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Survivors of horrific 1974 Xenia tornado recall twister’s deadly impact as anniversary nears
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
The Xenia tornado of April 3, 1974 killed 32 people, and more than 1,300 sought hospital treatment, according to Dayton Daily News archives. It cut a devastating swath across the city and Greene County, leaving an estimated $100 million in property damage that included Central State and Wilberforce universities.
• What it matters: The 50th anniversary of the tornado is Wednesday, and our reporters have spent the past few weeks visiting with survivors and digging through archives to tell the story of the tornado, its aftermath and its implications to today.
• What happened: About 4:40 p.m. that day, the twister that caused wind speeds of up to 300 miles per hour tore through the area, DDN records show. It wiped out hundreds of homes, many of which were in the Arrowhead subdivision on the city’s western edge. More than 1,400 buildings — including seven schools — were damaged or destroyed.
• What they’re saying: “So, we got in the hallway and my mom laid on top of me, my dad laid on top of my mom, and not long after that — seconds later — it was like the house exploded.” — Jeff Louderback, tornado survivor
After incarceration, local restored citizens want a ‘fair chance’ at jobs, housing
About one in 11 adult Ohioans have a felony conviction, according to the Ohio Justice & Policy Center, and many struggle to find decent work, housing and acceptance after they return to the community following conviction or incarceration.
• Why it matters: A report released in 2018 by the Ohio Justice & Policy Center estimated that about one in four jobs in Ohio — about 1.3 million jobs in total — were partially or completely off limits to people with criminal records.
• One person’s story: After she was released from prison almost eight years ago, Shareka Gibson said sometimes it felt like she had the word “felon” written on her forehead, like a scarlet letter. At first, no matter how well she did in job interviews, employers refused to hire her once they did a background check and learned about her criminal record.
• What happened: Finally, after years of work, Gibson got her teaching license reinstated. Gibson was rehired at the transitional school where she previously taught science. She worked at that school for a couple of years before she accepted another job as a science teacher with a local charter school.