1974 Super Outbreak
Nearly 50 years ago, the nation was reeling from a series of seven tornados that moved through seven states. At least one huge tornado moved through a tri-state area and was the deadliest twister ever. A direct warning system was needed following that because the 1974 Super Outbreak overwhelmed those giving out warnings. On the morning of April 3, a low pressure was centered in Central Kansas. The low moved into the Upper Great Lakes giving many in the east a warm, tropical airmass and thunderstorms formed during the afternoon. A lot of dynamics in the air spured the supercell development and the end result, in a little more than 16 hours, 148 tornadoes killed 330 people in 13 states, injured thousands and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. In less than 24 hours, twisters ran the gamut from 0 to 5 on the Fujita Scale with some tornadoes traveling more than 100 miles. One twister was five miles wide and at one point, 15 tornadoes were on the ground at the same time. One twister even crossed over into Canada from Michigan and back again.
In all, 13 states were struck by twisters: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Some of the major cities affected included Cincinnati, Louisville, Chattanooga, and Huntsville. One tornado even traveled the length of Northern Indiana. 6 F5 tornados were spawned and Guin, Alabama was a victim of one of them. The entire town was destroyed, killing 20. Brandenburg, Kentucky had an F5, that town was totally wiped off the map as the tornado killed 30. The worst damage occured in Xenia, Ohio. 300 homes were destroyed, over 2000 damaged as an F5 roared through killing 34 and causing 100 million dollars worth of damage.
There were many positives coming from this outbreak. Myths were disproven. Myth: A tornado won't touch down at the confluence of major rivers. Fact: The town of Cairo, Ill., located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers was hit by a tornado that day.
Myth: Tornadoes don't go up and down steep or high hills. Fact: A tornado that hit Guin, Ala., stayed on the ground as it climbed the 1,640-foot Monte Sano Mountain and grew in intensity as it descended the northeast slope. The Blue Ridge tornado of that day formed in the mountains at 1,800 feet just east of Mulberry Gap and crossed a 3,000- foot ridge before moving down to the bottom of the canyon. The tornado finally climbed to the 3,300-foot top of Rich Nob before dissipating.
Myth: Tornadoes will not follow terrain into steep valleys. Fact: The tornado that wiped out three schools in Monticello, Ind., descended a 60-foot bluff over the Tippecanoe River as it moved out of the town and damaged homes at its base. Also, the tornado outbreak caused the expansion of NOAA Weather Radio to get the warnings out faster to the public. The 1974 Super Outbreak, a tornado outbreak for the ages. For MRS Weather, I'm Marcus Smith.
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