Batesville, AR Tornado, Apr 1973
EVEN DOZEN TWISTERS WALK ACROSS ARKANSAS.
Batesville, Ark. -- (AP) -- A wave of tornadoes marched across Arkansas Thursday causing thousands of dollars in property damage, but miraculously there were few injuries and they were considered minor.
A dozen twisters were reported in the state, but the one causing the most damage and most of the injuries ripped through Batesville.
One classroom of Central Elementary School was crushed, but the pupils were away from the room and huddled for protection in a hallway, according to Supt. Leon Gaines. State police said they escaped serious harm.
Five buildings were damaged at Arkansas College in Batesville. Electrical power and telephone service was interrupted when winds blew down utility poles and their lines. Windows were shattered and signs bent and broken. Trees, including some three feet in diameter, were uprooted.
Spots of destruction were scattered across an area about four blocks wide and a mile long at Batesville, starting just past the downtown area and continuing through the college, which sits on a high hill east of the town.
About 15 persons were treated at two Batesville hospitals, mostly for minor cuts due to flying glass.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Phillips, adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, said Gov. Dale Bumpers had summond 30 guardsmen to duty to prevent looting.
Dr. Joe Murray, 41, dean of students at Arkansas College, said he and College President Dr. Dan West and six other members of the administrative staff were in conference when wind blew out a window in the conference room.
"We went to the front door and saw the trees going down amid a tremendous roar," he said.
"I'd rate it a Class A tornado," he said.
Rep. Bill Alexander, D-Ark., said he had sent a telegram to the Office of Emergency Preparedness and to the Small Business Administration requesting federal disaster aid for the area.
Another tornado destroyed eight homes, a church and a grocery store at England. Several mobile homes and some farm machinery were damaged. Trees were uprooted and power lines were reported down, but no injury was reported.
A tornado was reported about 7:35 p.m. near Whelen Springs southwest of Prescott. First reports indicated that two houses and a church were destroyed.
Another funnel cloud was sighted about 9 p.m. six miles west of West Memphis and an unconfirmed sighting was made about 9:30 p.m. near Sheareville. Trees were down in the areas and windows were blown out. No injury was reported.
Funnel clouds were reported in the air or on the ground Thursday at Jonesboro, Texarkana, Little Rock, Nashville, Northern Garland County, between West Memphis and Marion, about three miles east of Blevins in Hempstead County and in the Almond area north of Concord in Cleburne County.
The Ada Evening News Oklahoma 1973-04-20
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!
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Tornado in Batesville, AR - Central Elementary April 1973
I believe it was reported as "The Miracle of the Fourth Grade" in the local newspaper. And it was a miracle that no one was killed. I have done a little bit of searching on the Internet trying to find any information about this tornado, but with no luck. Yours is the first I have found. Thank you for putting it out there. But I feel I must correct the account you were given. We were NOT away from the classroom NOR were we huddled for protection in a hallway.
I was in that tornado. I was 10 years old and in the fourth grade. I was in the building that "was crushed". And so were all the students in my class that day, including our teacher! The principle was "on his way out to get us to bring us into the main building", as the story goes, but he was too late. My classroom was one of four portable metal buildings and it was not crushed, it imploded! There was nothing left but the concrete steps that led up to one of the doors.
It was the worst storm I had ever seen. The wind was blowing so hard. It began when the lights went out, it started hailing, then as soon as it began, the hail stopped. Next came the roar of what sounded like a train. I felt the sensation of rising up in the air. I could see mud splashing up on the window and the dark silhouettes of people and desks tumbling though the air. Then something hit me in the side of the head and knocked me out cold. I came to lying out in the middle of the street. A woman came out and gathered us all together into her house to keep us from stepping on the power lines that were down. The school probably did not know exactly where we were because by the time we came back out, the school was pretty much empty. My dad had already been to the school looking for me, but he couldn't find me. Some girl told him she had seen me and that I was okay.
All the buses were gone and I caught a ride to my dad's car lot with the family of one of my schoolmates.
The worst injury at my school was a broken arm. I told my mom that I prayed to God not to let anyone die.
She said, "Lisa, the Lord must of had his hand over you."
I replied, "He must of had it under me too 'cause I didn't feel a thing when I hit the ground!"
you are welcome
you are very welcome Lisa.
__________________I am very glad God was with all of you that day.
Stu
Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!