Guin, Alabama 1974 Super Outbreak

remains of guin mobile home plant, flattened.

the fast-moving nighttime tornado devastated town of guin, longest-duration f5 tornado recorded in outbreak, , considered 1 of violent ever recorded. guin tornado traveled on 100 miles (160 km) west of huntsville before lifting after 10:30 pm cdt. formed @ around 8:50 pm cdt near mississippi-alabama border, striking monterey trailer park, resulting in major damage @ location. tornado became extremely violent approached , entered guin, multiple areas of f5 damage noted in , around town. tornado first struck guin mobile home plant entered town, obliterating structure. nothing left of plant pile of mangled steel beams. town s downtown area heavily damaged, many businesses , 2 churches destroyed. residential areas in guin suffered total devastation, many homes swept away , scattered across fields. according nws damage surveyor bill herman, damage in 1 6-block area particularly extreme, , remarked ground had been swept clean. of total wipeout can have. surveyor j.b. elliot noted destruction complete, of foundations dislodged, , in cases swept away. total of 23 people killed in guin.

the tornado continued past guin , struck small community of twin, destroying numerous homes, mobile homes, , businesses @ location, though damage less intense observed in guin. crossing winston county, tornado struck small community of delmar, destroying additional homes , killing 5 people. mobile homes in delmar obliterated, frames wrapped around trees. past delmar, tornado grew mile wide tore through william b. bankhead national forest, flattening huge swath of trees. surveyors noted timber damage equally severe @ elevations in area, numerous trees snapped both along exposed ridges , in deep gorges. many trees snapped in area tornado path visible satellite. tornado dissipated southwest of huntsville after destroying 546 structures, killing 28 people, , injuring 332 others.