Louisville, Kentucky 1974 Super Outbreak

major damage in northfield neighborhood of louisville, including vehicle partially wrapped around tree.

about hour after brandenburg tornado, same supercell spawned f4 tornado formed in southwest part of jefferson county near kosmosdale. funnel cloud formed on standiford field airport, touched down @ kentucky fair , exposition center, , destroyed majority of horse barns @ center , part of freedom hall (a multipurpose arena) before crossed interstate 65, scattering several vehicles on busy expressway. tornado continued 22-mile (35 km) journey northeast demolished of audubon elementary school , affected neighborhoods of audubon, cherokee triangle, cherokee-seneca, crescent hill, indian hills, northfield, rolling fields, , tyler park. numerous homes destroyed in residential areas, including few leveled. tornado ended near junction of interstates 264 , 71 after killing 3 people, injuring 207 people, destroying on 900 homes, , damaging thousands of others. cherokee park, historic 409-acre (1.66 km) municipal park located @ eastern parkway , cherokee road, had thousands of mature trees destroyed. massive re-planting effort undertaken community in aftermath of tornado.

dick gilbert, helicopter traffic reporter radio station whas-am, followed tornado through portions of track including when heavily damaged louisville water company s crescent hill pumping station, , gave vivid descriptions of damage seen air. whas-tv cameraman filmed tornado when passed east of central business district of louisville.

whas-am broke away regular programming shortly before tornado struck louisville , on-air live john burke, chief meteorologist @ national weather service s louisville office @ standiford field when tornado first descended. station remained on air delivering weather bulletins , storm-related information until morning hours of april 4. electrical power had been knocked out substantial portion of city, radio station became clearinghouse vital information , contact emergency workers, not in louisville across state of kentucky due 50,000-watt clear-channel signal , fact storms had knocked numerous broadcasting stations in smaller communities, such frankfort, off air. then-governor wendell ford commended station s personnel service community in time of crisis, , dick gilbert later received special commendation then-president richard nixon tracking of tornado helicopter.