[KYHAM] 30th Anniversary of 4/3/74

[Pat Spencer, KD4PWL]

	The following was issued from Louisville NWS office.  This 
demonstrates why our efforts in the Skywarn program are important to 
our communities.  Some of us have personal memories of this day, 
including myself.  As a 5 year-old I was looking out the basement door 
of my grandparent's house in Frankfort at the top 2/3rds of an F4 
tornado as it tore through the Terra Linda subdividion and Jett.
	Weather information is almost taken for granted today.  In the 70's it 
was much different.  In my case, if my parents hadn't had the habit of 
listening to WHAS in Louisville we would have not had any inkling a 
system of this severity was approaching Frankfort.
	Just want to say thanks to all of you who serve as spotters, and take 
the time to help warn your communities, giving them time to seek 
shelter preventing injuries and deaths.  Our ability to provide 
communications is an asset.  Thanks for the hard work.

Take care, 73,
Pat, KD4PWL


PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
220 PM EST FRI APR 2 2004

...PRESS RELEASE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE 
KENTUCKY...

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF GREATEST OUTBREAK OF TORNADOES ON RECORD

APRIL 3RD WILL MARK THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREATEST OUTBREAK OF 
TORNADOES ON RECORD IN THE UNITED STATES. SOME 28 TORNADOES IMPACTED
KENTUCKY, THE WORST STORM DISASTER IN THE STATE'S HISTORY. THESE 
TORNADOES KILLED 77 PEOPLE, INJURED 1377 AND CAUSED OVER $100
MILLION IN DAMAGE. LOSSES WERE SUSTAINED BY 6,625 FAMILIES. THE 
TORNADOES AFFECTED 39 COUNTIES.

THE FIRST STORM WAS THE MOST SEVERE. IT TOUCHED DOWN 5 MILES SOUTHWEST 
OF HARDINSBURG AT 340 PM CDT AND 30 MINUTES LATER SLAMMED
INTO BRANDENBURG. THIS TORNADO, THE ONLY F5 TORNADO ON RECORD IN 
KENTUCKY, THEN TORE THROUGH BRANDENBURG, KILLING 31, INCLUDING A
NUMBER OF CHILDREN APPARENTLY PLAYING OUTSIDE AFTER SCHOOL.

WITHIN AN HOUR OF THE BRANDENBURG DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, FIVE OTHER 
TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN AT LOCATIONS RANGING FROM LOUISVILLE AND
BOONE COUNTY IN THE NORTH TO SIMPSON COUNTY NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER. 
THE PATTERN OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT FARTHER SOUTH AND EAST,
WITH INDIVIDUAL TORNADOES MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST, CONTINUED INTO THE 
EVENING.

THE LOUISVILLE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN AT 437 PM CDT A QUARTER MILE NORTH 
OF STANDIFORD FIELD. IT WAS WITNESSED BY EMPLOYEES AT THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. THIS STORM WAS ON OR CLOSE TO 
THE GROUND AS IT TRAVELED THROUGH 10 MILES OF RESIDENTIAL
PROPERTY. IN THE EASTERN 3 TO 4 MILES OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA, THE 
MAXIMUM F4 INTENSITY WAS REACHED. THREE DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED
DIRECTLY TO THE TORNADO, WITH THREE OTHERS REPORTED KILLED BY HEART 
ATTACKS. A TOTAL OF 225 INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN LOUISVILLE AND
JEFFERSON COUNTY.

PULASKI COUNTY, IN SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY, WAS STRUCK BY THREE SEPARATE 
TORNADOES DURING THE EVENING. THE FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR
MT. VICTORY AT 755 PM CDT AND MOVING INTO ROCKCASTLE COUNTY, KILLING 6 
AND INJURING 30 IN PULASKI COUNTY. ONE DEATH AND 10 INJURIES WERE
REPORTED IN ROCKCASTLE COUNTY. A SECOND TORNADO MOVED INTO SOUTHERN 
PULASKI COUNTY SHORTLY AFTER 9 PM AFTER KILLING 2 AND INJURING 16 IN
EASTERN WAYNE COUNTY. THE THIRD PULASKI COUNTY WAS APPARENTLY 
KENTUCKY'S FINAL TORNADO OF THE OUTBREAK BETWEEN 1130 PM AND
MIDNIGHT, AS THE STORM MOVED FROM PINEY GROVE CHURCH NEAR THE RUSSELL 
COUNTY LINE THROUGH NANCY AND BOBTOWN TO LEVEL GREEN IN
ROCKCASTLE COUNTY.

KILLER STORMS ALSO WERE REPORTED IN BOYLE, CLINTON, FRANKLIN, HARDIN, 
MADISON, NELSON, SIMPSON AND WARREN COUNTIES.

ALL TOLD IN THE OUTBREAK IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, 148 TORNADOES 
WERE REPORTED AND THERE WERE 330 DEATHS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT NORM REITMEYER AT (502) 969-8842 
EXT. 726.