The tornado outbreak of April 3, 1974

128 tornadoesTennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and 8 more states

128 tornadoes touched down across 11 states between 8:00 AM and 12:30 AM the next day CDT, 60 of them rated F3 or stronger, and 308 people were killed. The 2nd-most tornadoes of any day since 1950.

Watch the day unfold

Tornado outbreak · April 3, 1974

How the day unfolded

Every tornado recorded that day, at its logged touchdown time and along its path, with the counties it crossed.

About this replay

Central time—Historical replay — logged touchdown times

Tornadoes—of 128 that day

Strongest so far—

Killed—in tornadoes so far

The day’s milestones

Tornado pathsWider and brighter with the rating; F3 and stronger glow

On the groundEach grows from its logged touchdown time

Counties crossedLit as a tornado reaches them, brighter for F3 or stronger

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database (touchdown times, ratings, start and end points) and Storm Events Database (segment paths and times for the notable tornadoes that have record pages). SPC logs the touchdown time only; other paths are drawn at a typical forward speed of 35 mph. Times are Central Daylight Time.

The day in numbers

Tornadoes: 128; 2nd of 12,998 tornado days since 1950
F3 or stronger: 60; 30 rated F4 or F5
Killed: 308; 2nd-deadliest tornado day since 1950
Injured: 5,416; Along all the paths
Path miles: 2,350; All the paths end to end
First and last: 8:00 AM to 12:30 AM the next day; Touchdowns, Central Daylight Time

Hour by hour

Tornadoes touching down in each hour, Central Daylight Time.

Every tornado

In order of touchdown. 32 have a record page, linked from the rating.

Tornadoes of April 3, 1974

8:00 AM	F1	Burke County NC	6.9	10	0	0
9:30 AM	F2	Boone County IN	0.1	50	0	0
1:00 PM	F2	Gilmer County, Fannin County GA	15.6	200	0	5
1:10 PM	F0	Grundy County IL	0.1	10	0	0
2:05 PM	F3	Bradley County, Polk County TN	18.1	350	1	100
2:07 PM	F0	McLean County IL	0.1	10	0	0
2:08 PM	F1	Logan County, McLean County IL	16.7	177	0	0
2:15 PM	F1	Orange County, Lawrence County IN	14.0	177	0	0
2:20 PM	F5	Clark County, Scott County and 4 more IN	68.0	10	6	86
2:30 PM	F5	Greene County, Clark County OH	31.3	533	36	1,150
2:30 PM	F3	Lawrence County, Jackson County and 2 more IN	35.8	177	1	26
2:30 PM	F3	Macon County IL	20.9	350	1	26
2:30 PM	F3	McLean County IL	7.4	350	0	0
2:45 PM	F3	Shelby County, Hancock County IN	20.7	440	1	25
2:45 PM	F1	Christian County IL	8.5	70	0	0
3:00 PM	F2	Blount County TN	0.5	50	0	2
3:00 PM	F4	Hancock County, Rush County and 1 more IN	18.9	10	0	17
3:01 PM	F4	Bartholomew County, Decatur County and 1 more IN	35.6	1,200	4	17
3:10 PM	F1	Piatt County, Champaign County IL	10.9	20	0	0
3:19 PM	F4	Clark County, Scott County and 2 more IN	35.6	1,200	11	190
3:20 PM	F5	Breckinridge County, Meade County and 1 more KY, IN	32.0	440	31	270
3:25 PM	F0	Piatt County IL	3.3	20	0	0
3:30 PM	F1	McMinn County TN	3.6	27	1	32
3:35 PM	F4	Henry County, Delaware County and 2 more IN	18.0	1,400	1	12
3:40 PM	F4	Jefferson County, Switzerland County and 2 more IN	27.1	1,133	0	104
3:48 PM	F3	Champaign County IL	5.9	70	1	0
3:50 PM	F1	Hamilton County TN	5.9	27	0	2
3:55 PM	F2	Clark County, Madison County OH	15.7	180	0	0
3:55 PM	F3	Champaign County, Vermilion County IL	14.9	350	0	0
4:00 PM	F1	Transylvania County NC	1.0	30	0	0
4:00 PM	F4	Grayson County KY	14.0	150	0	2
4:00 PM	F1	Robertson County TN	4.3	27	0	0
4:20 PM	F5	Ohio County, Boone County and 1 more IN, KY, OH	20.8	533	3	210
4:25 PM	F2	Vermilion County IL	7.8	177	0	12
4:28 PM	F4	Hamilton County, Warren County OH	19.8	350	2	39
4:30 PM	F2	Jefferson County AL	1.0	800	0	0
4:30 PM	F3	Warren County, Benton County IN	25.9	700	0	0
4:30 PM	F1	Coles County IL	14.8	90	0	0
4:37 PM	F4	Jefferson County, Oldham County KY	18.5	10	3	225
4:45 PM	F4	Elkhart County, Noble County and 8 more IN	108.7	1,760	18	285
4:45 PM	F4	Hardin County, Nelson County and 1 more KY	37.9	10	3	81
4:45 PM	F3	Simpson County, Warren County and 1 more KY	31.1	10	3	57
5:00 PM	F1	Cherokee County NC	0.1	10	0	0
5:00 PM	F2	Warren County OH	9.8	177	0	9
5:00 PM	F2	Loudon County TN	0.1	100	0	2
5:00 PM	F2	Monroe County TN	1.0	200	0	0
5:00 PM	F3	Jones County MS	12.0	100	0	1
5:05 PM	F2	Franklin County OH	5.1	90	0	0
5:15 PM	F1	Henry County, Owen County KY	31.7	10	0	18
5:15 PM	F3	Bradley County, Polk County and 1 more TN	21.2	500	3	50
5:18 PM	F1	Pickaway County OH	1.0	10	0	7
5:18 PM	F2	Davidson County TN	4.7	400	0	0
5:21 PM	F1	Calhoun County AL	1.0	800	0	0
5:30 PM	F1	Maury County, Marshall County TN	7.9	100	0	0
5:40 PM	F4	Gordon County, Whitfield County and 1 more GA	29.5	200	9	67
5:40 PM	F4	Green County, Taylor County KY	20.2	10	0	56
5:50 PM	F4	Anderson County, Franklin County and 1 more KY	79.4	10	4	122
5:50 PM	F2	Cleburne County, Haralson County and 4 more AL, GA	65.9	150	1	20
6:00 PM	F2	Wilson County, Trousdale County and 1 more TN	15.8	300	0	0
6:00 PM	F1	Marshall County, Bedford County TN	12.9	200	0	4
6:10 PM	F3	Rutherford County, Wilson County TN	15.9	100	0	0
6:15 PM	F5	Lawrence County, Morgan County and 2 more AL	52.0	500	28	267
6:15 PM	F1	Marshall County, Bedford County TN	26.1	200	0	0
6:30 PM	F2	Paulding County, Putnam County OH	9.2	350	0	0
6:30 PM	F2	Franklin County AL	12.8	350	0	4
6:35 PM	F3	Casey County, Lincoln County and 1 more KY	21.1	10	1	98
6:35 PM	F1	Wabash County, Huntington County IN	7.1	90	0	0
6:35 PM	F4	Pickens County, Tuscaloosa County and 2 more AL	110.6	500	3	178
6:40 PM	F4	Cumberland County, Clinton County and 1 more KY	38.4	10	10	113
6:45 PM	F2	Howard County, Grant County IN	19.2	350	0	12
6:50 PM	F3	Noble County, LaGrange County and 1 more IN	36.2	1,000	5	53
6:55 PM	F3	Harrison County, Robertson County KY	19.3	10	0	27
6:55 PM	F1	LaGrange County IN	8.8	350	0	5
7:00 PM	F3	Adams County OH	15.5	500	1	0
7:00 PM	F1	Adams County OH	9.1	180	0	0
7:00 PM	F3	Cherokee County AL	20.9	100	0	9
7:05 PM	F2	Graham County, Swain County NC	24.1	10	2	11
7:05 PM	F3	Wayne County, Pulaski County KY	18.0	10	0	5
7:10 PM	F2	Huntington County, Wells County IN	11.5	350	0	0
7:12 PM	F2	Boyle County, Mercer County KY	16.2	10	0	10
7:15 PM	F2	Fentress County, Pickett County and 1 more TN, KY	27.4	400	0	11
7:15 PM	F2	Wells County, Adams County IN	14.4	177	0	0
7:20 PM	F4	Garrard County, Madison County and 1 more KY	31.9	10	7	28
7:30 PM	F2	Monroe County MI	2.0	30	0	0
7:30 PM	F4	Pickens County, Dawson County and 1 more GA	17.7	200	6	30
7:30 PM	F1	Overton County TN	4.3	200	0	0
7:30 PM	F2	Madison County, Fayette County KY	4.7	10	0	0
7:30 PM	F3	Cannon County, DeKalb County TN	14.6	100	1	23
7:35 PM	F5	Limestone County, Madison County and 2 more AL, TN	83.3	500	16	190
7:44 PM	F2	Hillsdale County, Jackson County MI	19.3	440	2	31
7:45 PM	F3	Paulding County OH	8.7	177	0	1
7:45 PM	F4	Lincoln County, Franklin County TN	27.5	800	11	121
7:55 PM	F3	Pulaski County, Laurel County and 1 more KY	22.3	10	7	40
8:00 PM	F1	Paulding County OH	1.3	100	0	0
8:00 PM	F1	Paulding County OH	6.4	90	0	0
8:00 PM	F1	Jackson County, Overton County TN	8.6	200	0	0
8:05 PM	F3	Montgomery County KY	4.9	10	0	2
8:15 PM	F2	Hillsdale County, Lenawee County MI	9.9	10	0	5
8:15 PM	F2	Hillsdale County, Lenawee County MI	5.4	167	0	5
8:15 PM	F2	Scott County KY	10.0	10	0	20
8:15 PM	F4	White County, Putnam County and 1 more TN	28.4	700	10	51
8:20 PM	F4	Fannin County, Cherokee County GA, NC	24.0	400	4	26
8:25 PM	F1	Butler County KY	0.1	10	0	0
8:30 PM	F1	Brown County OH	4.1	100	0	0
8:30 PM	F4	Pickett County, Wayne County TN, KY	11.0	300	5	6
8:45 PM	F1	Wells County, Adams County IN	10.9	350	0	0
8:50 PM	F5	Morgan County, Lamar County and 3 more AL	79.5	500	28	272
8:50 PM	F3	Wayne County, Pulaski County KY	13.9	10	2	45
8:50 PM	F4	Fentress County TN	18.8	200	7	150
8:55 PM	F2	Laurel County, Clay County KY	19.8	10	0	22
8:56 PM	F3	Monroe County MI	0.3	30	0	3
9:00 PM	F2	Rabun County GA	0.3	20	0	0
9:00 PM	F3	Franklin County, Coffee County TN	7.1	100	0	1
9:15 PM	F2	Warren County TN	8.7	100	1	1
10:00 PM	F1	Chautauqua County NY	0.2	50	0	0
10:00 PM	F4	Wayne County, McCreary County KY	16.1	10	0	0
10:00 PM	F0	Cocke County TN	0.5	27	0	0
10:00 PM	F1	Giles County, Marshall County and 1 more TN	27.5	100	0	0
10:24 PM	F3	Morgan County, Limestone County and 2 more AL	46.5	700	2	7
10:30 PM	F2	McCreary County, Whitley County KY	8.0	10	0	0
11:30 PM	F3	Russell County, Pulaski County and 1 more KY	28.8	10	0	0
11:30 PM	F3	Overton County TN	9.4	400	3	120
11:45 PM	F1	Warren County TN	7.2	100	0	1
11:45 PM	F1	White County TN	3.0	100	0	0
11:50 PM	F3	Morgan County, Scott County TN	12.2	350	0	11
11:50 PM	F3	Scott County TN	13.0	400	0	21
12:30 AM	F2	White County, Cumberland County TN	16.2	300	0	28
12:30 AM	F1	Knox County TN	1.0	150	2	21

By state

Tornadoes by state, April 3, 1974

Tennessee	33	12	45
Kentucky	24	17	71
Indiana	20	12	50
Ohio	13	4	39
Illinois	12	4	2
Alabama	10	6	78
Georgia	5	3	19
Michigan	5	1	2
North Carolina	4	0	2
Mississippi	1	1	0
New York	1	0	0

Tornadoes in 1974 · On this date in other years · The biggest outbreak days

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025. A day is SPC’s calendar date in Central Standard Time; an outbreak day here has 40 or more tornadoes, or 6 or more rated F3/EF3 or stronger.