Saturday, July 26, 2008


Xenia, Ohio, April 3, 1974, 4:42pm


It has been 34 years since the massive severe weather outbreak which produced 148 tornadoes in a short span of time. The worst occured in Greene County, Ohio. In particular, the town of Xenia, Ohio was nearly blown off of the map.

The 34th Anniversary has just passed and I still marvel at the courage and fortitude exhibited by those in Xenia who faced the daunting challenge of burying their dead, (34) caring for their injured (1500+) rebuilding their town after suffering property loss of over $100 million dollars. The communities in Xenia suffering the most were the Arrowhead & Windsor Park subdivisions on the city's southwest side, but there was not one part of the town not affected.

Yet, the old courthouse with the clocktower was not destroyed, but it was still heavily damaged. That was and is one of the most enduring parts of Xenia. The roof was damaged and windows blown out and the clock itself broken by the high winds surrounding the tornado. Scientists today believe that the Xenia tornado of 1974 was one 'big one' surrounded by smaller, multiple vortices.

Still the courthouse remains on Main St. but with only a few of the familiar buildings that were once around it. Looking today, you see many newer buildings that contrast sharply with the early 19th century architecture of the Courthouse. You also see large areas of flat surfaces such as parking lots around it. To those who lived through that time, and remember the city "pre-tornado", it is a constant reminder of what happened on 4/3/1974.

The day began as a balmy, breezy one with a few showers in the morning. Then the sun came out and as the day progressed the sky turned ominous. A large chunk of very cold and dry air was moving across the Rockies and about to collide with very warm, juicy air pulled in from the Gulf of Mexico. Also, the jet stream was in a perfect position for rotation. By early afternoon, weather personnel and media outlets were beginning the daunting task of tracking this monster storm.

It began in eastern Indiana, and moved westerly into southwestern Ohio, with Cincinnati and the surrounding area being affected. I have always wondered if the Sayler Park (a suburb of Cincinnati) tornado was part of the same thunderstorm that moved into Bellbrook, Ohio and produced the Xenia event. By 3:30pm, authorities knew something unprecedented was occuring. Radio and television announcers were telling those in range to get under heavy furniture, open windows in the houses (now proved to be a useless activity), and to prepare for the worst.

One of the many heroes of that day was Gil Whitney of WHIO television in Dayton, Ohio. This was long before Doppler radar, and all he had to work with was a radar taken from an old plane that was used and heralded by the station as "InstaWeather Radar." He went on the air about 4:20pm, interrupting the afternoon reruns of "Hogan's Heroes", "Gilligan's Island" etc. to warn the people of Montgomery county (Dayton) and Greene county (Xenia). Whitney spotted the rain wrapped funnel cloud on radar as a 'hook echo' and determined (quite correctly) that a tornado was forming in northeastern Warren county.

Approximately 10 minutes after he broadcast that warning, the F-5 tornado entered Greene county and began chewing up everything in its path. Homes in Arrowhead Plat which were about 15-20 years old and most built with no basements, were torn off of their foundations. Cars were thrown around and telephone poles snapped like matchsticks. I have spoken with many of the survivors of that day, and they all tell me that tornado was not so much the "typical tornado" you see with the tapered end and large vortex-like top. They describe it as a 'stovepipe' boiling and churning that looked like it was the same width on the ground as it was at the top. They recall the sickening vision of a greenish-yellow sky, and most all remember that there was a 'funny' smell in the air.

As it proceeded northeastward through Arrowhead and Windsor Park, it destroyed much of Pinecrest, Amlin Heights, and the downtown portion of Xenia. It totally demolished the A&W Root Beer stand on Dayton Avenue, killing five people-two employees and a family of three. It continued its trek destroying Central State University, Central High School, and other elementary schools. It has been said that had the tornado touched down just one hour earlier, the schools would have been full and the loss of life would have been even more tragic.

By the time it was over, just northeast of Wilberforce, it had covered 42 miles, taken the lives of 32 people, (two National Guardsmen died in a tornado-related fire in downtown Xenia) bringing the death toll to 34. Dazed and terror-stricken survivors emerged to find their city basically gone. The one thing that was visible almost everywhere in Xenia was the downtown courthouse. Everything else was flattened. People tell me that the night was spent being deluged in a cold rain, while looking through the rubble for what they could salvage as the darkness closed in. There were even rumors that another tornado was on its way. The sounds of sirens and helicopters was to dominate the ears of Xenians for weeks afterward.

Bruce Boyd, a sixteen year old boy had the presence of mind and the guts to stand at his home on Ridgebury Drive and take a 16 mm home movie of the tornado while standing in his front yard and neglecting the protests of his mother. That two-minute film was studied frame by frame by Ted Fujita the scientist who originated the Fujita scale of damage. He later said if there could be an F-6, the Xenia tornado would certainly qualify. Boyd's video has become famous and has been viewed countless times across the span of many years.

Sadly, Bruce Boyd passed away in September of 2007. But he left a contribution that has helped scientists and meteorologists understand the nature and characteristics of tornadoes. When I view it, I am amazed that he was able to keep his composure and stand there and film it. (You can see it on YouTube and AOLVideo). From Boyd's vantage point you can easily see what survivors called the 'stovepipe' tornado as it boiled and churned its way through Xenia.

Bruce Boyd and Gil Whitney were just two of the many heroes of that sad time. City manager Bob Stewart faced the unenviable challenge of the immediate aftermath of the storm and coordinating search and rescue efforts as well as trying to put a badly injured Xenia back on its feet. Stewart worked almost non-stop in the basement of the Greene County Jail with light from portable generators brought in from Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

In a real twist of irony, Xenia was hit again in September of 2000 by an F-4 tornado that killed one person and injured more and followed a path just about identical to the one followed by the storm of 1974. It is said that the American Indians called Xenia and the surrounding area the "Land of the Devil Winds." They must have seen more tornadoes before they were officially recorded around the late 1800's.

Of course, the big question is why? Why is this area of southwestern Ohio so prone to this type of severe weather? Maybe it is the relatively flat land in the area. Maybe it has something to do with humidity from the Ohio river. I supppose that will always be debated. What can't be disputed is the unbelievable courage shown by this city which rose from the ashes inside of a year. Rebuilding proceeded alomost immediately after the storm. Inside that year most homes had been rebuilt and a good portion of downtown Xenia was back on its feet.

Today the city has completely recovered. Still there are some reminders of what happened on that fateful day in April of 1974. Stairs that go nowhere, foundation slabs with nothing on them, rock fences that begin and end in the middle of nowhere, and paved streets that lead out into open field. The memories will always remain, but the story of Xenia, Ohio is one of incredible resiliency.