The Brandenburg tornado is the only tornado to produce F5/EF5 damage in the state of Kentucky. The 1974 tornado heads toward Greene Memorial Hospital. A total of 32 people lost their lives in the tornado, and about 1,150 were injured in Xenia, several of whom took proper shelter. 75K views 3 years ago The deadliest tornado of the April 3-4 Super Outbreak! National Weather Service The F-5 tornado left 33 people dead and more than 1,300 injured. What did the strongest tornado look like? A bathtub from one residence was found deeply embedded into the ground. T. I just never seen anything like it," Cooper said afterward. Xenias graduation ceremony at the Nutter Center in May 2018 was interrupted by a tornado warning. At 5:30 p.m. another F5 touched down near Rising Sun, Indiana, passed into Northern Kentucky and knocked out power at the National Weather Service (NWS) station at CVG. Briefing NBC Xenia, Ohio Tornado Documentary, 1974 - YouTube [6] The town's downtown area was also devastated with 18 of the fatalities occurring along Green Street alone. [49] Crossing the Tennessee River into Limestone County as a large waterspout, the tornado flattened a -milewide swath of trees on the opposite bank. [54] The tornado crossed Lewis Smith Lake and moved across the south side of Cullman at 7:40 pm. The tornado then struck Talma, destroying most of the town, including a fastening plant and the schoolhouse. 2023 www.cincinnati.com. Carl Nichols and resident look back at Xenia tornado The National Weather Service said the system was part of a. When it crossed the river and blasted into Sayler Park, virtually all communication was shut down. In Ohio Town, Okla. Twister Conjures Echoes Of 1974 Disaster By 18:00 UTC, CAPE values in excess of 2,500 J/kg were present over the lower Ohio and the Mississippi Valley. [6] The tornado first struck the Guin Mobile Home Plant as it entered the town, completely obliterating the structure. ", The same system that spawned the Xenia tornado first came through Greater Cincinnati. The images depict the damage caused in Xenia and Wilberforce by the F5 tornado of April 3, 1974. Formula works for Bellbrook in no-hitter at Carroll, Hill sets school record for Beavercreek Sports Digest: April 5, 2025, Transgender woman not guilty of public indecency, County prosecutor presents Victims Rights Week Awards, Children, children advocates honored at breakfast. However, the 46.5 miles (74.8km) section of the original path, from Decatur to Hytop, was determined later to be from the F3 tornado listed below. "There is just no way to calculate the damage. 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. It produced the first deadly tornadoes in Alabama during the early evening hours. 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. No warning was sounded; the National Weather Service and public safety agencies had no reason to believe the incoming storm posed a threat to the community, officials said. It was also noted for the rarity in that its path was in parts of three states. [68], On April5, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter declared 13 counties as disaster areas and put in a request to President Nixon for federal aid, citing damage in excess of $15.5million. NWS Extensive wind-rowing of debris occurred in nearby fields.[20]. The mid-latitude low-pressure center over Kansas continued to deepen to 980mb (28.94inHg), and wind speeds at the 850-mb level increased to 50kn (58mph) (25.7m/s (93km/h)) over portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. These aerial photographs were provided to NWS Wilmington, Ohio by Attila Kilinc and are used with permission. Aerial photos of the Xenia debris fields and Cincinnatians snapshots of the Sayler Park funnel cloud helped scientists unravel what happened in the chaos. So many trees were snapped in this area that the tornado path was visible from satellite. Her husband and two other sons were severely injured,but survived. An F3 tornado also occurred in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, killing nine and injuring 30 others there, all of them at the former Windsor Curling Club. 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. Eighty-eight buildings in southern Kenton County were destroyed, including Janet Cooper's 175-year-old home. Thirty-one people have died locally in tornadoes and severe storms since 1968. logan on Twitter When the storm reached central Xenia at 4:40pm, apartment buildings, homes, businesses, churches, and schools including Xenia High School were destroyed. Some of the worst affected areas were Bridgetown, Mack, Dent and Delhi. Nationally, the total reached $600 million. Nick is a Riverside native and has been a journalist in the Dayton area for more than 20 years. EF-5 tornado in Wichita Falls TX. One of the girls called me out to look at the rain, Burger Chef night manager William Featherkile told The Enquirer in 1969. 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. Vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards from residences and mangled, and a few were completely wrapped around trees. The multi-vortex structure grew larger as it approached Xenia. There was a reported F5 tornado touchdown. It flattened the western part of Xenia. [54] Trees in town were debarked, ground scouring occurred, and vehicles were thrown and mangled as well. [16] All but 10 homes in Martinsburg were destroyed; and in the Daisy Hill community homes were completely swept away at F5 intensity. 1966-10-9 - F2 Tornado: 5.4 mi. [44] A WHAS-TV cameraman also filmed the tornado when it passed just east of the Central Business District of Louisville. It was the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period and was also the most violent outbreak recorded with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes confirmed. [34] A news photographer reported that the tornado "left no grass" as it crossed KY 79 in this area, and canceled checks from near Irvington were later found in Ohio. "[62] 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." Just minutes later, at 4:40 p.m. on April 3, 1974, she and her mother and sister hunched together in the bathtub against the roar of the wind and the shriek of exploding windows and ripped-away roofs. Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana . We are now partners with the Storm Front Freaks. 1999 F5 tornado . 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. gHWO Scripps School of Journalism. Slowly,the neighborhoods recovered and rebuilt. All three storms swept through communities leaving a deadly and destructive wake. She received head injuries and died the next day. [51][52], While tornadoes were causing devastation in the northwesternmost 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. It also killed 250 horses in Butler County on its way to Xenia. Their neighbors were thrown from their home, too. 1974 . 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. Fifty-one years ago, on Aug. 9, 1969, a tornado struck near Galbraith and Reading roads in Reading, leaving four dead and more than 200 injured. Remains of a house that was completely swept away in Brandenburg, with heavily debarked trees and shrubbery in the foreground. [8] Several of the storms to form between 19:20 and 20:20 UTC became significant, long-lived supercells, producing many strong or violent tornadoes,[6] including three F5s at Depauw; Xenia, Ohio; and Brandenburg, Kentucky. Xenia tornado timeline: How the deadly 1974 twister tore through the city The roof was sheared off of Lakeshore Drive Apartments on Galbraith Road. And Mays, coping with the uncertainties of the current health crisis points out that hindsight will always be 20/20. [15], Soon after the Depauw tornado lifted, the Hanover/Madison F4 tornado formed near Henryville and traveled through Jefferson County and leveled many structures in the small towns of Hanover and Madison. Xenia's F5 tornado struck 45 years ago, leaving the town changed [6] The tornado formed near Bellbrook, Ohio, southwest of Xenia, at about 4:30pm EDT. One of the fatalities occurred when a woman was crushed by a school bus that flew into a ditch she was sheltering in. 1964-6-23 - F1 Tornado: 1.9 mi. "That was an eerie feeling. [8] These storms, forming after 23:00 UTC, produced some of the most powerful tornadoes of the outbreak, including a large and long-tracked F4 that struck the western and central portions of Alabama, tracking for just over 110 miles (180km), two F5s that both slammed into Tanner, causing extensive fatalities, an extremely potent F5 that devastated Guin in Alabama, and multiple violent, deadly tornadoes that affected and caused fatalities in Tennessee. Upon exiting Xenia, the tornado passed through Wilberforce, heavily damaging several campus and residential buildings of Wilberforce University. I guess because we shoot looters, said a member of the Indian Hill Rangers police department. Here are 3 of the biggest tornadoes to come through Ohio: April 11, 1965, was the second most dangerous single day for tornadoes in Ohio, (the first happening in 1924). F5 damage was observed near the community of Depauw, where numerous farms were leveled. 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. "The transition from winter to spring brings these deadly storms. This forced people to come together, she says, but it doesnt really last, and thats unfortunate. A 1982 case study of Xenias recovery by the Disaster Research Center at Ohio State University documents conflicts over residential planning, urban renewal, rezoning, and racial and socioeconomic inequities conflicts every municipality must navigate, writ large post-disaster. [55], While rescue efforts were underway to look for people under the destroyed structures, few were aware that another violent tornado would strike the area. He is a graduate of Stebbins High School who earned a bachelors degree from Ohio University and its E.W. 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. The tornado quickly became violent as it moved into Meade County, producing F4 damage as it passed north of Irvington, sweeping away numerous homes in this rural area. There was just nothing left," he said. Hundreds of trees were down, completely blocking every campus road. [7] Meanwhile, a new band of scattered thunderstorms developed at 15:00 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. A small tornado, spotted in the field along Fairground Road, struck Xenia at 9:35 p.m. April 25, 1989. The experience prompted the NWS to adopt the F0F5 Fujita scale as a standard for describing the severity of a tornado; its since been updated as the Enhanced Fujita Scale. [6] 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. Copyright 2016 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [6] The tornado first moved across the north edge of Hardinsburg, inflicting F3 damage to homes at that location. Moriah, where the tornado rapidly intensified and swept away homes and hurled fleeing vehicles, and where a family of six were killed. This tornado produced heavy damage in the south end of the city, eventually damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 structures. About 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9, 1969, a tornado formed near the Williamsburg Apartments in Hartwell, then touched down at Galbraith and Reading near Interstate 75 at 7:20 p.m. Ohio News; Nation & World; Election 2021; . [76] President Nixon signed it into federal law on May22.[77]. Monday night a series of tornadoes ripped through the Miami Valley and the region killing one in Mercer County and injuring scores of others. 0:00. Here, the tornado reached F5 intensity as it slammed into Sayler Park. There were 29 tornadoes in Ohio on July 12, 1992, and 19 on Nov. 10, 2002, the most of any days since 1950. Huntsville was affected shortly before 11:00 pm EDT by a strong F3 tornado produced by the same thunderstorm that produced the Guin tornado. Bricks and twisted metal were strewn all overlike building blocks scattered by an angry child. Total damage from the tornadoes and thunderstorms in the state reached $3,655,000, more than half of which was incurred by Raleigh County. [74][75] The primary purpose of the act was to overhaul how disasters are handled on a federal level and to make acquiring federal aid easier. Then disaster struck again on Sept. 20, 2000. [70] The local Red Cross provided $3,000 to victims in Fayette County and assisted residents with acquiring supplies and dealing with medical bills. The 197374 La Nia was just as strong as the 199899 La Nia. Please try another search. [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 tornado continued to strengthen south of Berry, and two people were killed near the Walker County line when a church was destroyed. The funnel cloud tore through sections of Hartwell, Arlington Heights, Reading, Amberley Village, Deer Park, Silverton, Madeira, Indian Hill and Terrace Park, according to storm data. The outbreak caused roughly $843 million USD (~equivalent to $4.58 billion in 2019) in damage, with more than $600 million (~equivalent to $3.3 billion in 2019) occurring in the United States. Cindy Gorth's aunt, Carol Forste, lived in Moscow on Elizabeth Street near the river. According to reports, the tornado formed near Bellbrook at approximately 4:30 p.m. As it moved to the northeast at about 50 miles per hour, it intensified in strength. The Mason tornado, which started in the northern Cincinnati subdivisions of Arlington Heights and Elmwood Place, was rated F4 and took two lives, while the Warren County tornado was rated an F2 and injured 10. Fifty-one years ago, on Aug. 9, 1969, a tornado struck near Galbraith and Reading roads in Reading, leaving four dead and more than 200 injured. Cars were overturned in the streets. "This boggles the mind," Ohio Gov. XENIA Its an anniversary people would rather not celebrate. The damage became more intense continuous as the tornado entered Tuscaloosa County. [6] Many businesses were also heavily damaged, and numerous trees and power lines were downed throughout the city. On April 3, 1974 49 years ago much of Xenia was leveled by a powerful F5 tornado. This was the first and only time in U.S. history that an entire state was under a tornado warning.[13]. Tornado Distance; 1. Riddle Elementary School was badly damaged as well. Two of the fatalities in Tennessee occurred when a church was destroyed during service. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, PODCAST: High School Insider with Mike Dyer. [17] The tornado had a peak width of 7001,760 yards (6401,610m). 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. Most of the images have been matched to lat/lon coordinates. [50] The tornado then continued into Madison County and struck the Capshaw and Harvest areas. Tornadoes reached F4 conditions, according to Fujita ratings, and killed 60 people in total. [34] Past Irvington, the tornado tore directly through Brandenburg at F5 intensity, completely leveling and sweeping away numerous homes, some of which were well-built and anchor-bolted. A large floating restaurant barge at this location was lifted, ripped from its moorings, and flipped by the tornado. [6][43], 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. September 20th, 2000 Xenia F4 Tornado - National Weather Service A total of 315 people died in 11 states died during the two-day outbreak. Many homes were badly damaged or destroyed as the tornado passed through residential areas of the city, and a school was destroyed as well. Wilmington, OH1901 South State Route 134Wilmington, OH 45177937-383-0031Comments? The Enquirer reported thousands of sightseers drove through the devastated neighborhoods, but there were few reports of looting. The Shawnee Indians who occupied many states in the Ohio River Valley including Ohio long ago referred to the area that would become Xenia as the land of the devil wind or land of the crazy wind, depending on which source you trust. 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. The tornado formed near Bellbrook, Ohio, southwest of Xenia, at about 4:30 pm EDT. Yet this forgotten tornado is rarely mentioned, overshadowed by twisters that devastated Xenia, Ohio, in 1974 and Blue Ash and Montgomery in 1999. 2. Damage was estimated at US$100 million ($471.7 million in 2013 dollars).[26]. The Tri-State may not be part of "Tornado Alley," but springtime tornadoes and severe storms almost seem like a regular occurrence. [46][56] Numerous homes throughout Madison County were swept completely away, with extensive wind-rowing of debris noted once again. Super Tornado Outbreak - 1974 - History - Interviews - Aftermath - Top Multiple homes and shopping centers were damaged or destroyed in the area, resulting in one death and 36 injuries. [6][21] Several railroad cars were lifted and blown over as the tornado passed over a moving Penn Central freight train in the center of town. At one point, the National Weather Service was tracking five funnel clouds on its local radar at the airport. However, a warm temperature plume in the elevated mixed layer kept thunderstorms from initiating at the surface. No warning was sounded; the National Weather Service and public safety agencies had no reason to believe the incoming storm posed a threat to the community, officials said. >> MIAMI VALLEY TORNADOES: What you need to know now. More than 100 tornadoes associated with 33 tornado families. Nine schools, nine churches and nearly 180 businesses were ripped apart. The 1974 Super Outbreak occurred at the end of a very strong, nearly record-setting La Nia event. She had five cracked ribs and a collapsed lung. [3] and became very large as it approached town. [8], While violent tornado activity increased over the warm sector, a third band of convection developed at about 16:00 UTC and extended from near St. Louis into west-central Illinois. He told them to get under the couch - just in time. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. The . 1 dead, 1 injured following crash into Preble County pond, Highway Patrol serves at One Bistro in Xenia for Everybody Eats Week. It was just as much of a total wipeout as you can have. Some of the challenges they faced sound familiar to todays pandemic experience: unemployment, closed schools, cancelled events, grief. We know we can pull together.. There was only one hospital left standing, and it was packed with nearly 2,000 people. [15], Of the F5 tornadoes produced by the outbreak, the DePauw tornado was the first to form, touching down at 3:20pm local time. These aforementioned flashes were more than likely Power Flashes, which are flashes of light caused by arcing electrical discharges from damaged electrical equipment, most often severed power lines. Pete Rose knocked in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth and scored the winning run in the 11th, and baseball, as Terrence Mann would say, would remind us of all that once was good, and that could be again. The highest recorded wind speed was in the. [1] The first tornado of the outbreak is disputed, with some sources indicating an isolated F2 in Indiana at 13:30UTC while Fujita marked the outbreak's onset at 18:10UTC with a F0 in Illinois.

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