The April 3-4, 1974, Tornado Super Outbreak: A Case Study

In-depth discussion of the one of the most prolific tornado outbreaks of all time: the April 3-4, 1974, Super Outbreak. The event spawned 148 tornadoes, 30 of which were F4+, killing 335 and injuring over 6000. In this video, we'll take a deep dive into the meteorology behind the 1974 Super Outbreak to determine why it was such a prolific event.

Thumbnail images from Frank Altenau via NWS Wilmington OH (top left), NWS Wilmington OH (bottom left), and Dr. Ted Fujita via NWS Indianapolis (right).

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Chapters:

0:00 Introduction
1:55 Conditions leading up to the outbreak
5:25 Meteorological analysis of the outbreak
10:59 Observed sounding analysis
14:52 Satellite analysis begins
15:05 Convective band 1
17:33 Convective band 2
20:25 Convective bands 3 and 4
21:59 WRF model output using reanalysis data
24:28 Radar imagery
24:55 Wrap-up

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Resources:

[Purinmeido]

My dad was in Louisville when this outbreak happened. He was touring with his band and their favorite buffet got destroyed.

[TRGTornado]

Wow, did not expect this! Great Case study/video! Looking forward to more videos!

[ericspratt]

I was 7 when this happened. I can remember my cousin showing me damage photos in the newspaper, specifically school buses thrown into a gymnasium. Enjoy all your videos. Always learn from them. Thanks for the effort you put into them.

[krzy]

A true masterpiece of an analysis that you made here Trey, likely a one in hundreds of years type of event, hopefully we never see anything else like this in our lifetimes

[michaeluk]

4 F3s hit the county my mom lived in. She nearly drove right into one of the tornadoes till she saw it from lightening. She stopped short and was rolled 5-6 times in her Camaro. Broken collarbone was the only injury she had thankfully.

[TouchEmAllCards]

My earliest memory. I was 3. Living in Southwest Ohio. XENIA was so significant I actually didn't know it was 1974. I remembered it so well I thought it had to be at least 1980.

[wayloncapps]

The simple fact that there was an F2 tornado in Western North Carolina on this event says a lot. If you ll look at tornado archive it’s one of only 3-4 to have ever occurred. Maybe in the extreme western part before the mountains really begin but we just don’t get tornados. Thats a good thing tho

[tornadotrx]

Been waiting for this one! Such an interesting event.

[jalenstimes]

A simply one in a lifetime outbreak. Although the 2011 Super Outbreak was extremely impressive in terms of the number of tornadoes and the number of violent ones, the 1974 Super Outbreak was literally unprecedented!

[bencook]

I live in Monticello, IN (pronounced Monti - sell - o) and my dad was a kid in the area when the Tornado came through in 74. Hearing him talk about it gives chills sometimes, especially since the tornado's path would have just missed the house which I now own.

[ajaxassassin]

My new favorite youtuber! I live in California and have always been fascinated by the horrifyingly beautiful occurence of Tornadoes. Even taught myself how to recognize hook echoes and other parameters associated with the storms. One thing i noticed you didn’t mention was that year’s SIGNIFICANT record breaking La Nina conditions that helped fuel that years event which were only comparable to the most recent 2011 super outbreak! I learned a lot from this case study. Especially how high levels of CAPE and low level wind shear fueled these monster Tornadoes.

[SpeedNintendo]

Just got back from my trip to Sayler Park and Xenia, and now I get to watch this! You're amazing, Trey

[Achronym]

Yes! Been waiting for this video! I'm pretty new to meteorology but I always find myself learning something new when watching your videos; or at least wanting to learn more (I still don't understand half the stuff you say in these videos 😂). Thanks, Trey!

[timtravels]

I appreciate the hours of work that go into each one of these videos. Thx

[levihayes]

This is gonna be a good one! I grew up in Parker City, IN and the EF4 that went through there was a story I heard very early in my childhood.

[Snail_Thunder_]

Just came from school and I saw you have uploaded a new case study.
Today is a good day!
Love the case study!

[asap]

I’m loving all these videos coming out about this outbreak on the 50th anniversary, I was hoping you would make one too!

[itsbean]

This is fantastic and really was waiting for this one!!!!

[silentbob]

Really good breakdown. This is one of those outbreaks where an F5 hit my home state of Ohio. There's another notable anniversary coming up in May 2025 and, I don't know how you feel about requests, I think it should be broken down. It was the US/Canada outbreak of May 31, 1985. It's personal for me because it included a destructive F5 that hit my hometown.

[thebroderickhoward]

My papa was living near Xenia during this outbreak, he says he remembers driving through town after the tornado and everything was just flattened. He said the only thing still standing along the horizon was the bank vault, and the metal gas pumps. Absolutely devastating. Great video once again, one of the most intriguing outbreaks of all time!! Can’t wait for more vids!