Critical Fire Weather Continues for Coastal Southern California; Sharp Temperatrue Swings in the East

Critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions will continue for southern California through Wednesday due to moderate to locally strong Santa Ana winds. Red Flag Warnings are in effect. A fresh Arctic blast will impact the eastern half of the U.S. through the middle of this week before milder temperatures briefly return by week's end. Heavy lake effect snow continues in the Great Lakes. Read More >

Monticello Aftermath

All photos in the table below are courtesy the Monticello Herald and Journal.

Click on an image for a larger size.


Aerial view of the damaged school complex and surrounding residential area.	Damage in downtown Monticello.	Severe damage at Twin Lakes High School.

The original White County Courthouse before the tornado.	The building received irreparable damage from the tornado.	The roof was completely removed.

Another view of the demolished downtown.	This corner of the building once contained a clock tower, the once official time keeper of Monticello for many years.	Aerial view of the destroyed Penn Central Bridge.

This type of damage was typical to many houses in the area.	Tree and house damage on Harrison Street.	A felled tree on Harrison Street.

Monticello's Presbyterian Church laid in ruins.	The rail depot laid in ruins.	The mayor at the time (Carl Capper) surveys the destruction.

All photos in the table below are courtesy Studio D Inc. and the White County Historical Society.


Bryan's department store lays in ruins.	Another photo of Monticello's Presbyterian Church.	Parking meters were bent from fying debris and the strong wind.

Neighborhoods lost nearly all of their trees.	Another view of the devastated Pen Central bridge.

Fly over photos from a private source.


Damage at the Hickory Ridge subdivision.	The Penn Central bridge lays in Upper Lake Freeman.	Devastation in downtown.

Devastation in downtown.	Damaged homes on the southwest side of town.	Utility workers replace downed power lines.

Damage pictures taken in Monticello by Joel G. Storm courtesy Libby Billue.


The devastated Lincoln Building in the background, site of the current library.	Damaged Twin Lakes High School Gymnasium.	Across the Tippicanoe River from Bluewater Park.

Devistation in downtown.	The damaged Twin Lakes High School Gymnasium.	The devastated court house.

Damage directly east of the high school.	The nearly demolished Lincoln Building.	Damage near the high school.

Damage near the high school.	Damage at the Twin Lakes High School shop area.	Joel Storm's classroom on 4-3-74. Joel was a science teacher at Roosevelt School and a weather fanatic. He kept daily weather records for many years and posted the day's weather on his chalkboard. On April 3, 1974 his forecast written on the chalkboard said “Possible tornadoes today.” The microbarograph trace on the front page was recorded by Joel.