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Interesting
Quotes:
The legacy of the Super Tornado Outbreak
of April 3, 1974 remains with us today, primarily in printed material,
such as books, newspapers, and personal journals. Here, we will
take a look at some interesting quotes from people who were involved
in the event and also ones derived from the book April 3, 1974:
A Night to Remember, written by Charles Jordan.
From Theophilus Brock, Brilliant, Alabama
resident:
"On the night of April 3rd, the radio reported tornado warnings
and announced destruction in Guin, Alabama. We all went inside the
storm cellar before the tornado hit our place. After the storm,
we had no shelter except for the little place in the storm cellar
about 6 x 8 feet. The tornado completely cleaned out our whole household,
car, trucks, tractors and equipment. Now, for all of this saving
or sparing our lives from destruction, we attribute it to the National
Weather Service for announcing the warning of these tornadoes. We
owe our entire lives, it looks to be like, to the National Weather
Service.”
Michael Estill from Guin, Alabama stated:
“We were in the basement for ten minutes then the storm came.
The tornado sounded like a train which we could hear two minutes
before it hit the house. We heard the whistling sound of the wind
that made our ears pop several times. Tree limbs and glass were
breaking.”
From Cindy Estes, Guin, Alabama:
“The tornado just came through our windows, getting so loud.
Before it hit our house, the pressure had built up so much in our
house because we had storm windows on all of our doors and all of
our doors were shut. We had no kind of air getting from outside.
The pressure was so tight that it felt like the whole place was
going to explode, and it did. Our house moved about 40 to 50 feet
off the foundation. It seemed like it lasted forever, but it think
it just lasted about 18 seconds.”
From Addie Mae Mills, Guin, Alabama:
“The storm destroyed everything that I had worked for during
my whole life. I received three letters from various places through
Lawrence and Winston county, which are adjoining counties to my
location. One of these letters read: There is no doubt in my mind
your home was destroyed by the April the 3rd tornado. I live about
one mile south of where a tornado hit pumpkin center, and that is
about eight miles southeast of Decatur. Last week my husband was
cutting hay on our farm. While in the hay field I found this deposit
book that belongs to you. I am returning it to you, hoping you are
still alive and well.”
From Spencer Black, Limestone County Emergency Manager:
"It was almost like a nightmare, and I didn't think I was
ever going to wake up. ...Total
chaos and destruction..."
Bob Dunnavant, Huntsville Times stated:
“It was like something out of the Old Testament, a pillar
of clouds, black, majestic and ominous…So I hugged that ditch
and wondered how far the storm would carry my body”
Given what we now know about the Super Tornado Outbreak of April
3, 1974, it cannot be understated how serious and unfortunate this
event was to the residents in the Tennessee valley.
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