April 3-4, 1974

[BillyVance 34]

It's been 34 years. Do you remember where you were the night of the nation's largest recorded tornado outbreak and death toll? I was asleep in the basement while my parents watched out the basement window at 3 am, an F4 tornado tear through the city a mile away. 27 died in Alabama that night and more than 300 overall. Kentucky was the hardest hit.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[mamajumps 0]

I was still a twinkle in my daddy's eye...

[sunshine 2]

I was still an egg.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Shotgun 1]

I would have been three years old and living safely down in Pecos, TX at that time. Well, there may have been tornadoes in West TX at that same time, but I don't remember. I do remember plenty of tornadoes in later years though.

[Icon134 0]

I was probably relatively close to conception... just before or just after... as I was born in early December of 1974...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[Nutz 0]

I was in East LA, or UCLA however you want to say it.

(East Lower Alabama, Upper Corner Lower Alabama.)

I don't remember there being a bunch of tornados, I do remember the time Elouise came through, the eye passed directly over us even that far inland.

"Don't! Get! Eliminated!"

[tigra 0]

How funny- there was a time when I remembered this date every year, but today, I didn't even think about it until I saw the title of your post. My family was living in a new subdivision in Louisville, Kentucky at the time. Our neighborhood was spared, but not by much. The ones in Kentucky hit early in the afternoon. I was in grade school and I remember my mom meeting the school bus, rushing us into the house and straight to the basement. I also remember going outside right afterwards, the odd color of the sky and the erie calm. For several months afterwards, you couldn't drive anywhere around Louisville without seeing reminders of the devastation.

[GARYC24 3]

I was in Valley Station, Ky. Listening to radio and hearing about tornados touching down pretty close to our neighborhood. I lived off of Dixie Highway.

[BillyVance 34]

Louisville was certainly devastated for sure. Especially Cherokee Park. The tornado that hit there uprooted 100 year old oaks all over. they said it would be 100 years before the park recovered. I have the book about the outbreak and what it did to Kentucky. My dad was born and grew up in Louisville and my grandmother lived through the outbreak. I saw the carnage even 7 months later when we made the annual Thanksgiving visit.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[MikeJD 0]

Quote

Do you remember where you were the night of the nation's largest recorded tornado outbreak and death toll?

A few thousand miles away in Liverpool, England. While Kentucky was being devastated by tornadoes, we probably had a little light drizzle as usual.

We had an earthquake in the UK in February that measured a whopping four-point-something on the Richter scale. Chimneys got cracked and everything. Made the news headlines for days on end.

Natural disasters don't feature much in these parts.

[BillyVance 34]

Quote

Quote

Natural disasters don't feature much in these parts.

That's true. You guys just get that bloody rain all the time!

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[efs4ever 3]

I was at Fort Benning, GA, doing Infantry Officer Basic Course.

I remember hearing about it the next day.

Russell M. Webb D 7014
Attorney at Law
713 385 5676
https://www.tdcparole.com

[NickDG 23]

I was in Hawaii partying and skydiving . . . Never heard about it . . .

NickD

[peregrinerose 0]

I was prenatal.. wasn't born til July 28 '74

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[dannydan 0]

My Mother had met a Gentleman in the late 30's early to mid 40's here in Illinois. He was going to UofI and stationed at Chanute AFB back then. He was a bombadier in the Maruder B26 over Germany during one point of the war and was shot down there and spent some months as a POW in the German camps....
They didn't see each other again until 1972 when He and his daughter "Candy" were making their way BACK to Lou A vull from the WINDY via Champaign. Her Mother His wife was killed in a car accident a few years before. He was originally from Louisville born and raised there and longed to return to finish raising Candice there!
About a year and a half after that DREADFUL day(s) of that tornadic outbreak, My Mom and He were married and we bcame the Gilbert/Eaton Bunch!

His name was Richard Hite Gilbert... "Dick Gilbert SKYWATCH 84" of WHAS in Lou A vull!

He had just taken off from HAPS Field in his BELL 47G from New Albany Indiana just before the storms were taken shape over the LouAvull metro... He was credited for saving MANY lives that day/afternoon for His reports over that 840AM radio station....

I have missed Louisville ever since they divorced and Mom and I moved back here.

St Matthews is where we lived then, and to hear of ValleyStation, and DIXIE fuckin HIGHWAY and other subs of Louisville brings back many a smiles to my face and heart!

I learned alot from that man during the years of being with Him... He was a GOOD GUY!

Rest In Peace Gil!! I loved and MISS you man! I am sorry I was stiil young enuf not to fully appreciate you then, but what I did learn from you has helped me ALOT in my older life now! YOU Gil were the BEST stepfather a little boy could EVER hope for... THANKS!

peace
:DD