Librarians come to discuss the Hometown tornado in 1967.
On April 21, 1967, there was an unbelievable tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred across the Midwest. The hardest hit towns included Belvidere and Oak Lawn. Now referred to as 'Black Friday,' it was the largest tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most outstanding to ever occur in the Chicago area.
The third grade students at Hometown, recently finished a unit on weather in Science and the history of the United States and Hometown in Social Studies. Third grade teachers Mr. Carson, Miss Cerulo, and Mrs. Sieracki invited two local librarians from the Hometown Library, Mary and Lisa, to give a first hand account of their experience that day. Mary also spoke about her experiences as a child growing up in Hometown. They brought photographs of the destruction from the tornado, and students were able to ask questions about what it was like to be in a tornado and what it was like surviving such a deadly tornado outbreak. Students were shocked and surprised to hear about what it was like that day. It was a warm Friday afternoon. The day began foggy, with temperatures in the middle 50s. Temperatures quickly rose in the afternoon. Around 5:30 pm, the F4 tornado swept through several southwest suburbs including Palos Heights, Oak Lawn, Hometown, Evergreen Park, and skipped through Chicago's Southside, eventually killing 33 people before it disappeared over Lake Michigan. The path of this tornado was 16 miles long, and at times 200 yards wide.
We want to thank Mary and Lisa for coming to visit our students and share with them their experience. It was a day that no one will ever forget.