Today is the 40th anniversary of the worst tornado disaster ever in the Chicago, Illinois area. Forty four tornadoes struck the area from Missouri and Iowa through Illinois and Michigan, including at least six F3 twisters. A total of 58 people perished.
About 3:50 p.m., an F4 tornado roared into the town of Belvidere, Illinois. Students at the elementary school had already been transported home on buses, but high school students were loading as the horrible twister roared across the building. Twelve of the buses were overturned by the winds. Students were blown through an adjacent field and makeshift stretchers were formed from plywood from nearby houses and doors from the school. Thirteen students were killed and 300 injured, making it the sixth deadliest school tornado disaster in U.S. history.
The worst tornado of the day occurred at Oak Lawn, Illinois about 5:30 p.m. where 33 people were killed. Many were killed in their cars as the tornado struck at rush hour on the south side of Chicago, including twelve at one intersection. Several children were killed at a skating rink and other people died under the collapsing walls of a supermarket.
