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44th Anniversary of the Super Outbreak


nWo

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First, let me say this. I'm not saying this is going to occur again on Tuesday 4/3/18. It just happens to be the anniversary of the 1974 Super Outbreak.

 

 

The “Super Outbreak of April 3-4, 1974” occurred across portions of the Midwest, Lower Mississippi Valley, and Southeast. In what was the worst tornado outbreak of the 20th century, there were 148 tornadoes over the course of just 18 hours, over half of which were classified as significant/strong at F2 strength or higher.

 

Looking back at the April 3-4, 1974 Super Outbreak - U.S. Tornadoes

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I was just a month shy of 10 and spent the day scared as hell huddled and hunkered down with my family in the basement listening to weather reports of tornado touchdowns on a crackling transistor radio. Thankfully my area was spared any serious damage, but I very much recall the creepy freaked out feeling of the whole experience.

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My parents had a friend that lost his mom and dad that night. Same friend's brother's house and son's house were also destroyed. His baby grandson was found several hours later laying under a piece of tin about 100 yards from the destroyed house...crying but uninjured.

 

We spent the night at a neighbors because they had a basement and we did not. I think we spent most of the night sitting on the front porch watching the storm roll in from the west and keep sliding north of us.

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I did the same thing I do to commemorate this day every year.

 

"Uga Uga Uga Cha Cha, Uga Uga Uga Cha Cha, I can't stop this feeling. Deep inside of me..."

 

And

 

"I Can See Clearly Now, the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way...."

 

The 2 songs the DJ at WCTT played over and over after losing lights at the station. And the reports of the motel being hit.

 

This was after Mom noticed the International rocking back and forth under the car port and herding me and sis into the basement. A twister set down in the north pasture and went up the side of the hill to the ridge. That was about 300 or so yards from the house. Fun times.

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I remember this day very well too. My dad was an electric troubleman for CGE back then, so he was called in to work before they hit, and then bascially got no time off for a couple weeks. (technically he worked 16 on 8 off but still seemed like he was never home. He had some good stories to tell about not only first hand accounts, but the aftermath as well.

 

Mom and my brother and sisters were down in the basement for a long time, like others listening to the radio for updates. Living in Villa Hills we did not have any on top of us, but the one that rolled thru across the river in Saylor Park was not too far away. Close enough to make it interesting.

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