The Most Important day in Tornado Science History - April 3, 1974

148 tornadoes in 24 hours changed everything.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Super Outbreak of 74, we will review the violent atmospheric conditions over the Mississippi and Ohio River Valley, analyze the impressive forecasts given by the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, examine hour-by-hour how the outbreak unfolded, and retrace in-person the modern-day path of the most infamous tornado in Ohio History.
Sources and Further Reading:
docs.google.com/document/d/e/...
The Most Important day in Tornado Science History - April 3, 1974
Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:38 Mid Century Tornado Forecasts
3:09 Dr. Fujita!
4:30 Synoptic Setup
6:35 Weather Network Tech!
9:35 April 2nd Overnight
12:29 April 3rd Morning
14:25 Storm Initiation
17:02 Depauw and Brandenburg
18:22 Indiana Tornadoes
19:29 Radar Chaos
20:58 Hanover-Madison
21:31 Xenia
27:50 Kennard and Louisville
29:38 Sayler Park and Monticello
32:18 Tanner and Jasper
35:15 Windsor, Guin, Huntsville
23:44 Fujita Assesses the Damage

[@chuck2998]

"Y'all wanna see a tornado?" Is so midwest

[@markmiller3059]

i was a theatre kid at a midwest high school, this would definitely be on brand for someone to ask

[@esverker7018]

Even more midwest was everyone in my college's dining hall getting an urgent tornado alert on our phones, but still calmly lining up to hand in our dirty dishes before strolling outta the hall to go find a basement lmao. Everyone chatting casually the whole time.

[@Gabriel-pb6mx]

I wanna see a tornado... ahhh I'm gonna die

[@Volundur9567]

Can confirm

[@GG-yr5ix]

We don't say y'all in Midwest, but yes tornadoes are a form of entertainment for us.

[@highriskchris]

Fujita is the greatest tornado scientist of all time. His research on tornadoes is still being verified to this day, and his graphics lie somewhere between art and science. Amazing video as always!

[@TJ89741]

Imagine if Fujita were still alive today to do surveys on recent major violent tornadoes. I’d love to have seen his surveys on Mayfield, Phil Campbell, Tuscaloosa, Joplin for example

[@DARKAGTONFP8]

Hi highriskchris Im a fan of yours

[@peterolbrisch8970]

I don't like the F scale. It doesn't make any sense.

[@DarkKnight52365]

@@TJ89741 we almost didn't have him as he was at the city the second atomic bomb was suppose to hit but was spared due to bad weather

[@hauntedshadowslegacy2826]

@@peterolbrisch8970 That's okay. Still, it was a necessary first step. People needed to start taking tornado damage analysis seriously to advance storm predictions, construction practices, and safety. Somebody had to pick a place to start, and Dr. Fujita did so. The F scale is outdated now, and the EF scale needs improvement, but it was something- and something is generally better than nothing.

[@Jerorawr_XD]

My mom remembers a story from the Xenia tornado. Her uncle-inlaw and his wife lived next to one of the homes that would be destroyed. They saw the tornado coming. The neighbors house was destroyed. Theirs thankfully was spared. When they were found by people doing a wellness check hours later, they were on their couch eating ice cream. When asked why, they said "we knew we wouldnt live if we got hit. But if we did, the power was going to go out for sure. Be a shame to let the ice cream melt," Amazing how calmly they took everything.

[@soulofthemedley]

that’s such a midwestern thing to say oh my god

[@rmr2471]

It sure is! 🤗

[@chrismaverick9828]

I'm sure there was a bit of shock going on as well. Sometimes you deal with a near miss by taking the distance approach, ignoring some aspects until you're ready and required to deal with them.

[@user-zx9yg7bk7c]

Why does it seem so many real people are offended by the love,an name of,GOD? or real people saying GOD? Are we infested with what I'd assume satin,and all along I been worried about communists? Well I thank GOD for the eye opener.. .😮

[@thermionic1234567]

How many times was the energy equivalent of “Czar Bomba” expended in these storms?

[@andrewblackburn1426]

By far the most detailed analysis of the 1974 Super Outbreak I’ve ever seen. This is a legit masterpiece of weather history coverage.

[@markrlondon]

I agree. I've watched many weather videos, and this one might be one the best. It was incredibly rivetting, while also being very informational.

[@SurelyLord]

100 per cent. If there was an Oscar for weather documentaries. He put a lot of time into getting those clips. Felt like he was a local- maybe he is. 😊

[@jriti]

2nd this, excellent work. Guy deserves an award. My minor contribution about that time - I lived 1/4 mile from Ireland Army Hospital at Fort Knox, which might be the closest hospital to Brandenburg, KY. I remember lots of Huey medevac chopper runs happening that day. My wife lived in nearby Elizabethtown, KY, and both her parents worked at the county hospital there. She basically didn't see them for a couple days, as they treated tornado casualties.

[@fredwerza3478]

This video had to require hundreds of hours of research and gathering video and photo footage --- hats off to this kind of dedication

[@porcupinecone7188]

I recall as a young boy reading reports about the destruction of Xenia in the newspaper in the days following April 3rd 1974. Having forgotten the date of the event, all these years later something drew me on April 3 2024 to search on the Xenia tornado - on the 50th snniversary of the Super Outbreak. What a coincidence. After a few minutes of watching this video, I restarted the video at half speed. The footage, and commentary are top notch. The graphics are so full of detail and significance, I didnt want to miss anything. 6 stars!

[@sydneyb.267]

I was 10 years old in 1974 and lived SE of Dayton OH. I was home alone that afternoon watching afternoon cartoons when Gil Whitney came on air on WHIO. The storm that hit my neighborhood was, as I learned later, the same storm that dropped the Xenia tornado about 5 miles on. Having lived in Texas and Kansas before moving to Ohio, I knew what tornado weather looked like and this was it--my ears popped, the air was white and the wind ripped and tore the trees and shrubs straight up. Not long after, the Emergency Broadcast System came on about the tornado hitting Xenia. They asked for doctors and nurses, people with trucks and heavy equipment, and clergy to go to a specified location--and for everyone else to stay out of the area. The next fall, we had some new students at our school who had lived in Xenia. A boy in my class had been outside going toward home when he began to get pelted with small debris. His hands, arms and one side of his face were covered with scars, all dots and dashes. He ultimately jumped into a storm sewer and rode it out.

[@brianbishop4753]

That was my birthday, I have always been super interested in the events of that day. Dad tells me every year how nice a beautiful it was and the. After I was born all hell broke loose. They lived in Columbus at the time and said after they (everyone but mom and me) left the hospital to go get something then the storms started rolling in. At one point the wind was so strong it was hard to walk and doing it without leaning into the wind was impossible. I have been through Xenia only once , on a bike ride from Yellow Springs to Urbana and I was trying to imagine how horrible it was for the residents that day. I was told later if you drive around and look at the architecture, you can see a very clear difference in the building that were rebuilt/build as opposed to the ones that had been there for years.

[@netwrench6570]

I was near Fairborn and remember seeing the sky turn green. I had never seen that before and it was stunning. I went in as the winds picked up.

[@MarcFindling-cu3ci]

Does he a actually work for NWS in Cleveland Ohio?

[@oldfatandtired6406]

I love the you were 10 years old and " I was home alone that day..... .". In 1964, that wasn't a problem. Today, your parental would be in jail. Grew up in Kettering. When I was around 13 years old I attended Catholic school and it was closed one day but the public schools were open. I went hunting with my Winchester 22, riding my Schwinn Continental. Was heading home and a Kettering Cop stopped me. He wasn't really concerned about a kid on a bicycle with a rifle. It was fairly obvious with the hunting jacket I was wearing with a license pinned to the back. He was convinced I was skipping school. After he asked me if the rifle was loaded I said no. I opened the receiver and offered to hand him the rifle he said don't worry about it and went on questioning me about skipping school. Told him i attended Catholic School and it was closed. He calls in on the radio, the dispatcher verified that all the Catholic Schools were closed. He kind of apologized, asked me what I was hunting and if it got anything. Today that same incident would have had SWAT teams and helicopters circling. Schools would be on lock down and some stupid group would be screaming for more gun control

[@DeepestPink]

@@netwrench6570 I too lived through those storms in 1974 and watched as the sky turned green on and off for days. That was the first I learned about the green sky as an imminent warning of a tornado. Oddly, I saw the same phenomenon almost 30 years later in rural NY. We had gone into a grocery store in Western CT on a beautiful sunny day and when we came out a nasty storm system had developed. The sky was turning from dark gray to black and the wind was shifting strangely. Then the sky and air took on that familiar green hue. We were about 5 miles from our home on the NY side of the NY/CT border. Seven minutes later we were running from our car to the house as violent winds bent the trees and branches and loose soil was stirred up into the air. The first rain drops began to fall just as we got out of the car. They were huge and fell far apart at first but picked up quickly enough that we were soaked in the short distance we ran from the car to the house. Within three minutes the storm was gone. As we turned to the front door to get the abandoned groceries from the car I noticed the room was brighter than usual. Through the windows next to the door I could see clouds breaking up and a late afternoon sun beginning to peak through. But it didn't account for how much brighter the room was or why the view through the windows seemed different. Just as it hit me I shouldn't be able to see the sky through these windows, my fiance said "the tree." We stepped outside to find the 75 ft tree that stood just five feet from our windows (thus shading that side of the house and blocking a view of the sky from those windows) had been picked up and dropped silently next to the house. The only thing remaining above ground was a 9 ft tall mass of roots and earth. Had the tree fallen onto the house it would have crushed us. I'm still in awe of how a tree of this size was ripped from the ground and dropped beside the house and we didn't hear a sound. All within three minutes of us running past it to get inside. We sooned learned that several tornadoes from the storm had struck western CT suburbs causing considerable damage. Though tornadoes are very rare in NY and CT, I knew from having been through the storms in 1974 that when the sky turns green you are in imminent danger. I wish this phenomenon was more widely known or made available especially to those that live in areas prone to tornado activity. Or even for those who don't, beware of sudden, angry thunderstorms and if the sky turns green, look for shelter immediately.

[@Eric_Hutton.1980]

The 50th anniversary also happens to fall on a Wednesday and Thursday like it did 50 years ago. Thank you for making this most excellent and informative documentary. You are one of my favorite weather KZbinrs.

[@brianbishop4753]

I was born that morning, my dad said it was nice a clam, birds were chirping, it was beautiful outside and then I was born and all hell broke loose. Lol

[@janetoconnor3636]

What is tragic is that day the monthly Tornado siren test went off at noon and many people thought it was just a test but I remember it went off at least 4 or 5 more times even at bedtime after 11PM By than I was getting tired of it it went off at 4PM 6PM and 11 Just kept taking cover in the small bedroom closet. It as so hot and humid that day.

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Prophetic, isn't it?🤔🤔

[@gregwasserman2635]

I got to meet Dr. Fujita when I was a geology grad student in the early 90s. His son, "Kaz", was a geophysics prof in our department and invited him to gice a colloquium talk. It was an entertaining talk that I really enjoyed. I parents talk about the Palm Sunday outbreak sometimes, being at a get together at a friend's house which was only a block or two away from being hit!

[@merriemisfit8406]

I was not at that same "talk", and that's probably just as well. I was practically notorious in my university days for spacing out at those events, no matter the subject and no matter the speaker. I usually went in too tired to even be awake, and it was all downhill from there. 😴 But the only two I ever attended for which I can still remember the names of the speakers, were (1) when it was Jerry Buss and (2) when it was Ted Fujita.

[@grapeshot]

My history teacher in high school was one of the National Guardsmen they got sent to Xenia after it was flattened in the super outbreak 1974.

[@BryanRombot]

28:35-28:40: In addition to that, WHAS-AM had a news helicopter in the air over Louisville while the F4 tore through the city. The pilot, traffic reporter Dick Gilbert; would tell listeners where the Tornado was and where it was going. He would also report on the damage left behind by the Tornado. His warnings would allow Louisville residents to take shelter in advance of the Tornado. Gilbert’s actions that day would earn him praise from Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford and President Richard Nixon.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Dick Gilbert saved lives that day.

[@laurenanderson61]

So glad someone mentioned Dick Gilbert!

[@kjford587]

Dick Gilbert is the reason helicopters in the air for coverage of severe weather events became more common, like Bridge Creek-Moore 1999. A huge impact stretching far beyond his 1974 heroics

[@wubberson4450]

What a god

[@brianarbenz7206]

@@wubberson4450 He was an unassuming, relaxed person. I used to hear his traffic reports daily. He was clever and lighthearted. People listened even if they were sitting at home. DJ Jeff Douglass often would introduce him as "The lovely and talented Dick Gilbert," then Dick would say something just as cute and they might chit chat for a few more seconds before he got to the traffic. Of course, traffic in Louisville usually wasn't that heavy, giving them time for fun. And Dick never took any kind of map with him. He knew every street on sight.

[@RazingthenRaising]

I have driven through Xenia with my wife. The first mile or so is old, late 1800's buildings that are three stories tall and quite beautiful. Then, there is the line. And NOTHING old remains. Thank you for this AMAZING look at this history!

[@timmiller4130]

The Benner Field House is one exception to that. It was the gym annex building adjacent to the old Xenia HS. It was pretty much in the path of the tornado and survived intact. However, it was very well built. Basically a bunker. The rumor was it was built to serve as a Cold War area bomb shelter if needed but I have no idea if that's actually true.

[@hawkeye454]

I live near Xenia Ohio... drove thru there once a while back and couldn't help think about how much of the town was obliterated in 74.

[@randomxcrazyxwriter]

I live in Xenia (again) and every time I drive around town, I think heavily about the 74 tornado. My dad and uncle lived through it, so I grew up with stories about it every year.

[@SurelyLord]

I commented elsewhere but I live in Greene county, and I was once met the poor family who lost a child in that storm. Paper said they were in shelter, Mom was holding on to that child and the wind literally took the child from her arms. Glad Congress stepped up to develop a national radar/ local warning system. I've lived through some F-2s and remnants of hurricanes- and don't ever want to live through an F5 like they did.

[@fredwerza3478]

Every time I meet someone from Xenia --- all they can do is talk about the stupid tornado --- bores me to death

[@michaelsmith-iu1be]

@@fredwerza3478 congratulation. you are officially a prick.

[@benjaminrapp7418]

​@@fredwerza3478 I bet you're fun at parties

[@safespacebear]

It's great to have lived in an era to see weather forecasting improve. Before NEXRAD radar, in the 80s our tornado warnings were a lot less specific, usually given to an entire county which resulted in spending nights in storm cellars when nothing happened anywhere near us. In the 90s we'd know the street the tornado was on and could call everyone we knew in the way of it. It made stormy nights a lot less scary.

[@user-zt4vf3ft6p]

A couple summers ago a F0 went through the edge of town and the guy on the news was calling out street names and intersections of where it was headed. Crazy we have this level of ability now, and its good to look back on how it used to be to appreciate how we got here.

[@Deevster]

I've always wondered what James Spann was referring to on April 27th, 2011 when he mentioned the super outbreak of April 1974 that happened those 50 years ago. What an outbreak of tornadoes that was, and I was blown away at how many strong tornadoes were simultaneously produced from different supercells that day. Amazing Documentary as always!

[@claym594]

Spann is a legend

[@claytondusauzay6745]

I often watch the replay of James Spann's coverage from that outbreak. To think that much of that outbreak happened in only one state and two weeks after a violent, but on a lesser scale outbreak in the same state, is absolutely wild. The Tuscaloosa tornado has to be one of the craziest things I've ever seen.

[@jeffborden9529]

I remember 1974 several tornadoes tore up cullman and cullman County:-( I remember seeing a wooden power pole that was broken in half the half that was still in the ground had pine needles stuck into the pole driven in like nails I remember pulling the needles out of the poke amazed at how they were stuck in the pole

[@NVRAMboi]

Very well researched/compiled and edited sir. Decades later, too many people take doppler radar for granted w/o realizing how blind communities were to approaching storms - especially storms after dark. The development of weather sciences after this event have been an incalculable blessing for thousands. Thank you.

[@SurelyLord]

Absolutely. And look! Proof that 50 years ago Congress passed a bill. I thought I remembered old timers talk about Congress doing that.

[@patrickcooke5570]

Your edit of the Xenia overhead maps going from undamaged to damaged after the tornado moves past is top-class editing. Well done, and I can't wait for your next video.

[@fredwerza3478]

Yeah I was kinda wondering how he did that --- must be a whiz kid at Adobe After Effects or something

[@ThePurpleAndRed]

Xenia is right in my college backyard, and as a longtime weather enthusiast, I finally had the chance to go pay my respects. Excellent video as always.

[@ghostofyou9721]

There was a tornado documentary that brought up Xenia and I cannot fathom the fear people felt April 3 1974--

[@PeterMayer]

Antioch?

[@joshuawarkentin9199]

One thing that I really appreciate about your videos is that you frequently talk about the politics of weather. So many of the technological improvements made in forecasting have come as a result of the government realizing that there was a problem and then providing funding to address it. It also reinforces a key theme found within political science: it typically takes a historic disaster or something momentous to happen before a policy is enacted or changed. Thank you for all the work that you put into these videos!

[@danielabbott2711]

The best documentary on this day I've seen. I lived through the '74 Xenia tornado. I was 17 at the time and a member of the Track team. We sheltered under the grandstands at Cox Field and emerged to find a very different world. Across the street, people died, and we thought we would. Had nightmares for years.

[@haplessasshole9615]

Golly, I'll bet you _did_ have nightmares! Yeah, living through tornadoes is definitely trauma-inducing.

[@alecksweee]

It's been 84 long years...a new weatherbox video. I'm ready.

[@warrenmadden2586]

Absolutely superb job. During my years in Dayton I knew a lot of people from Xenia, many of whom lived through that day. My second news director at WHIO was one of the students in that auditorium, and she said she was picking pieces of glass out of her hair for days afterwards. But at least she was alive to tell that tale. It's a weird coincidence that the 50th anniversary will fall just days before Xenia and much of the Miami Valley will experience a total solar eclipse.

[@SurelyLord]

...and now according to forecasts - a possible outbreak tomorrow April 2nd. 😮 And I think I remember you on WHIO, Warren!

[@warrenmadden2586]

@@SurelyLordIt does seem very ironic/coincidental that one day shy of the 50th anniversary we could see another outbreak in Ohio. Had the weather pattern waited just a few days more, the state would be crowded with people visiting to see the eclipse. You must have a good memory - it's been 30 years since I was on WHIO!

[@tracebooks]

There’s one tornado that’s missing, or the one Hubbard filmed formed slightly northwest. It hit my childhood home and took 12 trees out of the yard. I will never forget getting off the school bus on an ideal spring day; returning something to a neighbor as my mom requested; only to turn around to a glowing olive-colored sky, with all the birds suddenly quiet. I have a lot more to our story, including my brother sleeping in a hammock under one of the trees that fell. I raced back across the road and threw him and his coloring books into his wheelchair and wheeled him around to the side door. He’d just had surgery and was in double casts on his legs. We had trees come down on either side of our house, but they didn’t hit it! But we had to replace the roof. We were later told by a meteorologist friend that that tornado had only just formed perhaps less than a tenth of a mile beyond our house, in a field, and was at treetop level when it hit our small country neighborhood. It gathered strength and hit the ground about half a mile beyond our house. We were told it then went several miles through one of the least-inhabited areas of Indiana. It’s marked as an F2 on the map on Wikipedia.

[@JoeMun]

I’ve been a tornado fanatic since I was a little kid and this episode is flawless: excellent script, great use of animation, pictures and video, calm and reasonable explanations of complex weather terminology and a well rounded editing. You sir are a legend at this. Thanks for what you do

[@325xitgrocgetter]

I would consider the Palm Sunday Outbreak of 1965 as a super outbreak if not super it certainly was significant..which included the double tornadoes shown in the photo montage at the beginning of the video.

[@TJ89741]

I would put December 10/11, 2021 in that category too.

[@souta95]

The double tornadoes photographed by a reported for the Elkhart Truth newspaper. Coincidentally, I drove through Elkhart today.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

@@souta95 I do have a family connection to this outbreak as well. My Dad was a meteorologist, a couple of years out of college and working at the Indianapolis NWSFO. When I was a kid, I saw the double tornado picture published in one of his weather magazines. He and my Mom both recounted how stormy it was...it was pretty intense from their recollection.

[@alexlubbers1589]

Id also give a nod to 3/31-4/1 2023 and the 2020 Easter outbreak as contenders for super outbreaks given their sheer quantity of tornadoes.

[@iwanttodemonetizedmyself7464]

palm sunday is in my eyes 110% a super outbreak. the shear number of violent tornadoes should classify it as one in my opinion.

[@Ivybeans2]

It's neat having two videos covering this today, by both you and June First Not complaining, more content to watch!

[@TJ89741]

Both Ethan and Steve nailed their documentaries.

[@sugarPhlox]

Love hearing someone say 'Worcester' correctly! My dad was three years old when it occurred, and now reviewing things it passed very closely to his home in the north! I will have to drive it someday and see if I can see signs in the younger trees, etc. even after 70 years.

[@TJ89741]

Have you seen his documentary on the Worcester Tornado ? It’s very good. I live in MA and might have to retrace the Damage path of that one and the 2011 Springfield/Monson F3.

[@sugarPhlox]

@@TJ89741 Yes I did, it was extremely well done and I enjoyed it! If you trace the Springfield EF3 I highly recommend you look up the story of Toto the tornado kitten - he lived a very happy and well loved life after the event.

[@raymondromanos1479]

Grenwitch?

[@creid7537]

But he can’t pronounce Greenwich properly. Irony I think

[@cjhoward409]

My dad was born and raised in Wooooosta Ma ! 😀👍🏻

[@MrRollercoastersRock]

My grandpa saw the f5 sayler park tornado lift from his porch in white oak. Bounced off the ridge at jessup rd and fully lifted. The amount of debris that fell was insane, their yard was littered with things from Sayler Park and Bridgetown, insulation, wood, a doll. His sister got hit by the violent f4 Mason tornado that started from the same supercell that produced the sayler park tornado. Her 2 story house was leveled and slabbed.... the only thing remaining was the fireplace. She moved from the Cincinnati area after. I really think this outbreak and one's in 1999 and 1990 are why cincinnati has remained invested in severe weather warning systems when other Ohio cities like dayton have gotten rid of them. It's crazy how photographed sayler park was but it's hard to find footage of it online. Great video.

[@suburbanbanshee]

We still have tons of sirens in Dayton and the whole area...

[@MrRollercoastersRock]

@@suburbanbanshee the city of dayton itself got rid of many of their sirens pre 2019

[@haplessasshole9615]

@@MrRollercoastersRock Why on earth would they want to do _that?_ Here in the C-bus area, they're still going strong and making dogs frantic. As I told my husband a few weeks ago, I realize the necessity for them, but dang, I wish they didn't drive my poor, traumatized rescue pup so bonzo! Also, I love your screen name. I agree -- coasters rock like the Stones! And I think Millennium Force is the best one on the planet.

[@jessicamorrell4713]

I was 8 years old, my mom and our teenage babysitter and a bunch of her teenage friends went door to door collecting donations. We gathered enough food, clothes,furniture, and household items to fill a semi sized uhaul. We drove it to Xenia and it was a heartbreaking site. I'll never forget that experience.

[@tt3233]

This documentary was researched so well. I knew people who lived through Xenia, Ohio tornadoes. You taught me more about that tornado then I learned living near there.

[@Ensign_Nemo]

The May 31, 1985, tornado outbreak meets some of the criteria for a super-outbreak. It resulted in 44 tornadoes, of which 21 were rated at F3 or higher, 90 deaths, and at least 874 injuries. It would have been much worse if it had not hit mostly rural areas. One tornado rated at F4 was over two miles wide and on the ground for 69 miles, but it was mostly on the ground in Moshannon National Forest and killed nobody. It was almost certainly an F5, but it didn't destroy structures except those near where it touched down, so it was rated at F4. The damage path was visible for years on satellite images as a lighter shade of green where new trees grew in the forest to replace the ones it mowed down, like a two mile wide lawn mower.

[@SurelyLord]

Wow, what state / area was this in again?

[@Ensign_Nemo]

@@SurelyLord Mostly in Ontario, Canada; Pennsylvania; and Ohio. There were two in New York state. Pennsylvania was hit hardest.

[@johnk8825]

For someone who watched a couple of the 1974 tornadoes while sitting in stalled traffic on I-75, going home from north of Cincy, then listening to one cut across the other side of the hollow, in the dark, a half mile from my apartment, this video has been extremely interesting and informative.

[@calebgoodlett9244]

Great recap! I live in Louisville KY with family in both Brandenburg and Madison In, and have heard the stories of that day. My grandmother lost her trailer, but was luckily visiting my great grandfather up the road, smoking cigarettes in the basement when the storm passed over.

[@SurelyLord]

as one does. 😅

[@joshr.8010]

one of the few channels i have notifications on. very good quality on your videos. keep it up brotha!

[@darinorna]

Fact

[@Dreazy26]

Cant agree more

[@CH3CH2OCH2CH3net]

You know -- you might well have a career, and quite possible a very good career -- as a historical meteorologist. I'm 70, and you're certainly one of the best historical meteorologists I've ever seen.

[@lindabrashear57]

I originally subscribed to this channel to support a fellow Ohioan making content on a topic that interests me (at the time, it was the video on the blizzards of '77 and '78, which I remember from my childhood), and I am so glad that I did. Excellent work at making complex meteorologic concepts understandable to lay people. You do the Buckeye State proud, and this Cleveland native is happy to follow your content.

[@janetoconnor3636]

I agree with you Linda I started hearing about these natural disasters from the Wrath Of God Series from the History Channel.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Excellent video, my friend! Lots of factual detail, yet you explained the human side of that day so well. I was 15 and lived through this. I grew up in New Albany, Ind., just across the Ohio River from Louisville. Our county, Floyd County, was the only one not hit by a tornado in a radius of about 75 miles in Indiana and Kentucky. We kept getting reports all afternoon and early evening from here and there. It was only at around 9 pm, when film was shown on TV that we saw the scope of the catastrophe from which we were mercifully spared. A fascinating side aspect of the tornadoes: the high pressure caused a small Earthquake, which our family noticed. Those grappling with destruction and death could not possibly have been aware of it. Fast forward 10 years. I was a newspaper reporter in Southern Indiana and led the producing of a special section looking back at that day. The stories people told me moved me powerfully and have stayed with me.

[@brianarbenz1329]

Another interesting story: Freedom Hall was to be the site of game 1 of the ABA semifinals between the New York Nets and the Kentucky Colonels that night, but two holes were blown in the roof of this 17,000-seat arena about 5:30 in the afternoon (imagine if that had happened during the game, OMG!). WAVE-TV news rushed film of the damage onto the air -- how rushed were they? A worker interviewed on film describing the tornado blowing the holes in the roof said: "There were boards and metal and all kinds of shit flying around!" The normal editing and checking had been bypassed, and the check to the FCC was promptly written. Epilogue: The ABA game were moved to a much smaller arena and Julius Erving was at his best, doing to the Colonels what the tornado did to the roof. The Nets won -- I believe it was in four straight -- on their way to the ABA championship.

[@SurelyLord]

@@brianarbenz1329Thanks for telling this story! I am enjoying the comments on this documentary in particular. Seems like no one gets to hear these tales after such a major event -- they are boiled down to a "ho-hum" 30 seconds on the news when there is so much more.

[@CeltonHenderson]

Incredible work with this one, its impossible to fathom just how massive this outbreak truly was.

[@Big_Z14]

This is one of the best put-together and well researched documentaries I've ever seen on pretty much any subject, incredible work. I grew up hearing tales of the 1974 Super Outbreak from my mom, uncles and grandma and grandpa who all lived in Miami County at the time and knew many people who lived in Xenia so it's awesome so see such a well-made documentary about it.

[@rendered5247]

Wow, I'm suprised! A nearly 45 minute weatherbox special! Looking forward to this!

[@KingSNAFU]

You really out did yourself with this video. All your videos are incredible but this is next level.

[@Boscoh_]

This deserves millions of views and is one of the best videos about severe weather and tornado analysis I’ve seen on KZbin. You did a fantastic job explaining many difficult concepts.

[@tml721]

I was 10 when the outbreak took place. I lived in Miami Co Ohio. Gill Whitney Meteorologist on channel 7 was on the air giving updates and warnings as fast as he could. It was a day to remember and forget all at the same time

[@myidisinhim559]

Gil was a legend. It's tragic that cancer took his life only a few years later.

[@tml721]

There were about 5 of them from that time who dies from cancer. It seems there was a smoking club in the news room. yes Gil was a demiGod!! he predicted the blizzard of 78. How many weather people can say they did thAT?!@@myidisinhim559

[@michaelh9656]

When I hear the phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants", Mr. Fujita is one of the first that comes to my mind. Incredible work.

[@rtwhitson3]

You will enjoy the bike ride. I celebrated my 60th birthday by riding to Xenia from Milford, Ohio (52 miles) and back. My riding buddy and I used the rail station along the path as our turn-around point. This is known as the Little Miami Scenic Trail, and it parallels the Little Miami River, very beautiful. Back to the tornadoes, I was working at the Westinghouse plant on Laidlaw Avenue in Cincinnati that day. The plant was along I-75 in the Bond Hill neighborhood. A tornado developed there, tearing the back wall off of our warehouse as we watched. Most of the cars in our parking lot sustained bad hail damage that day. The tornado went north from there into the Elmwood Place neighborhood, doing a lot of damage there. I have many other stories about that day, and other tornados in that area.

[@loficampingguy9664]

This might be your best video yet. I don't know a whole lot about weather and how all of it works, and I've been wanting to learn more but have been finding it difficult. Just from this video alone I have learned so much and many questions have been answered. Your explanations of what's going on and the technical details of how the storm systems work is so well-done, that I, and absolute layperson, have no issue understanding what is going on. Your storytelling and narration is incredible; it holds attention throughout. You do not shy away from explaining terms or processes and instead weave that into the flow in a way that makes it fit perfectly. It can be incredibly frustrating in other weather content when something goes unexplained that feels like it's important and then there's a hole of understanding, but I never feel that here. That is the difference between okay content that talks about something and content that that can truly _teach_ something. You do a hell of a job. It's not just high-quality, your work is in my opinion outright better than other creators on this platform because of its accessibility and effectiveness.

[@TheDoctor1225]

This is easily one of the most thorough and best researched videos on this event that I have seen, I was 3 at the time and so only remember accounts of it after the fact (well, that and the fact that I lived in Upstate NY) but it was one of the things that spurred my interest in severe weather. To the creator of the video, I also offer a heartfelt "Thank you!" as until I watched this video and heard you mention the papers of the late Dr. Fujita, I had no clue that a repository of them existed online. I have since begun reading through some of them and even with the relatively small amount I can understand (Damn it, Jim, I'm an EMT, not a meteorologist!), it's enough to see that he was, indeed, an incredible man. Well done on all counts.

[@SurelyLord]

Well placed reference to ST, Sir.

[@Coop-sg6qc]

I've always been fascinated by the old time 1940-1990 tornado outbreaks, and this video here talks about one of the most insane days I've ever heard of. Something about 4/3 is so absurd compared to 4/27. Midwest through the southeast, a lot of the tornadoes in the north were multi vortex (I find it interesting how this is a common phenomenon with the Midwest also). And the Deep South seeings it grungy night time wedges. Great video man!

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I’m thankful that the 50-75 feet wide tornado that was going NE through the clover field west of the barn my dad, brother and I were milking in in the 1970’s lifted going over the barn and dropped down into the field on the other side of the barn. I remember the roar lasting +/- 20 seconds.

[@cardinalsfan9610]

I'm from one of the towns that had one or two F4's in Michigan in '65. Evidently, my childhood home - built in the late 60s - was not far from the streets where a school was seriously damaged by one of the F4s that struck that day. I had vaguely heard about the tornado... thanks for getting me to inadvertently research it, WB!

[@rodolfobrenner5404]

How old is Steve? Sometimes I forget that he already has a meterology degree, because he looks so young

[@Avendesora]

Several centuries, at this point. Historians disagree on an exact birthdate

[@harryparsons2750]

Who’s Steve?

[@rodolfobrenner5404]

@@harryparsons2750 the host

[@SCREAMINGinCAPS]

162 and a half

[@jodavidblastic2218]

Subscribed! My Grandparents lived through the Monticello tornado. I remember this day vividly. Great documentary!

[@kimconley4679]

I was born in November 1971 so I wasn't even 3 years old when this outbreak happened. I can remember driving through Guin a few days after they were hit. I still remember seeing all the destruction, houses completely flattened, trees stripped of leaves, limbs, and bark, cars thrown across fields. It was terrifying to say the least. In 1988, I was in a tornado. I couldn't put a name to how I felt, but now I know, I was traumatized. I suffered from PTSD. For a few years, I would fall apart over a heavy rain. I couldn't take my eyes away from the sky for months and months, not even to drive. (That's saying a lot because I had just gotten really comfortable behind the wheel as 16 year old with new driver's license.) My heart goes out to all the people that have been effected by the storms we have been experiencing over the past few years. May they have the strength to just keep putting one step in front of the other and know that you will find a path to make it through it all.

[@TKRVideoCentral]

Steve, this is an absolutely incredible piece of work. I was 11 and living in Marne Ohio that day, and spent most of the afternoon terrified, and thankfully, the worst of the storms didn't hit near us (Licking County), but watching the coverage of Xenia (and CHannel 10 Columbus' scary weather bulletins, heh heh) have been forever seared into my mind. While I was always fearful of the weather when I lived in central Ohio, I became an amateur weather nerd because of April 3 1974, and I remain one to this day. I've been a long time fan of Weatherbox, and your presentations never fail to blow my mind. And while your first piece on this outbreak was terrific, this one was WAAAAY abovee that one. Well done, my man! WELL DONE!

[@robyngravesaltoom]

I’ve been fascinated by storms and tornadoes all my life and I’ve watched many many videos from storm chasers, meteorologists, and other weather enthusiasts. This is the first video that made it all click for me. You explained the setup so clearly and gave us a real grasp of the challenges of forecasting tornadoes 50 years ago. Absolutely outstanding video, I can’t imagine the vast amount of time and effort you must have invested in this masterpiece, and it is greatly appreciated!

[@user-zd5lz7su9t]

This was an absolutely incredibly put together documentary. Fantastic job. Professionally done. Subbed.

[@bdawgchannel8461]

Today is the 50th birthday of this outbreak, OMG! It’s April 3rd 2024 and this happened in 1974! This is just crazy! Now we need to wait for the 100th birthday of the tri state tornado next year! And as always, great video!

[@weatherlou]

As a long time meteorologist, i often cringe at weather content on KZbin. Your channel is a rare combo of good for met and non met viewers. Your delivery is clear and concise. I look forward to your releases and have recommended it to other meteorologists I know. Keep it up young man! 👏🏼👍🥳

[@williamcote4208]

28:35 as well as the coverage by Dick Gilbert. He was actually in the air in his station’s helicopter to report on the traffic. On that day, from his vantage point, he was to tell people exactly where the tornado was and where it was headed.

[@ArloLive]

This is an amazingly researched piece of content, and you should be proud of it. Absolutely top-notch stuff.

[@BigCityPalooka]

An exceptional piece of work. I've seen other videos detailing the happenings of that outbreak and they aren't nearly as concise, engaging, or well-crafted as what you've done here. I've actually watched it twice; it's that good. I was particularly impressed at how you handled the technical data, teaching from first principles, as the expression goes, to bring along even those new to meteorology. You actually wove it all into a cohesive story. Lastly, it's also a great homage to Dr. Fujita (*please* consider a video focusing completely on that remarkable man). This is too long - sorry about that. Keep up the great work. Cheers.

[@alexlubbers1589]

Its unbelievable how widespread and catastrophic this day was. So many extremely powerful tornadoes hitting so many towns simultaneously. Id imagine there were probably dozens of weak brief tornadoes that didnt get tracked. Plus Fujita's incredible detailed analysis is truly something special. He was a revolutionary man.

[@ghostofyou9721]

Fujita is not only the greatest tornado scientist but he's the reason we have the F/EF scale. Also I just found this channel and I love it. The scientific explanation behind each tornadic event is brilliantly researched and very well explained.

[@tornadostories]

This is sublime work. You've smashed it completely out of the park. Incredible 👏

[@9Ballr]

I was in Louisville, Kentucky on April 3rd, 1974. Thankfully no tornadoes hit my home, but I remember the chaos and devastation of the day. Great video.

[@kpk33x]

When I first got into weather as a kid in the early 80s there was a book out about this that was basically new. The amount of post-mortem analysis with today's knowledge is incredible. Things have come such a long way.

[@patfrog1213]

What a wonderful niche you've hit. The best of both worlds and something I've been so looking for on KZbin: weather, history, and a little bit of snark. Keep up the amazing work!

[@mjmorrill081]

This is certainly one reason that the different sections of the US government should stop bickering about nonsense and be able to help the American people to avoid and recover from tragedies like this. The fact that they don't is disgusting and they should be ashamed of themselves.

[@smush-js3fq]

You my friend must not be aware of the US government well enough huh

[@mjmorrill081]

@@smush-js3fq unfortunately you are correct.

[@danielbaetens1587]

Thank you for including the tornado that happened in Windsor Ontario

[@GradyOrtizGolf]

This is a great detailed analysis of this outbreak and probably one of the best documentaries on this event. This is the best video of yours. Keep up the good work my friend!

[@jow5545]

Fyi the 2011 outbreak hit the same trailer park in Tanner Al. I was a small child in 74. When the 2011 outbreak happened my family went to my uncles storm cellar. After the tornado went by we all walked out to see it go. My uncle said the last tornado he had in that field was 1974.

[@cosmo3485]

Been waiting for this one. Keep up the great work Steve!

[@mychaelboozer1205]

This by far was the most detailed and researched video ever made on the super Tornado Outbreak of 1974. Great Job and thank you for your hard work and dedication!

[@TheHaydenator]

Great video, and I especially appreciate the focus on the storms that occurred that evening down here in the South. So many times when discussing this outbreak,what happened in Alabama is far overshadowed by the storms in Xenia and the Midwest that day. I grew up and became a storm chaser in my Teens here in Dixie Alley and experienced 4/27/11 from chasing the Ohatchee tornado, which personally changed me and the reason I do chase and how I do it, and I see how you hit the nail on the head about how these generational super outbreaks change everything. While that was my personal experience, I grew up hearing the story from my mom about 1974 and how my entire family sheltered in my grandparents basement in North GA that night with my mom’s car radio on listening to the reports about Xenia getting wiped off the map, and how my great grandad stood outside the whole time (despite them begging him to come inside to safety) reading the clouds. Watching this video has helped me understand a little more about what they experienced in 1974 as compared to what I experienced in 2011 and today as I continue to storm chase.

[@pjesf]

These videos obviously require a lot of research, prep, and editing. Hats off to you, Sir 👍🏻👍🏻

[@davashorb6116]

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Ted Fujita.

[@jacobwatson8688]

Truly incredible video. As someone who closely follows the weather and watches videos like this often but never go out of my way to research meteorology I’m blown away by how simply and effectively you explained things like dry line and outflow boundaries. It greatly added to my understanding of these things and enhanced the rest of the video

[@bigfakenetwork]

Great in-depth analysis. I kept having to rewind the video to fully take in some portions - which is totally great, it just means it's information rich. Super job.

[@CincinnatiEdits]

Hello weatherbox

[@user-wi9hv2pb2q]

❤ excellent vid

[@jonraderstorf4354]

That is, unfortunately, not how Hoosiers pronounce Monticello 😂

[@ninaverenac7266]

This is the best weather-related history channel on YT. Well put together, weather, history and educational parts. Thank you so much for the dedication and great documentaries.

[@richardcatalinajr.369]

Excellent report. Your research was stellar. And what an amazing story of Fujita and his work, which the outbreak, as tragic as it was, provided the opportunity Fujita needed. He didn't let it go to waste and the science of tornadoes took a quantum leap as a result.

[@tchnodragn]

This was your best video yet! You did a great job of writing and communicating the science. Thank you for all of your hard work. Please keep it up!

[@michaelonesty]

Some of the most intuitive graphics detailing atmospheric processes I’ve seen. Great stuff!

[@Jimbo700]

I’ve been a fan of Weatherbox videos for some time and I’ve seen them all, but this is by-far the most informative and best of them all. Thanks so much for all of the hard work that went into this and all of the videos.

[@TrinityCourtStudios]

I’m a simple man. I see new weatherbox videos. I watch. I like. I already subscribed. 10/10 brilliant work again, Steve!! Keep it up bro.

[@magiegainey5036]

So glad your channel came up in my feed. This was great.

[@AOT_HxH95]

I'm from Cincinnati. My dad was 9 and my mom was 7 when this happened. I've met many people who were affected by those tornadoes in my area.

[@drfirechief8958]

Wow, all I can say is Wow. The amount of research and information you assembled for this is awe inspiring. Thank you for your work and attention to detail. Amazing!

[@I65Weather]

Well put together. You broke down the meteorology, Radar/satellite, file footage. One of the best breakdowns and analysis I have seen for this event.

[@helensarkisian7491]

I’m not quite halfway through the video and I’ve already put together the bits of information I’ve gathered over several dozen other videos. You’ve done a fantastic job. Thank you. Edit - Just finished. Such a great job of telling the story. Very nice graphics - simple yet presented all the information needed. No dramatic narration because the information alone was the drama. Amazing work. So very much *not* Hollywood (I live in a suburb of Los Angeles), so very normal, so very refreshing in the execution. I hope you realize what I great job you did. I’m subscribing. I’m also going to share this with “Recky Reacts”, a Swede who is fascinated with tornados and can’t quite grasp what happens - like I was before watching this video. I’m also saving this for future reference. Again, great job and thank you.

[@ofcourseillintroduceyoutowarre]

Can't say enough about your dedication and passion on the subject of severe weather..much like the man you honor with this video. The Xenia walkthrough answered at least 3-4 questions I've had about the film and the path the tornado took relative to the layout of the town.

[@TerryMundy]

You did a fantastic job of researching the information and presenting it very well so almost anyone can understand. Thank you. I look forward to seeing more videos you create.

[@measlyfurball37]

I blinked and forty minutes passed. This documentary was absolutely enthralling. Technical yet completely approachable to someone who isn't familiar with meteorology. And the production quality is through the roof! Thanks for making this.

[@musicjones1956]

I will never forget April 3rd, 1974. Even though my family was not affected by the tornados on the east side of Cincinnati that day… the sky in the mid to late afternoon had an eerie yellowish green color. I have never seen such an ominous sky color before or since.

[@maleficluna7638]

This is most definitely the best & most informative Tornado video I have ever seen, great presentation, great graphics, easy to understand explanations, I am hooked!

[@sapreps6740]

This video was incredible. Thank you for taking the time to post it.

[@giarc0]

Awesome video, as always! Your channel has become my favorite over the past several months. Thanks for all of your work!

[@mikekeiser6103]

I lived on a farm south of Mansfield, Ohio and I remember the Xenia tornado quite well. I was 9 years old at the time and my parents, my brothers and I spent the next few days picking up debris(mail, record album covers, documents) from our fields to get them ready for planting. And we live over 100 miles away.

[@TheRealPanacamanana]

Absolutely well crafted video. So much dense information laid out in an easy to understand and efficient manner. Also love the Olan Roger’s shirt! 👌🏻

[@juliusmeyer8535]

Thank you for this incredible video mate. It’s so well made and „entertaining“ while being informative. Your videos deserve so much more attention. Also have fun on your biking trip this summer, I’m sure it’s going to be awesome.

[@donnaguy9057]

EXCELLENT! I believe this is your best video to date! I was a senior in high school when this was happening in Chicagland. I had no idea this was happening as I worked nigjhts in a warehouse on the north side of Chicago. It has facinated ever since. For years, you could see the path ourside of Richmond, KY, from I75 (but only when headed northbound). This was insane. Thank you for your hard work in writing this video.