Ohio woman discusses 1974 tornado amid Kentucky devastation

COLUMBUS, Ohio — As tornadoes ravage parts of Kentucky and neighboring states, one Ohio woman is reflecting on a tornado outbreak that hit home back in 1974. 

Pamela Harrison was a student at Central State in Cincinnati watching a track meet when an announcement came over the PA system demanding people take cover.

“Please clear the stadium, please clear the stadium,” Harrison began. “We immediately started running across the street and then we looked up in the sky… you can see debris and stuff coming toward us.”

Harrison said, within minutes, a beautiful sunny day turned dark as clouds began to move in toward campus.

She and other classmates ran to an academic building holding their hands over their heads to stay safe.

“I remember grabbing a hold of the cord of the water fountain, the next thing we knew the roof was off and the walls went out and we were moved around on the floor. It was unbelievable,” Harrison said.

Harrison is one of thousands who survived that severe weather system which went on to destroy many areas in Xenia. Since then, she’s seen several other severe weather systems move through Cincinnati and parts of Ohio. One tornado years later ripped off the siding of her home in Lockland.

Now she has a strict set of steps in place for what to do when a tornado hits.

“Take my flashlight, make sure I have a radio so I can connect to whatever is going on outside, especially once you hear sirens.”

Information on an Ohio resources page provides details on what to do in the event of a severe weather event. DUCK is an acronym state leaders suggest following: 

• D- Go DOWN to the lowest Level
• U- Get UNDER something sturdy (like a basement staircase or heavy table or desk)
• C- COVER your head
• K- KEEP in shelter until storm has passed

More information about what to do in different situations where a tornado is approaching can be found here.