The April 3, 1974 tornado
F4Hardin, Nelson and Spencer counties, Kentucky
An F4 tornado on a 37.9-mile path that killed 3 and injured 81. 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 statesF4 tornado · April 3, 1974
How it happened
Follow the tornado’s path, minute by minute.
The tornado
- Rating
- F4
- Fujita scale
- Path length
- 37.9 mi
- Width up to 10 yards
- Killed
- 3
- Along the whole path
- Injured
- 81
- Along the whole path
- Date and time
- Wednesday, April 3, 1974
- 4:45 PM EST
The National Weather Service account
Written by the local Weather Service office after its damage survey.
The storm system that day
Moved from northwest of Elizabethtown, doing damage on the north side of town. Moving into Nelson County, produced significant damage near Cox's Creek where the Whitney Horse Farm was damaged, crossing Lilly Pike where several homes, barns, and trailers were demolished, across Murray Road, and then across KY 44. On Murray Road a father and son were in their milking barn when they saw the storm approach. They got under some heavy equipment for shelter and the barn came down around them. They were rescued several hours later as workers and neighbors cleared Murray Road of trees and debris. The father was taken to the hospital in critical condition but the son was OK. As the twister crossed Murray Road and Elk Creek it was about 300 yards wide.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
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, Gordon County9 killed
- F4, Green County20.2 mi
- F4, Anderson County4 killed
- F5, Lawrence County28 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.