Up early today to work with my students online. Taking a break. Don’t exactly know where to post this. Since it features old technology of the day, I will place it here. Today is April 1st.
April 3, 1974 was a very bad day for weather in the United States. Almost 150 tornadoes in 24 hours. Many lives lost. A record that would not be broken until 2011.
Anyone remember it? Probably most of us weren’t around yet. But if you live in the Central US you most likely know someone who survived it. I am from Detroit. On the map, you can see there is one tornado (#30) that went between Michigan and Canada. I think it crossed over into Windsor in Ontario and caused damage there. Not sure, I wouldn't be born until the 80's.
Members of my family remember this day however. Both my parents remember it although they hadn’t met yet. We are all “West Siders” so I don’t know how bad it actually was where they lived but there were tornado watches and warnings issued for lower Michigan and Canada.
Ironically, the location in Indiana where I live today, appears to have been “spared.” Monticello Indiana did not fare so well. The city took a direct hit from an F4 or F5 tornado that caused great devastation and loss of life. That's the long track in Northern Indiana (#12 and #13). I knew 2 people at Purdue who survived this tornado. Very young then, they both lost their homes and told me they thought they were “going to die.” One remembers his mom covering him under a table as their house was torn apart.
In Southern Indiana, Hanover College was destroyed. The tornado, an F5, then headed straight for Madison, an historic city along the Ohio river and popular vacation destination. At the last second, it changed course. My current wife and also my “ex” have spent lots of time visiting Madison. It’s a popular vacation destination in Indiana. And they have powerboat races on the Ohio. Check out the movie “Madison.” Belterra Resort and Casino, today, is not far from there. This picture of the tornado is posted in many places around town. I have also visited Hanover College. Some signs of the devastation remain today.
But perhaps the story most people have heard was about the Xenia, Ohio tornado. Striking late in the afternoon. It killed over 30 people when it hit a subdivision around dinner time. It is known in popular culture as the tornado that threw a school bus onto the stage. Not an urban legend, this really happened. Students had been rehearsing for a play when one looked out a stage door and saw the approaching tornado. They all took cover. You can see what happened to the school below.
The technology of the time included radar (based on WWII technology—no Doppler then), early satellites, and “teletype” machines. Most warnings went out over radio or TV. Some too late…
(This “outbreak” is legendary in the United States. And there are many people still alive who will never forget that day. I wonder if "Dr. Amy" 
was born yet? I think she looks too young. Right now it’s in the 30’s F here. So today we are most likely to get snow… We have our own problems right now with the coronavirus… Stay well!)