the Tanner area. Over 1,000 houses, 200 mobile homes and numerous other outbuildings, automobiles, power lines and trees were completely demolished or heavily damaged. The most recent official National Weather Service records show that both[58][59] of the Tanner tornadoes were rated F5.[46][60] However, the rating of the second Tanner tornado is still disputed by some scientists; analysis in one publication estimates F3-F4 damage along the entirety of the second storm's path.[5] This was the second state to have been hit by more than two F5s during the 1974 Super Outbreak. The next occurrence of two F5s hitting the same state on the same day happened in March 1990 in Kansas, and then in Mississippi on April 27, 2011. Meanwhile, the next F5 to hit the state was on April 4, 1977 near Birmingham.
Tanner was hit by yet another EF5 tornado on April 27, 2011.
Jasper/Cullman, Alabama[edit]
While tornadoes were causing devastation in the northwestern most corner of the state, another supercell crossing the Mississippi-Alabama state line produced another violent tornado that touched down in Pickens County before heading northeast for nearly 2 hours towards the Jasper area causing major damage to its downtown as the F4 storm struck. Damage was also reported in Cullman from the storm before it lifted.[61]



 Heavy damage to buildings in downtown Jasper.
The Jasper tornado first touched near Aliceville, producing scattered damage as it tracked northwestward. The damage became more intense continuous as the tornado entered Tuscaloosa County. The tornado continued to strengthen south of Berry, and two people were killed near the Walker County line when a church was destroyed. The tornado tore directly through downtown Jasper at 6:57 PM, resulting in severe damage and at least 100 injuries. Numerous buildings and storefronts were heavily damaged in downtown Jasper, and many streets were blocked with trees and power lines.[62] The Walker County courthouse sustained major damage, and a new fire station was completely leveled. The fireman on duty at the time took shelter underneath a nearby bridge, and survived without injury. The Walker County Library and the Jasper First Methodist Church were also damaged.[62] The tornado crossed Lewis Smith Lake and moved across the south side of Cullman at 7:40 pm. Multiple homes and shopping centers were damaged or destroyed in the area, resulting in one death and 36 injuries. The tornado finally dissipated northeast of Cullman a short time later.[63]
In total, the storm killed 3 and injured over 150 while 500 buildings were destroyed and nearly 400 others severely damaged. At the same time, a third supercell was crossing the state line near the track of the previous two.[63]
Guin, Alabama[edit]



 Remains of the Guin Mobile Home Plant, which was completely flattened.
The fast-moving nighttime tornado that devastated the town of Guin, was the longest-duration F5 tornado recorded in the outbreak, and considered to be one of the most violent ever recorded. The Guin Tornado traveled over 100 miles (160 km) to just west of Huntsville before lifting just after 10:30 pm CDT.[5] It formed at around 8:50 pm CDT near the Mississippi-Alabama border, striking the Monterey Trailer Park, resulting in major damage at that location.[62] The tornado then became extremely violent as it approached and entered Guin, with multiple areas of F5 damage noted in and around town.[5] The tornado first struck the Guin Mobile Home Plant as it entered the town, completely obliterating the structure. Nothing was left of the plant but a pile of mangled steel beams. The town's downtown area was also heavily damaged, with many businesses and two churches completely destroyed.[62] Residential areas in Guin suffered total devastation, with many homes swept completely away and scattered across fields.[5][64] According to NWS damage surveyor Bill Herman, the damage in one 6-block area was particularly extreme, and remarked that "It was just like the ground had been swept clean. It was just as much of a total wipeout as you can have."[65] Surveyor J.B. Elliot noted that the destruction was so complete, that even some of the foundations were "dislodged, and in some cases swept away." A total of 23 people were killed in Guin.[62][66]
The tornado continued past Guin and struck the small community of Twin, destroying numerous homes, mobile homes, and businesses at that location, though the damage was less intense than that observed in Guin. Crossing into Winston County, the tornado struck the small community of Delmar, destroying additional homes and killing 5 people. Mobile homes in Delmar were obliterated, with their frames wrapped around trees.[5][62] Past Delmar, the tornado grew up to a mile wide as it tore through the Bankhead National Forest, flattening a huge swath of trees. Surveyors noted that timber damage was equally severe at all elevations in this area, with numerous trees snapped both along exposed ridges and in deep gorges. So many trees were snapped in this area that the tornado path was visible from satellite. The tornado finally dissipated southwest of Huntsville after destroying 546 structures, killing 28 people, and injuring 332 others.[5][62]
Huntsville, Alabama[edit]
Huntsville was affected shortly before 11:00 pm EDT by a strong F3 tornado produced by the same thunderstorm that produced the Guin tornado. This tornado produced heavy damage in the south end of the city, eventually damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 structures.[67]



 Damage at the intersection of Drake Avenue and Memorial Parkway in Huntsville..
The tornado touched down north of Hartselle and moved northeast toward Huntsville. It first hit the Redstone Arsenal, damaging or destroying numerous buildings at that location. But thanks to early warning from a MP picket line on Rideout Road (now Research Park Boulevard (AL-255) ), there were only three, relatively minor, injuries. One of the buildings destroyed was a publications center for the Nuclear Weapons Training School on the Arsenal. For months afterwards, portions of classified documents were being returned by farmers in Tennessee and Alabama. Many homes were badly damaged or destroyed as the tornado passed through residential areas of the city, and a school was destroyed as well.[5] Many businesses were also heavily damaged, and numerous trees and power lines were downed throughout the city. The Glenn'll trailer park was completely destroyed by the tornado, and some sources list a fatality occurring at that location.[63] The tornado then reached Monte Sano Mountain, which has an elevation of 1,640 feet (492 m), where additional homes were torn apart.[5][68][69] The National Weather Service office at Huntsville Jetport was briefly "closed and abandoned" due to the severe weather conditions. The tornado eventually dissipated near Jacobs Mountain.[70]
Remarkable electrical phenomenon was reported as the tornado passed through Huntsville, with reports of luminous clouds, ball lightning, and multi-colored flashes and glowing areas in the sky as the storm moved through the city.[5]
See also[edit]
List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of Canadian tornadoes
List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak – a very similar outbreak, but was deadlier and produced more tornadoes
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Originally, a series of studies by Fujita and his colleagues in 1974–75 recorded 148 tornadoes, but one of these was subsequently reclassified as a microburst.[1] Only 147 of the original 148 tornadoes appear on the Storm Prediction Center's official database today.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c Fujita, T. Theodore; Abbey, Jr., Robert F. (1983) [1981]. "Chapter 3: Tornadoes: The Tornado Outbreak of 3–4 April 1974". In Kessler, Edwin. The Thunderstorm in Human Affairs (2nd ed.). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 37–66.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Analysis and reconstruction of the 1974 tornado Super Outbreak (Report). Risk Management Solutions. April 2, 2004. pp. 9. Retrieved 2014-04-06. "In total, 148 tornadoes spanned 13 states producing about 900 square miles (2331 square km) of tornado damage in less than 18 hours. … Most of the tornadoes were produced by individual thunderstorm cells within these lines. The individual tornadoes moved northeastward at 40-60 mph (65-95 km/hr), while the larger scale squall-line systems advanced toward the southeast. … Many of these tornadoes were part of ‘families’ or a sequence of tornadoes spawned in succession by a single thunderstorm cell. Dr. Ted Fujita identified 30 such tornado families that comprised 74% of the Outbreak’s tornadoes and resulted in 98% of the 315 deaths. The longest-lasting tornado family existed for nearly five hours, while the average life was approximately two hours."
3.Jump up ^ Forbes, G. S. (1975). "Relationship between tornadoes and hook echoes on April 3, 1974". Preprints. Ninth Conf. on Severe Local Storms. Boston: American Meteorological Society. pp. 280–85.
4.Jump up ^ NWS Louisville. "April 1, 1974". Retrieved 2007-03-03.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab Grazulis, Thomas P (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Corfidi, S. F.; Kay, M. P.; Hart, J. A. (2004). "The Super Outbreak: Outbreak of the Century". Preprints. 22nd Conf. Severe Local Storms. Hyannis, Massachusetts.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Corfidi, S. F.; S. J. Weiss; J. S. Kain; S. J. Corfidi; R. M. Rabin; J. J. Levit (April 2010). "Revisiting the 3–4 April 1974 Super Outbreak of Tornadoes". Wea. Forecasting 35: 465–510. doi:10.1175/2009WAF2222297.1. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
8.Jump up ^ Fujita, T. T. (1974). "Jumbo tornado outbreak of 3 April 1974". Weatherwise 27 (3): 116–26. doi:10.1080/00431672.1974.9931693. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
9.Jump up ^ Roger, Edwards (23 March 2012). "What was the biggest outbreak of tornadoes?". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
10.Jump up ^ Data from the Storm Prediction Center archives, which are accessible through free software created and maintained by John Hart, lead forecaster for the SPC.
11.Jump up ^ http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/2010/04/05/super-tornado-outbreak/
12.Jump up ^ http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ensofaq.shtml
13.^ Jump up to: a b Slattery, Pat. "TORNADO OUTBREAK OPENED EYES ABOUT MYTHS, SCHOOL SAFETY". NOAA.
14.Jump up ^ Simpson, Jamie (March 31, 2004). "Radar Provides Life-Saving Warnings Of Tornadoes". WHIO-TV (Dayton, Ohio).
15.Jump up ^ http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/brs/nwind28.htm
16.Jump up ^ http://extremeplanet.me/2012/11/27/the-indefinitive-list-of-the-strongest-tornadoes-ever-recorded-part-iv/
17.Jump up ^ Rosenfield, Jeffrey (2003). Eye of The Storm: Inside the World's Deadliest Tornadoes, Hurricanes, and Blizzards.. Basic Books. p. 320. Retrieved Sep 21, 2013.
18.Jump up ^ http://ww2.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/exhibits/swio/pages/content/1974_tornado.htm
19.Jump up ^ Boyd, Bruce (February 10, 2010). "Xenia Ohio Tornado". YouTube.
20.Jump up ^ Ohio Historical Society. "April 3, 1974: Xenia Tornado".
21.Jump up ^ by extremeplanet (November 27, 2012). "The Indefinitive List of the Strongest Tornadoes Ever Recorded (Part IV) |". Extremeplanet.me. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
22.Jump up ^ "April 3, 1974 Xenia Tornado Memorial Marker". Hmdb.org. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
23.Jump up ^ U.S. Inflation Calculator
24.Jump up ^ John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters (via Richard Nixon) (April 13, 1974). "Remarks During an Inspection Tour of Tornado Damage in Ohio". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 2011-04-25.
25.Jump up ^ Nixon, Richard M. (1974). "The President’s Remarks at the Bill Signing Ceremony at the White House. May 22, 1974". Presidential Documents: Richard Nixon, 1974 10 (21): 788. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
26.Jump up ^ Ohio Memory On-line Scrapbook. "30th Anniversary of the 1974 Xenia Tornado".
27.Jump up ^ "1975 Winners". Pulitzer.org. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
28.Jump up ^ Sharp, Debra (April 2, 1999). "Super tornado outbreak : Xenia, Ohio, serves as twister memorial". USA Today.
29.Jump up ^ Taylor, David (September 22, 2000). "Few warned of twister". The Cincinnati Enquirer.
30.Jump up ^ Fujita "Tetsuya Theodore Fujita". The Tornado Project. 1998. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
31.Jump up ^ "Analysis and Reconstruction of the 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak". Risk Management Solutions. April 2, 2004. p. 5. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
32.^ Jump up to: a b "Don Macy Photos of April 3, 1974". April31974.com. 1974-04-03. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
33.Jump up ^ Anonymous. "Our Meade County Heritage : Forward and Dedication". The Meade County Messenger.
34.Jump up ^ "April 3, 1974". Crh.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
35.Jump up ^ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=april31974
36.^ Jump up to: a b U.S. Information Agency. "Day of the Killer Tornadoes". National Archives and Records Administration.
37.Jump up ^ author = Dick Gilbert Foundation
38.^ Jump up to: a b Tornadoes of April 3, 1974, NWS Louisville
39.Jump up ^ Horstmeyer, Steve (Dec 1995). "It's Not the Heat, It's The...". Cincinnati Magazine. p. 66. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
40.Jump up ^ "Tornado_Photos_from_Sayler_Park". April31974.com. 1974-04-03. Retrieved 2013-08-31.
41.^ Jump up to: a b "Tornado Outbreak April 3-4, 1974". NWS Wilmington. NOAA. April 19, 1974. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
42.Jump up ^ Horstmeyer, Steve. "Sayler Park Tornado - April 3, 1974".
43.Jump up ^ NWS Northern Indiana. "The Monticello Tornado". NOAA.
44.^ Jump up to: a b http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/?n=superoutbreak
45.Jump up ^ Anonymous. "Monticello, Indiana April 3, 1974 : Fort Wayne Girl Survives Van's Plunge". The Monticello Herald Journal.
46.^ Jump up to: a b NOAA. "Storm Events". NOAA.
47.Jump up ^ Anonymous. "Monticello, Indiana April 3, 1974 : 122-year-old Bell Survives". The Monticello Herald Journal.
48.^ Jump up to: a b c http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/?n=toryear1974
49.Jump up ^ Taylor, Dwight (April 4, 1974). "The Sky Turned a Funny Orange". Florence Times (Florence, Alabama). p. 1.
50.Jump up ^ Times Daily pg 66 - Google News Archive Search
51.Jump up ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/hun/stormsurveys/1974-04-03/reports_documents/A%20Night%20To%20Remember.pdf
52.Jump up ^ "Limestone County Damage Pictures on the Ground". NWS Huntsville, AL. NOAA. March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
53.^ Jump up to: a b Elliot, J.B (April 2, 2010). "The 1974 Super Outbreak". ABC33/40 (Birmingham, Alabama).
54.Jump up ^ "Madison County Damage Pictures on the Ground". NWS Huntsville, AL. NOAA. March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
55.^ Jump up to: a b "Never Before Seen Aerial Pictures of Tornado Damage Taken by Madison County, AL". NWS Huntsville, AL. NOAA. March 29, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
56.Jump up ^ NWS Birmingham (March 22, 2006). "The April 3rd and 4th 1974 Tornado Outbreak in Alabama". NOAA. Archived from the original on 2008-06-23.
57.Jump up ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hun/?n=f5
58.Jump up ^ "Alabama Tornado Database—Year 1974 Tornadoes". Alabama Tornado Database. Birmingham, Alabama: National Weather Service. 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
59.Jump up ^ "3/21/01 EIIP Virtual Forum Transcript: The Lawrence County Supercell, the Forgotten F5". Emforum.org. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
60.Jump up ^ Storm Prediction Center. "F5 Tornadoes of the United States : 1950-present". NOAA.
61.Jump up ^ "NOAA and the 1974 Tornado Outbreak - Alabama". Publicaffairs.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
62.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Jordan, Charles (March 29, 2014). "A Night to Remember". NWS Huntsville, AL. NOAA. Retrieved March.
63.^ Jump up to: a b c "NWS Huntsville 1974 Tornadoes". Srh.noaa.gov. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
64.Jump up ^ "Scene looks like work of monster". The Tuscaloosa News (Tuscaloosa, Alabama). April 5, 1974. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
65.Jump up ^ "Few signs remain of tornado's fury". The Times Daily (Unknown). April 3, 1994.
66.Jump up ^ Elliott, J.B. (October 13, 2006). April 3-4 Superoutbreak of tornadoes (motion picture). Alabama: ABC33/40. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
67.Jump up ^ Sherer, Dennis (April 3, 2004). "Night of April 3, 1974, marked change in severe weather alerts, preparedness". Florence, AL: TimesDaily. p. B1. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
68.Jump up ^ NOAA. "NOAA and the 1974 Tornado Outbreak". NOAA. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
69.Jump up ^ NWS Birmingham. "Alabama Tornado Database (1974 tornadoes)". NOAA. Archived from the original on 2008-04-08. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
70.Jump up ^ "42 Persons Dead in Severe Storms, Tornadoes in Alabama". Hendersonville, NC: The Times-News. The Associated Press. March 25, 1974. p. 19. Retrieved March 20, 2010.[dead link]
Further reading[edit]
Tornado! the 1974 super outbreak, by Jacqueline A. Ball; consultant, Daniel H. Franck. New York: Bearport Pub., 2005. 32 pages. ISBN 1-59716-009-1 (lib. bdg), 1597160326 (paperback).
Tornado at Xenia, April 3, 1974, by Barbara Lynn Riedel; photography by Peter Wayne Kyryl. Cleveland, OH, 1974. 95 pages. No ISBN is available. Library of Congress Control Number: 75314665.
Tornado, by Polk Laffoon IV. New York: Harper & Row, 1975. 244 pages. ISBN 0-06-012489-X.
Tornado alley: monster storms of the Great Plains, by Howard B. Bluestein. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. 180 pages. ISBN 0-19-510552-4 (acid-free paper).
Delivery of mental health services in disasters: the Xenia tornado and some implications, by Verta A. Taylor, with G. Alexander Ross and E. L. Quarantelli. Columbus, OH: Disaster Research Center, Ohio State University, 1976. 328 pages. There is no ISBN available. Library of Congress Control Number: 76380740.
The widespread tornado outbreak of April 3–4, 1974: a report to the Administrator. Rockville, Md: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1974. 42 pages. There is no ISBN available. Library of Congress Control Number: 75601597.
The tornado, by John Edward Weems. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1977. 180 pages. ISBN 0-385-07178-7.
Butler, William S. (editor) (2004). Tornado: A look back at Louisville's dark day, April 3, 1974. A 30th Anniversary Publication. Butler Books. 176 pages. ISBN 1-884532-58-6.
Deitz, Robert E., et al. (editor) with an introduction by John Ed Pearce (1974). April 3, 1974: Tornado!. The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. 128 pages. Library of Congress Catalog Number 74-80806.
Hartsfield, Ray J. with Robin Garr, Phyllis Morrisette, Jay Harris, Dave Knapp, Tom Scott, Terry Cowan, Mary Ann Woosley, Allen Hammer (editorial staff) (1974). April 3, 1974: The Kentucky Tornadoes. C. F. Boone, Publisher. 96 pages.
Levine, Mark (2007). F5: Devastation, Survival and the Most Violent Tornado Outbreak of the Twentieth Century. Hyperion, New York. 307 pages. ISBN 978-1-4013-5220-2.
External links[edit]
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1974 Tornado Super Outbreak.
Full map of The Super Outbreak Tornado History Project
"WHAS Radio Covers the April 3, 1974 Tornado Disaster," excellent-quality recorded coverage of the tornado at LKYRadio.com
1974 Windsor Tornado - CBC Archives
NOAA and the 1974 Tornado Outbreak
Super Tornado Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974 (National Climatic Data Center)
April 3, 1974 Superoutbreak (NWS Indianapolis, IN)
Super Outbreak of April 3rd 1974 (NWS Northern Indiana)
The Monticello Tornado (NWS Northern Indiana)
The April 3rd and 4th 1974 Tornado Outbreak in Alabama (NWS Birmingham, AL)
The Super Outbreak: Outbreak of the Century (Slide show) (NOAA-NWS-NCEP Storm Prediction Center)
The 3-4 April 1974 Super Outbreak: Outbreak of the Century (Slide show - Revised) (NOAA-NWS-NCEP Storm Prediction Center)
The Super Outbreak: Outbreak of the Century (22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society)
Revisiting the 3-4 April 1974 Super Outbreak of Tornadoes (Weather and Forecasting, American Meteorological Society)
Potential insurance losses from a major tornado outbreak: the 1974 Super Outbreak example (22nd Conference on Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society)
A website dedicated to the Super Outbreak
The Weather Channel's Storm of the Century list - #2 The Super Outbreak
Super Outbreak 30th Anniversary Special (WHAS Louisville)
WHAS April 3, 1974 Live Breaking News Coverage part 1
WHAS April 3, 1974 Live Breaking News Coverage part 2
Friday Flashbacks: Tornado of '74 - WHAS11
Full map of The Super Outbreak Tornado History Project
1974 Alabama tornado table including tornadoes from the Super Outbreak - Courtesy of NWS Birmingham, Alabama
The short film Day of the Killer Tornadoes (1978) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]

[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 deadliest Canadian tornadoes










  

  

  

  






  












[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 costliest US tornadoes












   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   






[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Tornado events in Alabama






































 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1974
Tornadoes in Canada
Tornadoes in Alabama
Tornadoes in Georgia (U.S. state)
Tornadoes in Kentucky
Tornadoes in Illinois
Tornadoes in Indiana
Tornadoes in Michigan
Tornadoes in Mississippi
Tornadoes in New York
Tornadoes in North Carolina
Tornadoes in Ohio
Natural disasters in Ontario
Tornadoes in Tennessee
Tornadoes in Virginia
Tornadoes in West Virginia
Essex County, Ontario
History of Louisville, Kentucky
History of Windsor, Ontario
1974 in Canada
1974 natural disasters in the United States







Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Ελληνικά
Français
Simple English
Edit links
This page was last modified on 24 July 2014 at 16:28.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Outbreak










June 1974 Great Plains tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

June 1974 Great Plains tornado outbreak

Date(s)
June 8, 1974
Duration
8 hours, 18 minutes
Tornadoes caused
36
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
Unknown
Casualties
22
The June 1974 Great Plains tornado outbreak was a significant tornado outbreak that affected portions of the southern Great Plains and the Upper Midwest on June 8, 1974. The outbreak produced 36 tornadoes, at least 19 of them significant or intense, and is the second-deadliest June tornado event in Oklahoma history, with 16 deaths reported in the state, second only to the 35 people killed by an F4 tornado on June 12, 1942, in Oklahoma City.[1][2] The deadliest tornado of the outbreak was a powerful F4 that struck the town of Drumright in Oklahoma, killing 14 people, 12 of whom were killed at Drumright. Another deadly and destructive F4 tornado struck the town of Emporia in Kansas, killing six more people. The outbreak also produced two F3 tornadoes in the Tulsa metropolitan area that killed two people and, combined with flooding, produced the costliest natural disaster in that city's history up to that time—a disaster worth $30,000,000 (1974 USD). Additionally, the outbreak produced non-tornadic winds in the city which reached 100 knots (51 m/s) (115 miles per hour (185 km/h)) for several minutes.[3] In addition to confirmed tornadoes, a possible tornado occurred at 8:15 p.m. CST 5 mi (8.0 km) south of Cullison in Kansas, producing intermittent damage, but is not officially listed as a tornado.[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Confirmed tornadoes
2 References 2.1 Bibliography
3 External links

Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F? Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
36 0 10 7 8 9 2 0


[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Oklahoma
F3 Will Rogers Field to W of Forest Park Oklahoma 1942 8.9 miles (14.3 km) This tornado first hit the National Weather Service office, then moved northeast across Oklahoma City. As it touched down just a few feet southwest of the NWS office, a gas leak forced NWS officials to evacuate the building and shift responsibilities to the NWS office in Tulsa.[4] The tornado destroyed 11 homes, two trailers, and five businesses. 42 homes sustained significant damage and 300 reported minor damage.[5] 14 people were injured.
F2 N of Spencer to W of Jones Oklahoma 2011 4.5 miles (7.2 km) A tornado damaged several farms and leveled an unoccupied, two-story farmhouse. The frame home sustained damage that would have warranted an F4 rating had it not been empty, thus making its structural integrity dubious.[5]
F3 W of Jones to S of Luther Oklahoma 2018 10.2 miles (16.4 km) An intense tornado toppled four large, steel-made power lines that were constructed to withstand winds up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).[5]
F1 NE of Breckenridge Garfield 2030 0.2 miles (0.32 km) 
F1 E of Will Rogers Field Oklahoma 2135 2.5 miles (4.0 km) 
F3 SE of Nicoma Park to NE of Harrah Oklahoma 2148 9 miles (14 km) A tornado damaged or destroyed farm buildings. It also damaged an OG & E plant and power poles.[5]
F4 SW of Drumright to NW of Skiatook Creek, Tulsa, Osage 2155 29 miles (47 km) 14 deaths – A major tornado first hit the school at Oak Grove, then continued into Drumright. The tornado destroyed about 100 homes, killing 12 people in the northwest section of Drumright. Half of the 12 deaths were in a nursing home. Civil defense sirens only sounded shortly before the tornado hit, leaving residents with little time to react. However, the death toll in Drumright would have been significantly higher had the tornado hit the nursing home a few minutes earlier, when many people were crowded into the dining hall.[4] After devastating part of Drumright, the tornado struck the small community of Olive, where it destroyed trailers and part of a school. One person died as nearby frame homes were also leveled. The tornado later damaged Pier 51 on Lake Keystone, 7 mi (11 km) southwest of Sperry.[4][5] There, a woman died in one of several trailers that were destroyed. The tornado damaged brick homes near Skiatook before finally lifting. One source lists the path length as being 45 mi (72 km) long.[5]
F3 SW of Davenport to SE of Kendrick Lincoln 2246 6.8 miles (10.9 km) A strong tornado struck the suburbs of Davenport and Stroud. In the Davenport area, the tornado destroyed three homes, heavily damaged 24, and slightly damaged 233. Near Stroud, the tornado destroyed a service station and damaged about 100 homes.[6]
F1 S of Davenport Lincoln 2255 1.5 miles (2.4 km) 
F2 NW of Stroud Lincoln 2303 0.1 miles (0.16 km) A tornado destroyed barns and damaged homes.[6]
F3 E of Sparks Lincoln 2320 2.5 miles (4.0 km) A brief, intense tornado damaged farm structures and trees. In the touchdown area, barns and trailers were reported destroyed.[6]
F2 N of Bristow Creek 2335 4.3 miles (6.9 km) 
F2 N of Owasso to N of Collinsville Tulsa 2340 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 
F2 NE of Earlsboro Seminole 2345 11.8 miles (19.0 km) A tornado destroyed six homes, badly damaged several others, and damaged a school. It also killed four cows and a horse. Rating disputed, ranked F3 by Grazulis.[6]
F3 N of Glenpool to Tulsa to SW of Vinita Tulsa, Rogers, Craig 2350 63.6 miles (102.4 km) 2 deaths – This was the first of two F3 tornadoes to hit the Tulsa metropolitan area, both of which occurred simultaneously. The tornado began north of Glenpool and moved northeast across Tulsa before striking parts of Catoosa, Claremore, and Big Cabin. The most severe damage occurred near Oakhurst and in sections of Tulsa. However, the tornado was rated F3 solely on the basis of damage to an anchored, concrete, iron-pipe cattle gate. A 20-foot (6.1 m) section of the gate was pulled out of the ground and transported 30 ft (9.1 m) from where it originally stood. The gate was "anchored by 3 posts, all set in 24 inches of concrete."[4] 80 people were injured. One of the two deaths may have been due to flooding.[6]
F3 Sapulpa to Tulsa to SW of Sportsmen Acres Community Tulsa, Wagoner, Rogers, Mayes 2350 48.9 miles (78.7 km) The second F3 tornado developed east of Sapulpa and moved east-northeast across south Tulsa, passing through not only Tulsa itself, but also part of Broken Arrow, Inola, and Chouteau. Along the way, the tornado struck the campus of Oral Roberts University, causing extensive damage. It also unroofed homes in the Walnut Creek, Southridge Estate, and "Park Player" housing additions.[6] 42 people were injured. Both Tulsa tornadoes damaged about 300 homes and numerous businesses, leaving more than 1,500 Tulsa residents homeless.[4] The supercell that spawned the Tulsa tornadoes originated in western Oklahoma and traveled 300 mi (480 km) in 12 hours across the entire state, dissipating in Delaware County.[4]
F3 S of Prague to NW of Tuskegee Seminole, Okfuskee 0005 29.9 miles (48.1 km) A strong tornado destroyed several farmhouses in its path.[6]
F2 S of Newalla Pottawatomie 0050 2 miles (3.2 km) A brief tornado "obliterated" a trailer and damaged several farmhouses nearby.[6]
F2 SW of Kiefer to N of Bixby Creek, Tulsa 0130 14.4 miles (23.2 km) A tornado destroyed many farm buildings.[6]
F3 S of Eucha Delaware 0314 2.7 miles (4.3 km) This was the last of nine F3 tornadoes to hit Oklahoma on June 8, 1974. It lofted and threw two houseboats, and also produced near-F3 damage to a newly built brick home. Nearby homes were also unroofed and destroyed. Rating disputed, ranked F2 by Grazulis.[6]
F2 SW of Afton to NW of Bernice Craig, Delaware 0330 3.8 miles (6.1 km) A strong tornado touched down near Ketchum, passed northwest of Cleora, and dissipated near Grove. It caused extensive damage to utility poles, trees, and roofs. One site reported $100,000 (1974 USD) in damage.[6]
F1 SE of Indianola Pittsburg 0424 1 mile (1.6 km) 
Kansas
F0 SW of Leon to N of Latham Butler 2115 11.4 miles (18.3 km) 
F0 S of Lyons to NW of Mitchell Rice 2130 5.2 miles (8.4 km) 
F0 N of Grenola Elk 2310 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F4 Emporia to W of Auburn Lyon, Osage, Shawnee 0000 37.5 miles (60.4 km) 6 deaths – This devastating, long-tracked tornado first struck the northwest side of Emporia, touching down in the Flint Hills Shopping Center (now the Flinthills Mall). The tornado completely destroyed all 20 shops in the shopping center, where at least 75 cars were tossed into the air and mangled.[7] Nearby, the tornado also struck a nursing home and a mobile-home park, killing five people in the mobile-home park. Both the nursing home and the mobile-home park were leveled. Additionally, a nearby apartment complex and a residential area were completely destroyed. 80 injured persons were hospitalized.[6][7] After leaving Emporia, the tornado destroyed 10 farms before lifting. In all, at least 177 people were injured; the toll may have been as high as 220, most of which were in the Emporia trailer park.[6]
F0 S of Beulah to SW of Radley Crawford 0200 4.3 miles (6.9 km) 
Illinois
F0 Flora Clay 2150 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F0 SW of Carmi White 2155 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F0 S of Peoria Heights Peoria 2315 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F0 N of Oreana Macon 0055 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
Missouri
F0 Stanberry Gentry 0100 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F1 SW of Neosho Newton 0330 1 mile (1.6 km) 
F0 Sarcoxie Jasper 0340 0.1 miles (0.16 km) 
F1 NE of Neosho Newton 0340 2 miles (3.2 km) 
F1 Graham to NW of Arkoe Nodaway 0400 10.1 miles (16.3 km) 
Source: National Climatic Database Center

References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ OUN Webmaster (20 November 2013). "Top Ten Deadliest Oklahoma Tornadoes (1882-Present)". Norman, Oklahoma: National Weather Service. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
2.Jump up ^ Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes, 408–20.
3.^ Jump up to: a b "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 16 (6): 19. June 1974.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "30 Years Ago - June 8, 1974". Tulsa Tornado Tribune (Tulsa, Oklahoma: National Weather Service): 4, 5. Summer 2004. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes, 1165.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes, 1166.
7.^ Jump up to: a b "Storms in 3 States Leave a Toll of 16, Hundreds Injured". New York Times. United Press International. June 9, 1974.
Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
— (2003). The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0.

External links[edit]
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1974
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
Tornadoes in Kansas
1974 in Oklahoma
Natural disasters in Oklahoma
Natural disasters in Kansas
1974 natural disasters in the United States


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 16 June 2014 at 23:55.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1974_Great_Plains_tornado_outbreak










Great Storm of 1975
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Great Storm of 1975 - Blizzard and Tornado Outbreak
Great Storm 1975-01-11 weather map.jpg
January 11, 1975

Type
Cyclone, Panhandle Hook
Formed
January 9, 1975
Dissipated
January 12, 1975
Lowest pressure
961 mb (28.38 inHg)
Tornadoes confirmed
45
Maximum rated tornado1
F4 tornado
Maximum snowfall or ice accretion
27 in (68.6 cm) (Riverton, Minnesota)
Damage
US$20 million (snow); US$43 million (tornado)
Fatalities
58 (snow); 12 deaths, 377 injuries (tornado)
Areas affected
Midwest and Southeast United States
1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita Scale
The Great Storm of 1975 (also known as the Super Bowl Blizzard, Minnesota's Storm of the Century, or the Tornado Outbreak of January, 1975) was an intense storm system that impacted a large portion of the Central and Southeast United States from January 9 to January 12, 1975. The storm produced 45 tornadoes in the Southeast U.S. resulting in 12 fatalities, while later dropping over 2 feet (61 cm) of snow and killing 58 people in the Midwest. This storm remains one of the worst blizzards to ever strike parts of the Midwest, as well as one of the largest January tornado outbreaks on record in the United States.


Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado outbreak 2.1 Tornado summary event
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 January 9 event
3.2 January 10 event
3.3 January 12 event
4 Blizzard
5 Record events 5.1 Daily high temperatures 5.1.1 January 10
5.1.2 January 11
5.2 Low pressure measurements
5.3 Tornadoes
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
The storm originated over the Pacific Ocean and crashed into the Northwest Pacific coast with damaging gale-force winds on January 8, 1975.[1] By January 9 it had cleared the Rocky Mountains and began to redevelop and strengthen. At the same time, Arctic air was being drawn southward from Canada into the Great Plains, and large amounts of warm tropical air from the Gulf of Mexico were being pulled northward into much of the eastern U.S. The storm was a classic Panhandle Hook which moved from Colorado into Oklahoma before turning northward towards the Upper Midwest. It produced record low barometric pressure readings in the Midwest, with the pressure falling to an estimated 28.38 in (961 mb) just north of the Minnesota border in Canada.[2]
Tornado outbreak[edit]
Tornado summary event[edit]



 Damage from an F3 tornado in St. Clair County, Alabama
An unusual feature of this outbreak was that daytime heating, typically a key ingredient in the formation of tornadoes, had very little impact on their development.[3] Rather, as the storm system pulled out into the central plains, strong thunderstorms and tornadoes quickly began to form despite the late hours. The first two tornadoes in the outbreak touched down after 10:00 p.m. CST on January 9 in Oklahoma and Louisiana. From there the progression of the twisters shifted eastward through the overnight and early morning hours, setting the stage for what would turn out to be a record setting day on January 10. Texas saw five tornadoes between 1:30 a.m.–3:30 a.m., one tornado touched down in Arkansas at 6:00 a.m., Louisiana saw seven tornadoes between 5:30 a.m.–8:00 a.m. (killing one person), Mississippi had five tornadoes between 8:15 a.m.–10:00 a.m. (killing nine), and Illinois and Indiana each experienced three lunch-hour tornadoes. The tornadic line of storms then shifted into Alabama (killing one) and Florida during the afternoon and evening hours.[4]
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Alabama 1 St. Clair 1
Florida 1 Bay 1
Louisiana 1 Acadia 1
Mississippi 9 Lincoln 5
Pike 4
Totals 12 
All deaths were tornado-related
Mississippi and Alabama were the two states hardest hit by this outbreak. Alabama saw the most twisters of any state with 13, but Mississippi saw the largest and deadliest tornado. An F4 tornado that tore through Pike, Lincoln, Lawrence, and Simpson Counties at 8:14 a.m. killed nine people and injured over 200; severely damaging 38 blocks in the town of McComb. The 39 tornadoes that touched down on January 10 marked the most active tornadic day in January in U.S. history at that time.[5] The 52 tornadoes that touched down during January 1975 also set a U.S. record for the most tornadoes during that month. Both of these records were eventually broken in January of 1999.[6]
After a calm day on January 11, four more tornadoes touched down in Florida and Georgia on January 12, killing one person in Florida. By the time the outbreak was done it had produced 45 tornadoes, killed 12 people, injured 377 and caused $42 million in damages.[4]
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
45 1 28 14 1 1 0
January 9 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Oklahoma
F1 E of Ashland to SE of Arpelar Pittsburg 0430 12.4 miles
 (19.8 km) 
Louisiana
F2 N of Quebec to E of Transylvania Madison, East Carroll 0440 18 miles
 (28.8 km) Two homes were destroyed, along with numerous barns and outbuildings. Two trailers were also destroyed in the Alsatia area. A church and a parsonage were damaged as well. 6 people were injured.
Arkansas
F1 Springdale area Washington 0655 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 5 injuries.
Texas
F2 Daingerfield area Morris 0730 0.3 miles
 (0.5 km) 
Source: Grazulis (1975), Tornado History Project - January 9, 1975 Storm Data
January 10 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Texas
F2 Hooks area Bowie 0800 4 miles
 (6.4 km) 
F1 La Marque area Galveston 0955 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Jasper area Jasper 1030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Kountze area Jefferson 1030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Louisiana
F1 Vinton Calcasieu 1125 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F1 SE of Fishville Grant 1230 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Jennings to Evangeline Jefferson Davis, Acadia 1315 7.6 miles
 (12.2 km) 
F1 NE of Oak Grove West Carroll 1315 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 1 injury
F1 S of Mermentau to Crowley Acadia 1335 13.5 miles
 (21.6 km) 1 death - A trailer was destroyed near the touchdown point, resulting in the fatality. In Crowley, 6 trailers and 7 homes were damaged. A total of 8 people were injured.
F1 Lawtell area St. Landry 1400 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 5 injuries
Arkansas
F1 S of Stuttgart Arkansas 1210 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
Mississippi
F4 SW of McComb to SW Pinola Pike, Lincoln, Lawrence, Simpson 1414 56.5 miles
 (90.4 km) 9 deaths - Tornado destroyed 7 buildings and a marina near the beginning of its path. Major damage occurred in McComb, where many homes, apartments, vehicles and businesses were completely destroyed. Two schools and two National Guard armories were badly damaged as well. Many homes, trailers, and barns were destroyed in rural areas as well. Near the community of Camper, a trailer was completely destroyed, with its remains twisted around a utility pole. 210 people were injured and thousands of trees were snapped and uprooted.
F1 SE of Linwood to NW of Selma Adams 1448 11.9 miles
 (19 km) 
F2 Clinton to SE of Flora Hinds, Madison 1555 15 miles
 (24 km) A truck was overturned on I-20. One home was destroyed and another was badly damaged. 1 person was injured.
F2 SE of Greenfield Rankin 1610 4.5 miles
 (7.2 km) 
F1 S of Biloxi Harrison 2000 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F1 W of Pascagoula Jackson 2025 2.5 miles
 (4 km) 
F2 N of Helena Jackson 2030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) Two homes and two trailers were destroyed in the Helena area.
Illinois
F2 SE of Raleigh Saline 1715 2 miles
 (3.2 km) 
F1 Old Shawneetown area Gallatin 1732 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Indiana
F1 Harwood area Vanderburgh 1825 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
Alabama
F1 NE of East Brookwood Tuscaloosa 2030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Citronelle area Mobile 2045 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 N of Faunsdale Marengo 2045 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 N of Porter Jefferson 2045 2 miles
 (3.2 km) 4 houses were destroyed, along with two trailers. 4 minor injuries occurred.
F1 Vestavia Hills area Jefferson 2145 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Keystone area Shelby 2200 0.2 miles
 (0.32 km) 14 injuries
F3 W of Pell City to NE of Ragland St. Clair 2215 18.8 miles
 (30 km) 1 death - In Pell City, 49 homes were destroyed, and 259 others were damaged. 15 trailers and 27 businesses were damaged or destroyed as well. 5 homes were also destroyed in Ragland, and 48 others were damaged. Caused $7,000,000.
F1 NW of Loxley Baldwin 2215 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 Prattville area Autauga 2245 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 SW of Montgomery Montgomery 2250 2 miles
 (3.2 km) 
F2 SW of Davisville Macon 0000 1 miles
 (1.6 km) Major damage in the Cotton Valley area. 17 homes were destroyed and 28 others were damaged. 9 people were injured.
F2 NE of Salem Lee 2030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 3 homes and 5 trailers were destroyed. 22 homes were damaged and 6 people were injured.
F1 E of Ranburne Cleburne 2030 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Florida
F1 W of Mary Esther Okaloosa 2355 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 
F0 N of Ponce de Leon Holmes 0130 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
North Carolina
F2 W of Selica Transylvania 0230 4.3 miles
 (6.9 km) 
Source: Grazulis (1975), Tornado History Project - January 10, 1975 Storm Data
January 12 event[edit]

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Florida
F1 SW of Greenhead to N of Horrsville Washington, Jackson 1615 53 miles
 (84.8 km) A barn was destroyed and a house was unroofed. 12 people were injured.
F2 Panama City, FL to NE of Bethel, GA Bay, FL, Calhoun, Jackson, Seminole, GA, Decatur, Mitchell, Worth, Turner 1620 168.5 miles
 (269.6 km) 1 death - In Florida, 25 homes and trailers were torn apart. In Georgia, many trees were snapped and uprooted, and buildings were destroyed at an industrial park. 100 homes and 50 trailers were damaged in Georgia as well. A total of 18 people were injured. Was probably a family of tornadoes.
Georgia
F2 Lyons area Toombs 2215 2 miles
 (3.2 km) Tornado overturned trailers and tore roofs from several homes. Businesses in the area were destroyed as well.
Source: Grazulis (1975), Tornado History Project - January 12, 1975 Storm Data
Blizzard[edit]
As the storm system began to move northeastward out of Oklahoma, the cool air behind pulled down behind the system interacted with the moisture being pulled northward to produce snow over a large part of the Midwest. The snow began falling on Friday, January 10 and continued for the next two days. Snowfall of a foot (30.5 cm) or more was common from Nebraska to Minnesota, with a high amount of 27 inches (69 cm) in Riverton, Minnesota.[7] The heaviest snow fell to the west of the low pressure center, which tracked from northeast Iowa through central Minnesota up to Lake Superior.[2] Sustained winds of 30 – 50 mph (48 – 80 km/h) with gusts from 70 – 90 mph (113 – 145 km/h) produced snowdrifts up to 20 feet (6 m) in some locations.[8] Some roads were closed for up to 11 days.[9]
Sioux Falls, South Dakota saw visibilities of below 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) for 24 straight hours, and just east of Sioux Falls a 2,000-foot (610 m) broadcast tower collapsed under the storm's fury.[10] In Willmar, Minnesota, 168 passengers were trapped in a stranded train for hours, unable to walk to shelter because of dangerously low wind chill values.[11] In Omaha, Nebraska a foot (31 cm) of snow fell, Sioux Falls saw 7 inches (18 cm), Duluth, Minnesota saw 8 inches (20 cm), and International Falls, Minnesota saw 24 inches (61 cm).
Record low pressures were recorded in communities in Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with a low of 28.55 in (966.8 mb) in Duluth, Minnesota. In all, approximately 58 people died from effects of the blizzard and over 100,000 farm animals were lost.[12] The combination of snowfall totals, wind velocities, and cold temperatures made this one of the most severe blizzards the Upper Midwest has experienced.[10]
Record events[edit]
This storm system had, in part, a large effect on the weather in the entire eastern half of the country. A number of different weather records (at the time) were set during the four days of this storm, especially in daily high temperatures, wind gusts, low barometric pressure readings, and number of tornadoes.[1]
Daily high temperatures[edit]
January 10[edit]
Chicago, Illinois: 60 °F (15.6 °C)
Indianapolis, Indiana: 62 °F (16.7 °C)
Louisville, Kentucky: 66 °F (18.9 °C)
South Bend, Indiana: 61 °F (16.1 °C)
January 11[edit]
New York City, New York: 65 °F (18.3 °C)
Providence, Rhode Island: 61 °F (16.1 °C)
Washington DC: 75 °F (23.9 °C)
Low pressure measurements[edit]
Duluth, Minnesota: 28.55 in (966.8 mb)
Minneapolis, Minnesota: 28.62 in (969.2 mb)
Rochester, Minnesota: 28.67 in (970.9 mb)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 28.86 in (977.3 mb)
Rockford, Illinois: 28.87 in (977.6 mb)
St. Louis, Missouri: 28.93 in (979.7 mb)
Tornadoes[edit]
Most tornadoes on one day in January: 39
Most tornadoes in the United States during January: 52
See also[edit]
List of Minnesota weather records
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Wagner, A. James (1975). "Weather and Circulation of January 1975" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (Allen Press) 103 (4): 360–367. Bibcode:1975MWRv..103..360W. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1975)103<0360:WACOJ>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1520-0493. Retrieved 2006-12-14.[dead link]
2.^ Jump up to: a b Watson, Bruce (January 7, 2000). "1975 Blizzard" (.ram). PBS. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-21.
3.Jump up ^ National Geographic. "Forces of Nature". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
4.^ Jump up to: a b NCDC. "Storm Event Database". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
5.Jump up ^ NOAA (November 19, 2003). "Tornado Outbreak, January 21, 1999". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
6.Jump up ^ NOAA (February 9, 1999). "JANUARY TORNADO NUMBER BREAKS NATIONAL RECORDS". Archived from the original on 2006-09-29. Retrieved 2006-12-14.
7.Jump up ^ NWS - Milwaukee. "A Century of Wisconsin Weather in Review". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
8.Jump up ^ NWS - Duluth. "Memorable Northland Storms". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
9.Jump up ^ Minnesota Public Radio. "A Prairie Home Companion". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
10.^ Jump up to: a b NWS - Sioux Falls. "Big Weather Events of the 20th Century at Sioux Falls, SD". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
11.Jump up ^ Seely, Mark W. (2006). Minnesota Weather Almanac. Minnesota Historical Society press. ISBN 0-87351-554-4.
12.Jump up ^ NWS - Sioux Falls. "Siouxland Weather History and Trivia January". Retrieved 2006-12-14.
External links[edit]
Brainerd Daily Dispatch front page, January 11, 1975


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Tornado events in Alabama







































[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Major snow events in the United States
























































































This is a good article. Click here for more information.
the Super Bowl Blizzard injured 377 people and killed 100,000 farm animals
 


Categories: 1975 in the United States
1975 meteorology
Tornadoes in Alabama
Tornadoes in Florida
Blizzards in the United States
Tornadoes in Mississippi
1975 natural disasters
Natural disasters in Iowa
Natural disasters in Minnesota
Natural disasters in Nebraska
Natural disasters in South Dakota
F4 tornadoes
Natural disasters in Omaha, Nebraska
Tornadoes of 1975






Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 20 May 2014 at 00:46.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Storm_of_1975









1975 Omaha tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Coordinates: 41.25°N 96°W
1975 Omaha tornado

Date(s)
May 6–7, 1975
Duration
~2½ days
Tornadoes caused
36
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
unknown
Casualties
3
The 1975 Omaha tornado was a violent tornado that hit the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area. It was part of a two-day outbreak that struck the Midwest and Southern United States on May 6–7, 1975, ending in the very early hours of May 8 across Louisiana. South Dakota, Iowa, Texas and Mississippi were also struck by several tornadoes. In total, 36 tornadoes touched down across 6 states. The outbreak killed three people, while injuring hundreds more.


Contents  [hide]
1 Omaha Tornado event
2 Confirmed tornadoes 2.1 May 6 event
2.2 May 7 event
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

Omaha Tornado event[edit]
During the early afternoon of May 6, 1975, a tornado watch was issued for much of eastern Nebraska. Initial tornado activity started in northeast Nebraska throughout the first half of the afternoon. At around 4:15 PM, a tornado warning was issued for the Omaha area and an F4 tornado[1] touched down about 15 minutes later in Sarpy County, Nebraska. The storm then moved north-east, cutting into Douglas County crossing Interstate 80 (injuring several motorists) and through west-central sections of the city of Omaha. The tornado chopped a path across 10 miles (16 km) of streets and residences, crossing the city's busiest intersection at 72nd & Dodge. Extensive damage occurred along 72nd street, with numerous homes and apartments severely damaged, along with Creighton Prep School and the United Methodist Church. The Westgate subdivision was devastated, with many homes leveled, and a few that were swept away. The nearby Westgate Elementary School was destroyed. Bergan Mercy Hospital, Lewis and Clark high school, a motel, and several industrial buildings were severely damaged as well. The tornado later lifted in the Benson Park area at 4:58.[2]
In one remarkable instance, First United Methodist Church minister of music Mel Olson spotted the rolling clouds in the sky outside the windows of the room where he was rehearsing a children's choir. He led them to safety below the church building. The building, located at 70th and Cass Streets, was struck and heavily damaged by the twister. The room where the children had been practicing, with three walls of windows, was hit and the glass exploded.
Three people were killed and 133 reported injured. One of the fatalities was thrown several feet by the tornado from her home to a backyard four or five houses away.[3] Debris was found miles away. Over 4,000 buildings were damaged and 287 were destroyed. In terms of damage, it was the costliest tornado in American history to that date, with insurance costs estimated at up to $1.1 billion (in 1975). It was the third costliest tornado, behind the Oklahoma City area F5 tornado on May 3, 1999 and the Wichita Falls, Texas tornadoes on April 10, 1979.
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
36 11 6 14 3 2 0
May 6 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
South Dakota
F0 SW of Kimball Brule 1705 12.4 miles
 (19.8 km) Barns and farm structures were destroyed on four separate farms. 5 cattle were killed.
F1 SW of Tabor Bon Homme 1946 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) Two barns were destroyed and a farmhouse was partially unroofed.
F0 SW of Tripp Bon Homme 2010 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Nebraska
F4 N of Pierce Pierce 1905 4.1 miles
 (6.6 km) Tornado struck the town of Magnet, damaging or destroying every building in town. Homes were leveled, cattle were killed, and vehicles were thrown over 200 yards and destroyed. Remarkably, only one person was injured.
F3 E of Pierce to W of Menominee Pierce, Cedar, Knox 1915 44.8 miles
 (71.7 km) Tornado destroyed barns and trailers and killed livestock. Homes and vehicles were damaged on the west side of Pierce.
F0 SW of Bloomfield Knox 1930 5.4 miles
 (8.6 km) 
F3 N of Stanton Stanton, Wayne 1945 15.9 miles
 (25.4 km) 
F0 SE of Colon Saunders 2100 3.4 miles
 (5.4 km) 
F0 S of Waterbury Dixon 2130 3 miles
 (4.8 km) 
F4 Omaha area Sarpy, Douglas 2133 8 miles
 (12.8 km) 3 deaths - See section above
Iowa
F2 NE of Crescent Pottawattamie, Harrison 2200 12.8 miles
 (20.5 km) 
F2 W of Beebeetown Pottawattamie, Harrison 2220 10.6 miles
 (17 km) 
Source:
Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 6, 1975, Grazulis (1975)

May 7 event[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (UTC)
Path length
Damage
Mississippi
F3 W of New Hope Lowndes 1145 0.2 miles
 (0.32 km) Trees down and light house damage.
F0 Biloxi area Harrison 1710 0.2 miles
 (0.32 km) Sign twisted.
F2 NE of Smyrna Copiah 1750 9.7 miles
 (15.5 km) 
F1 S of Eaton Forrest, Jones 1930 5.4 miles
 (8.6 km) Struck the town of Providence, where two homes were unroofed, and another was badly damaged. Many trees were downed, some of which landed on houses and roads. Two chicken houses were destroyed as well.
South Dakota
F0 N of Manchester to SE of Caprey Kingsbury 1655 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 E of Wendte Stanley 1800 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F0 W of Onida Sully 1955 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F0 SW of Onida Sully 2130 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F0 N of Mission Ridge Sully 2220 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Texas
F2 NE of Kingsland Travis 2200 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F1 N of Leander Williamson 2300 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 
F2 NW of Nolanville Bell 2300 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Iowa
F2 SE of Manteno Crawford 2330 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 NW of Jacksonville Shelby 0000 9.9 miles
 (15.8 km) 
F0 Creston area Union 0015 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 SW of Van Wert Decatur 0100 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) A barn and two hog houses were destroyed.
F2 Osceola area Clarke 0130 10 miles
 (16 km) 6 farms were damaged in the area, where barns and sheds were destroyed. The roof and doors were ripped from one house.
Louisiana
F2 W of Clare Sabine 0400 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
F2 Welsh area Jefferson Parish 0605 1 miles
 (1.6 km) 4 trailers and 6 homes were destroyed. One trailer was found deposited in a treetop. Many trees were snapped and uprooted and 3 people were injured.
F1 Mansfield area De Soto 0615 0.7 miles
 (1.1 km) 
F2 SW of Estherwood Acadia 0700 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F1 S of Duson Lafayette 0730 0.5 miles
 (0.8 km) 
F2 Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge 0730 6.2 miles
 (9.9 km) 
F2 NW of Jack St. Helena 0800 (05/08) 0.1 miles
 (0.16 km) 
Source:
Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 7, 1975, Tornado History Project - Storm Data for May 8, 1975, Grazulis (1975),

See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ NWS Storm Summary and Damage Survey - May 1975 Omaha Tornado
2.Jump up ^ "Damage Photos from the '75 Omaha Tornado". NWS Omaha. NWS Omaha. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
3.Jump up ^ Omaha 5/6/75
External links[edit]
Black Tuesday: May 6, 1975

[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 costliest US tornadoes
Rank
Area affected
Date
Damage 1
Adjusted Damage 2

1
Joplin, Missouri May 22, 2011 2800 2935
2
Tuscaloosa, Alabama April 27, 2011 2450 2569
3
Moore, Oklahoma May 20, 2013 2000 2025
4
Oklahoma City Metro, Oklahoma May 3, 1999 1000 1415
5
Hackleburg, Alabama April 27, 2011 1290 1352
6
Wichita Falls, Texas April 10, 1979 400 1299
7
Omaha, Nebraska May 6, 1975 250 1094
8
Washington, Illinois November 17, 2013 935 947
9
Lubbock, Texas May 11, 1970 250 820
10
Topeka, Kansas June 8, 1966 250 726
Source: Brooks, Harold E.; C. A. Doswell (Feb 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 16 (1): 168–76. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2. 3
1. These are the unadjusted damage totals in millions of US dollars.
 2. Raw damage totals adjusted for inflation, in millions of 2014 USD.
 3. A search of NCDC Storm Data indicates no tornadoes between 1999 and 2010 have caused more than $400 million in damage.
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1975
Tornadoes in Nebraska
Natural disasters in Omaha, Nebraska
1975 in the United States




Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 28 June 2014 at 13:02.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Omaha_tornado_outbreak









1975 Canton, Illinois tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Coordinates: 40.55°N 90.03°W
Canton, Illinois Tornado

F3 tornado

Date
July 23, 1975
Time
4:45 PM
Casualties
2+ fatalities, 69 injuries[1]
Damages
$25 million (1975)
Areas affected
Canton, Illinois
The Canton, Illinois Tornadoes of 1975 is a destructive summer tornado event which occurred as part of a significant severe thunderstorm outbreak concentrated from eastern Iowa across northern and central Illinois on the afternoon and evening of July 23, 1975.[2][3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Outbreak
2 Canton tornadoes 2.1 First tornado
2.2 Canton tornado
3 Science benefits
4 1835 Canton tornado
5 See also
6 References

Outbreak[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
3 1 0 0 2 0 0
Widespread significantly severe damaging wind occurred in many areas across eastern Iowa and the northwestern third of Illinois. Many corn fields were flattened and trees were downed, and light structural damage occurred. Power was cut to thousands across the western and northwestern suburbs of Chicago.[3] Around 5:05 pm, a rope-like tornado with multiple funnels was sighted on a farm southwest of Toulon, Illinois, following a left-curving path, before lifting 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Toulon, leaving crop damage and was rated F0 with a path length of 0.5 miles (0.80 km) and width of 20 yards (18 m).[4] A wind gust of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) was measured near Peoria and a funnel cloud was spotted at Groveland. Lightning also damaged several houses and buildings. One woman was killed when venturing outside to close her car windows and a six-story International Harvester warehouse was ignited into a large fire.[3]
Canton tornadoes[edit]
The supercell thunderstorm first showed evidence in the damage survey near Bushnell. On several farms broad convergent and cyclonic crop damage exhibited evidence of the parent tornadocyclone. Trees were uprooted and structural damage varied with windows broken and buildings partially unroofed. A funnel cloud was spotted at 4:01 pm about 3 miles (4.8 km) south of Prairie City.[3]
First tornado[edit]
The first tornado of a complex combination of tornado family and extreme downbursts touched down at 4:30 p.m. about 14 miles (23 km) west of the small city of Canton (or 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Blyton) and immediately grew to very large size in agrarian central Fulton County. It continued meandering rural areas with an average movement of easterly roughly near Illinois Route 9 for 11.1 miles (17.9 km) before ending about 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Fiatt. A grain elevator was leveled and blown about 0.75 miles (1.21 km) away. Total damages were around $250,000. A University of Chicago team headed by Ted Fujita surveyed the damage path as 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide at times and suction spot crop damage indicated a multiple vortex tornado.[3][5]
Canton tornado[edit]



 Detailed tornado and downburst track map by Ted Fujita and Gregory S. Forbes.[6]
Before that tornado lifted, a second tornado touched down to the left of the first tornado at 4:45 p.m. on the east side of Fiatt, and it too in conjunction with intense downburst winds proceeded in a meandering path roughly eastward roughly along Route 9. There was no break in the damage because of the proximity of the tornadoes and the accompanying exceptionally intense downburst activity.[3][5]
This tornado roared into Canton with a damage path 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, essentially destroying or heavily damaging the entire southern half of the town. It devastated much of the downtown area, destroying or damaging 127 businesses concentrated within a five block swath. Many of these buildings were completely destroyed and others were so severely damaged to require razing. The tornado caused heavy residential losses with about 100 frame houses destroyed and an additional 300 damaged; 50 trailers were destroyed and another 100 were damaged. Two people were killed at Horton's Mobile Home Manor on the eastern side of town. Sixty-nine people were injured, of which 14 required hospitalization and 45 were treated and released. Straight-line winds from downbursts inflicted less intense damage across the remainder of town. Total damages amounted to around $25 million (1975 USD). Power was not restored to some areas for a week. The National Guard was deployed, and the damage was so immense and overwhelming that the city was declared a federal disaster area.[7] All stores except for those selling food were forced to close, most perishable food required trashing, and the town was immediately closed to non-residents not on official business.[3][5]
Farms also suffered substantial damage to crops and buildings with agricultural losses over $3 million. The high-end F3 tornado continued for approximately another 6 miles (9.7 km) to about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Banner for a total path length of 14 miles (23 km).[3][5] Total tornado area was 37.5 sq. miles (60 km²) with a very high destruction potential index (DPI) -- integrating intensity, path length, and width[8]—value of 150.[2]
Science benefits[edit]
It was first thought to be a single tornado event of over 25 miles (40 km), but a meticulous damage survey by the renowned severe weather expert Ted Fujita documented the complex interactions of downbursts, microbursts, and tornadoes, and much was learned meteorologically from this event. Downbursts, a recent concept by Fujita at the time (the Super Outbreak the year before was also significant in their conceptual development), covered a very large area; these as well as a continuous series of smaller but very intense microbursts were responsible for the meandering course of the tornadoes (although the average of the path was linear) and for some changes in intensity. It is thought that a microburst may be responsible for breaking up the first tornado. A continuous damage swath connected the events regardless. Conversely, another microburst seems to have caused the tornado to intensify on the eastern side of Canton and coincided with the two deaths. The most intense pure tornadic damage width was 0.5 miles (0.80 km).[9]
1835 Canton tornado[edit]
Canton and surrounding areas were devastated by an earlier tornado on June 18, 1835. Touching down around 10 p.m., it decimated rural farms, killing four; before it traversed through Canton, killing four in town, including the town's founder and his young son. Injuries totaled forty. This tornado damaged or destroyed about fifty buildings in Canton with a total damage width of about 0.25 miles (0.40 km).[9]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Rear flank downdraft and forward flank downdraft
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Tornado Kills 3 in Illinois
2.^ Jump up to: a b Storm Prediction Center National Severe Weather Database
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena, July 1975". Storm Data (Asheville, NC: National Climatic Data Center) 17 (7): 19. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
4.Jump up ^ "Stark County Tornadoes, 1951 to 2010". Tornado Climatology for Central and Southeast Illinois. National Weather Service Central Illinois WFO. 2011-08-30. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Fulton County Tornadoes, 1951 to 2010". Tornado Climatology for Central and Southeast Illinois. National Weather Service Central Illinois WFO. 2011-09-11. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
6.Jump up ^ Fujita, Tetsuya Theodore (1978). "Manual of downburst identification for Project NIMROD". SMRP Research Paper (Chicago: University of Chicago) 156.
7.Jump up ^ FEMA: Illinois TORNADO
8.Jump up ^ Thompson, Richard L.; Michael D. Vescio (September 1998). "The Destruction Potential Index — A Method for Comparing Tornado Days". 19th Conf. Severe Local Storms. Minneapolis, MN: American Meteorological Society. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2007.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991, A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. pp. 1177–8. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
"Tornado Kills Three in Illinois". The Washington Post; Jul 24, 1975; A7.
 


Categories: F3 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1975
Fulton County, Illinois
Tornadoes in Illinois
1975 in Illinois




Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 16 February 2014 at 17:06.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Canton,_Illinois_tornado









April 1977 Birmingham tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search




 Smithfield area hit by an F5 tornado on April 4, 1977 (NWS Birmingham)
The April 1977 Birmingham tornado was a powerful tornado that struck the northern suburbs of the Greater Birmingham Area in central Alabama during the afternoon of April 4, 1977.


Contents  [hide]
1 Birmingham tornado
2 Other tornadoes
3 Tornado table
4 Tornadoes confirmed 4.1 April 4, 1977
4.2 April 5, 1977
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Birmingham tornado[edit]
Beginning just a few miles north of Birmingham near Tarrant, the tornado proceeded north through northern Jefferson County producing F5 damage in Smithfield, northeast of Ensley. The tornado, which was at times 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) wide, was blamed for 22 deaths, more than 125 injuries, and $25 million in damage. Hundreds of homes were completely destroyed, many of which were completely swept away, despite being well-built. Some of the homes built into hillsides even had their cinder-block basement walls swept away. Many trees in the area were snapped and debarked and vehicles were thrown and destroyed. Two dump-trucks were thrown through the air near I-65 as well. Daniel Payne College suffered extensive damage, forcing it to permanently close due to the extent of the destruction.[1] Dr. Ted Fujita followed the tornado and supercell from an airplane and while surveying damage he rated the Smithfield tornado an F5.[2]
Other tornadoes[edit]
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Alabama 23 Jefferson 22
St. Clair 1
Georgia 1 Floyd 1
Totals 24 
All deaths were tornado-related
In addition to this tornado, several other tornadoes were reported from the same system in the Midwest, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina. One tornado in Floyd County, Georgia, killed one person, and another fatality was reported east of Birmingham in St. Clair County. The severe weather that day also contributed to the crash of Southern Airways Flight 242, which crashed near New Hope, Georgia, killing 70 people.[citation needed]
The F5 tornado touched down near the end of the path of three other violent tornadoes that struck the Birmingham region in 1956, 1998, and 2011. The 1956 tornado was an F4 that struck McDonald Chapel, killing 25. In 1998, an F5 tornado started north of Tuscaloosa before ending southwest of Tarrant after killing 32. The 2011 tornado was an EF4 that devastated Tuscaloosa before moving across northern Hueytown as well as Fultondale, killing 64 people.[1]
Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
21 1 9 6 4 0 1
Tornadoes confirmed[edit]
April 4, 1977[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (CDT)
Path length
Damage
Mississippi
F1 SW of Florence Rankin 0600 0.1 mile (0.16 km) 
F3 NE of Philadelphia Neshoba, Kemper 0800 11.7 miles (18.7 km) Two homes, two trailers, a store, and a beauty shop were destroyed. A house and other structures were damaged. $85,000 in damage.
F3 S of Macon Calhoun 0900 9.1 miles (14.6 km) A trailer, a house, and a silo were destroyed. Other farm structures were damaged and one person was injured. $25,000 in damage.
Missouri
F0 SE of Hannibal Marion 0930 0.2 mile (0.32 km) 
Alabama
F2 N of Hanceville Cullman 1112 5.9 miles (9.4 km) Two homes were badly damaged and two trailers were destroyed.
F2 SE of Scottsboro Jackson 1220 6.9 miles (11 km) 16 homes and four farm buildings were damaged.
F2 SW of Ragland St. Clair 1230 0.5 miles (0.8 km) Two homes were destroyed and three others were badly damaged.
F2 S of Springville St. Clair 1400 3.3 miles (5.3 km) One house and five barns were destroyed in the Springville area. Five other homes and 10 barns were damaged.
F3 SE of Ashville St. Clair 1430 7.3 miles (11.7 km) 1 death - A business, a house, and three trailers were destroyed. A woman was killed by a falling tree. 16 other homes were damaged.
F2 S of Southside Etowah 1430 4.7 miles (7.5 km) Three houses and six trailers were destroyed. 17 outbuildings and nine homes were damaged as well.
F5 NW of Birmingham to NE of Tarrant Jefferson 1500 14.7 miles (23.5 km) 22 deaths - See section above
Kentucky
F1 N of Elkton Todd 1330 0.8 mile (1.3 km) 
Georgia
F3 S of Lindale Floyd 1515 8.8 miles (14.1 km) 1 death - Major damage in the Lindale area. 12 trailers were destroyed and nine others were damaged. Four frame homes were destroyed and 20 others were badly damaged. Three farms sustained major damage, and four others sustained lesser damage. 15 people were injured.
F1 S of Adairsville Bartow 1530 5.7 miles (9.1 km) Three trailers, three houses, eight chicken houses, and seven service buildings were destroyed. Multiple other structures were damaged.
F1 SE of Chatsworth Murray 1545 2 miles (3.2 km) 
F1 SE of Dahlonega Lumpkin 1900 5.2 miles (8.3 km) Five chicken houses were destroyed and 15 others were damaged. Five homes were damaged, and major tree damage occurred as well.
Indiana
F1 Edgewood Madison 1700 0.5 mile (0.8 km) 
North Carolina
F1 NW of Elkin Wilkes 2030 6.4 miles (10.2 km) 
Sources: Storm Data for April 4, 1977, Grazulis (1977)
April 5, 1977[edit]

F#
Location
County
Time (CDT)
Path length
Damage
Georgia
F1 NE of Sparks Cook 0145 5.4 miles (8.7 km) 
Virginia
F1 N of Onancock Accomack 0800 2 miles (3.2 km) 
Pennsylvania
F2 SE of Harrisburg Dauphin 1550 2 miles (3.2 km) Six homes were destroyed and 29 others were damaged. A woman was injured when her trailer was overturned.
Sources: Storm Data for April 5, 1977, Grazulis (1977)
See also[edit]
List of F5 tornadoes
April 1998 Birmingham tornado
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Other Birmingham Area Tornadoes
2.Jump up ^ NOAA's National Weather Service - Birmingham, Alabama
External links[edit]
Storm Data
List of Birmingham, Alabama killer tornadoes
April 4, 1977 tornado maps - Tornado History Project
The Birmingham F5 tornado - Tornado History Project
NWS Birmingham summary of the April 4, 1977 Smithfield tornado


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Tornado events in Alabama


Enigma (1884) ·
 April 1908 ·
 March 1913 ·
 May 1917 ·
 Palm Sunday (1920) ·
 April 1920 ·
 May 1929 ·
 March 1932 ·
 May 1933 ·
 April 1936 ·
 McDonald Chapel (1956) ·
 April 1957 ·
 Super Outbreak (1974) ·
 January 1975 ·
 Birmingham (1977) ·
 Huntsville (1989) ·
 November 1992 ·
 Palm Sunday (1994) ·
 Huntsville (1995) ·
 Birmingham (1998) ·
 Tuscaloosa (2000) ·
 November 2001 ·
 Veterans Day (2002) ·
 Hurricane Katrina (2005) ·
 November 2005 ·
 September 2006 ·
 November 2006 ·
 March 2007 ·
 January 2008 ·
 Super Tuesday (2008) ·
 April 2009 ·
 April 2010 ·
 April 2011
 

 


Categories: F5 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1977
Tornadoes in Alabama
1977 in the United States





Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 29 April 2014 at 18:39.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1977_Birmingham_tornado











1978 Whippoorwill tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

1978 Whippoorwill Tornado

Date(s)
June 17, 1978
Duration
8 miles
Tornadoes caused
1
Damages
unknown
Casualties
16
The 1978 Whippoorwill Tornado also known as the Whippoorwill Disaster was a tornado that struck on June 17, 1978. The tornado struck a tourist boat called the Whippoorwill, causing it to capsize and drowning sixteen out of the 58 passengers and crew.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Storm history
2 Impact
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 References

Storm history[edit]
The tornado formed at 7 p.m. (CST) and moved erratically eastward for 8 miles before dissipating near the small town of Michigan Valley. The tornado was too small to be detected on radar, and eyewitnesses stated that the tornado was only 150 yards wide but had a multiple vortex structure. Some reported another tornado in the area although it was not confirmed by the National Weather Service.[1][2]
Impact[edit]
At the time of the tornado, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Franklin County, Kansas. At the same time, the showboat, Whippoorwill left its mooring at Pomona Lake carrying 58 passengers and crew. Eyewitnesses of the disaster stated that they saw the tornado forming at the west end of the lake. The tornado strengthened as it raced toward the boat. The tornado struck the boat and capsized it before moving on to land.[3]
After the tornado moved away, rescuers began to pick survivors off from the hull of the capsized ship. One rescuer The owner of Lighthouse Bay Marina, and diver, Lawrence Stadel, dove under the boat found two more survivors, trapped in air pockets. The tornado that capsized the boat later caused minimal damage to mobile homes before dissipating.[1][3]
Aftermath[edit]
The Whippoorwill was bought by Lawrence Stadel and was restored to a houseboat, and the name changed. The owners of the ship closed down their dinner theater a few years after the disaster.[3]
See also[edit]
tornado
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c National Weather Service (2006). "1978 WHIPPOORWILL TORNADO DISASTER". NOAA. Archived from the original on 8 January 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
2.Jump up ^ "Tornadoes:Case Studies". Thinkquest. Archived from the original on 7 November 2006. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c Cleon Rickel. "Pomona Lake tornado resulted in tragedy". Ottawa Herald. Archived from the original on 2006-10-17. Retrieved 2006-12-04.
 


Categories: F0 and F1 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1978
Tornadoes in Kansas
Maritime incidents in 1978
1978 in the United States
1978 in Kansas


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 13 January 2014 at 21:01.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Whippoorwill_tornado











1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

The 1978 Bossier City tornado outbreak was an outbreak of 11 tornadoes that occurred during the early morning hours of December 3, 1978, in Louisiana and Arkansas. The outbreak produced several significant (F2–F5) tornadoes, several of which were long tracked. The first and most destructive of the tornadoes was a violent F4 tornado touched down on the eastern bank of the Red River in Bossier City, Louisiana, at approximately 1:50 a.m. CST. The tornado produced a path up to .5 miles (0.8 km) wide and nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) long through the heart of Bossier City. The only two deaths to occur in Bossier City were two young girls who were killed when a car was thrown through their bedroom wall. The Bossier City tornado became the fifth tornado in American history to produce at least $100 million (non-adjusted) in damage.[1]



Contents  [hide]
1 Meteorological synopsis
2 Tornado table
3 Notable tornadoes 3.1 Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana
4 References 4.1 Bibliography
5 External links

Meteorological synopsis[edit]
On Monday, November 27, 1978, a cold front moved through Northwest Louisiana. By Friday, December 1, a positively-tilted trough was present in the upper atmosphere from the High Plains to the Desert Southwest. This allowed Gulf moisture to return to the lower part of the atmosphere Friday night. The placement of the upper atmospheric trough allowed very little movement of the associated front from Thursday to Saturday. At this time, the front stretched over north Texas, Southern Missouri, Southwestern Arkansas, and Southeast Oklahoma. This front was unusually strong for the month of December, and placed the Shreveport area under the right exit region of a strong jet stream. The strong synoptic-scale lifting was favorable to thunderstorm formation. Also at this time, a low pressure system had developed over Northeast Texas. This caused increased low-level wind shear that enabled the development of thunderstorms. Meanwhile, a warm temperature plume, or inversion, at the 850-millibar geopotential height allowed low-level instability to increase. CAPE thus soared to 2,179 j/kg on December 2, the evening before the outbreak began.[2]

Tornado table[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
11 2 3 5 2 1 0

[hide]List of confirmed tornadoes

F#

Location

County

Time (UTC)

Path length

Damage

Louisiana
F4 S of Shreveport to Bossier City Bossier 0750 6.2 miles (10.0 km) 2 deaths – See section on this tornado – Devastated a large part of Bossier City but surprisingly caused few deaths, considering the nighttime occurrence. 266 people were injured.
F3 SW of Cotton Valley to NE of Spearsville Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Union 0830 61.1 miles (98.3 km) Only minor damage occurred as this tornado passed through rural areas, though the tornado may have not been continuously in contact with the ground.[3] The tornado snapped or blew down hundreds of trees as it crossed the Kisatchie National Forest. The path ended near Lockhart in Union Parish.[4]
F3 NW of Heflin to E of Junction City, AR Webster, Claiborne, Union, Union (AR) 0938 60 miles (97 km) 2 deaths – The tornado skipped through the Tillman community, killing two men in trailer homes.[3][4] One home sustained F3 damage north of Marsalis. Other homes sustained near-F3 damage east of Athens. In all, the tornado damaged or destroyed about 25 frame homes.[4] Only minor damage occurred in Arkansas.[3] Four people were injured.
Arkansas
F2 SW of Amy to S of Ivan Ouachita, Dallas 0800 25.2 miles (40.6 km) One unoccupied home was destroyed and another was moved 8 feet (2.4 m) off its foundation. The tornado also destroyed 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of forestland.[4]
F2 SW of El Dorado Union 0925 6.4 miles (10.3 km) 1 death – Reportedly formed from the same storm that produced the Bossier City tornado.[3] A tornado destroyed four trailers, six houses, and numerous outbuildings. A woman was fatally crushed in her trailer by falling trees. Seven people were injured nearby.[4]
F1 SE of Pine Bluff Jefferson 0930 3.8 miles (6.1 km) A tornado damaged homes and outbuildings in Ladd.[3]
F1 NE of Calion to SE of Harrell Calhoun 1000 8.4 miles (13.5 km) A tornado damaged several buildings.[3]
F1 SE of Humphrey to N of Crocketts Bluff Arkansas 1030 25.3 miles (40.7 km) Damages reached $25 million.[3]
F1 S of Holly Grove Monroe 1055 0.5 miles (0.80 km) Only one home was damaged.[3]
F2 Marianna Lee 1112 1 mile (1.6 km) A short-lived tornado destroyed five airport buildings and two trailers. Five aircraft were damaged or destroyed, and 30 homes were reported damaged.[4]
F2 SE of Star City to E of Gould Lincoln, Desha 1115 18.6 miles (29.9 km) Many buildings and homes were "torn apart." Total damage reached $500,000.[4]
Source: National Climatic Database Center
Notable tornadoes[edit]
Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana[edit]
In deep East Texas, a series of supercell thunderstorms developed ahead of a squall line. As thunderstorms approached the area, a severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 1:27 a.m. CST for northern Caddo and Bossier Parishes. The supercell which spawned the tornado tracked over the town of Deadwood, Texas, before moving over Southwood High School, Pierremont Mall, and the VA Hospital in Shreveport with no reports of tornadic activity. The National Weather Service office in Shreveport clocked the supercell's winds at 52 miles per hour (84 km/h). Due to radar indication of possible rotation, the NWS issued a tornado warning at 1:33 a.m. CST. At 1:50 a.m. the tornado may have touched down just south of downtown Shreveport, causing damage, though post-storm analysis suggested that this was likely related to downburst activity.[4] The circulation then crossed into the Central Park subdivision in western central Bossier City and made full contact with the ground.[5] The tornado caused minor damage in the Central Park neighborhood which amounted to some roof damage and fallen trees. The tornado's track across Old Minden Road brought it through the SWEPCO power substation, creating a tangle of power lines and connectors.
The tornado then crossed Interstate 20 and then Barksdale Boulevard, making its way into the Heart of Bossier Shopping Center and causing extensive damage. As it touched down near the Heart of Bossier Shopping Center, it destroyed Christmas decorations, street lights, and sign posts. Baskin Robbins and Pancho's were among the businesses in the Heart of Bossier Shopping Center which sustained major damage. It continued northeast across Old Minden Road striking a power substation, the Port-au-Prince apartments, the Sheraton Hotel, and Rusheon Junior High School. Two buildings at the Port-au-Prince Apartments lost their roofs and cars throughout the parking lot were piled on top of each other. The Sheraton hotel and Rusheon Junior High School also sustained roof damage and broken windows. As the tornado traveled along Interstate 20, several 18-wheelers were toppled by the winds. It continued parallel to Interstate 20 into the Airline Drive Business District, where it produced widespread F3 damage.[5] In this area, numerous businesses were damaged or completely leveled, including Pizza Hut, the Best Western, the Master Hosts Inn, Whataburger, Thrifty Liquor and K-Mart. A small area surrounding the Whataburger received high-end F3 to marginal F4 winds.[6] One noted anomaly was the minor damage caused to the Whataburger. It was later speculated that the position of the Whataburger situated between two suction vortices.
The tornado made its way through K-Mart and the intersection of Airline Drive and U.S. Highway 80 throwing several mobile homes out into the middle of U.S. Route 80. After crossing U.S Route 80, the tornado moved through a sparsely populated area and then into the Meadowview and Swan Lake submissions, destroying substantial parts of the neighborhood. Traveling into the Meadowview neighborhood, the tornado tore through several streets of housing. It was in this neighborhood that the only two deaths occurred from this tornado. In this area the tornado was at F4 intensity, with winds estimated at about 260 miles per hour (420 km/h); several I-beams weighing 700 pounds (318 kg) were thrown hundreds of feet and speared into the ground.[5][6] On La Don Drive, Lisa and Jana Currington, ages 13 and 8, were killed when a car was thrown through the wall of the bedroom they were sleeping in.[4] Aerial photography revealed a distinct swath of ground scouring in the Meadowview area.[6] Meadowview Elementary School suffered extensive damage with one wing of the school being completely destroyed. Nearby, a National Guard armory was completely destroyed. As it crossed Interstate 220, the tornado leveled the Northwest Louisiana State School. As it passed through the Stockwell Place subdivision, the tornado again produced F4 damage to several homes.[7] The storm continued to track northeastward until it dissipated over the Red Chute area.[5]
Total damage from the tornado reached $100 million (1978 USD),[1][5] making the tornado one of the top 30 costliest on record in the United States.[8] Dr. Tetsuya T. Fujita surveyed the tornado damage and completed extensive surveys on the ground and from the air. He assigned the F4 rating after extensive investigation, though the F4 damage only occurred in small sections of the Meadowview, Swan Lake, and Stockwell Place subdivisions.[5][7] In all, the tornado destroyed 75 homes and 51 businesses throughout a large part of Bossier City, and damaged hundreds of other buildings.[4]
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Grazulis, The Tornado, 206.
2.Jump up ^ "December 3, 1978 Bossier City Tornado Meteorological Discussion". Shreveport, Louisiana: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data (Asheville, North Carolina: United States Department of Commerce) 20 (12). December 1978.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Grazulis, Significant Tornadoes, 1206.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "December 3, 1978 Bossier City Tornado Track Overview". Shreveport, Louisiana: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c "December 3, 1978 Bossier City Tornado Pictures". Shreveport, Louisiana: National Weather Service. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
7.^ Jump up to: a b "December 3, 1978 Bossier City Tornado If it Happened Today...". Shreveport, Louisiana: National Weather Service. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
8.Jump up ^ Brooks, Harold E.; C. A. Doswell (Feb 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 16 (1): 168–76. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2.
Bossier City Tornado (Out of Print), Westone Publishing

Bibliography[edit]
Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
— (2003). The Tornado: Nature’s Ultimate Windstorm. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0.
External links[edit]
Bossier Parish Tornadoes (1950 - 9/2004)
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/shv/BossierTornado/
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1978
Tornadoes in Louisiana
1978 in Louisiana


Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 7 August 2014 at 23:31.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Bossier_City_tornado_outbreak









1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak
Wfalls01.jpg
Destruction in Wichita Falls, Texas after the tornado.

Date(s)
April 10–11, 1979
Duration
2 days
Tornadoes caused
59 confirmed
Maximum rated tornado
F4 (Fujita scale)
Damages
unknown
Casualties
58
The 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak was a tornado event that occurred on April 10, 1979 near the Red River Valley. It is noted for the F4 tornado that hit Wichita Falls, Texas and is commonly referred to as "Terrible Tuesday" by many meteorologists. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 10-April 11, 1979.


Contents  [hide]
1 Formation of the tornadoes 1.1 Wichita Falls
2 Damage
3 Confirmed tornadoes 3.1 April 10 event
3.2 April 11 event
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links and sources

Formation of the tornadoes[edit]
A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. There was strong upper level dynamics all coming together to produce strong tornado-producing supercells. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. They moved northeastward, and as a trio spawned families of tornadoes. These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak. The first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas at around 3:05 p.m. About 35 minutes later, the first killer tornado of the outbreak ripped through Vernon and killed 11 people. Then the supercell spawned a tornado that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. The second supercell spawned a tornado that moved 64 miles (103 km).



 More destruction from the Wichita Falls tornado
Wichita Falls[edit]
The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour, Texas and Wichita Falls tornadoes. The supercell formed a family of three tornadoes. The first formed near Seymour at around 4:53 p.m. The storm spawned a second tornado and moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 p.m. The storm spawned another tornado near Waurika, Oklahoma at around 8:00 p.m.
The Wichita Falls tornado formed in Archer County, Texas and moved northeast and damaged a few rural homes and high voltage towers. The tornado rapidly intensified as it entered the city near Memorial Stadium by McNiel Jr. High on Southwest Parkway, which was located to the west of Wichita Falls at approximately 6:07 p.m. damaging both structures severely. Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up.
Outbreak death toll

State
Total
County
County
 total
Indiana 1 Warrick 1
Oklahoma 3 Comanche 3
Texas 54 Wichita 42
Wilbarger 12
Totals 58 
All deaths were tornado-related,
The massive wedge tornado, which was at its maximum 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, cut a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) swath of destruction through the south side of town, leveling everything in its path. The tornado destroyed an apartment complex near the beginning of its path. The tornado also took its first lives at the complex. The tornado later destroyed a restaurant, the majority of Sikes Senter, the major mall in the town, and another apartment complex where the tornado took more lives. Neighborhoods all along Southwest Parkway were leveled and nothing but debris and destruction remained.
A number of people tried to flee as the tornado moved along U.S. Highways 281 and 287. More people were killed in their cars. The tornado then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance into a multiple vortex tornado. There were at times 5 separate vortices spinning around the parent tornado. It did more damage south of Dean and Byers, TX, but no more fatalities occurred. The tornado crossed into Oklahoma where additional damage occurred before it dissipated.
Damage[edit]
At the end of the outbreak, 54 people lost their lives in Texas, three were killed in Oklahoma and one was killed in Indiana. The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people. The tornado caused $400 million in damage. An 8 miles (13 km) swath of the city had significant devastation.
Confirmed tornadoes[edit]
Confirmed
Total Confirmed
F0 Confirmed
F1 Confirmed
F2 Confirmed
F3 Confirmed
F4 Confirmed
F5
59 10 18 25 4 2 0
April 10 event[edit]
List of confirmed tornadoes - Thursday, August 1, 2013[nb 1]

F#
Location
County / Parish
State
Start Coord.
Time (UTC)
Path length
Max width
Summary
Refs

F0 S of Crosbyton Crosby TX 33.65°N 101.23°W 1908 2 miles (3.2 km)   [1][2]
F0 E of Plainview Hale TX 34.20°N 101.68°W 1938 0.1 miles (160 m)   [1][2]
F2 SW of Foard City to S of Rayland Foard TX 33.85°N 99.80°W 2105 22.1 miles (35.6 km)  Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. [1][2]
F4 SE of Rayland, TX to NE of Davidson, OK Foard (TX), Wilbarger (TX), Tillman (OK) TX, OK 34.03°N 99.47°W 2120 39.7 miles (63.9 km)  11 deaths - Large wedge tornado struck the town of Vernon, where numerous homes and businesses were destroyed including a cafe, motel, and a truck stop. 7 of the deaths occurred when vehicles were thrown from US-287. Tornado crossed into Oklahoma, destroying 3 homes and damaging 5 others. Caused $27,000,000 in damage and injured an additional 67 people. [1][2]
F0 SE of Thalia Foard TX 33.98°N 99.53°W 2120 2.5 miles (4.0 km)   [1][2]
F2 Harrold, TX to Marlow, OK Wilbarger (TX), Wichita (TX), Tillman (OK), Cotton (OK), Comanche (OK), Stephens (OK) TX, OK 34.08°N 99.03°W 2155 74.1 miles (119.3 km)  1 death - Large wedge tornado moved through Texas and Oklahoma. Eight planes were destroyed at an airport near Grandfield, and a home in the area lost its exterior walls. A grain elevator was destroyed in the Hulen area, and homes were damaged in Pumpkin Center and near Walters. Fatality occurred when a woman took shelter underneath a semi-truck, which rolled over her when the tornado struck. [1][2]
F2 N of Hollister Tillman OK 34.35°N 98.90°W 2205 9.2 miles (14.8 km)  Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. [1][2]
F1 N of Faxon Comanche OK 34.47°N 98.62°W 2235 7.1 miles (11.4 km)  A mobile home was destroyed in the Faxson area, resulting in two serious injuries. Other homes in the are were damaged. Tornado left suction vortex marks in open fields. [1][2]
F2 NE of Seymour Baylor TX 33.62°N 99.30°W 2249 10.4 miles (16.7 km)  Tornado damaged roofs, telephone poles, trees, and overturned a truck, but remained over open country while at peak intensity. Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers. [1][2]
F3 Lawton area Comanche OK 34.57°N 98.42°W 2305 4.5 miles (7.2 km)  3 deaths - Strong tornado struck Lawton, destroying over 116 structures, and damaging over 330 others. One of the fatalities occurred when a car was tossed from a road. [1][2]
F1 SW of Iowa Park Wichita TX 33.90°N 98.80°W 2308 0.1 miles (160 m)   [1][2]
F4 SW of Wichita Falls to E of Waurika, OK Archer (TX), Wichita (TX), Clay, Jefferson (OK) TX, OK 33.82°N 98.65°W 2350 46.9 miles (75.5 km)  42 deaths - See section on this tornado [1][2]
F1 Wichita Falls area Wichita TX 33.90°N 98.50°W 0000 2 miles (3.2 km)  Second, much weaker tornado in the area. [1][2]
F2 S of Noble Cleveland OK 35.10°N 97.37°W 0040 2 miles (3.2 km)  Two barns were damaged. [1][2]
F2 E of Bellemont Pottawatomie, Lincoln OK 35.42°N 96.75°W 0045 4.6 miles (7.4 km)  Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. One person was injured. [1][2]
F2 SW of Noble Cleveland OK 35.10°N 97.40°W 0050 1.5 miles (2.4 km)  A mobile home was destroyed. [1][2]
F1 Hays area Ellis KS 38.87°N 99.32°W 0130 0.5 miles (0.80 km) 67 yd (61 m)  [1][2]
F3 W of Pruitt City Carter OK 34.35°N 97.60°W 0155 12.8 miles (20.6 km)  Severe damage in the Pruitt City area. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Several vehicles, including a bus, were flipped and tossed. [1][2]
F0 W of Oakland Pottawatomie OK 34.12°N 96.80°W 0205 0.2 miles (320 m)   [1][2]
F2 SW of Novice Runnels, Coleman TX 31.97°N 99.80°W 0317 9.6 miles (15.4 km)  Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. [1][2]
F3 SW of Talpa to N of Coleman Runnels, Coleman TX 31.70°N 99.75°W 0330 25 miles (40 km)  Homes and barns were ripped apart. [1][2]
F1 SE of Comanche Comanche TX 31.87°N 98.52°W 0550 0.1 miles (160 m)   [1][2]
F2 S of Energy to W of Hico Comanche, Hamilton TX 31.75°N 98.37°W 0550 24 miles (39 km)  Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover. [1][2]
F1 Mineral Wells area Palo Pinto TX 32.80°N 98.12°W 0556 0.1 miles (160 m)   [1][2]

April 11 event[edit]

[hide]List of reported tornadoes - Wednesday, April 11, 1979

EF#

Location

County / Parish

Coord.

Time (UTC)

Path length

Path width†

Comments/Damage

Texas
F1 NE of Southmayd Grayson  0206 0.1 miles (160 m)  
F2 N of Athens Henderson, Van Zandt  1610 13.3 miles (21.4 km)  
F2 Sulphur Springs area Hopkins  1612 8.3 miles (13.4 km)  
F1 NW of Hainesville Wood  1702 0.1 miles (160 m)  
Oklahoma
F0 N of Oakland Pottawatomie  0205 0.2 miles (320 m)  
F1 NE of Allen Pontotoc  0601 3 miles (4.8 km)  
F2 NW of Kingston Marshall  0705 0.1 miles (160 m)  A trailer and three barns were destroyed.
F0 W of Beland Muskogee  1000 0.1 miles (160 m)  
F2 SW of Eagletown to W of Big Fork (AR) McCurtain, Sevier (AR), Polk (AR)  1715 42 miles (68 km)  3 people were injured in a mobile home near the beginning of the path. Major damage in the Grannis area. Six homes, 19 trailers, and an elementary school were destroyed, where 4 students were injured. Two homes were also destroyed near Wickes. Tornado injured a total of 20 people and caused $1,750,000 in damage.
Arkansas
F2 E of Hattieville Conway  1310 5.4 miles (8.7 km)  Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Other homes, barns, and outbuildings were damaged.
F1 W of Mountain View Stone  1442 8.7 miles (14.0 km)  
F2 Prairie Grove area Washington  1602 11.1 miles (17.9 km)  
F2 NE of Bodcaw Nevada  2010 0.5 miles (0.80 km)  Three homes were destroyed and others were damaged.
F2 SW of Guy Faulkner  2015 3 miles (4.8 km)  Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. Caused $190,000 in damage.
F2 E of East End to NE of Lonoke Saline, Pulaski, Lonoke  2100 40.3 miles (64.9 km)  Several trailers were destroyed. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes and outbuildings.
F1 NE of Fryatt Fulton  2145 0.5 miles (0.80 km)  
F1 W of Beebe White  2150 6.5 miles (10.5 km)  
F2 NE of Crossett Ashley  2210 10.4 miles (16.7 km)  Tornado caused $3,500,000 to the downtown business district in Hamburg. Second tornado to strike Hamburg in three days.
F2 NW of Black Rock Lawrence  2235 2 miles (3.2 km)  Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant.
F2 E of McGehee Desha  2315 3.6 miles (5.8 km)  Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. Caused a total of $449,000 in damage.
Missouri
F0 W of Hurley Stone  1310 0.1 miles (160 m)  
F3 W of Sterling to E of Licking Douglas, Texas  1500 35.4 miles (57.0 km)  
F0 SW of Bakersfield Ozark  2115 2.7 miles (4.3 km)  
F1 NE of Libertyville St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve  2330 8.5 miles (13.7 km)  A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field.
F2 Liberty to SE of Barnesville Clay, Clinton  0100 20.1 miles (32.3 km)  Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. Three barns were destroyed as well. 5 bus passengers were injured when they took shelter in a ditch, only to have the bus roll onto them.
Kansas
F1 NW of Colby Thomas  2100 0.1 miles (160 m)  
F1 N of Topeka Shawnee  2300 4.1 miles (6.6 km)  
Louisiana
F1 SW of Homer Claiborne  2100 2 miles (3.2 km)  
Nebraska
F0 S of Sweetwater Buffalo  0000 0.5 miles (0.80 km)  
Mississippi
F1 NW of Roundaway Coahoma  0005 0.5 miles (0.80 km)  
F2 NE of Columbus Lowndes  0900 (04/12) 7.7 miles (12.4 km)  
Kentucky
F2 S of Dycusburg to W of Bellville Crittenden, Webster, Henderson  0150 36 miles (58 km)  Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near Robards. 5 people were injured when trailers were overturned.
Indiana
F2 SW of Boonville Vanderburgh, Warrick  0200 10 miles (16 km)  1 death - Moved from the east side of Evansville to north of Boonville. A shopping center and a lumber yard were damaged. 1 person was killed and two others were injured when the tornado struck a mobile home park.
Tennessee
F0 Dickson area Dickson  0500 0.3 miles (480 m)  
Alabama
F1 Florence area Lauderdale  0530 0.5 miles (0.80 km)  
Source: Tornado History Project - April 11, 1979 Storm Data Grazulis (1977)
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
Notes[edit]
1.Jump up ^ All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
References[edit]


 This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (January 2014)
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x April 10, 1979 Storm Data (Report). Tornado History Project. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Grazulis (1979) (Report). Thomas P. Grazulis.
Fujita, T.T., and Wakimoto, R.M. (1979). "Red River Valley tornado outbreak of April 10, 1979", University of Chicago.
External links and sources[edit]
The April 10, 1979 Severe Weather Outbreak by Don Burgess
The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of April 10, 1979 (NWS Norman, OK)
Full map of the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak Tornado History Project
A survivor's story (Joel Manes)
47miles.org - A project to construct a memorial to the Wichita Falls tornado
The short film "Terrible Tuesday" is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]

[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 costliest US tornadoes












   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   




 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1979
Tornadoes in Oklahoma
Tornadoes in Texas
Wichita County, Texas
1979 in the United States





Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Edit links
This page was last modified on 11 March 2014 at 18:54.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Red_River_Valley_tornado_outbreak









Windsor Locks, Connecticut tornado
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Windsor Locks, Connecticut tornado

F4 tornado
Windsor Locks tornado damage.jpg
Destroyed houses in Windsor Locks. Image by Windsor Locks Fire Department.

Date
1979-10-03
Time
3:00 PM
Casualties
3
Damages
$442 million 1997 USD[1]
 ($649 million 2014 USD)
Areas affected
North-central Connecticut
The Windsor Locks, Connecticut tornado struck the towns of Windsor, Windsor Locks, and Suffield, Connecticut and Feeding Hills, Massachusetts on October 3, 1979. The short-lived but intense tornado struck without warning and caused three deaths and 500 injuries.
The storm, rated F4 on the Fujita scale, also caused more than $400 million in property damage along an 11.3-mile (18.2 km) path, and ranks as the ninth most destructive tornado in American history.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Storm synopsis
2 Aftermath
3 Records
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Storm synopsis[edit]
The storm system that caused the tornado had produced severe weather, including two weak tornadoes, in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey that morning.[3] This was an unusual setup for a significant tornado, associated with a warm front near a low-pressure center. A thunderstorm cell formed south of Long Island around 10:20 am, and became a supercell sometime later after interacting with a surface low-pressure center.[3] It turned north as a left-moving supercell, meaning it moved left with respect to the mean atmospheric flow. Left-moving supercells are very rare, as cyclonic storms usually turn to the right of the mean flow.[4] It is unknown whether this leftward movement was due to an atmospheric interaction or terrain-induced movement, as the storm moved straight up the Connecticut River valley.[3]



 Infra-red weather satellite image of the northeastern United States at 3 pm local time (the same time the tornado touched down)
No tornado watches or warnings were issued before the storm struck. This was later determined to be because of missing atmospheric sounding data, as well as an incorrect assessment of the height of the tropopause, which led to an underestimation of the strength of the thunderstorm which produced the tornado.[3] Although a severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 2:57 pm, very few people received the warnings in time.[5]
The tornado touched down in Poquonock, Connecticut, a village in the town of Windsor, just north of Hartford. Poquonock Elementary School was heavily damaged; fortunately, students were sent home early at 1:30 pm on Wednesdays.[6] Students at a Brownie meeting were led into a hallway just before the auditorium they had been in was destroyed.[7] The historic Poquonock Community Church building had its roof ripped off. Miraculously, all but one of the stain glass windows from the old church were salvaged. [8] The tornado traveled almost due north, an unusual direction for a tornado. The most severe damage occurred along River Road, Hollow Brook Road, Pioneer Drive and Settler Circle, where large frame houses were left "in splinters".[5] The tornado roughly followed Connecticut Route 75 just east of Bradley International Airport. The airport's weather station recorded a wind gust of 39 m/s (87 mph; 140 km/h) as the tornado passed nearby.[3] A United Airlines flight with 114 passengers was attempting to land as the tornado was passing the airport; the pilot saw the tornado and was able to abort the landing just in time.[9] The tornado then crossed the northern portion of the airport, where the New England Air Museum was located. More than 20 vintage aircraft were completely destroyed, with many more damaged. The museum's hangar was also rendered unusable.[10] The tornado moved north into Feeding Hills before dissipating near the Westfield city line, about five miles north of the Massachusetts state line.
The tornado was accompanied by more than 7 centimetres (2.8 in) of rain, and several instances of downburst winds.[3] Damage from downburst winds was reported across the Connecticut River in Enfield.[11]
Aftermath[edit]
Because there were no tornado warnings before the storm (and it occurred in an area where tornadoes are rare), the initial damage reports claimed an explosion had damaged a roof.[5] Soon, however, the storm's nature and impact became apparent. Governor Ella Grasso lived just a block away from the tornado's path, though she was in Hartford at the time of the storm. She declared an 8 pm–5 am curfew in the days following the tornado.[6][12] About 500 National Guardsmen were activated to prevent looting and direct traffic, and the area was declared a disaster area by President Carter.[12] FEMA trailers were provided within a few days, and were used by many residents until reconstruction or repairs could be completed.[5][7] In all, at least 38 businesses were damaged or destroyed, 65 homes were completely destroyed, and at least 75 homes were damaged. Twenty-five tobacco sheds were "extensively damaged".[13] At the airport, at least 30 vintage aircraft were damaged or destroyed, as well as most of the state's National Guard helicopters.[10][13] The final damage total reached $200 million (1979 USD), or $442 million in 1997 dollars.[1]
Because of the vast scope of the damage, initially Windsor town officials feared many, possibly even hundreds, of people could have been killed.[5] While there were many serious injuries, only three people were killed by the storm. Two victims, construction workers working in a bank parking lot, took shelter in a work truck when they saw the storm approach. The first victim was killed immediately by a piece of flying lumber, the other died a few weeks later from his injuries becoming the 3rd victim.[5] The second victim was found the next day across the street from her obliterated house.[5][14] Over 400 people were hospitalized, mostly for injuries from flying glass or the victims' having been thrown by winds.[6]
Records[edit]
The tornado was the costliest on record in the Northeastern United States, and the 10-costliest in US history.[1] The three people who were killed made it the deadliest tornado in Connecticut since the 1878 Wallingford tornado.[15]
See also[edit]
List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
List of Connecticut tornadoes
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c Harold E., Brooks; Doswell, Charles A., III (February 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 16: 168–176. Bibcode:2001WtFor..16..168B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
2.Jump up ^ Data from the Storm Prediction Center archives, which are accessible through SeverePlot, free software created and maintained by John Hart, lead forecaster for the SPC.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Riley, Gary T.; Bosart, Lance F. (August 1987). "The Windsor Locks, Connecticut Tornado of 3 October 1979: An Analysis of an Intermittent Severe Weather Event" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society) 115 (8): 1655–1677. Bibcode:1987MWRv..115.1655R. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1987)115<1655:TWLCTO>2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 2009-06-04.[dead link]
4.Jump up ^ Anticyclonic (Left-Moving) Supercell National Weather Service Birmingham, Alabama. Accessed 2009-06-05.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "It's Been Five Years Tornado's Destruction Never to Be Forgotten". Windsor Journal. 1984-10-05. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c AP, UPI (1979-10-04). "Connecticut tornado kills one, injures 400". St. Petersburg Times. pp. 1, 16. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
7.^ Jump up to: a b Associated Press (1979-11-04). "Tornado nightmare haunts towns residents". Boca Raton News. p. 2A. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
8.Jump up ^ "Poquonock Community Church History". Retrieved 2014-07-14.
9.Jump up ^ Associated Press (1979-10-05). "As Jet Is About to Land on Tornado, 'It's Not Noisy When All Are Praying'". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 65. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
10.^ Jump up to: a b "Tornado!". Windsor Locks, Connecticut: New England Air Museum. Archived from the original on 1998-07-10. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
11.Jump up ^ "Event Record Details 03 Oct 1979, 1345 CST". NCDC Storm Events Database. National Climatic Data Center. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
12.^ Jump up to: a b Associated Press (1979-10-05). "Tornado-ravaged area declared disaster". The Ledger. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
13.^ Jump up to: a b Associated Press (1979-10-04). "Connecticut Ravaged by Tornado". Toledo Blade. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
14.Jump up ^ "Twister Injuries Fatal to Laborer". The Hartford Courant. 1979-10-22. p. 10. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
15.Jump up ^ Tornado Project. "Worst" Tornadoes Retrieved on July 2, 2007.
External links[edit]
More pictures from the Windsor Locks Fire Department
Connecticut Ravaged by Tornado

[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
10 costliest US tornadoes
Rank
Area affected
Date
Damage 1
Adjusted Damage 2

1
Joplin, Missouri May 22, 2011 2800 2935
2
Tuscaloosa, Alabama April 27, 2011 2450 2569
3
Moore, Oklahoma May 20, 2013 2000 2025
4
Oklahoma City Metro, Oklahoma May 3, 1999 1000 1415
5
Hackleburg, Alabama April 27, 2011 1290 1352
6
Wichita Falls, Texas April 10, 1979 400 1299
7
Omaha, Nebraska May 6, 1975 250 1094
8
Washington, Illinois November 17, 2013 935 947
9
Lubbock, Texas May 11, 1970 250 820
10
Topeka, Kansas June 8, 1966 250 726
Source: Brooks, Harold E.; C. A. Doswell (Feb 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999". Weather and Forecasting (American Meteorological Society) 16 (1): 168–76. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2. 3
1. These are the unadjusted damage totals in millions of US dollars.
 2. Raw damage totals adjusted for inflation, in millions of 2014 USD.
 3. A search of NCDC Storm Data indicates no tornadoes between 1999 and 2010 have caused more than $400 million in damage.
This is a good article. Click here for more information.
 


Categories: F4 tornadoes
Tornadoes of 1979
Tornadoes in Connecticut
1979 in the United States







Navigation menu



Create account
Log in



Article

Talk









Read

Edit

View history

















Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages

Edit links
This page was last modified on 25 July 2014 at 09:37.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki
   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Locks,_Connecticut_tornado