1973 Tornado Strikes Grove City Area

A tornado struck southwestern Franklin County creating anxiety, fear,  excitement, and fascination in residents who witnessed the storm threat in 1973.

Jackson Township Fire Captain Richard Hughes was quoted in the Grove City Record as saying that in his 30 years in the area this was a first time occurrence. Because of the rarity of such natural calamities, Hughes told the newspaper that disaster training was not part of the department’s emergency training. Lt. Richard Halfhill, who was in charge of the Broadway station became the tornado scout for the department.

The tornado touched down in the area of Brown Road and Dyer Road and did extensive damage to several homes including at least one on Big Run Road South. Emergency equipment dispatched to the area found trees blocking roads, twisted apple trees and the hood of a car wrapped around a tree. Several 2x4 pieces of lumber had been driven into the ground and one even pierced a concrete wall.  Witnesses also saw pieces of straw from nearby fields had pierced several utility poles.

Grove City Police were the first to arrive at a home seriously damaged on Big Run Road South.  Franklin County deputies and Grove City Police helped secure the area keeping spectators from the damaged site. As emergency personnel began to arrive, an as yet unidentified person was using a power saw to clear much of the debris from the street.

James F. Hale, 2016