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This page documents notable [[tornado]]es and [[tornado outbreak]]s worldwide in 1973, but mostly features events in the [[United States]]. According to tornado researcher [[Thomas P. Grazulis]], documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS">{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|authorlink1=Thomas P. Grazulis|title=The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm|date=2001|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|location=[[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]|isbn=978-0-8061-3538-0|pages=251–254|ref=harv}}</ref> Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology|website=Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|accessdate=25 February 2016|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> Consequently, available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average, most recorded tornadoes, including the vast majority of significant—F2{{#tag:ref|The [[Fujita scale]] was devised under the aegis of scientist [[Ted Fujita|T. Theodore Fujita]] in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.<ref name="FscaleUS">{{harvnb|Grazulis|1993|p=141}}</ref> While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] in the U.S. since February&nbsp;1, 2007,<ref name="EFscale">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html|website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|accessdate=25 February 2016|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> [[Canada]] utilized the old scale until April&nbsp;1, 2013;<ref name="FscaleCanada">{{cite web|title=Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)|url=https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1|website=Environment and Climate Change Canada|publisher=Environment and Climate Change Canada|accessdate=25 February 2016|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6fZKvoOPa|archivedate=2016-02-25|date=6 June 2013}}</ref> nations elsewhere, like the [[United Kingdom]], apply other classifications such as the [[TORRO scale]].<ref name="TORROscale">{{cite web|title=The International Tornado Intensity Scale|url=http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php|website=Tornado and Storm Research Organisation|publisher=[[Tornado and Storm Research Organisation]]|accessdate=25 February 2016|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6fZLLlUzO|archivedate=2016-02-25|date=2016}}</ref>|group="nb"|name="Fujita"}} or stronger—tornadoes, form in the U.S., although as many as 500 may take place internationally.<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS" /> Some locations, like [[Bangladesh]], are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S., meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.<ref name="Bangladesh">{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|title=Significant Tornadoes, 1680–1991: a Chronology and Analysis of Events|date=July 1993|publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films|location=[[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]]|isbn=1-879362-03-1|page=128|ref=harv}}</ref>
This page documents notable [[tornado]]es and [[tornado outbreak]]s worldwide in 1973, but mostly features events in the [[United States]]. According to tornado researcher [[Thomas P. Grazulis]], documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS">{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|authorlink1=Thomas P. Grazulis|title=The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm|date=2001|publisher=[[University of Oklahoma Press]]|location=[[Norman, Oklahoma|Norman]]|isbn=978-0-8061-3538-0|pages=251–254|ref=harv}}</ref> Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#Climatology|website=Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes|publisher=[[Storm Prediction Center]]|accessdate=25 February 2016|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> Consequently, available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average, most recorded tornadoes, including the vast majority of significant—F2{{#tag:ref|The [[Fujita scale]] was devised under the aegis of scientist [[Ted Fujita|T. Theodore Fujita]] in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.<ref name="FscaleUS">{{harvnb|Grazulis|1993|p=141}}</ref> While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the [[Enhanced Fujita scale]] in the U.S. since February&nbsp;1, 2007,<ref name="EFscale">{{cite web|last1=Edwards|first1=Roger|title=Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/ef-scale.html|website=The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)|publisher=Storm Prediction Center|accessdate=25 February 2016|date=5 March 2015}}</ref> [[Canada]] utilized the old scale until April&nbsp;1, 2013;<ref name="FscaleCanada">{{cite web|title=Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)|url=https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo-weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=41E875DA-1|website=Environment and Climate Change Canada|publisher=Environment and Climate Change Canada|accessdate=25 February 2016|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6fZKvoOPa|archivedate=2016-02-25|date=6 June 2013}}</ref> nations elsewhere, like the [[United Kingdom]], apply other classifications such as the [[TORRO scale]].<ref name="TORROscale">{{cite web|title=The International Tornado Intensity Scale|url=http://www.torro.org.uk/tscale.php|website=Tornado and Storm Research Organisation|publisher=[[Tornado and Storm Research Organisation]]|accessdate=25 February 2016|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6fZLLlUzO|archivedate=2016-02-25|date=2016}}</ref>|group="nb"|name="Fujita"}} or stronger—tornadoes, form in the U.S., although as many as 500 may take place internationally.<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS" /> Some locations, like [[Bangladesh]], are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S., meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.<ref name="Bangladesh">{{cite book|last1=Grazulis|first1=Thomas P.|title=Significant Tornadoes, 1680–1991: a Chronology and Analysis of Events|date=July 1993|publisher=The Tornado Project of Environmental Films|location=[[St. Johnsbury, Vermont]]|isbn=1-879362-03-1|page=128|ref=harv}}</ref>


Historically, the number of tornadoes globally<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS" /> and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded.<ref name=Numbers>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|p=207–208}}</ref> Owing to increases in [[storm spotting|storm spotters]], the number of tornadoes in the U.S. reached new heights in the early 1970s. 1973 was the first year in which at least 1,000&nbsp;tornadoes were verified in the United States.<ref name="Numbers" /> The long-term annual mean for the U.S. is roughly 1,300&nbsp;tornadoes each year,<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ" /> though Grazulis estimates that the real total may be close to 1,800.<ref name=USnumbers>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|p=211}}</ref>
Historically, the number of tornadoes globally<ref name="TornadoClimoNonUS" /> and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded.<ref name=Numbers>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|p=207–208}}</ref> Owing to increases in [[storm spotting|storm spotters]], the number of tornadoes in the U.S. reached new heights in the early 1970s.<ref name="Numbers" /> 1973 was the first year in which more than 1,000&nbsp;tornadoes were verified in the United States.<ref name=UnionCity>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|p=242}}</ref> The long-term annual mean for the U.S. is roughly 1,300&nbsp;tornadoes each year,<ref name="TornadoClimaFAQ" /> though Grazulis estimates that the real total may be close to 1,800.<ref name=USnumbers>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|p=211}}</ref> Despite having the highest annual total in the nation to date, 1973 failed to establish records in terms of significant or killer tornadoes—several earlier years had already done so.<ref name=Graph>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|pp=209, 229}}</ref>

Notable scientific milestones toward understanding the [[tornado#life cycle|life cycle]] of tornadoes occurred in [[Oklahoma]] on May&nbsp;24, 1973, when researchers exploited primitive [[weather radar#History|Doppler weather radar]], then under development by the [[National Severe Storms Laboratory]] (NSSL), to examine a [[tornado vortex signature]], or TVS, for the first time in history.<ref name=Radar>{{harvnb|Grazulis|2001|pp=35, 63}}</ref><ref name="UnionCity" /> The scientists, in one of the earliest successful cases of [[storm chasing]], were able to study the evolution of a violent tornado near [[Union City, Oklahoma|Union City]], and to generate clear visual photography of its entire life cycle, from birth to decay. The successful deployment of Doppler radar to detect tornado formation also pointed the way to the development of a nationwide Doppler radar system, and helped precipitate funding for studies on [[tornadogenesis]].<ref name="Radar" /><ref name="UnionCity" />
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==Synopsis==
==Synopsis==

Revision as of 02:07, 26 February 2016

Tornadoes of 1973
TimespanJanuary 18–December 31, 1973
Maximum rated tornadoF5 tornado
Tornadoes in U.S.1102
Damage (U.S.)>$1 billion
Fatalities (U.S.)89
Fatalities (worldwide)>760

This page documents notable tornadoes and tornado outbreaks worldwide in 1973, but mostly features events in the United States. According to tornado researcher Thomas P. Grazulis, documentation of tornadoes outside the United States was historically less exhaustive, owing to the lack of monitors in many nations and, in some cases, to internal political controls on public information.[1] Most countries only recorded tornadoes that produced severe damage or loss of life.[2] Consequently, available documentation in 1973 mainly covered the United States. On average, most recorded tornadoes, including the vast majority of significant—F2[nb 1] or stronger—tornadoes, form in the U.S., although as many as 500 may take place internationally.[1] Some locations, like Bangladesh, are as prone to violent tornadoes as the U.S., meaning F4 or greater events on the Fujita scale.[7]

Historically, the number of tornadoes globally[1] and in the United States was and is likely underrepresented: research by Grazulis on annual tornado activity suggests that, as of 2001, only 53% of yearly U.S. tornadoes were officially recorded.[8] Owing to increases in storm spotters, the number of tornadoes in the U.S. reached new heights in the early 1970s.[8] 1973 was the first year in which more than 1,000 tornadoes were verified in the United States.[9] The long-term annual mean for the U.S. is roughly 1,300 tornadoes each year,[2] though Grazulis estimates that the real total may be close to 1,800.[10] Despite having the highest annual total in the nation to date, 1973 failed to establish records in terms of significant or killer tornadoes—several earlier years had already done so.[11]

Notable scientific milestones toward understanding the life cycle of tornadoes occurred in Oklahoma on May 24, 1973, when researchers exploited primitive Doppler weather radar, then under development by the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), to examine a tornado vortex signature, or TVS, for the first time in history.[12][9] The scientists, in one of the earliest successful cases of storm chasing, were able to study the evolution of a violent tornado near Union City, and to generate clear visual photography of its entire life cycle, from birth to decay. The successful deployment of Doppler radar to detect tornado formation also pointed the way to the development of a nationwide Doppler radar system, and helped precipitate funding for studies on tornadogenesis.[12][9]

Synopsis

1973 was the most active tornado year since 1967, seeing over 1,100 tornadoes. Deaths were exceptionally above average, and there were over 2,200 injuries.

Events

See also: List of United States tornadoes from January to February 1973, List of United States tornadoes in March 1973, List of United States tornadoes from April to May 1973, List of United States tornadoes from June to July 1973, List of United States tornadoes from August to September 1973, and List of United States tornadoes from October to December 1973

United States yearly total

Confirmed tornadoes by Fujita rating
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 Total
0 219 497 301 71 13 1 1102

January

See also: List of United States tornadoes from January to February 1973

33 tornadoes were reported in January in the United States.[13]

January 10 (Argentina)

Main article: San Justo tornado

A powerful tornado struck San Justo, a town in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. At least 63 people were reported dead and 350 were reported injured as it cut a 300 yard wide swath through the town. It was the most violent tornado ever recorded in South America, and also the entire Southern Hemisphere. Multiple factories and 500+ homes were destroyed or damaged, and some homes were said to have vanished with little or no trace. Vehicles were thrown hundreds of yards and mangled beyond recognition, and grass was reportedly ripped from the ground. A newspaper image showed a vehicle motor that was embedded into a concrete wall by the tornado. A tractor was found in a wooded area 500 meters away from the dealership where it originated, and a pond outside of town was reportedly sucked dry by the tornado.[14] The tornado is widely considered to have been an F5 on the Fujita Scale. This tornado was the most violent ever reported in Argentina and Southern Hemisphere, and caused great economic loss. The economic cost of this disaster was about $60,000.[15]

February

See also: List of United States tornadoes from January to February 1973

10 tornadoes were reported in February in the United States.[16]

March

See also: List of United States tornadoes in March 1973

80 tornadoes were reported in March in the United States.[17]

March 10

FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 0 4 6 2 1 0

A relatively small but deadly tornado outbreak rampaged Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The outbreak produced an F4 tornado that killed at least 6 people in Mart and Hubbard, Texas. The outbreak also produced a tornado that killed one person near Miles, Texas.

March 31

Main article: March 1973 Georgia-South Carolina tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 2 2 3 0 1 0

Extremely destructive, though non-violent, tornadoes produced the costliest natural disaster in Georgia history. Officially rated F2, but at least one source considers them F4s. An F4 also occurred in South Carolina.

April

150 tornadoes were reported in April in the United States.[18]

April 17 (Bangladesh)

A tornado struck the Dhaka District of Bangladesh, killing 681 people.

April 19–20

FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 4 19 24 9 2 0

At least 56 tornadoes touched down across Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, and Oklahoma. One tornado, an F4 tornado, touched down in Windsor, Missouri, destroying many buildings and injuring 5 people. An F3 tornado struck Batesville, Arkansas, injuring 18 people. Another F4 tornado touched down, killing 1 person S of La Plata, Missouri.[19][20]

May

250 tornadoes were reported in May in the United States.[21]

May 5–6

Main article: 1973 Valley Mills, Texas tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 5 3 8 0 0 1

An F5 tornado touched down and destroyed several buildings in Valley Mills, Texas.

May 7–8

Main article: May 7–8, 1973 tornado outbreak
FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5
0 5 12 13 1 0 0

May 26–29

Main article: May 1973 tornado outbreak

Several violent tornadoes touched down and caused at least 22 fatalities.

June

224 tornadoes were reported in June in the United States.[22]

July

80 tornadoes were reported in July in the United States.[23]

August

51 tornadoes were reported in August in the United States.[24]

August 28

Main article: August 1973 West Stockbridge tornado

F4 caused major damage in West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, killing 4.

September

69 tornadoes were reported in September in the United States.[25]

October

25 tornadoes were reported in October in the United States.[26]

November

81 tornadoes were reported in November in the United States.[27]

December

49 tornadoes were reported in December in the United States.[28]

December 13

Main article: December 1973 South Carolina tornado outbreak

An F4 tornado killed two people in Greenwood, South Carolina. Three F3s and two F2s were also associated with the outbreak.[29]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Fujita scale was devised under the aegis of scientist T. Theodore Fujita in the early 1970s. Prior to the advent of the scale in 1971, tornadoes in the United States were officially unrated.[3] While the Fujita scale has been superseded by the Enhanced Fujita scale in the U.S. since February 1, 2007,[4] Canada utilized the old scale until April 1, 2013;[5] nations elsewhere, like the United Kingdom, apply other classifications such as the TORRO scale.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 251–254. ISBN 978-0-8061-3538-0. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  2. ^ a b Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC)". Storm Prediction Center: Frequently Asked Questions about Tornadoes. Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  3. ^ Grazulis 1993, p. 141
  4. ^ Edwards, Roger (5 March 2015). "Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage". The Online Tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  5. ^ "Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF-Scale)". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Environment and Climate Change Canada. 6 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-02-25. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  6. ^ "The International Tornado Intensity Scale". Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. Tornado and Storm Research Organisation. 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-02-25. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  7. ^ Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes, 1680–1991: a Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. p. 128. ISBN 1-879362-03-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  8. ^ a b Grazulis 2001, p. 207–208
  9. ^ a b c Grazulis 2001, p. 242
  10. ^ Grazulis 2001, p. 211
  11. ^ Grazulis 2001, pp. 209, 229
  12. ^ a b Grazulis 2001, pp. 35, 63
  13. ^ "January 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  14. ^ http://tormentasdebuenosaires.blogspot.com/2011/03/tornado-ef5-en-san-justo-santa-fe.html
  15. ^ Viento Asesino (motion picture). Argentina: unknown. June 19, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2014. {{cite AV media}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  16. ^ "February 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  17. ^ "March 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  18. ^ "April 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  19. ^ "April 19, 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  20. ^ "April 20, 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  21. ^ "May 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  22. ^ "June 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  23. ^ "July 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  24. ^ "August 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  25. ^ "September 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  26. ^ "October 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  27. ^ "November 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  28. ^ "December 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  29. ^ "December 13, 1973". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
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