List of Super Outbreak tornadoes

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This is the list of tornadoes confirmed that occurred during the record-breaking Super Outbreak tornado event that occurred on April 3-4, 1974 across the eastern half of the United States and in Ontario, Canada.

Contents

[edit] Tornadoes confirmed

Confirmed
Total		 Confirmed
F0		 Confirmed
F1		 Confirmed
F2		 Confirmed
F3		 Confirmed
F4		 Confirmed
F5
148 19 33 32 34 24 6

[edit] April 3 event

F# Location County Time (UTC) Path length Damage
Georgia
F2 Ellijay to Blue Ridge Gilmer, Fannin 1800 15.6 miles (25 km)
F4 W of Calhoun to E of Chatsworth Gordon, Whitfield, Murray 2240 29.5 miles (47.2 km) 9 deaths
F4 NW of Dawsonville Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin 0030 17.7 miles (28.3 km) 6 deaths
F4 W of Pleasant Hill, GA to NE of Murphy, NC Fannin, GA, Cherokee, NC 0120 24 miles (37.4 km) 4 deaths. Crossed into North Carolina; Bealtown neighborhood in Murphy, NC severely damaged. Path was 1/4 mile in width through Murphy, crossing the Hiawassee River at multiple points, leaving up to 300 (1/4 of the town's population) homeless[1].
F2 N of Mountain City Rabun 0200 0.3 mile (0.48 km)
Illinois
F0 Morris area Grundy 1810 0.1 miles (0.16 km)
F0 E of Carlock McLean 1907 0.1 miles (0.16 km)
F1 SE of Lincoln Logan, McLean 1908 16.7 miles (26.7 km)
F3 N of Blue Mound to NE Decatur Macon 1930 20.9 miles (33.4 km) 1 death
F3 S of Anchor McLean 1930 7.4 miles (11.8 km)
F1 E of Taylorville Christian 1945 8.5 miles (13.6 km)
F1 E of Farmer City Piatt, Champaign 2010 10.9 miles (17.4 km)
F0 NW of Pierson Piatt 2025 3.3 miles (5.2 km)
F3 E of Tolono Champaign 2048 5.9 miles (9.4 km) 1 death
F3 NE of Bongard to Fithian Champaign, Vermilion 2055 14.9 miles (23.8 km)
F2 N of Bismarck Vermilion 2125 7.8 miles (12.5 km)
F1 S of Mattoon to NE of Charleston Coles 2130 14.8 miles (23.7 km)
Tennessee
F3 Cleveland area (1st tornado) Bradley, Polk 1905 18.1 miles (29 km) 1 death
F2 NE of Maryville Blount 2000 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
F1 Etowah area (1st tornado) McMinn 2030 3.6 miles (5.8 km) 1 deathMinor property damage
F1 NW of Hopewell Hamilton 2050 5.9 miles (9.4 km)
F1 NW of Springfield Robertson 2100 4.3 miles (6.9 km)
F2 N of Greenback Loudon 2200 0.1 miles (0.16 km)
F2 E of Madisonville Monroe 2200 1 mile (1.6 km)
F3 Cleveland to Etowah (2nd tornado) Bradley, Polk, McMinn 2215 21.2 miles (33.9 km) 3 deaths. Much of Etowah's business district was heavily damaged, with some buildings completely destroyed
F2 Nashville area Davidson 2218 4.7 miles (7.5 km) Significant damage to an eastern subdivision
F1 E of Columbia Maury, Marshall 2230 7.9 miles (12.6 km)
F2 NE of Lebanon to Cato Wilson, Trousdale, Smith 2300 15.8 miles (25.3 km)
F1 NE of Lewisburg to Rover Marshall, Bedford 2300 12.9 miles (20.6 km)
F3 Murfreesboro to E of Cainsville Rutherford, Wilson 2310 15.9 miles (25.4 km)
F1 NW of Lewisburg to N of Deason Marshall, Bedford 2315 26.1 miles (41.8 km)
F2 NE of Jamestown, TN to W of Flat Rock, KY Fentress, TN, Pickett, McCreary, KY 0015 27.4 miles (43.8 km)
F1 Livingston area (1st tornado) Overton 0030 4.3 miles (6.9 km)
F3 SW of Gassaway to NE of Dowelltown Cannon, DeKalb, 0030 14.6 miles (23,4 km) 1 death
F4 SE of Fayetteville to SE of Tullahoma Lincoln, Franklin 0045 27.5 miles (44 km) 11 deaths
F1 SE of Gainesboro Jackson, Overton 0100 8.6 miles (13.8 km)
F4 SE of Cookeville to S of Windletown White, Putnam, Overton 0115 28.4 miles (45.4 km) 10 deaths
F4 S of Moodyville, TN to SE of Jimtown, KY Pickett, TN, Wayne, KY 0130 11 miles (17.6 km) 5 deaths. Crossed into Kentucky from Tennessee
F4 NE of Obey City & E of Jamestown Fentress 0150 18.8 miles (30.1 km) 7 deaths 150 people were also injured [1]
F3 NW of Providence Franklin, Coffee 0200 7.1 miles (11.4 km)
F2 E of Viola Warren 0215 8.7 miles (13.9 km) 1 death
F0 SE of Bridgeport Cocke 0300 0.5 mile (0.8 km)
F1 N of Beech Hill to SW of Shelbyville Giles, Marshall, Bedford 0300 27.5 mile (44 km)
F3 Livingston area (2nd tornado) Overton 0430 9.4 miles (15 km) 3 deaths
F1 N of McMinnville Warren 0445 7.2 miles (11.5 km)
F1 N of Board Valley White 0445 3 miles (4.8 km)
F3 NE of Sunbright to W of Winona Morgan, Scott 0450 12.2 miles (19.5 km)
F3 Oneida area Scott 0450 13 miles (20.8 km)
F2 W of Clarktown to NW of Crossville White, Cumberland 0530 16.2 miles (26 km)
F1 SW of Blaine Knox 0530 1 mile (1.6 km) 2 deaths
F0 W of Andersonville Anderson, Union 0630 8.7 miles (13.9 km)
F0 NW of Jefferson City Jefferson 0700 4.5 miles (7.2 km)
F0 W of Rogersville Hawkins 0730 0.5 mile (0.8 km)
Indiana
F1 SE of Orangeville to NE of Orleans Orange, Lawrence 1915 14 miles (22.4 km)
F5 E of New Boston to Depauw to NE of Underwood Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington, Clark, Scott 1920 68 miles (108.8 km) 6 deaths. Was the first of a series of strong to violent tornadoes that travelled from Perry County to northeast of Cincinnati.
F3 E of Tunnelton to SE of Elizabethtown Lawrence, Jackson, Bartholomew, Jennings 1930 35.8 miles (57.2 km) 1 death
F3 Fairland to NE of Greenfield Shelby, Hancock 1945 20.7 miles (33.1 km) 1 death
F4 Westland to NE of Kennard Hancock, Rush, Henry 2000 18.9 miles (30.2 km)
F4 E of Elizabethtown to NE of Hamburg Bartholomew, Decatur, Franklin 2001 35.6 miles (57 km) 4 deaths
F4 NE of Henryville to Madison to NE of Barbersville area Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Ripley 2019 35.6 miles (57 km) 11 deaths. Extensive damage in Madison and nearby Hanover.
F4 W of Blountsville to NE of Parker City Henry, Delaware, Randolph, Jay 2035 18 miles (28.8 km) 1 death Destroyed Monroe Central School near Parker City. Numerous homes were destroyed and a forest suffered significant lost of trees.
F4 E of Madison to E of Cochran Jefferson, Switzerland, Ohio, Dearborn 2040 27.1 miles (43.4 km)
F5 N of Rising Sun, IN to Cincinnati/Saylor Park, OH to W of White Oak Ohio, IN, Boone, KY, Hamilton, OH 2120 20.8 miles (33.3 km) 3 deaths Crossed three states - Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio before reaching full strength in Saylor Park. Numerous boats flown away, homes swept off their foundation. Many other areas north and west of Cincinnati also received significant damage. Also known as the "Second Tri-State Tornado", due to it being the 2nd tornado after a destructive F5 in 1925 to affect three states.
F3 W of Williamsport to NE of Templeton Warren, Benton 2130 25.9 miles (41.4 km)
F4 N of Otterbein to Monticello to W of Valentine Benton, Tippecanoe, White, Cass, Pulaski, Fulton, Marshall, Kosciusko, Elkhart, Noble 2145 108.7 miles (174 km) 18 deaths. Longest tornado track of the outbreak and had at one point a path width of 1/2 mile wide.
F1 E of North Manchester Wabash, Huntington 2335 7.1 miles (11.4 km)
F2 N of Windfall City to N of Marion area Howard, Grant 2345 19 miles (30.4 km) Numerous homes and mobile homes heavily damaged in Swayzee.
F3 NW of Albion to NE of Angola Noble, LaGrange, Steuben 2350 36.2 miles (57.9 km) 5 deaths Two of the victims were in mobile homes, while two others drowned in the Turkey Lake.
F1 E of LaGrange Lagrange 2355 8.8 miles (14 km)
F2 N of Warren Huntington, Wells 0010 11.5 miles (18.4 km) 16 buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed in Plum Tree
F1 NE of Bluffton Wells, Adams 0015 14.4 miles (23 km) 8 homes suffered extensive damage and 2 mobile homes were destroyed.
F1 W of Decatur Wells, Adams 0145 10.9 miles (17.4 km)
Ohio
F5 SW of Xenia to E of Springfield Greene, Clark 1930 31.3 miles (50 km) 34 deaths Half of the town's structures were completely destroyed or swept away. One of three tornadoes that meteorologists nearly rated F6. There was an episode of Storm Stories that featured this tornado.
F2 London area Clark, Madison 2055 15.7 miles (25.1 km)
F4 Cincinnati to N of Mason Hamilton, Warren 2128 19.8 miles (31.7 km) 2 deaths. Formed from the same thunderstorm that spawned the Saylor Park tornado. The funnel from the previous twister didn't even dissipated before touching down again in Mason. Was the last of series of strong to violent tornadoes spawned by the same storm that started from southwestern Indiana.
F2 Lebanon area Warren 2200 9.8 miles (15.7 km)
F2 NE of New Albany Franklin 2205 5.1 miles (8.2 km)
F1 W of Circleville Pickaway 2218 1 mile (1.6 km)
F2 Continental area Paulding, Putnam 2330 9.2 miles (14.7 km) Destroyed one home, a garage and two barns.
F3 SW of Peebles Adams 0000 15.5 miles (24.8 km) 1 death
F1 W of Manchester Adams 0000 9.1 miles (14.6 km)
F3 E of Paulding Paulding 0045 8.7 miles (13.9 km) Destroyed five mobile homes and a barn.
F1 W of Melrose Paulding 0100 1.3 miles (2 km) Destroyed two barns and a mobile home
F1 SW of Paulding Paulding 0100 6.4 miles (10.2 km)
F1 NE of Aberdeen Brown 0130 4.1 miles (6.6 km)
Kentucky
F5 SW of Hardinsburg to Brandenburg to N of Laconia, IN Breckinridge, KY, Meade, Harrison, IN 2020 32 miles (51.2 km) 31 deaths including 18 in a single block. Most of the town was completely destroyed. The same storm later produced the Louisville tornado.
F4 W of Caneyville to Leitchfield Grayson 2100 14 miles (22.4 km)
F4 Louisville to NE of Brownsboro Jefferson, Oldham 2137 18.5 miles (29.6 km) 3 Deaths. Formed over Standiford Field Airport, touched down at The Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, continued northwest and ended near the junction of Interstates 264 and 71 after killing 3 people, injuring 225 people, and destroying over 900 homes.
F4 Elizabethtown to N of Wakefield Hardin, Nelson, Spencer 2145 37.9 miles (60.7 km) 3 deaths
F3 Franklin to Railton Simpson, Warren, Barren 2145 31.1 miles (49.8 km) 3 deaths
F1 N of Ballardsville to SE of Bromley Henry, Owen 2215 31.7 miles (50.7 km) This is a secondary storm that followed the Louisville one. 18 were injured and the path width was similar to Louisville's.
F4 S of Greensburg to Mannsville Green,Taylor 2240 20.2 miles (32.3 km)
F4 N of Gee to Frankfort to S of Sadieville Anderson, Franklin, Scott 2250 79.4 miles (127 km) 4 deaths. One of the largest recorded tornadoes in the outbreak - over 1 mile wide.
F3 S of Ellisburg to NE of Danville Casey, Lincoln, Boyle 2335 21.1 miles (33.8 km) 1 death
F4 NE of Peytonsburg to NE of Monticello Cumberland, Clinton, Wayne 2340 38.4 miles (61.4 km) 10 deaths
F3 SW of Cynthiana to E of Claysville Harrison, Robertson 2355 19.3 miles (30.9 km)
F3 SW of Parnelli to W of Bronston Wayne, Pulaski 0005 18 miles (28.8 km)
F2 Harrodsburg area Boyle, Mercer 0012 16.2 miles (26 km)
F4 Richmond to E of Winchester Garrard, Madison, Clark 0020 31.9 miles (51 km) 7 deaths
F2 E of Cuzick Madison, Fayette 0030 9 miles (14.4 km)
F3 E of Somerset to E of Livingston Pulaski, Laurel, Rockcastle 0055 22.3 miles (35.7 km) 7 deaths
F3 E of Camargo Montgomery 0105 4.9 miles (7.8 km)
F2 N of Georgetown Scott 0115 10 miles (16 km)
F1 NW of Maysville Mason 0125 0.1 mile (0.16 km)
F3 NE of Monticello Wayne, Pulaski 0150 13.9 miles (22.2 km) 2 deaths
F2 N of Corbin to Fogertown Laurel, Clay 0155 19.8 miles (31.7 km)
F4 SW of Whitley City Wayne, McCreary 0300 16.1 miles (25.8 km)
F2 NE of Whitley City McCreary, Whitley 0330 8 miles (12.8 km)
F3 NE of Jabez to W of Plato Russell, Pulaski, Rockcastle 0430 28.8 miles (46 km)
North Carolina
F1 S of Rosman Transylvania 2100 1 mile (1.6 km)
F1 N of Brasstown Cherokee 2200 0.1 mile (0.16 km)
F2 SW of Robbinsville to NW of Almond Graham, Swain 0005 24.1 miles (38.6 km) 2 deaths
Alabama
F2 Concord area Jefferson 2130 1 mile (1.6 km) One building was completely destroyed
F1 NW of Jacksonville Calhoun 2221 1 mile (1.6 km) Tree and power line damage west of Jacksonville
F2 W of Macedonia, AL to NE of Acworth, GA Cleburne, AL, Haralson, GA, Paulding, Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee 2250 65.9 miles (105.4 km) 1 death. Crossed into Georgia where numerous homes were destroyed.
F5 W of Moulton to Tanner to Harvest (1st tornado) Lawrence, Limestone, Morgan, Madison 2315 52 miles (83.2 km) 28 deaths. There was major devastation to the towns of Tanner and Harvest 14 people were killed in the town of Moulton alone.
F2 E of Phil Campbell Franklin 2330 12.8 miles (20.5 km) One home and one mobile home factory was heavily damaged
F4 W of Carrollton to Jasper to NE of Cullman Pickens, Tuscaloosa, Fayette, Walker, 2335 110.6 miles (177 km) 3 deaths The town's courthouse and several businesses suffered significant damage in downtown Jasper. Over 500 buildings were completely destroyed and over 100 injuries were reported in Walker County alone.
F3 NE of Gadsden to W of Kirks Grove Cherokee 0000 20.9 miles (33.4 km) 20 people were injured in the storm while numerous trailers and mobile homes were destroyed.
F4 SW of Tanner, AL to E of Manchester, TN(2nd tornado) Limestone, AL, Madison, Lincoln, TE, Franklin 0035 83.3 miles (133.2 km) 22 deaths.Starting in Mont Hope the Second tornado hit the same area just 30 minutes after the initial tornado. Affected rescue efforts on scene after the first tornado. Some NWS records rate this tornado as an F5. Over 1000 buildings were destroyed by this tornado and the previous F5 that hit the area.
F5 N of Vernon to Guin to S of Basham Lamar, Marion, Winston, Lawrence, Morgan 0150 79.5 miles (127.2 km) 30 deaths. After starting in Monroe County in eastern Mississippi, the tornado crossed into Alabama. Over 500 buildings and structures were completed destroyed and 250 were injured in Guin alone. Possibly the most intense tornado in Alabama history. [2]
F3 SE of Decatur to NE of Huntsville Morgan, Limestone, Madison, Jackson 0324 46.5 miles (74.4 km) Developed after the F5 Guin tornado. Extensive damage in south Huntsville including Redstone Arsenal, a school, numerous businesses, homes and trailers were heavily damaged or completely destroyed including on Monte Sano mountain. 50 people were injured.
Mississippi
F3 S of Laurel Jones 2200 12 miles (19.2 km)
Michigan
F2 S of Rockwood Monroe 0030 2 miles (3.2 km)
F2 Hillsdale to NE of Liberty Hillsdale, Jackson 0044 19.3 miles (30.8 km) 2 deaths Continuous damage from west of Hillsdale to Clark's Lake. Both deaths were inside mobile homes. Over 160 structures were heavily damaged opr destroyed including homes and trailers
F2 S of Hudson Hillsdale, Lenawee 0115 9.9 miles (15.8 km) One home lost its roof, while a mobile home and barn was destroyed.
F2 SW of Hudson area Hillsdale, Lenawee 0115 5.4 miles (8.6 km)
F3 SW of Monroe area Monroe 0156 0.3 mile (0.48 km)
Ontario
F3 Windsor Essex, ON, Wayne, MI unknown 6 miles (9.6 km) 8 deaths. Only tornado related to the outbreak in Canada.
New York
F1 Frewsburg area Chautauqua 0300 0.2 mile (0.32 km) Minor damage to the business district of the town.
Virginia
F1 N of Bartlick Dickenson, Buchanan 0720 7.3 miles (11.7 km)
F0 E of Jonesville Lee 0721 8.6 miles (13.8 km)
Sources:Storm Data for April 3, 1974 Summary of northern Indiana tornadoes by Thomas Grazulis

[edit] April 4 event

F# Location County Time (UTC) Path length Damage
Tennessee
F0 SE of Kingsport, TN to Bristol, VA Sullivan, TN, City of Bristol, VA 0800 18 miles (28.8 km) Crossed into Virginia and had a width of one mile wide, despite its F0 rating
Virginia
F3 W of Saltville Washington, Smyth 0900 8.4 miles (13.4 km) 1 death
F1 N of Staunton Augusta 1040 15.2 miles (24.3 km)
F2 Roanoke area Roanoke County, City of Salem, City of Roanoke 1100 6.5 miles (10.4 km) Mile-wide tornado as it entered the city of Salem.
West Virginia
F1 E of Wilcoe McDowell 0805 0.1 mile (0.16 km)
F1 W of Mullens Wyoming 0816 4.9 miles (7.8 km)
F3 W of Shady Spring Raleigh 0820 9.2 miles (14.7 km)
F3 W of Bragg to Friars Hill Raleigh, Fayette, Greenbrier, 0826 32.2 miles (51.5 km) 1 death
F0 NW of Hinton Summers 0900 0.1 mile (0.16 km)
F1 Beckley area Barbour 0925 0.1 mile (0.16 km)
North Carolina
F2 NW of Granite Falls area Caldwell 1300 5.7 miles (9.1 km)
F0 W of Brasstown Cherokee 1300 9.7 miles (15.5 km)
Sources: Storm Data for April 4, 1974

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Danville Register, Danville, VA. April 5, 1974, page 1.

[edit] Further reading

  • Deitz, Robert E., et al. (editor) (1974). April 3, 1974: Tornado!. The Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. Library of Congress Catalog Number 74-80806. 
  • Hartsfield, Ray J. with Robin Garr, Phyllis Morrisette, Jay Harris, Dave Knapp, Tom Scott, Terry Cowan, Mary Ann Woosley, Allen Hammer (editorial staff) (1974). April 3, 1974: The Kentucky Tornadoes. C. F. Boone. 
  • Butler, William S. (editor) (2004). Tornado: A look back at Louisville's dark day, April 3, 1974. A 30th Anniversary Publication. Butler Books. ISBN 1-884532-58-6. 

[edit] External links