April 3-4 1974 Super Outbreak 40 Year Anniversary

[snowlover2]

ILN has a nice write up and a video at the end.

 

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/iln/events/19740403/

[Hoosier]

Beat me to the punch.  I was going to do an anniversary thread with a bunch of links and stuff.

 

I was looking all over for the large color version of the Fujita map and I see that ILN has it. 

[Hoosier]

Something that kinda gets overlooked is the system on April 1 right before the big one.  May have primed the pump so to speak for the Super Outbreak.  There was an F2 that passed through the middle of Lafayette, causing a fair amount of structural damage.

 

 

[Hoosier]

Louisville has a good page

 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=april31974

[Hoosier]

IWX

 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/iwx/?n=superoutbreak

[Hoosier]

From the SPC WCM page

 

 

 

 

With today's convection-allowing models, or storm-scale guidance, here's what the infamous April 1974 Super Outbreak model forecast might have looked like if this type of simulation was around 40 years ago. On the left is the tornado track map compiled by Dr. Fujita and colleagues. On the right is a model simulation initialized from modern grid-based data in the North American Mesoscale Model (NAM) with inputs from observed values at 00 UTC, April 3, 1974. The high resolution model generates simulated rotating thunderstorms and those storms with the strongest and most persistent rotation are shown in this summary plot for the 24-hour period from the morning of April 3 through the morning of April 4, 1974.

[Torchageddon]

That NAM simulation of April 3, 1974 is really cool, an idea I've had about other weather events from the past. I was hoping it would be a radar simulation or some type of index that we use today, like EHI or supercell indices.

 

Since its close to the 40th anniversary, it's a good time to fire off some questions that hopefully someone knows the answers to. Is April 3, 1974 considered Kentucky's worst tornado day in history since they got most of the F5's? Has any new video/pics emerged during the last 4-5 years of this event that was otherwise not known? And lastly, why is there so little info about the rest of the tornadoes that occurred during April 1974 to make it among the highest # for any given month? I don't have an idea about the other outbreaks or events during this insane period.

 

A bit OT, but I can't find the May 24, 2011 Tornado Outbreak thread on here (found the one for the 25th however), does someone have a link or an idea of a better search method? I've tried the search and going back page by page during May-July 2011 in "general weather" and "Central/Western States" sub-forums with no luck. I just tried the Central/Western States sub-forum.

[Ensō]

That NAM simulation of April 3, 1974 is really cool, an idea I've had about other weather events from the past. I was hoping it would be a radar simulation or some type of index that we use today, like EHI or supercell indices.

 

Since its close to the 40th anniversary, it's a good time to fire off some questions that hopefully someone knows the answers to. Is April 3, 1974 considered Kentucky's worst tornado day in history since they got most of the F5's? Has any new video/pics emerged during the last 4-5 years of this event that was otherwise not known? And lastly, why is there so little info about the rest of the tornadoes that occurred during April 1974 to make it among the highest # for any given month? I don't have an idea about the other outbreaks or events during this insane period.

 

A bit OT, but I can't find the May 24, 2011 Tornado Outbreak thread on here (found the one for the 25th however), does someone have a link or an idea of a better search method? I've tried the search and going back page by page during May-July 2011 in "general weather" and "Central/Western States" sub-forums with no luck. I just tried the Central/Western States sub-forum.

 

I assume you mean the most violent (F4+) tornadoes? The only F5 to occur in Kentucky was Brandenburg (the Sayler Park tornado did its F5 damage in Ohio; it caused F4 damage at Taylorsport, KY just before crossing the river), though there were 11 violent tornadoes in total and 19 strong (F3+). I'd say this was most likely Kentucky's most significant event, though March 27, 1890 also belongs in the conversation. There were at least six strong/violent tornadoes, including the devastating Louisville tornado.

 

There were a few other, smaller outbreaks later in the month of April 1974, but nothing particularly noteworthy or widespread. The then-record tornadoes for the month of April (267) was due in large part to the ~175 or so tornadoes during April 1-4.

[Buckeye05]

ILX did a pretty nice update of their page on this event, including some pretty high quality aerial pics from Xenia.

 

 

[Hoosier]

That NAM simulation of April 3, 1974 is really cool, an idea I've had about other weather events from the past. I was hoping it would be a radar simulation or some type of index that we use today, like EHI or supercell indices.

 

Since its close to the 40th anniversary, it's a good time to fire off some questions that hopefully someone knows the answers to. Is April 3, 1974 considered Kentucky's worst tornado day in history since they got most of the F5's? Has any new video/pics emerged during the last 4-5 years of this event that was otherwise not known? And lastly, why is there so little info about the rest of the tornadoes that occurred during April 1974 to make it among the highest # for any given month? I don't have an idea about the other outbreaks or events during this insane period.

 

A bit OT, but I can't find the May 24, 2011 Tornado Outbreak thread on here (found the one for the 25th however), does someone have a link or an idea of a better search method? I've tried the search and going back page by page during May-July 2011 in "general weather" and "Central/Western States" sub-forums with no luck. I just tried the Central/Western States sub-forum.

 

 

It got bumped in 2013 for the 2 year anniversary...

 

http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/18834-may-24-plainsmw-severe-threat/

[on_wx]

9 people were killed and 30 were injured in Essex County, Ontario as one of the tornadoes from Detroit tracked into the city of Windsor. I think Environment Canada officially rates this tornado as an F1, but it produced F3 damage in Michigan.

[Torchageddon]

I assume you mean the most violent (F4+) tornadoes? The only F5 to occur in Kentucky was Brandenburg (the Sayler Park tornado did its F5 damage in Ohio; it caused F4 damage at Taylorsport, KY just before crossing the river), though there were 11 violent tornadoes in total and 19 strong (F3+). I'd say this was most likely Kentucky's most significant event, though March 27, 1890 also belongs in the conversation. There were at least six strong/violent tornadoes, including the devastating Louisville tornado.

 

There were a few other, smaller outbreaks later in the month of April 1974, but nothing particularly noteworthy or widespread. The then-record tornadoes for the month of April (267) was due in large part to the ~175 or so tornadoes during April 1-4.

I thought there were more than 2 F5's in Kentucky but maybe not. I know for sure there were a ton of violent one's in KY. Also about April 1974, I thought it was in the range of 500 confirmed so if its 267 then what I remember was way off! Strange.

 

It got bumped in 2013 for the 2 year anniversary...

 

http://www.americanwx.com/bb/index.php/topic/18834-may-24-plainsmw-severe-threat/

Thanks.

 

9 people were killed and 30 were injured in Essex County, Ontario as one of the tornadoes from Detroit tracked into the city of Windsor. I think Environment Canada officially rates this tornado as an F1, but it produced F3 damage in Michigan.

I've always seen it referenced as a F3. I think the damage photos shown of it looked higher than a F1 but because Windsor had more than several tornadoes in that mid-range its harder to keep them straight.

[Hoosier]

I thought there were more than 2 F5's in Kentucky but maybe not. I know for sure there were a ton of violent one's in KY. Also about April 1974, I thought it was in the range of 500 confirmed so if its 267 then what I remember was way off! Strange.

 

 

 

As Enso mentioned above, technically there was only 1 tornado that produced F5 damage in Kentucky but since the rating is based on the strongest damage anywhere along the path then it could count as 2, and most sources would probably cite 2.  The Super Outbreak had some of the most detailed surveying up until that time but most outbreaks didn't have that level of scrutiny.

 

While I'm on this subject, I guess I'll throw in some stuff about Indiana.  For historical purposes, 3 F5s are counted as having occurred in the state when in reality only 1 of those produced F5 damage within the state.  The Brandenburg, KY F5 produced F4 damage as it crossed into Indiana and the Sayler Park tornado that was mentioned in a post above produced its F5 damage in Ohio.  A separate F4 was almost rated as an F5 by Grazulis but is officially rated F4.

[on_wx]

I thought there were more than 2 F5's in Kentucky but maybe not. I know for sure there were a ton of violent one's in KY. Also about April 1974, I thought it was in the range of 500 confirmed so if its 267 then what I remember was way off! Strange.

 

Thanks.

 

I've always seen it referenced as a F3. I think the damage photos shown of it looked higher than a F1 but because Windsor had more than several tornadoes in that mid-range its harder to keep them straight.

 

Just looked back at records, and indeed Environment Canada concludes F1 damage on our side. It was an F3 tornado I guess because it's the same tornado that produced the F3 damage in the Detroit metro. This is where EC reports the tornado had point of entry into Canada: https://goo.gl/maps/f8GvX

[Buckeye05]

9 people were killed and 30 were injured in Essex County, Ontario as one of the tornadoes from Detroit tracked into the city of Windsor. I think Environment Canada officially rates this tornado as an F1, but it produced F3 damage in Michigan.

There was little to no damage in Michigan from that tornado. All the fatalities and the F3 damage occurred in Windsor.

[on_wx]

There was little to no damage in Michigan from that tornado. All the fatalities and the F3 damage occurred in Windsor.

 

Oh? Like Torchageddon I've always heard of this tornado being F3, but Environment Canada lists it as F1, so just assumed the F3 damage came from the US. Interesting

[Torchageddon]

There was little to no damage in Michigan from that tornado. All the fatalities and the F3 damage occurred in Windsor.

Now this is starting to get interesting! 

 

About 40 years ago at this time, the first tornado started in Morris, Illinois to kick off the Super Outbreak.

[Hoosier]

[Torchageddon]

 

At this moment of posting, a F3 E of Tolono Champaign, IL killed a man in a trailer and destroyed farms near Philo.

 

BTW, I found lots of spelling and/or grammar errors in the main Wiki article today, don't know how since that article is scrutinized heavily and edited today as well.

[IWXwx]

I found a Facebook page dedicated to the outbreak. Lots of good pictures and links to articles and videos.

 

https://www.facebook.com/SuperOutbreak40?fref=ts

[MichiganLion]

I travel through Xenia a handful of times every year ---- I think about the tornado every time I pass through.  The physical scars are still there if one knows where to look.  

 

Xenia's downtown, for instance, looks nothing like the downtowns of other "similar" Ohio cities (Bellefontaine, Springfield, Wilmington, et cetera).  Bellfontaine, for instance, has a "traditional" downtown with a fair amount of architectural beauty and diversity.  Xenia's downtown (being by necessity a child of the 1970s), is centered around the automobile and is a bunch of strip malls and parking lots. Xenia, unfortunately, had to re-build right when American "urban planning" was at its worst.

 

Living in metro Cincinnati, I also think about how lucky our area was, especially with the F5 Sayler Park tornado on 3-April-1974.  5 F4/F5 tornadoes hit the Cincinnati DMA that single day (Xenia is not part of the Cincinnati DMA, that tornado is not among the 5).  Crazy number.  The Sayler Park storm hit perhaps the "best" portion of all of Hamilton County, Ohio in terms of limiting storm deaths and injuries (still 3 deaths).

[nwohweather]

Hard to believe this ever was topped honestly

[Buckeye05]

Oh? Like Torchageddon I've always heard of this tornado being F3, but Environment Canada lists it as F1, so just assumed the F3 damage came from the US. Interesting

Strange. Not sure why they would list it as an F1. The Windsor tornado was first sighted in Flat Rock, MI before it crossed into Ontario and rapidly intensified. It traveled along a skipping/intermittent path, striking a Chrysler plant, a shopping mall, and the Windsor Curling Club. All 9 deaths occurred at the curling club when the roof came off and a cinder-block wall caved in on the people inside.

[on_wx]

Strange. Not sure why they would list it as an F1. The Windsor tornado was first sighted in Flat Rock, MI before it crossed into Ontario and rapidly intensified. It traveled along a skipping/intermittent path, striking a Chrysler plant, a shopping mall, and the Windsor Curling Club. All 9 deaths occurred at the curling club when the roof came off and a cinder-block wall caved in on the people inside.

 

David Phillips from Environment Canada quotes the tornado as being an F3 in this Windsor Star article: http://blogs.windsorstar.com/2013/05/21/it-could-happen-here-environment-canada-revisits-deadly-windsor-tornadoes/

 

No idea either why the tornado would be listed in the official records as an F1.

[kperk014]

On 4/2/2014 at 8:59 PM, Ensō said:

 

I assume you mean the most violent (F4+) tornadoes? The only F5 to occur in Kentucky was Brandenburg (the Sayler Park tornado did its F5 damage in Ohio; it caused F4 damage at Taylorsport, KY just before crossing the river), though there were 11 violent tornadoes in total and 19 strong (F3+). I'd say this was most likely Kentucky's most significant event, though March 27, 1890 also belongs in the conversation. There were at least six strong/violent tornadoes, including the devastating Louisville tornado.

 

There were a few other, smaller outbreaks later in the month of April 1974, but nothing particularly noteworthy or widespread. The then-record tornadoes for the month of April (267) was due in large part to the ~175 or so tornadoes during April 1-4.

Alabama had three F5s that day. Two of them at Tanner in Limestone County were separated by about half an hour and their paths were so close together the investigators had difficulty telling which damage was associated with which tornado. The two tornadoes killed 50 people. One man was badly injured in Tanner 1 and was taken to a Church to await and ambulance. Tanner 2 came along and destroyed the Church, killing the unfortunate man inside. Tanner was hit by a high end EF4 tornado during the second Super Outbreak on April 27, 2011 which killed 72 people altogether with 4 of the deaths being in Limestone County.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Super_Outbreak#Tanner.2C_Alabama_.281st_tornado.29