One of the April 1974 tornadoes devastated Seventy Six

The park and church were destroyed.

The tornado of April 3, 1974, was so devastating in Clinton County that when people refer to it, only "April 3rd" needs to be said.

Tornadoes ravaged areas from Tennessee to Ohio on that fateful evening. It was the greatest outbreak of F5 tornadoes in America's recorded history. A total of 148 tornadoes were confirmed on that single day.

Twin funnels entered the county at Green Grove, then crossed through Ida into the Seventy Six Falls area and continued on through Piney Woods, crossing KY 558. Eight people were killed in Clinton County, including Effie Wells, 64, who lived in a brick house within sight of Seventy Six Falls. She was the mother of Holland Wells.

Homes destroyed in the community included those of J.S. Andrew, Rudy Thomas, and Frank Summers. The Ida community was devastated. The home of Jimmy Hicks was destroyed, as was the nearby home of Cletis Boils, where three people died.

Had the area been more heavily populated, the loss of life would almost certainly have been much greater. As it was, Clinton County lost 0.1% of its population, a greater rate than any April 1974 community in Kentucky except Meade County, where 31 died.

The Mount Union Christian Church building was leveled. The Andrew home above the falls was lifted from its foundation and turned sideways, yet its occupants escaped unharmed. Rudy Thomas, who lived on the hill east of the falls, suffered a broken back but miraculously survived.

Debris from the Frank Summers home at Seventy Six was found more than 50 miles away.

The roadside park at the falls, then operated by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, was completely destroyed. It took several years for the park to be rebuilt, and it is now maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Mount Union Church rebuilt much more quickly, and its new building was rededicated in 1975.

This day will never be forgotten by those who lived through it.