I was 23 and living in Yellow Springs... just a few miles North of Xenia. I'll never forget the sky color, and the softball-sized hail stones! A very tragic, scary day... and so much damage.
If that photo at 1:19 is indeed from the 1974 outbreak, it would be the oldest example I've personally ever seen of a strong multi-vortex tornado performing the "dead man walking". Incredible
I'll never forget that day! Growing up in Xenia we had tornado warnings alot. Never a tornado. My friend and I were supposed to go to the Dayton Mail. And all day we had warnings. We pulled up in the drive my dad ran out yelling get in here now. The sky was a greenish color and when you talked it was like talking in a drum. The tornado was 3 miles away and it still looked like a monster. That was the day my life changed forever. My hometown was gone! I graduated that June. Jonnie Bench and Pete Rose spoke about staying strong and rebuilding. It was never the same!
I lived in Miamisburg, Ohio in 1974 and remember this like yesterday. Very strong, violent tornado. I saw it beginning to drop from the sky over Miamisburg (Southern Montgomery County). Many people were killed/injured on that day and many homes were destroyed. Amazing the forces Mother Nature hold in her hands. Great photos, and thank you for sharing them.
I was 6 years old and living in Lanewood. I went to Cox Elementary School (for Kindergarten if I remember correctly) in Xenia. The tornado was one of the defining moments of my life, and I still have health issues because of it, not to mention incredibly vivid memories. Thank you so much for posting this, as it makes me feel somehow like it wasn't all just a bad dream, and that others are still here who remember it. Thanks again. Matt in San Francisco.
I remember that day. I was working in New Carlisle putting a roof on a house when our boss said we had better get off this roof. You could see the dark cloud in the south. It was on the news that afternoon. In the next day or so our boss took us to see the damage it left me awe stricken.
The reason there were thirty-two fatalities was Xenia did not have a civil defense siren. Thankfully, Cincinnati had a civil defense siren to notify the National Weather Service's tornado warning for its citizens. It did not many fatalities as Xenia.
There were no leaves on the trees at the time. It was too early in spring, just two weeks after the calendar end of winter. I still remember how warm and humid it was that day for so early in the season. We usually don't see leaves on the trees till late April or early May.
That is one day I will not forget. I lived on the outskirts of Hamilton & I remember the clouds being dark real dark. Thank you for douing this & am glad you guys lived threw it
I was 11 and living in Springfield with my mother in a two-story house divided up into apartments, the winds from that tornado (what was called "tail winds") were so strong, they shook the entire house, that was one vert scary afternoon.
Thanks for this excellent montage, Homer. Includes both known audio recordings and Bruce Boyd's super8mm. When I first saw it from Alpha, I thought it was a fork-tailed funnel, but it was just forming up, and I saw a third funnel join up after the first two were on the ground. Saw other rope funnels look like they got sucked in, too or maybe they were circling, which is Fujita's theory. Then it hit Arrowhead and I could see the debris of houses.
My God Homer. Seeing it on the documentary when I was a kid was one thing, but you lived it. In that footage, I counted about 3 vortexes rotating within that funnel base. My God.
I relocated to Dayton for a couple of years in May 1977. I recall all the damage had been removed. But I was amazed to see so much vacant land as far as the eyes could see, where buildings once stood. I could not imagine what the residents of Xenia must have gone through. I was back to visit in August of 2008 and saw how much the city has been rebuilt and it looks great.
Now, that downtown shopping area is nearly vacant as retail moved west towards Beavercreek. There is talk and plans to redevelop the area baxk into housing? If so, and actually commenced, the cycle of residential to retail to residential would be over 6 decades.
Homer, one of the best montages of still photos of this tornado was published on the front page of the Dayton Journal Herald a year later(4/75). I think it was shot by an amatuer photographer off Rte 68 on the SE side of Xenia. I lost my copy. Do you know where I can find it? If you have it I'd love to see it here. Thanks.
The roar gets deeper at the end of the clip. Sounds like it was an F4 at the beginning, then it strengthened to an F5 just before it hit where that tape recorder was. You can hear the horn on that train that was derailed. We also had a tornado that day here in Louisville. It was an F4.
i'm less than an hour from xenia. my uncle lives there, and lived to tell us about it. my parents also have a book with some rare photos of the tornado.
@RhondaClark61 My Father was caught in the tornado. his house was torn to shreds. he talks about how he lost everything in the tornado. it must have been extremely scary.
Based on the description and some of the video show it doesn't sound so much like multiple tornadoes merging but the formation of a single multivortex tornado.
@rambhg was you really in this tornado? i heard it was so powerfull that it sucked up asphault from the ground. everytime xenia tornado is mentioned around me i get goosebumps and i only live 20-25 miles away from xenia in montgomery county so this event is close to home.
i know most powerful tornadoes have multiple vortices but there's an old native american legend that taks about seeing the "dead man walking" (when 2 or more tornadoes seem like they're walking while they coalesce into one powerful one). witnesses saw it in the jarrell tornado and udall and fergus falls and snyder tornadoes. there's a video of the the xenia tornado in it's early stages but i can't find it.
There's another video on youtube called Tornado Destroys Xenia Ohio and it's taken from a show on Discovery channel. they interview a guy named Edward Mardis who talks about seeing it as a kid and they mention a 16 yr . old named Bruce Boyd who lived on Ridgebury Drive and filmed the twister .. is that the kid you were thinking of?
The movie Gummo is fictional teen angst/dysfunction and has nothing to do with Xenia. It was filmed in Nashville and even the tornado footage isn't from Xenia74. Writer/director Corine chose it as a fictional backdrop to a fictional story. My bad, Corine doesn't like plots, Gummo hasn't got one and doesn't tell a story.
Too true. I don't know if it's legend, but the local Shawnee tribe referred to Xenia as "the place of the devil winds" and would not settle there. Funny thing is that one of the largest Shawnee villages was located a few miles N of Xenia where Oldtown is today. Does a few miles make that much difference?
At 3:20-3:21 I hear a voice crying out. I think it might be a name being called out and possibly the word help? Definitely eerie. Does anyone know if the man that recorded this survived?
I was 23 and living in Yellow Springs... just a few miles North of Xenia. I'll never forget the sky color, and the softball-sized hail stones! A very tragic, scary day... and so much damage.
If that photo at 1:19 is indeed from the 1974 outbreak, it would be the oldest example I've personally ever seen of a strong multi-vortex tornado performing the "dead man walking". Incredible
Many sources say it's genuine. You can see multiple vortices in Mr. Boyd's 8mm film. Mr. Fujita concluded the presence of such by damage patterns.
Oh my you can hear the actual train that was going through town. Chilling
Yea. Mr. Brokeback lived about two blocks from the line. He was north of the engine. Thus, the horn's tone was different. Indeed, chilling.
damn, 1 guy videos this legendary tornado and he does it while jumping on a trampoline....
Once you get East of the Mississippi tornadoes actually hit stuff.
The tornado from hell! 🌪️
I'll never forget that day! Growing up in Xenia we had tornado warnings alot. Never a tornado. My friend and I were supposed to go to the Dayton Mail. And all day we had warnings. We pulled up in the drive my dad ran out yelling get in here now. The sky was a greenish color and when you talked it was like talking in a drum. The tornado was 3 miles away and it still looked like a monster. That was the day my life changed forever. My hometown was gone! I graduated that June. Jonnie Bench and Pete Rose spoke about staying strong and rebuilding. It was never the same!
I lived in Miamisburg, Ohio in 1974 and remember this like yesterday. Very strong, violent tornado. I saw it beginning to drop from the sky over Miamisburg (Southern Montgomery County). Many people were killed/injured on that day and many homes were destroyed. Amazing the forces Mother Nature hold in her hands. Great photos, and thank you for sharing them.
I was 6 years old and living in Lanewood. I went to Cox Elementary School (for Kindergarten if I remember correctly) in Xenia. The tornado was one of the defining moments of my life, and I still have health issues because of it, not to mention incredibly vivid memories. Thank you so much for posting this, as it makes me feel somehow like it wasn't all just a bad dream, and that others are still here who remember it. Thanks again. Matt in San Francisco.
Another one who left Ohio for greener pastures. 😉
I remember that day. I was working in New Carlisle putting a roof on a house when our boss said we had better get off this roof. You could see the dark cloud in the south. It was on the news that afternoon. In the next day or so our boss took us to see the damage it left me awe stricken.
Awesome story I’m from new Carlisle wasn’t old enough witness this but it’s unbelievable
The reason there were thirty-two fatalities was Xenia did not have a civil defense siren. Thankfully, Cincinnati had a civil defense siren to notify the National Weather Service's tornado warning for its citizens. It did not many fatalities as Xenia.
There were no leaves on the trees at the time. It was too early in spring, just two weeks after the calendar end of winter. I still remember how warm and humid it was that day for so early in the season. We usually don't see leaves on the trees till late April or early May.
That is one day I will not forget. I lived on the outskirts of Hamilton & I remember the clouds being dark real dark. Thank you for douing this & am glad you guys lived threw it
I was 11 and living in Springfield with my mother in a two-story house divided up into apartments, the winds from that tornado (what was called "tail winds") were so strong, they shook the entire house, that was one vert scary afternoon.
I grew up in Arrowhead, my folks still live there (had the house rebuilt).
I'll never forget April 3rd.
Thanks for this excellent montage, Homer. Includes both known audio recordings and Bruce Boyd's super8mm. When I first saw it from Alpha, I thought it was a fork-tailed funnel, but it was just forming up, and I saw a third funnel join up after the first two were on the ground. Saw other rope funnels look like they got sucked in, too or maybe they were circling, which is Fujita's theory. Then it hit Arrowhead and I could see the debris of houses.
My God Homer. Seeing it on the documentary when I was a kid was one thing, but you lived it. In that footage, I counted about 3 vortexes rotating within that funnel base. My God.
I relocated to Dayton for a couple of years in May 1977. I recall all the damage had been removed. But I was amazed to see so much vacant land as far as the eyes could see, where buildings once stood. I could not imagine what the residents of Xenia must have gone through. I was back to visit in August of 2008 and saw how much the city has been rebuilt and it looks great.
Now, that downtown shopping area is nearly vacant as retail moved west towards Beavercreek. There is talk and plans to redevelop the area baxk into housing? If so, and actually commenced, the cycle of residential to retail to residential would be over 6 decades.
Homer, one of the best montages of still photos of this tornado was published on the front page of the Dayton Journal Herald a year later(4/75). I think it was shot by an amatuer photographer off Rte 68 on the SE side of Xenia. I lost my copy. Do you know where I can find it? If you have it I'd love to see it here. Thanks.
The roar gets deeper at the end of the clip. Sounds like it was an F4 at the beginning, then it strengthened to an F5 just before it hit where that tape recorder was. You can hear the horn on that train that was derailed. We also had a tornado that day here in Louisville. It was an F4.
i'm less than an hour from xenia. my uncle lives there, and lived to tell us about it. my parents also have a book with some rare photos of the tornado.
Well, howdy Homer! I love your site. That is Mr. Brokeshoulder's tape of the tornado, correct. Thanks for posting.
When you come east on Hwy. 35 into Xenia, you could see the reconstruction on the west side where the tornado struck.
@RhondaClark61 My Father was caught in the tornado. his house was torn to shreds. he talks about how he lost everything in the tornado. it must have been extremely scary.
Diane Hall was the woman's name. She was my grandma's cousin.
You can see the house where we lived @ 2:34, a day that we will never forget.
Wow, what distruction. It was April so, the trees should have had leaves. I wonder how fast the wind has to blow to rip every leaf off of a tree?
Based on the description and some of the video show it doesn't sound so much like multiple tornadoes merging but the formation of a single multivortex tornado.
@rambhg was you really in this tornado? i heard it was so powerfull that it sucked up asphault from the ground. everytime xenia tornado is mentioned around me i get goosebumps and i only live 20-25 miles away from xenia in montgomery county so this event is close to home.
i know most powerful tornadoes have multiple vortices but there's an old native american legend that taks about seeing the "dead man walking" (when 2 or more tornadoes seem like they're walking while they coalesce into one powerful one). witnesses saw it in the jarrell tornado and udall and fergus falls and snyder tornadoes. there's a video of the the xenia tornado in it's early stages but i can't find it.
I heard that. I dont live in Xenia but I live close. And they do get the worst of it when it comes to storms.
There's another video on youtube called Tornado Destroys Xenia Ohio and it's taken from a show on Discovery channel. they interview a guy named Edward Mardis who talks about seeing it as a kid and they mention a 16 yr . old named Bruce Boyd who lived on Ridgebury Drive and filmed the twister .. is that the kid you were thinking of?
@bananas1and2 what was that squealing sound in the video?
@sebring31482 Any chance you could scan them and put them up on the Xenia Tornado facebook page? That would be something! :)
The movie Gummo is fictional teen angst/dysfunction and has nothing to do with Xenia. It was filmed in Nashville and even the tornado footage isn't from Xenia74. Writer/director Corine chose it as a fictional backdrop to a fictional story. My bad, Corine doesn't like plots, Gummo hasn't got one and doesn't tell a story.
when my mom was a kid she lived in fairborn and she said it was heading for there but switched and went to xenia.
OH GOD!!!!!! im glad i was in Portage County!
@nintendo1987 I lived in the east end. not when this happened but in 1992.
i think you are talking about the woman and 1 or 2 kids on trumbull st?
Too true. I don't know if it's legend, but the local Shawnee tribe referred to Xenia as "the place of the devil winds" and would not settle there. Funny thing is that one of the largest Shawnee villages was located a few miles N of Xenia where Oldtown is today. Does a few miles make that much difference?
I'd like to see the weather data to prove any real difference between downtown Xenia and Oldtown.
what was the woman's name anyone know?
At 3:20-3:21 I hear a voice crying out. I think it might be a name being called out and possibly the word help? Definitely eerie. Does anyone know if the man that recorded this survived?
John Dearing no I didn't hear it
@zaidrim Alot of people are syaing that Xenia is becoming a ghost town.
I lived in xenia when this happened it was bad
85% of homes were rebuilt within a year of the tornado.
Federal disaster aid, you know.
Forty years ago today.
OH yeah i've been passing around tornado videos
Tornado warning today , scary me.
My dad saw this...
@Nathanrailfan couldn't wasn't in there vocabulary then.