Topic: '74 Super-Outbreak

[Downlinerz2]

   There is a special on the '74 Super-Outbreak on TWC right now (9PM).  The show is "When Weather Changed History".  It will be on again later tonight at midnight.
  Mark

[Downlinerz2]

   I was shocked watching this show from how many places didn't have tornado sirens back when this outbreak occurred.  Xenia, Ohio did not have sirens.  I know we had sirens here in the Toledo area in 1974, but thinking back I don't believe we did in 1965 during the Palm Sunday tornadoes.
   And, to see how antiquated the NWS was back then.  A tornado warning wasn't issued until one was already on the ground, and sometimes much later!  It is a wonder 1000's weren't killed.  In the show on tonight they credited the '74 super-outbreak for stimulating the upgrades in radar and communication systems to put out weather info.
We have far more available to us, the amateurs of weather, than they had during the outbreak of '74.  Amazing.  I guess it's that way in a lot of fields, like amateur astronomy.
    Mark

[Downlinerz2]

  It was pretty good.  It will probably be on again.  I will try to give a heads up if I see that it will be on again.
   Mark

[IMADreamer]

Shoot I missed it.   Hopefully I can catch it on sometime.

I'm sure the NWS was very antiquated then.  Think about it, satellite meteorology would have only been maybe 20 years old?  Radars were about the same probably and you know computer technology was light years behind now.  It's staggering how far we've come in only the last 10-15 years, but back in 1974 most people couldn't have imagined today. 

[W Thomas]

Me too !! Hopefully they'll air that segment again soon.

Antiquated was it back in 74..especially compared to today.. I guess most were still running WSR57 then.
Best lead time was however long it took to reach a town after somebody verified it on the ground back in those days.

I'm sure there were some worn to a frazzle mets the nest day!

[Farmtalk]

Well at least TWC put somethhing decent on tv.