Free Republic

Xenia tornado anniversary: Town torn apart; 33 killed By Margo Rutledge Kissell Staff Writer Wednesday, April 02, 2008 XENIA — Originally published April 3, 2004 Each spring, Cecilia Emery dreams about tornadoes. Since April 3, 1974, when Xenia was hit by one of the country's most powerful tornadoes, her mother, Lucille Lehman, has not been able to watch news footage of the destruction left in the path of any twister. "Everything starts flooding back," said Lehman, who was trapped in the rubble of her home with Cecilia, then 15, and her three younger children until neighbors pulled them out. The...

Each spring, Cecilia Emery dreams about tornadoes. Since April 3, 1974, when Xenia was hit by one of the country's most powerful tornadoes, her mother, Lucille Lehman, has not been able to watch news footage of the destruction left in the path of any twister. "Everything starts flooding back," said Lehman, who was trapped in the rubble of her home with Cecilia, then 15, and her three younger children until neighbors pulled them out. The F-5 tornado tore through the heart of town, killing 33 people and injuring more than 1,300 others. It bulldozed a path more than a half-mile...