1974 Super Tornado Outbreak: Worst in History

On April 3rd, 1974, a set of conditions aligned across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys that led to worst tornado outbreak in United States history. A record-breaking 7 F5 tornadoes and a dozens of other violent tornadoes tore thru the region. This wasn't just any tornado outbreak, but rather a Super Outbreak. We take a deeper look into the tornadoes of this historic event.

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#Tornado #SuperOutbreak #Weather #StormChasing #Science #STEM #Education #Documentary #1974

[GradyOrtizGolf]

It is crazy that Tanner Alabama was hit by two F5 tornadoes in 30 minutes. However, it is even crazier that on April 27, 2011, the Hackleburg/ Phil Campbell EF5 went directly in the middle of the two Tanner tornado paths. This is truly a once in a lifetime event and you put a great video together. Amazing job!!

[MrSuzuki]

I was flying a 10 passenger twin engine airplane from Detroit to St. Louis on April 3, 1974. I saw a line of thunderstorms ahead the likes of which I had never seen before in 10 years and 6, 000 hours of flying time in the Midwest. I did not have weather, so I asked the air traffic controller about the storms and he told me the storm tops were measured on radar above 70, 000 feet!! Keep in mind that radar can only see precipitation, and not clouds, so the actual tops of the storms had to have been well above 75, 000 feet. I was able to parallel the line of storms and snuck around the south end near St. Louis. Never forget that day!!

[MrSuzuki]

Six EF-5 tornadoes formed in an 18 hour period on April 3-4, 1974. It is unusual to have ONE EF-5 in an entire year.

[DaBlazesUSay]

Great report, Ethan! On April 3, 1974 I was a senior in high school and a newly-trained storm spotter in Richmond, Kentucky. We had an F4 of our own that day. It killed seven people in Madison County. I saw the birth of it, then scampered home to report it to the National Weather Service before our electricity and our phones went out. There's much more that I could say about that day, but I'll just add that Kentucky has only been struck by two F5 (or EF5) tornadoes in its history, and both were on the same day, April 3, 1974.

[dannyllerenatv]

It's haunting just how much of a resemblance the Xenia F5 has to the Tuscaloosa EF4 of the 2011 event structurally. Erratic, wild, unhinged multi-vortex monster.

[allysonkitchens]

Thank you for giving equal time to the Tanner and Guin F5s. I was 10 on 4/3/74 and grew up in Decatur AL. My grandmother, my aunt and her family, and many friends lived in Tanner. All survived and their homes were not damaged. Unfortunately, 2 students of my aunt lost their lives. I saw the damage first hand. It was the most disturbing thing I have ever seen. My college roommate was from Guin. The stories she told about that night were horrific. The Guin twister hit just south of Decatur as an F3. My family heard it from our home. It was the most terrifying night of my life.

[recondrone]

I lived in Louisville, Ky in the Highlands area and was 13 years old when the tornado hit. That day was unusual weather wise it was very warm and very humid and some rain showers that afternoon! My brother and a friend decided to walk three blocks to Cherokee park since the rain had let up just before we got the park the rain started once more and the sky was getting dark so we turn back heading home. We walked about one block and to our left we noticed how the clouds were changing colors greens, purples and pinks mixed with very dark black and gray clouds. while looking at the sky and the boiling clouds we noticed the sky was filling with what we thought for a few moments were flocks birds within a few seconds we realized it was parts of houses and trees filling the sky! At that moment we knew it was a huge tornado We took off running for home a couple block away. I will never forget the old man and his wife looking out their open front door watching the tornado as we past them I will never forget the old guy screaming at us saying "You're not going to make it" several times as we past his home. Honestly I didn't think we would survive either as the winds were howling and blowing with more force ever second. We cut though our neighbors front yard then out their backyard and jump the fence to our yard. I remember see my father's head sticking out of the cellar door that was on our back porch. I was glad they (mom, dad and two siblings) had already took cover because as I was running I was also concerned about them at home and if they were even aware what was coming. Once in the yard we dove into the cellar then dad closed the doors. The noise and wind was howling like never before as we waited for the house to fly apart then the power went out. Thinking it was about to hit we all huddled in one corner with dad on top of us. Slowly the noise and wind started to calm down and we open the door to look outside we seen our yard was full of debris and blue flashes were lighting up the horizon. We realized it missed our home and the flashes were powerline's and transformers blowing as the tornado tracked to our east. Our home was not hurt but others that were a block or two away were destroyed. Three days later my father volunteered to work with the Red Cross and those couple day before working for the red cross we explored the damage by foot including Cherokee park..it was all gone total devastation. The Red Cross gave my father a huge box truck and was told to park in a shopping center away from the damaged areas to accept donations from the public and business. Within a couple hours we had the truck loaded with food, blankets, cloths and even huge rolls of plastic to help cover roofs of damaged homes. Once the truck was load we were told to head the Brandenburg, Ky that was the hardest hit area in Kentucky. When we arrived there was no town everything was completely destroyed. It look like a war zone. 33 people died in that small town that was erased off the map. We dropped the load uphill from the main town in one of the few building still standing outside the town center. Other volunteer were passing the supplies to the people in need that were still in a state of shock that had nowhere to go and lost everything including family members. For a 13 year old boy I aged about 10 years that week and realized your whole world could change in a few minutes or even come to a end. I will never forget that horrible time that befell so many so fast!

[WeatherIQ]

It's absurd how many tornadoes can happen in just one day

[dieterdelange]

Xenia was so bad Fujita himself gave it a preliminary rating of F6.

[TheYarcob]

My dad was going to Tennessee Tech and studied through the tornado. Someone died just a few miles away and dad is chilled out reading a book.

[ricklyle]

This is excellent content. Brought up some bad memories of that day I was 8 years old laying on the bathroom floor with my mom & 2 year old brother that day when an F5 went over our house in Hazel Green, AL. And to pour salt on those wounds the outbreak in 2011 initially started in Faulkner Cty AR and hit my subdivision in Vilonia on April 25th. Then 2 years and 2 days later on April 27, 2013 another F5 came within 1, 000 yards of my home and destroyed a brand new middle school that was scheduled to have it's grand opening. That's 2 F5 tornado's so far just hope the 3rd one isn't "The One".

FYI: after the 2013 F5 I had an underground tornado shelter built. What took me so long???!!!

[tornadostories]

What a video recap of this incredible event for the 50 year anniversary. The animations were first class. Amazing production work. The super outbreak is almost unfathomable. The weather went absolutely wild.

[scootrmacl]

So glad I found this channel. I fill like it’s a hidden gem

[jameswalker]

I was 8yrs old when these tornadoes ran through north Alabama. We were close enough to see the Tanner tornadoes as the entire town was wiped off the map.
The next day, we flew over the path of the storms and could not believe that large parts of the county were gone. There was very little warning prior to impact, so taking cover was hardly an option.
This date still sends a shiver of fear through me, even 50 years later.

[ac]

Your handmade animations on this video are very high quality, and they look better than anything that could've been done on a computer, good job!

[ClassicWendy]

Best overview of the 74 Super Outbreak I’ve ever seen- thank you Ethan

[hannahgroves]

Thank you for mentioning Rochester. Most people omit that tornado altogether, or when they do mention it, they only mention Monticello. My mother was a child in Rochester at the time and, while her home was spared, others in her neighborhood weren't.

[dantheman]

5:02 That photo is pure nightmare fuel

[dillyboyq]

It’s always so crazy to me that events like this can happen… 7 EF5s in ONE DAY and we haven’t had one for 10+ years now (officially). Awesome video I always love watching things like this on any super outbreaks!

[xxsnowbirbiexx]

My mom lived in Wilmington, but on that day she was in Xenia for some errands, She remembered a pitch black sky and how some of the semitrucks sped up and almost ran them off the road.
She said it whistled, but i think that was the wind whipping around the edge of something.