50th anniversary of 1974 Super Outbreak that slammed Tennessee Valley
Images of the destruction caused by a F3 tornado in the Blue Springs area of Cleveland on April 3, 1974. (Courtesy: Cleveland-Bradley County Public Library)
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF)- 50 years ago on Wednesday, one of the worst tornado outbreaks in American history affected the Tennessee Valley.
148 tornadoes across 13 states and Canada.
This number seems impossible, but it was the reality 50 years ago on April 3, 1974.
Dubbed the Super Outbreak, it was the largest tornado outbreak at the time of its occurrence, since being topped by the devastating April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak.
Here in the News 12 viewing area, roughly 7 tornadoes touched down.
Here is a table of these tornadoes according to the National Weather Service:
- F3 (Bradley, Polk)- 1 death
- F1 (McMinn)- 1 death
- F1 (Hamilton)
- F3 (Bradley, Polk, McMinn)- 3 deaths
- F2 (Gilmer, Fannin)
- F4 (Gordon, Whitfield, Murray)-9 deaths
- F4 (Fannin, Cherokee)-4 deaths
The most violent of these was a F-4 tornado that affected Gordon, Whitfield, and Murray Counties.
George Mathews, who is now a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown, was a teenager in Dalton at the time.
He says he remembers the event coming as a young man interested in weather.
Mathews said, “Police scanners were all the rage at the time. I remember my family gathering around the police scanner and we heard about injured people being transported to the Dalton hospital, we knew it was not good.”
After the F-4 tornado came close to his community, he says he will never forget what he saw as he witnessed a home where four people died after being completely swept of its foundation.
Mathews said, “As a 14 year old kid, I don’t know how sobering it might have been, but looking back at a foundation where people have been killed, it kind of takes the fascination out and becomes a little bit sobering.”
In addition to that North Georgia tornado, additional strong tornadoes struck Bradley, McMinn, Fannin, Gilmer, and Cherokee Counties.
The city of Cleveland experienced two F-3’s within the span of two hours according to archives at the Cleveland-Bradley County Public Library.
One of the hardest hit areas of Bradley County 50 years ago was the Blue Springs Road area.
According to archival records, Blue Springs Plaza was near some of the hardest hit areas here on the southeast side of Cleveland.
Bowman Hills on the northside of town was hard hit by a separate tornado.
The day was big for weather science, as Dr. Ted Fujita created his F-scale, which rates tornadoes on a scale from zero to five.
That has since been upgraded to the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Additionally, more focus and funding was placed on updating weather forecast technology, which Mathews says has been huge for safety, as the National Weather Service can warn the public of possible severe weather up to a week ahead.
On that fateful day 50 years ago, 319 people were killed by these tornadoes.
18 of those fatalities were in our area.
Mathews reminds the public that we are in the height of severe weather season, and everyone should have a plan if a tornado approaches their location.
Additionally, for more information on the science behind this tornado outbreak and how the National Weather Service has upgraded its technology in the past 50 years, visit their story map of the Super Outbreak.
