7-10

lornajarrettblanchard March 31, 1973

–10 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 1135-1136.
–3 GA.
–1 Rockdale County. Woman died from injuries sustained in her [mobile] home.
–1 Walton County, east of Monroe along US-78. Neal Broach; house flattened.
–1 Clarke County, Athens. Woman in pickup truck thrown into a building.
–7 SC
–4 Abbeville County, Calhoun Falls, guests staying in a motel.

South Carolina 7
— 7 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1137.
— 7 Environmental Data Service, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 15, No. 3, March 1973, p. 11.
–>6 AP. “Twister Leaves Six Dead, 35 Injured, 165 Homes Destroyed in Western SC.” 4-2-1973, 3.
–2 Abbeville County, Abbeville.
–1 Thomas William Ferguson, 16; pulled by tornado from front door of home.
–1 Tammy Renee Newton, 7, when her three-bedroom home was destroyed.
–2 Abbeville County, Calhoun Falls
–1 Forrest G. Addison, 47, when tornado ripped motel from its foundation
–1 Wallace Calhoun Powell, 49, Rt. Q, Calhoun Falls; motel guest.
–1 Greenwood County, Greenwood. Floyd Daniel, about 35.
–1 McCormick County, McCormick. Samuel Lomax, 40.

Narrative Information

EDS/NOAA Storm Data on SC: “Abbeville and Greenwood Counties…31 [March]…7:35 p.-8:10 p. … 23 [Length of Path in Yards]…200 [Width of Path in Yards]…7 [killed]…30 [injured]…Tornado.

“A tornado touched the ground first about 1 mile southeast of the intersection of routes 81 and 72 in Calhoun Falls. It traveled east-northeast nearly parallel to route 72, passing through the northern part of Abbeville and going a short distance into Greenwood County. Seven persons died and at least 30 were injured. About 50 families were left homeless. Many other houses sustained minor damage. Hundreds of trees were downed and power and telephone services were disrupted for some time. The storm struck just after dark and one of the first things struck was a motel about three miles east of Calhoun Falls. Four of the occupants were killed and several injured. The entire building and it’s furnishings and occupants, from the foundation upward, were carried across the highway towards the south and spread over a large field.” (Environmental Data Service, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 15, No. 3, March 1973, p. 11.)

Grazulis: “GA MAR 31, 1973 1730 lk 80inj 300y 33m F4. CLAYTON /HENRY /DEKALB /ROCKDALE/ WALTON – ¬Moved ENE from 2m NE of Jonesboro, passing along the north edge of Conyers, and lifting 7m W of Monroe. The tornado was over a half mile wide near Conyers, and losses at Conyers alone totaled $75,000,000. In that area, 400 homes were destroyed and over 1700 were damaged. One industrial complex had a $15,000,000 loss. A woman eventually died from injuries sustained in her Rockdale County home. That death is not on the official totals for this event [Blanchard emphasis]. Fifteen people were injured at a rest home north of Stockbridge.

“GA MAR 31, 1973 1830 2k 20inj 200y 35m F4. WALTON/OCONEE/CLARKE/MADISON–Shortly after the previous tornado dissipated west of Monroe, this tornado touched down about 3m WSW of Monroe. It continued to the ENE and NE, passing 2m N of Monroe and then just outside the north edge of Athens. The funnel dissipated 10 ENE of Athens, north of Colbert. Athens area losses totaled $24,000,000. One man was killed in the destruction of his home east of Monroe, on US-78. A woman was killed north of Athens when the pickup truck was picked up and thrown into a liquor store on US-441. Over 1000 acres of forest were leveled in Oconee County alone. A state survey team estimated total damage for both tornadoes at more than $113,000,000, the largest for any natural disaster in the state’s history. The damage estimates were broken down as follows: 400 homes destroyed, 1784 homes damaged, total home damage was $20,000,000; 32 businesses destroyed, 76 businesses damaged, total business damage was $73,000,000. Timber and other damage was nearly $20,000,000.

“SC MAR 31, 1973 1935 7k 30inj 200y 23m F4. ABBEVILLE/GREENWOOD–Moved ENE, parallel to Hwy-72, hitting 3m E of Calhoun Falls and passing across the north part of Abbeville. Fifty families were left homeless. About 125 homes were damaged or destroyed near Abbeville. About 3m E of Calhoun Falls, the tornado hit a motel, lifting it from its foundation, breaking it into pieces, and blowing them apart. Four of the 20 registered guests were killed. The entire building and its furnishings and occupants, from the foundation upward, were carried across the highway towards the south, and spread over a large field. Damage continued almost parallel to Hwy-72 through the northern part of Abbeville.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 1136-1137.)

Newspaper

April 2: “Abbeville, S.C. (AP) – At least six persons were killed, three missing, 35 injured, and an estimated 165 homes damaged when a tornado slashed through a section of Northwestern South Carolina, leaving behind a scene Gov. John C. West called, ‘a terrible catastrophe.’….

“The twister struck late Saturday night and cut a path of death and destruction 254 miles long and about 100 yards wide. In the gruesome style of tornados, this one shredded homes into strips of wood, plastic and tin, and then left untouched other homes directly cross a street or highway….

“Authorities identified the dead as Thomas William Ferguson, 16; Tammy Renee Newton, 7, both of Abbeville; Forrest G. Addison, 47, of Calhoun Falls; Wallace Calhoun Powell, 49 of Rt. 1, Calhoun Falls; Samuel Lomax, 40 of McCormick, S.C., and Floyd Daniel, about 35, of Greenwood, S.C. Three persons are missing. Their cars found at a destroyed motel on the outskirts of Calhoun Falls, a community near the banks of the Savannah River, but the three were un-accounted for. They were identified as Alfred Parks, Greenville, S.C., Albert Kennedy and Troy Edwards, both of Rt. 1, Calhoun Falls.

“Police estimated that at least 400 persons were homeless.

“Authorities said Addison and Powell were killed when the twister hit the motel near Calhoun Falls, ripping it from the foundation, as if by the hand of some angry giant, and tossing the pieces across the highway.

“Police said the Ferguson boy was killed when the power of the tornado sucked him out the open front door of his home, and he was struck by a falling tree.

“The Newton child was killed when her three-bedroom home was crumbled like a papier-mache doll’s house, and tumbled into a heap of rubble in a ravine some 40 feet from its original site. Only the front porch remained….” (Associated Press. “Twister Leaves Six Dead, 35 Injured, 165 Homes Destroyed in Western SC.” The Bee, Danville, VA. 4-2-1973, p. 3.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Insurance Adjusters View S.C. Tornado Damage.” Florence Morning News, SC, 4-3-1973, p. 1B. Accessed 1-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/florence-morning-news-apr-03-1973-p-9/

Associated Press. “Tornadoes rip through Georgia.” Wichita Falls Times, TX. 4-1-1973, p. 4A. Accessed 1-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wichita-falls-times-apr-01-1973-p-4/

Associated Press. “Twister Leaves Six Dead, 35 Injured, 165 Homes Destroyed in Western SC.” The Bee, Danville, VA. 4-2-1973, p. 3. Accessed 1-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/danville-bee-apr-02-1973-p-3/

Associated Press. “Twisters Kill 2, Injure Scores in Central Georgia.” Decatur Daily, AL. 4-1-1973, p. 1. Accessed 1-7-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/decatur-daily-apr-01-1973-p-1/

Environmental Data Service, NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 15, No. 3, March 1973. Asheville, NC. Accessed 1-7-2022 at: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-81449018-9C23-4F13-BC94-A3C360AFF723.pdf

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.