Hillsdale, Michigan

April 3, 1974

The largest tornado outbreak in history occurred when at least 148 tornadoes swept across the eastern third of the United States on April 3 and 4, 1974.  One of those tornadoes touched down in Hillsdale County, near the intersection of Bacon and Lake Wilson roads.  It moved northeast, striking Riley's Mobile Home Park at Hillsdale and Moore roads, completely destroying many trailers as the tornado briefly reached F2 strength.  It took its only two lives when it threw a tree onto a mobile home near the intersection of Addison and Milnes roads northeast of Hillsdale. The tornado lifted west of Clark Lake in Jackson County.  The tornado was up to 400 yards wide and was in contact with the ground for 21 miles.

Excerpt from Engineering Aspects of the Tornadoes of April 3-4 1974 by Mehta, KC et al

This city of 8,000 people located in the southern part of Michigan was ravaged by tornadic storms about 8pm.  Most of the damage in this area was restricted to residences.  According to initial reports by the Michigan State Police, 667 houses were destroyed and 88 additional houses sustained major damage.  Mobile homes in the path of the storm sustained damage by overturning and by impact from flying debris.  Some of the mobile homes overturned, tumbled in the high winds, and ultimately disintegrated.  Two of the three deaths that occurred in Michigan occurred when mobile homes disintegrated.  Mobile home parks in this area had received early warnings of the storms.  Some of the occupants of mobile homes moved to shelter areas within and outside the park; thus, warning time may have been responsible for the relatively small number of deaths in Michigan.

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