The April Tornadoes of 1974 (Cincinnati, Hamilton: city hall, home, neighborhoods)

[abr7rmj]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Photos: April 1974 tornado | cincinnati.com | Cincinnati Local news | Cincinnati.com

My family was living overseas at the time, courtesy of P & G, but a colleague of my dad's wrote to him that it was "a terrible night all of Cincinnati will never forget." At least a dozen tornadoes did their destructive dances during one evening, wreaking lots of havoc but doing the worst numbers on Sayler Park + Lebanon + West Chester + Bridgetown + Mason. Another twister that tore up part of Elmwood Place caused shivers of dejà vu a couple of miles away in Hartwell, badly damaged itself not five years prior. The star-crossed Lakeshore Apartments on Galbraith Rd in Reading, made a mess of in 1969, was struck yet again.
Say what you will about Massachusetts. At least we don't have to watch for the sky to turn that sickly green/yellow color on stormy days, or race to the cellar whenever those sirens start their deafening moan. But waiting out tornado warnings does bring on family bonding experiences.
Other than one funnel which paid a visit to the I-71/Montgomery Rd corridor from Blue Ash to Symmes Township in the late '90s, Greater Cincinnati has been spared twisters in recent times. As their season gets underway this year let's hope it stays that way.
Memory Lane trip time...tell your stories!

Don't forget the deadly monster tornado that flattened Xenia - by far the worst and deadliest of the Ohio tornadoes that day.

1974: Xenia Tornado

[goyguy]

No way will anybody from there forget! I passed through Xenia over three years later and it still creeped me out. Huge swaths of the town were devoid of any trees or buildings despite being amid well-established neighborhoods. Even after all this time I doubt it's anywhere near full recovery. The other '74 tornados, and the one in 1969, definitely made their marks but they all pale in comparison.

[skippercollector]

If you didn't know what to look for, you probably wouldn't realize how badly damaged Sayler Park was 37 years ago. Obviously, all the trees have grown back, but there are many odd houses and yards in the neighborhood.
There are empty lots, grass-covered, where houses were never rebuilt. There are strange-looking houses where the first and second floors don't match--brick on the bottom, siding on the top, etc. There will be a number of old mansions on a street, then several 70s Colonials, then old mansions again. The oddest thing, I think, is the townhouse complex on Gracely Drive in which the entrance is two tall old red brick pillars. There was another mansion there and all that is left are the pillars.

[insightofitall]

Isn't it weird how the worst flood in Cincinnati history hit in '37...and then 37 years after that, the tornado outbreak hit...and now, 37 years later, we're having bad weather and floods again? 37+37+37

[skippercollector]

I was near tears watching the national news last night about the tornadoes in Alabama. Tuscaloosa looks exactly like Xenia did in 1974, and it was difficult to watch the news.

[insightofitall]

Originally Posted by skippercollector

I was near tears watching the national news last night about the tornadoes in Alabama. Tuscaloosa looks exactly like Xenia did in 1974, and it was difficult to watch the news.

Yeah, it's hard to look at the coverage of what happened in Alabama. You can't help but ache in your heart for them, with tears welling up in your eyes.

[GeorgiaBoy97]

The Super Outbreak of 1974 is now beat by the April 25-28, 2011 tornado outbreak which killed over 320 people and spawned over 350 tornadoes including 3 EF5 tornadoes. Alabama was the hardest hit with over 230 people being killed in one day. Tuscaloosa was the hardest hit in Alabama with over 40 fatalities following an EF4 tornado with 190 mph winds.

[23145tp]

Originally Posted by MiddleCincinnati

Not sure whether it was the August, 1969 tornado or the event of April, 1974, but the Ohio National Guard had a large encampment in Hartwell, between the municipal pool and Drake Hospital. They were brought in to keep the peace.

That was the August 1969 tornado...we had National Guard troops stationed in the area of Woodbine Ave, Hunsford St and Wiswell Ave's

[TheCincinnatiKid]

I was nine years old at the time and in Cub Scout's. I remember the sky vividly that day. It just looked like it wasn't real. No way to really describe it. I remember the Scout meeting being cut short and the uneasiness of the neighborhood that day. You could cut the tension with a knife. The only time I experienced anything that close to it was being in Tampa, FL awaiting Hurricane Charlie. As we waited for the hurricane, that fortunately took another path, I remembered that day when I was nine. Kind of crazy to say, but it's nice to have memories like that. Keeps the fear a reality. However, there is great sorrow for those lost so much that day.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by TheCincinnatiKid

I was nine years old at the time and in Cub Scout's. I remember the sky vividly that day. It just looked like it wasn't real. No way to really describe it. I remember the Scout meeting being cut short and the uneasiness of the neighborhood that day. You could cut the tension with a knife. The only time I experienced anything that close to it was being in Tampa, FL awaiting Hurricane Charlie. As we waited for the hurricane, that fortunately took another path, I remembered that day when I was nine. Kind of crazy to say, but it's nice to have memories like that. Keeps the fear a reality. However, there is great sorrow for those lost so much that day.

I was home for the summer from college, and my parents were out of the country for several weeks. I'd been having quite the fun times being home alone in their absence, if you get my drift. Until tornado day. I can still describe the sky looking as if the air were filled with a golden yellow dust. Something I've never seen before or since. All of a sudden I wanted my mommy and daddy. The twisters didn't hit the part of town where we lived. Anyway, my memories are vivid also.