Draft:1973 Columbus tornado
 Damage at the intersection of Drake Avenue and Memorial Parkway in Huntsville. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 3, 1974, 10:24 p.m. CDT (UTC-5:00) |
| Dissipated | April 3, 1974, 11:15 p.m. CDT (UTC-5:00) |
| Duration | 51 minutes |
| F3 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 7 |
Meteorological synopsis
[edit]Tornado summary
[edit]Huntsville was affected shortly before 11:00 pm EDT by a strong F3 tornado produced by the same thunderstorm that produced the Guin tornado. This tornado produced heavy damage in the south end of the city, eventually damaging or destroying nearly 1,000 structures.[1][2]
The tornado touched down north of Hartselle and moved northeast toward Huntsville. It first hit the Redstone Arsenal, damaging or destroying numerous buildings at that location. But thanks to early warning from an MP picket line on Rideout Road (now Research Park Boulevard (SR 255)), there were only seven, relatively minor, injuries. One of the buildings destroyed was a publications center for the Nuclear Weapons Training School on the Arsenal. For months afterwards, portions of classified documents were being returned by farmers in Tennessee and Alabama. Many homes were badly damaged or destroyed as the tornado passed through residential areas of the city, and a school was destroyed as well. Many businesses were also heavily damaged, and numerous trees and power lines were downed throughout the city. The Glenn'll trailer park was completely destroyed by the tornado, and some sources list a fatality occurring at that location. The tornado then reached Monte Sano Mountain, which has an elevation of 1,640 feet (500 m), where additional homes were torn apart.[3][4] The National Weather Service office at Huntsville Jetplex was briefly "closed and abandoned" due to the severe weather conditions. The tornado eventually dissipated near Jacobs Mountain. Remarkable electrical phenomenon was reported as the tornado passed through Huntsville, with reports of luminous clouds, ball lightning, and multi-colored flashes and glowing areas in the sky as the storm moved through the city. These aforementioned flashes were more than likely Power Flashes, which are flashes of light caused by arcing electrical discharges from damaged electrical equipment, most often severed power lines.[3]
Aftermath
[edit]See also
[edit]Notes and references
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Sherer, Dennis (April 3, 2004). "Night of April 3, 1974, marked change in severe weather alerts, preparedness". Florence, AL: TimesDaily. p. B1. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
- ^ Castle, Jeff (2024-04-03). "Remembering the deadly impact of the 1974 tornado Super Outbreak in North Alabama". WAAY 31 News. Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ a b "NOAA and the 1974 Tornado Outbreak". NOAA. Archived from the original on January 30, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2008.
- ^ NWS Birmingham. "Alabama Tornado Database (1974 tornadoes)". NOAA. Archived from the original on April 8, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2008.