Super Outbreak " Day of the Killer Tornadoes " National Weather Service 85544 (1974)

Synopsis

This color educational film is a documentary events of April 3, 1974, when one hundred and forty-seven deadly twisters swept through Kentucky, Ohio, and Alabama. This 1974 Super Outbreak was the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period, just behind the 2011 Super Outbreak. It was also the most violent tornado outbreak ever recorded, with 30 F4/F5 tornadoes confirmed. Opening title: DAY OF THE KILLER TORNADOS (:07-:36). Clouds move in the sky. At 9:30a.m., the first tornado touches down in Indiana. At a radio station in Brandenburg, KY, announcer Bill Burn receives a phone call that a tornado is coming, he opens the door and sees it in the distance. He alerts people via his radio station but it is too late. The tornado hits and 31 people die. A teletype bulletin. WHAS radio in Louisville, KY, puts a warning on the air. In the sky above, Dick Gilbert flies a helicopter and sees the weather deteriorate. Tornado alert alarm activated. Black low clouds (:37-3:23). Radio announcers on the phone. Wind speed gauge shown as debris flies around. Huge black funnel of the tornado touches down at the State Fair Grounds then heads direct for downtown Louisville. WHAS-TV cameraman films from the roof. The storm speeds through and starts smashing the suburbs. At the Cincinnati Airport, a national warning system worker alerts Civil Defense. Tornado alert siren. People call to see if the sirens are real or a test (3:24-5:29). WCKY alerts the public that a tornado…

Uploader's description on archive.org

Details

Running time

27 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footge