Hear the Xenia Tornado: Grab some headphones or turn your listening devices up and check out the audio which is said to have been recorded by a Xenia resident near the corner of W. Church and N. West Sts. in an apartment building destroyed by the tornado. Recorded by a Mr. Brokeshoulder of Xenia, April 3rd, 1974. The recording made its way to the Greene Co. Historical society and provided to us through Homer Ramby at XeniaTornado.com.
Survivors Tell Their Stories: While much attention, in the years since, have been paid to the storm’s impact on Xenia. This past week WYSO has been sharing stories from the neighboring town of Wilberforce - home to two HBCUs: Central State and Wilberforce universities. This spring WYSO is working with The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce to gather and broadcast oral histories of the disaster. Our first recollection comes from Lloyd Edwin, who was a freshman at Central State when the tornado hit in 1974. Up Next, this is a look back at the storm from 73 year old Eugenia K. Thornton. And finally, John Gudgel, who was a high schooler in Yellow Springs in 1974.
The Central State Memorial Service: Central State University recognized the 1974 tornado with a memorial service in front of one of the few structures that remained standing after the storm. WYSO’s Kathryn Mobley was there and filed this report. *This month, the Hallie Q. Brown Library at Central State is hosting a special exhibit, 50 Years Since the F5 Tornado Struck. It’s open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weather Forecasting, Then and Now:
The April 3, 1974, tornado that struck Wilberforce and Xenia injured over 1,000 - 34 people died, including two killed in a fire born out of the storm’s destruction. Now - 50 years later, Tom Johnstone, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, offered us a look back at that storm through the lens of weather forecasting - then and now. He speaks with WYSO’s Mike Frazier.
The Gentler Side of Nature: Our program wraps today with Bird Note and Bill Felker’s Poor Will’s Almanack.
