50th anniversary of Fulton County tornado during 1974's 'Super Outbreak', advancements in weather preparedness

50th-anniversary-of-fulton-county-tornado-during-1974-s-super-outbreak-advancements-in-weather-preparedness

It's officially been 50 years since the deadly tornado that left damage and death in its wake in Fulton County on April 3, 1974.

Known as the deadliest twister to touch the area, the tornado was one of 148 that were confirmed in 13 states across the US. It stands in history as the second-largest tornado outbreak on record for a single 24-hour period. A total of 20 tornadoes had been reported to have spun up across Indiana that day between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., hitting 45 other counties.

Rochester, Monticello and Ligonier suffered the greatest from a half-mile wide tornado that was said to have traveled from near Lafayette to north of Fort Wayne, over 109 miles. Wind speeds were reported to have reached more than 100 mph. 

The Super Outbreak left 47 Hoosiers dead and injured almost 900 more. Fulton County sustained six of those deaths. 88 people were injured.

The National Weather Service reported that around 15,000 homes,  businesses, and farm buildings were completely destroyed. Another 17,000 were left with significant damage throughout Indiana. Nationwide, the outbreak caused more than $1 billion in damage. 

Fulton County alone saw nearly $10 million dollars worth of damage at the time, equating to approximately $52 million today, with hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed throughout the county. 

It was reported that the storm arrived quickly from the west just before 6 p.m., leaving residents about five minutes to seek shelter. After crossing US 31, the twister smashed through West 6th Street to West 13th Street, before making its destructive path to Talma. 

Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Northern Indiana office, Dustin Norman, says since 1974, technology has worked in their favor to more accurately anticipate weather conditions in advance. Norman said the advanced warning, which is typically a day ahead of time at minimum, allows them to communicate with local officials and better prepare before disaster strikes an area. 

Norman says technology and weather radar products continue to advance as time goes on. 

In rememberance of the event, Indiana Department of Homeland Security's website has also put together an interactive map and timeline, which shares more stories and photos about the destruction from the 1974 Super Outbreak. 

(Photo from this story is courtesy of the Fulton County Historical Society Museum, and shows an aerial shot of the former Ghrist Motel, which sat west of Rochester on US 31, and was destroyed by the tornado on April 4, 1974)