The April 3, 1974 tornado
F5Lawrence, Morgan, Limestone and Madison counties, Alabama
An F5 tornado on a 52.0-mile path that killed 28 and injured 267. It was one of 128 tornadoes recorded in the U.S. that day, 60 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Watch how it happened Part of the outbreak of April 3, 1974: 128 tornadoes in 11 statesF5 tornado · April 3, 1974
How it happened
Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.
The tornado
- Rating
- F5
- Fujita scale
- Path length
- 52.0 mi
- Width up to 500 yards
- Killed
- 28
- Along the whole path
- Injured
- 267
- Along the whole path
- Date and time
- Wednesday, April 3, 1974
- 5:15 PM CST
Counties on its path
Other notable tornadoes that day
- F5, Clark County6 killed
- F5, Greene County36 killed
- F4, Hancock County18.9 mi
- F4, Bartholomew County4 killed
- F4, Clark County11 killed
- F5, Breckinridge County31 killed
- F4, Henry County1 killed
- F4, Jefferson County27.1 mi
- F4, Grayson County14 mi
- F5, Ohio County3 killed
- F4, Hamilton County2 killed
- F4, Jefferson County3 killed
- F4, Elkhart County18 killed
- F4, Hardin County3 killed
- F4, Gordon County9 killed
- F4, Green County20.2 mi
- F4, Anderson County4 killed
- F4, Pickens County3 killed
- F4, Cumberland County10 killed
- F3, Noble County5 killed
- F4, Garrard County7 killed
- F4, Pickens County6 killed
- F5, Limestone County16 killed
- F4, Lincoln County11 killed
- F3, Pulaski County7 killed
- F4, White County10 killed
- F4, Fannin County4 killed
- F4, Pickett County5 killed
- F5, Morgan County28 killed
- F4, Fentress County7 killed
- F4, Wayne County16.1 mi
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database. Path drawn as a straight line from the recorded start to end point.