I spent hours at the NWS Office on West Oxmoor Road after the April 3, 1974 tornado outbreak copying all of the warnings by hand. Tonight, I thought it would be fun to post some of the more memorable warnings at about the same time they were issued.
At 6:56 p.m., the Centreville radar showed a hook echo 15 miles SE of Phil Campbell in Franklin County. At 6:58 p.m., Carbon Hill PD reported tornado at tree top level.
Here was the warning issued at 7:00 p.m.
BULLETIN
TORNADO WARNING
EANS REQUESTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 700 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974
A TORNADO WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR PERSONS IN WALKER…MARION…WINSTON…WALKER…CULLMAN…LAWRENCE AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES IN ALABAMA.
A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDRSTORM ACTIVITY IS MOVING BETWEEN THESE COUNTIES AT 658 PM CDT. POLICE AT CARBON HILL IN WESTERN WALKER COUNTY REPORT A TORNADO JUST NORTHEAST OF CARBON HILL MOVING NORTHEAST. THIS IS SOME 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM.
A TORNADO HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED AT PHIL CAMPBELL IN THE LAST FEW MINUTES.
TO RPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER PLACE AN EMERGENCY COLLECT CALL TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM ON 870-1811 OR ASK YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO RELAY YOUR REPORT.
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At 7:10 p.m., the public reported a tornado on the ground at Cordova in Walker County.
Here is the severe storm reprot that was issued.
SEVERE STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BIRMINGHAM AL
ISSUED 717 PM CDT WED APR 3 1974
PUBLIC REPORTS TORNADO ON GROUND NORTH OF CORDOVA IN WALKER COUNTY ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRMINGHAM.
DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED.
CENTREVILLE RADAR ALSO INDICATES A HOOK ECHO MEANING LIKELY TORNADO.
TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND NEAR US 78 MOVING NORTHEAST. IT WILL BE MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST CULLMAN COUNTY SHORTLY. CULLMAN AND WALKER COUNTIES ARE ALREADY UNDER A WARNING.
STATE TROOPERS REPORT DAMAGE AND INJURIES IN CHEROKEE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST ALABAMA.
DETAILS LATER.
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