Tornadoes: Super Outbreak Disaster - April 3-4, 1974

Very well-done National Weather Service film about the wave of at least 148 tornadoes striking large portions of the midwest and southern U.S. in 1974, including destroying the city of Xenia, Ohio. It is still the most severe outbreak of tornadoes in U.S. history, leaving over 300 dead and 5,000 injured...Public Domain

Category:

Education

Tags:

• tornado
• national
• weather
• climate
• disaster
• 1970s
• 1974
• alabama
• brandenburg
• kentucky
• louisville
• indiana
• xenia
• ohio
• illinois
• midwest
• storm
• dallas
• texas
• hurricane
• earthquake
• joplin
• missouri
• oklahoma
• city

[luridplanet]

The April 2011 tornado outbreak was probably bigger than this, but with many fewer fatalities

[xRazgriz]

@luridplanet No, the super outbreak of 74 had many more tornadoes. Quite a few F-5s and F-4s that day.

[luridplanet]

@xRazgriz The last two weeks of this month can almost be considered one massive tornado outbreak

[luridplanet]

@luridplanet I may have spoken too soon about fewer fatalities

[ilovebobgunton]

@johnsonsa Your father was a meteorologist for the National Weather Service? That's awesome!

[ilovebobgunton]

I wasn't born yet (I was born in June 1976) but I've seen shows about the Super Outbreak and I continue to be amazed and horrified.

[johnsonsa]

I remember my dad (retired NWS Meteorologist) showing me this in his office. AFOS was also fun to play with.

[moody609]

At 4:24 this sound clip is in the intro to the instrumental song Viento Borrascoso (Devastating Wind) by the metal band Tourniquet. I never thought I'd find the original film it was in. Thanks!

[ubuibme24]

He said those who lived through this will never forget it... THAT is the damn truth! I also survived Katrina and I will take a category 5 Hurricane over an F5 any frickkin day! You have time to pack up and leave in a hurricane. Tornado can just suddenly drop down in front of your face...and you better hope there is a basement within a few frickkin steps and to hell with any keepsakes or valuables you may have wanted to protect or salvage!

[ubuibme24]

@yetibiker08 You sound like a 47 year old bratty ,self -centered , snotty- nosed little boy!You may not be but you sure sound like one!

[Jimbo898]

That day will live with me for-ever, the sky was a pea-soup green mixed with black. My mother called me in because I was outside flying a kite, good thing she did because the hail came like gang-busters, tennis-ball size. I saw the hook of the tornado dipped down as it headed for Xenia.

[sandmountainslim]

I lived thru this outbreak in 1974 in Alabama and also the Super Outbreak of 2011 in Alabama. Both were equally terrible and both were horrifying.

[JORDANSTAATS502]

@yetbiker08 u son of a bitch IT KILLED MANY PEOPLE do u not get tht THIS IS REAL U DIPSHIT

[Firecat7409]

my husband lived in huntsville alabama through this super outbreak as a boy. He has gone on to live through a near fatal car accident, several heart attacks, and his large dog mauling him. I think this man is probly unkillable.