Warnings and Watches on April 3, 1974

I hand copied every watch and warning from the Superoutbreak during a visit to the NWS office on West Oxmoor Road when I was in 7th grade.

Here is a selection of the material with some background including entries from the official NWS logs…

We actually read this as a script for a Weatherbrains show last April…

– Bill Murray

By most measuring sticks, the Superoutbreak of tornadoes that occurred on April 3-4, 1974 is the most extensive outbreak in U.S. history.

A total of 335 people lost their lives during this tragic event. There have certainly been outbreaks that killed more, but none produced more tornadoes in a twenty four hour period.

Some of the superlatives…

• 148 tornadoes…..
• Six tornadoes in the outbreak were rated as F5 twisters…
• There were 70 strong (F3 or greater) tornadoes
• Fatalities occurred in eleven states
• 118 of the tornadoes had paths of at least one mile…
• Total path length equaled 2,598 miles
• The mean path length was 18.7 miles
• The 102 mile path of the Guin, Alabama tornado is ranked as one of the longest ever in the U.S.

Alabama suffered the most of the thirteen states affected by the outbreak.
At least 86 people were killed and 949 were injured. At least eight tornadoes including four extremely intense and long lived storms wrought destruction across the state.

Following is a recap of the terrible day, complete with some of the actual bulletins as issued by the National Weather Service in Birmingham that tragic day.

INTRODUCTION
On the morning of April 3rd, the Severe Local Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City issued a masterful Severe Thunderstorm Outlook, what we call a convective outlook today. It covered a wide area from northern Louisiana to northwestern South Carolina northward to southern Michigan. It included the northern two thirds of Alabama.

The day dawned warm and cloudy. The morning low at the Birmingham Airport was a balmy 70 degrees. The dewpoint at 7 a.m. was a scary 70 degrees. Winds began to pick up out of the south in response to a strong low pressure system over central Kansas. The central pressure in the low was 28.98 inches, as strong as a hurricane.

Winds began to pick up during the day, increasing to 10-20 mph and gusting as high as 35 mph. Under partly cloudy skies, temperatures soared. The official high in Birmingham was 84 degrees, some 13 degrees above normal. With the high dewpoints, it felt sticky. Many people would comment later that it felt like tornado weather.

Morning sounding indicated a classic setup in the atmosphere for tornadoes across the Deep South and Ohio Valley. The first tornado watches were posted as early at 830 a.m. CDT across parts of Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.

The atmosphere began to bubble under a strong capping inversion and the first tornado watch went into effect for parts of North Alabama at 11 a.m. Thunderstorms that developed through the early afternoon failed to become severe, and forecasters began to worry that they had over hyped the event. The watch for Alabama was cancelled about 230 p.m.

That would be premature. Storms began to fire around 4:30 p.m. around Birmingham. Media outlets on the NOAA Weather Wire Service heard alarm bells and saw an ominous statement move across the teletype……

TORNADO WARNING FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY COMING UP IMMEDIATELY…

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 355PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN JEFFERSON COUNTY ALABAMA.

A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR ALONG THE JEFFERSON TUSCALOOSA COUNTY LINE SOUTHWEST OF MC CALLA AT 355 PM CDT. IT IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

IF THREATENING CONDITIONS ARE SIGHTED BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. TO REPORT A TORNADO OR OTHER SEVERE WEATHER…PLACE AN EMERGENCY COLLECT CALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON 870-1811…OR ASK YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

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This storm produced the first tornado of the day in Alabama. It touched down briefly near Concord in western Jefferson County. No injuries were reported and damage was minor.

The severe weather would begin to shift to North Alabama during the next hour.

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BULLETIN
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 510 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 610 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN LAUDERDALE…COLBERT…FRANKLIN…MARION AND LAMAR COUNTIES IN ALABAMA.

AN AREA OF INTENSE THUNDRSTORMS IS INDICATED BY RADAR FROM NORTHERN LAUDERDALE COUNTY SOUTHWARD ALONG TH EMISSISSIPPI LINE TO NEAR VERNON IN LAMAR COUNTY AT 510 PM CDT. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST.

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Minutes later, at 5:54, a funnel cloud was sighted north of Hamilton. It touched down at 6:30 p.m. southwest of Phil Campbell in Franklin County. This same thunderstorm would produce one of the deadliest tornadoes of the night…..

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 554 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN COLBERT…FRANKLIN…MARION…LAWRENCE…PICKENS AND NORTHERN WINSTON COUNTIES IN ALABAMA.

A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR ABOUT 3 MILES NORTH OF HAMILTON ALABAMA AT 552 PM CDT AND ANOTHER NEAR DE KALB MISSISSIPPI JUST WEST OF PICKENS COUNTY ALABAMA AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THEY ARE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT NEAR 60 MPH.

SENT 557 PM

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Meanwhile, forecasters in Kansas City were watching with alarm as tornadoes were firing like a string of firecrackers from the Great Lakes to Alabama. Reports began to overwhelm the strained communications systems. A new tornado watch was issued for 65 of Alabama’s 67 counties at 5:45 p.m.

BULLETIN
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 103

ISSUED APRIL 3, 1974…545 PM CDT

A…THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR…

A PORTION OF SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI
A LARGE PORTION OF ALABAMA
A PORTION OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA

THE THREAT OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL EXIST IN THESE AREAS FROM 545 PM CDT UNTIL 11 PM CDT THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING.

THE GREATEST THREAT OF TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS IN AN AREA ALONG AND 70 MILES…60 NAUTICAL…EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM HUNTSVILLE ALABMAA TO 45 MILES…40 NAUTICAL SOUTHWEST OF MOBILE ALABAMA

PERSONS IN OR CLOSE TO THE TORNADO WATCH AREA ARE ADVISED TO BE ON THE WATCH FOR LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS.

Reports from Northwest Alabama were ominous, with dire statements like “The tornado is “big and powerful and taking everything in its path.” The Lawrence County tornado became extremely powerful as it passed northwest of Moulton. Fourteen people died as the twister fell with a hellish fury on Mt. Moriah.

Meanwhile, more trouble was brewing further south…..

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 655 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN PICKENS…TUSCALOSA…AND FAYETTE COUNTIES IN ALABAMA.

A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY ALICEVILLE IN PICKENS COUNTY AT 650 PM CDT MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD.

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This storm would produce the Jasper Tornado. At 7:10 p.m., the public reported a tornado on the ground near Cordova on U.S. 78. The NWS log indicated that the radar operator at Centreville confirmed it. A warning was already in effect….but the following statement was sent over the wire.

SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 717 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

PUBLIC REPORTS TORNADO ON GROUND NORTH OF CORDOVA IN WALKER COUNTY ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM.

DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED.

CENTREVILLE RADAR ALSO INDICATES A HOOK ECHO MEANING LIKELY TORNADO.

TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND NEAR US 78 MOVING NORTHEAST. IT WILL BE MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY SHORTLY. CULLMAN AND WALKER COUNTIES ARE ALREADY UNDER A WARNING.

STATE TROOPERS REPORT DAMAGE AND INJURIES IN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA.

DETAILS LATER.

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The Storm Log at the NWS recorded at 725 p.m. that a hook echo was indicated by radar near Berry in Fayette County. More log entries…

737pm Berry Police report through Hamilton State that a funnel cloud just passed overhead moving toward Oakman

740pm Tuscaloosa Police Department reports tornado at Moores Bridge 23 miles NE TCL. 1 Mobile home destroyed.

750pm CKL (National Weather Service Radar Station at Centreville) reports hook near Oakman, moving ENE 60. Walker County. Will be issuing warning.

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 750 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN WEST AND NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES OF CULLMAN…WINSTON…WALKER…MARION…FRANKLIN…LAWRENCE…NORTHERN TUSCLOOSA…WESTERN JEFFERSON…BLOUNT AND LAMAR.

NUMEROUS SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN REPORTED OVER A WIDE AREA. A TORNADO IS POSSIBLY ON THE GROUND NEAR OAKMAN IN SOUTHERN WALKER COUNTY BETWEEN TUSCALOOSA AND JASPER.

TUSCALOOSA POLICE REPORT TORNADO IN LAST FEW MINUTES AT MOORES BRIDGE IN NORTHWEST TUSCALOOSA COUNTY.

LARGE HAIL STRIPPING TREES REPORTED AT SUMITON ALONG THE JEFFERSON WALKER BORDER. HAIL WAS BASEBALL SIZE.

TO REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER…PLACE AN EMERGENCY COLLECT CALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON 870-1811…OR ASK YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NEAREST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

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Reports began to come in on the Jasper Tornado. These entries are from the NWS log at Birmingham.

806pm Hook NE Walker, SW Cullman NE 35k

808pm Hook SW Cullamn, moving NE 60k

803pm Touchdown Jasper. Power lines and trees down.

And at the same time, damage reports were pouring in from Northwest Alabama

SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 810 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

NUMEROUS INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED FROM A TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA EARLIER THIS EENING ALONG WITH CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE.

WE ARE UNABLE TO CONFIRM THE EXTENT O FINJURIES AT THIS TIME. MORE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

…A PILOT FLYING NEAR JASPER 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM REPORTS A TORNADO ON GROUND 5 TO 10 MILES EAST OF JASPER AT 803. THIS WOULD PLACE THE TORNADO ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST.

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SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 825 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

REPORTS ARE STILL SKETCHY FROM LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA BUT CIVIL DEFENSE SEARCHERS CONFIRM 5 PERSONS KILLED

THE HOSPITAL AT MOULTON HAS REQUESTED 50 ADDITIONAL STRETCHERS.

THIS WAS FROM THE TORNADO THAT MOVED ACROSS LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA AT APPROXIMATELY 7 PM TONIGHT.

Then came this dramatic message typed urgently on the NOAA weather wire, probably by our own JB Elliott…

ZZZZZ

TORNADO STRUCK THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF JASPER 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM.

AMBULANCES HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED AND THERE IS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE.

THIS SAME SEVERE STOM IS NOW IN THE CULLMAN AREA.

JASPER TORNADO APPARENTLY OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 815 PM CDY.

CIVIL DEFENSE NOW REPORTS APPROXIMATELY 6 KILLED IN LAWRENCE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST ALABAMA.

The First Lawrence County tornado crossed over Wheeler Lake at 650 pm CDT, crumpling the 200 foot tower at the Amoco Chemical plant. For a while, it became a giant white waterspout. It continued its death march near Tanner. A news reporter said that it was like something out of the Old Testament, a pillar or clouds, black, majestic and ominous as it moved across the farmlands of southern Limestone County. The tornado lifted at 728 p.m. CDT over Madison County, after claiming 28 lives.

Even as searchers were frantically searching through the destruction in Lawrence County, a second thunderstorm was following the path of the first storm some 30 minutes later. The path of the second Tanner Tornado was never more than 1 ½ miles from the first one. A man injured in the first tornado at Tanner was carried to a church to await transport by ambulance, only to be killed by the second twister. Ambulances en route to the damage areas from the first twister were destroyed by the second one. Nineteen people perished in this tornado…

Damage reports were pouring in. At 7:00 p.m. CDT a tornado sizzled down from a thunderstorm near Aliceville in Pickens County. It struck the tiny town of Moores Bridge in Tuscaloosa County at 730 p.m. CDT. 2 people were killed at the Alta Baptist Church were Wednesday night prayer services were being conducted. The tornado roared into the western side of Jasper in Walker County and into downtown at 7:57 p.m. The courthouse was heavily damaged. The twister went on to strike the southeast side of Cullman at 8:40 p.m.. A total of three people died along the tornadoes path

SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
905 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

WAPI RADIO BIRMINGHAM REPORTS SOME DEATHS IN JASPER FROM TORNADOES THAT STRUCK AT 745 PM CDT THIS EVENING. NUMBER UNKNOWN. SOWNTOWAN JASPER AND WEST JASPER WAS HARDEST HIT. NUMEROUS INJURIES.

ALL AVAILABLE HELP REQUESTED. DAMAGE APPARENTLY HEAVY.

HAM RADIO OPERATORS CONFIRMS REPORTS FROM AIRPORT MANAGER AT JASPER THAT WALKER COUNTYT COURTHHOUSE HAS BEEN DAMAGED…NUMEROUS STORES DAMAGED AND AT LEAST ONE DESTROYED. NO POWER AT AIRPORT. LAST SIGHTING OF TORNADO FROM JASPER AIRPORT AT 745 PM CDT.

FURTHER INFORMATION AS SOON AS CAN BE RECEIVED.

Meanwhile, a supercell thunderstorm was rapidly intensifying over eastern Mississippi.

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 9 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN THE NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES OF LAMAR …MARION …FRANKLIN … LAUDERDALE AND LAWRENCE.

THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS INTENSIFIED AGAIN OVER NORTHWEST ALABAMA AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF DAMAGE IN NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI. THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEASTWARD AT 65 TO 70 MPH.

RADAR AT JACKSON MISSISSIPPI REPORTS LARGE HAIL IS INDICATED IN THE SULLIGENT WINFIELD AREA OF LAMAR AND MARION COUNTIES.

CENTREVILLE RADAR REPORTS A HOOK ECHO INDICATING A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN GUIN IN SOUTHWEST MARION COUNTY.

TO REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER…PLACE AN EMERGENCY COLLECT CALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ON 870-1811.

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BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 930 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1030 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN THE NORTHWEST ALABAMA COUNTIES OF WINSTON…LAWRENCE…MARION…FRANKLIN.

A VERY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM COVERS MOST OF MARION COUNTY MOVING TOWAR DTHE NORTHEAST AT 65-70 MPH.

CENTREVILLE RADAR INDICATES THREE WELL DEFINED HOOK ECHOES INDICATING POSSIBLE TORNADOES IN THIS HUGE STORM AND VERY LARGE HAIL IS INDICATED.

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HERE IS A LATE REPORT FROM THE NWS BIRMINGHAM….

CENTERVILLE RADAR INDICATES THAT THE HOOK ECHO INDICATING POSSIBLE TORNADO IN NORTHERN WINSTON COUNTY IS MOVING NORTHEAST IN EXCESS OF 120 MPH. WINSTON COUNTY IS ALREADY UNDER A WARNING. SO IS LAUDERDALE COUNTY. LAUDERDALE COUNTY SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT.

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Dale Black at the NWS Radar station in Centreville stared in amazement at his radar scope. He double checked his calculation and called his co-worker over. The storm was indeed moving at 113 miles per hour and had three hook echoes in it. Ed Landry would later say it was the darndest thing he ever saw…

The Guin tornado touched down north of Columbus, Mississippi. It moved into Alabama about 850 p.m. CDT. It became perhaps the strongest tornado ever observed in the state of Alabama as it moved across Marion County. At 9:04 p.m. it unleashed its fury on the small town of Guin. It left twenty three people dead and over 250 injured.

It would be nearly 2 ½ hours later before news of the disaster would reach the NWS Birmingham

SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1130 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

STATE TROOPER OFFICE REPORTS TORNADO STRUCK GUIN IN SOUTHWEST MARION COUNTY ABOUT 70 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM AROUND ABOUT 1030 PM CDT.

FIRST REPORTS INDICATE 3 DEAD. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. THE NUMBER OF INJURIES IS UNKNOWN.

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Even as the longest tornado of the night was cutting its 135 mile swath of devastation across Marion and Winston Counties, the NWS Birmingham took a moment to recap…..

SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
10 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

AS OF 10 PM APPROXIMATELY 18 PERSONS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN TORNADOES IN NORTH ALABAMA THIS EVENING.

REPORTS FROM STATE TROOPERS…CIVIL DEFENSE…AND HAM RADIO OPERATORS…AND THE MAYOR OF CULLMAN GIVE THESE FIGURES.

LAUDERDALE COUNTY…13 DEAD…LIMESTONE COUNTY…3 DEAD…CULLMAN COUNTY…2 DEAD IN THE CITY OF CULLMAN. IN ADDITION THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DEATHS IN JASPER 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM IN WALKER COUNTY. EARLIER REPORTS INDICATED 2 DEAD. THEN THE DEATH TOLL PROBABLY STANDS AT 20 AT LEAST.

INJURIES ARE NUMEROUS.

A HOSPITAL AT JASPER WAS HIT AND AMBULANCES FROM BIRMINGHAM HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO AID IN PATIENT TRANSFER.

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Meanwhile, the Guin tornado was approaching the Huntsville area. A single entry in the NWS Birmingham log tells the story……

1020PM HSV WSO abandoned

SEVERE STORM REPORT
1022PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

URGENT

HUNTSVILLE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ABANDONED. TORNADO BEARING DOWN ON HUNTSVILLE JETPORT.

HUNTSVILLE AREA SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT.

TORNADO WARNING ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR THAT AREA.

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The situation across North Alabama was chaotic. The National Weather Service in Birmingham began to issue Blanket warnings.

BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 1035 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM CDT FOR MOST OF THE NORTHWESTERN QUARTER OF ALABAMA INCLUDING TUSCALOOSA…LAUDERDALE …LIMESTONE …MADISON…COLBERT …LAWRENCE…FRANKLIN …CULLMAN… WINSTON …MARION… WAKLER …FAYETTE … LAMAR …TUSCALOOSA AND PICKENS.

NUMEROUS LARHE AND VERY INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD OVER THESE AREAS AT SPEEDS OF 65-70 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED SEVERAL TORNADOES.

CENTREVILLE RADAR REPORTS A HOOK ECHO INDICATING A POSSIBLE TORNADO IN GUIN IN SOUTHWEST MARION COUNTY.

SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES TO DEVELOP SO RAPIDLY THAT PERSONS SHOULD BE ON THE ALERT FOR LOCAL WEATHER DEVELOPMENTS AND TAKE COVER WHEN ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY APPROACHES.

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SPECIAL NOTICE FOR HUNTSVILLE DECATUR AREA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
1045 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974

SPECIAL NOTICE HUNTSVILLE DECATUR RADIO AND TV STATIONS

THE HUNTSVILLE WEATHER SERVICE IS STILL ABANDONED.

THE BIRMINGHAM OFFICE HAS ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ISSUING WARNINGS FOR YOUR AREA. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE 1035 WARNING ALSO AFFECTS YOUR AREA.

PLEASE BE ADVISED OF THE FOLLOWING ALSO…CENTREVILLE RADAR INDICATES HOOK ECHOES AT 1043 AS FOLLOWS…

…5 MILES SSE OF HUNTSVILLE DECATUR JETPORT
…5 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAMILTON
…5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WINFIELD
…17 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALICEVILLE.
…NEAR PHILADEPHIA MISSISSIPPI

ALL ARE MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AND INDICATE POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

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Fortunately, when the Guin Tornado broke up on the high slopes of Monte Sano mountain east of Huntsville, it signaled the beginning of the end of the tragic night…

An exhausted JB Elliott sat down to type the following summary of the event at 7 a.m.

STORM SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 7 AM CDT THU APR 4 1974

…FOLLOWING IS A RESUME OF ONE OF ALABMAS WORST NIGHTS OF TORNADOES. NO EFFORT IS MADE TO MAKE A CONCISE REPORT ATTHIS TIME…ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS…

…TORNADOES…ALMOST TOO MANY TO COUNT…CUT SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST PATHS ACROSS VARIOUS SECTIONS OF ALABAMA LAST NIGHT…

THERE ARE REPORTS THAT AS MANY AS 69 PERSONS MAU HAVE BEEN KILLED…WITH INJURIES TO NUMEROUS TO COUNT AT THIS TIME.

IN ALABAMA…SEVERE WEATHER BEGAN AROUND 4 IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL STARTED PELTING SEVERAL AREAS OF WALKER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

AT 635 PM CDT TWO MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND AT LEAST TWO PERSONS INJURED AT CENTRE IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA.

THE MAJOR EVENTS…ALL TIMES CDT…

552 PM…TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY RADAR 3 MILES NORTH OF HAMILTON…OR 80 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. THIS IS BELIEVED TO BE THE SAME TORNADO THAT CUT A PATH OF DESTRUCTION ACROSS LAWRENCE…LIMESTONE AND MADISON COUNTIES BETWEEN 6 AND 7 PM…KILLING 13 IN LAWRENCE COUNTY…3 IN LIMESTONE COUNTY AND 14 IN MADISON COUNTY. AT ONE TIME…WITNESSES DESCRIBED THIS TORNADO AS HUGE AND TAKING EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH. INJURIES ARE NUMEROUS AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IS MAJOR.

730 PM…TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT MOORES BRIDGE…27 MILES NORTHWEST OF TUSCALOOSA…AT 735 PM IT WAS OVER OAKMAN IN WALKER COUNTY…AND AT 740 PM IT PLOWED INTO DOWNTOWN JASPER IN WALKER COUNTY 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. DAMAGE THER WAS MAJOR. HARDEST HIT WAS DOWNTOWN AND THE WESTERN SECTION OF THE CITY OF 11000 POPULATION. THE WALKER COUNTY COURTHOUSE WAS DAMAGED. IT IS LEANING AND CONSIDERED UNSAFE. REPORTS INDICATE 4 DEAD AND 50-75 PERSONS INJURED IN JASPER.

AT 803 PM CDT THE TORNADO WAS SIGHTED BY A PILOT 5 TO 10 MILES EAST OF JASPER.

AT 834 IT HAD MOVED TO A POINT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CULLMAN AND WAS BEARING DOWN ON THE CITY. 845 PM…APPROXIMATELY…IT HIT CULLMAN…SOME 45 MILES NORTH OF BIRMINGHAM. THE CULLMAN COUNTY CIVIL DEFENSE REPORTS 1 DEAD…7 HOSPITALIZED…27 OHERS TREATED AND DISMISSED. 250 PERSONS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN PUBLIC SHELTERS. 65 HOMES DAMAGED. 10 MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED. 10 BUSINESSES DAMAGED. MAJOR POWER FAILURE. 4 BLOCKS OF CULLMAN SEVERELY DAMAGED.

904 PM…TORNADO STRUCK GUIN ARA OF SOUTHWEST MAION VOUNTY SOME 78 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM. MAIN DAMAGE JUST NORTH OF GUIN. FIRST REPORTS INDICATED 3 DEAD…BUT COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD NOW INDICATES 18 OR 19 MAY BE DEAD IN GUIN ALABAMA.

955 PM…APPARENTLY SAME TORNADO STRUCK DELMAR IN WESTERN WINSTON COUNTY. UNKNOWN INJURIES. 5 MOBILE HOMES DESTROYED.

1022 PM…HUNTSVILLE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE ABANDONED AS TORNADO BORE DOWN ON THE AIRPORT. NUMEROUS PLANES DESTROYED. IT IS HARD TO TELL HOW MANY TORNADOES PASSED THROUGH THE IMMEDIATE HUNTSVILLE/DECATUR AREA…BUT AT LEAST 2 OR 3. DAMAGE IS EXTENSIVE.

FATALITIES…ALABAMA BY COUNTIES…WALKER 4….CULLMAN 1…LIMESTONE 3…LAWRENCE 3…MARION 3 POSSIBLY 19…WINSTON 4…MADISON 14…TUSCALOOSA 1. TOTAL 43. POSSIBLY AS MANY AS 60. BIRMINGHAM NEWS REPORTS INDICATE DEATH TOLL MAY BE SOMEWHAT HIGHER.

This report was communicated to the Severe Local Storms Unit in Kansas City from the National Weather Service Birmingham at 7:22 p.m.

SFWC MKCC
SELS A BHM
041229

THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS TABULATES THE DEATH TOLL IN ALABAMA TORNADOES AS 82. VARIOUS OTHER SOURCES HAVE INDICATED 60-70. IT IS UNCLEAR IF THE MADISON COUNTY TOTAL AS FIGURES SHOW 14 TO 28 IN THAT COUNTY ALONE.

This has been a recreation of the events of April 3, 1974 in Alabama. The watches, warnings and statements are the actual text of issuances from the National Weather Service Birmingham and the Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City from tragic event. Many of the bulletins were composed by our very own J.B. Elliott.

More memories of the Superoutbreak later.

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