SUPER TORNADO OUTBREAK

148 TORNADOES IN 18 HOURS

315-330 DEATHS

$3.5 BILLION (2005 DOLLARS)

APRIL 3-4, 1974

Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, University of

North Carolina, USA

CAUSE

A powerful spring-time low pressure system that developed

across the North American Interior Plains on April 1st was intensified when it collided with a system of

very moist cold air creating a large contrast in temperature.

SUPER TORNADO OUTBEAK: APRIL 3-4, 1974

STATES IMPACTED BY THE 1974 TORNADO OUTBREAK: APRIL 3-4

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Ohio

• Kentucky

• Michigan

• Tennessee

STATES IMPACTED BY THE 1974 TORNADO OUTBREAK: APRIL 3-4

• Alabama

• Mississippi

• Georgia

• North Carolina

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• New York

DIMENSIONS OF THE TORNADO OUTBREAK

• DURATION: 18 HOURS

• MAXIMUM: F5

• AREA OF IMPACT: 13 STATES

• DAMAGE: $3.5 BILLION (2005 DOLLARS)

DISTRIBUTION OF STORMS IN THE 1974 OUTBREAK

• 6 F5’s (Including the Xenia storm)

• 24 F4’s

• 34 F3’s

• 32 F2’s

• 33 F1’s

XENIA, OHIO: ONE OF THE WORST TORNADOES IN HISTORY

The tornado formed near Bellbrook, Ohio at 4:30 pm EDT, and reached Xenia as a F5 storm at 4:40 pm.

THE TORNADO DESTROYED XENIA

NATURAL HAZARDS FOR WHICH NATURAL HAZARDS FOR WHICH EVACUATION IS TYPICALEVACUATION IS TYPICAL

NATURAL HAZARDS FOR WHICH NATURAL HAZARDS FOR WHICH EVACUATION IS TYPICALEVACUATION IS TYPICAL

FLOODS

HURRICANES

TYPHOONS

TSUNAMIS

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

WILDFIRES

ADVANCE WARNING FOR TORNADOES IS INADEQUATE EXCEPT FOR GOING TO A SAFE ROOM IN THE HOUSE

ADVANCE WARNING FOR TORNADOES IS INADEQUATE EXCEPT FOR GOING TO A SAFE ROOM IN THE HOUSE

GOAL: MOVE PEOPLE OUT GOAL: MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAYOF HARM’S WAY

GOAL: MOVE PEOPLE OUT GOAL: MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAYOF HARM’S WAY