The mayor of a southwest Ohio city marking the 40th anniversary of a deadly tornado says the commemoration is focusing on survival and recovery but isn't a celebration.
The April 3, 1974, twister killed 33 people in Xenia and Wilberforce and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. It was part of an outbreak of tornadoes that killed 315 people across 13 states.
Xenia Mayor Marsha Bayless told the Dayton Daily News that Thursday's commemoration at a memorial is a tribute to the victims and to local residents and their resilience.
Bayless recalls huddling with relatives at home when the tornado hit. She says she still remembers hearing the roar of the twister and seeing things blow past the window.
Xenia Looks Back 40 Years After Tornado
The mayor of a southwest Ohio city marking the 40th anniversary of a deadly tornado says the commemoration is focusing on survival and recovery but isn't a celebration.