I'm surprised he got the tornado in the frame. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. Other ingredients for a volatile weather situation were also present: a major upper-air trough extending from the southern Rockies into northern Mexico, migrating eastward into western Texas and deepening significantly at the same time (Figure 11); a strong wind shear from the surface to 500 millibars and a thin layer of very moist air at the surface with rapid drying immediately above at about 700 mb (Figure 12 and Figure 13). Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. I had never witnessed anything of this magnitude. As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, [18] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. The most notable tornado was another F4 tornado that destroyed most of the southern part of Wichita Falls, Texas, and is commonly referred to as "Terrible Tuesday" by many meteorologists. Casualty data were supplied by the Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices. (Rated F2 by the NWS. Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. Storm Spotter Training Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident. A darker version of this image shows the rain curtain extending around the vortex. Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers. The deadliest tornadoes to strike in Texas in 26 years ravaged parts of four communities near the Red River on April 10, taking 53 lives, injuring 1808, and causing damage worth $427 million1. 15:25 F4. Please Contact Us. The Harrold tornado was in its formative stages at about the time the Vernon tornado was crossing the Red River. On Saturday, June 28, 1924, a deadly F4 tornado struck the Lake Erie shoreline communities of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio. Some or all of the walls remained for well-built homes (photos 4-6 on the damage photo tab) and bathrooms in particular provided good protection. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Rampaging killer tornadoes and devastating floodwaters brought unparalleled tragedy to groups of communities in the Low Rolling Plains and the Upper Coast of Texas during April. Daily Weather History It was the costliest tornado in history until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado struck in 1999. . Mr. Carter also dispatched a special assistant, Jack H. Watson Jr., to this city of 125,000 people in northern Texas to survey the tornado damage. Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). Graphical Forecasts More Observations The tornado was associated with a line of thunderstorms that produced very heavy rains in the Wichita Falls area. age through the southern half of tne city. He is now self-employed and lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas. 1. The tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage. After taking his last picture of the approaching tornado, Mr. Lange retreated to the apartment complex laundry room and hid between heavy commercial washers and dryers, escaping with only minor injuries. The maximum F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was rated F0. The tornado then weakened slightly, but remained at F3 intensity, destroying the Sun Valley housing area, the Sunnyside Heights Mobile Home Park, and several large commercial businesses, including the Levi Strauss Plant, before exiting the east side of town. As it moved north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many homes in both the Western Hills Addition and the Faith Village Addition and severely damaged Ben Milam Elementary School. A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. After extensive engineering analysis of the winds necessary to produce the observed structural failure to those buildings, it was concluded that all of the damage could have been produced by winds in the upper part of the F4 range (230 - 260 mph). Dallas Times Herald photo by Mark Perlstein Almost 40 years ago, a massive F4 tornado tore through Wichita Falls, in an event that the Dallas Times Herald and Wichita Falls Times labeled Terrible Tuesday. He shot these images one handed while driving down a dirt road. After dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the east side of Vernon. Please select one of the following: Local Enhanced Radar (Central Oklahoma-KTLX), Local Standard Radar (KTLX-low bandwidth), Local Enhanced Radar (Southwest OK/Western North TX-KFDR), Local Standard Radar (KFDR-low bandwidth), Local Standard Radar (KVNX-low bandwidth), Averages and Records for OKC, Wichita Falls & Lawton, NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database"), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Near Kamay - Wichita Valley Airport - Sheppard AFB, NW Wichita Falls (FM-369/ Seymour Highway)- Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls (near Midwestern University), 3 ENE Holliday- Wichita Falls- 4 E Byers- NNE of Waurika OK, Wichita Falls (4 SSW - 1 E center of town). The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. Most of the homes in Faith Village were demolished. A Doppler radar view of the three supercells is available. Local Climate Data Elizabeth Burk Newton. The F5 storm tore through Wichita and Andover, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. auto-related; 16 of that total died while in their autos trying to flee the storm, and 11 of that number abandoned homes not touched by the tornado. A few intense thunderstorms erupted at about the same time in the northwestern portion of North Central Texas; small hail and high winds raked Gainesville and Decatur during the noon hour. To commemorate this event, the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma has compiled a large amount of information including: tornado photos of the Wichita Falls, Vernon, Seymour, and Harrold, TX tornadoes; damage photos; images of radar and satellite data; other maps and diagrams of the event; and storm data for Oklahoma and western north Texas. Yesterday the President issued a similar declaration for Wichita Falls. Tornado Watch #67 was issued at 1:55 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST)2 calling for tornadoes, large hail, and damaging thunderstorm winds in portions of a 30,000-square-mile area in north central Texas and southwest Oklahoma. The intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. One somewhat unique characteristic of the damage was the wide swath F4 damage; many violent tornadoes produce only a narrow swath of their most intense damage. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. Those who were caught in automobiles and trucks made up a high percentage of the fatalities. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. Fire Weather A trailer and three barns were destroyed. Skywarn Storm Spotters An estimated 20,000 persons were left homeless by this storm. It moved northeastward across U.S. Highway 287 into the Sunset Terrace addition, and then crossed the Red River Expressway (U.S. Highway 277) into the Lincoln Heights addition and eventually Sheppard Air Force Base. The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, uprooting over 200 trees along the Red River. The 1979 tornado cut a wide path of destruction through Wichita Falls homes and apartments. ), August 11, 1953 - This summertime tornado touched down at 7:00 pm CST in Wichita Falls and moved northeastward through the suburbs of the city. It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. Hail ranged in sizes "from mothballs to pineapples." By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. Evan got up, the moonlight bouncing off his not so wicked blue eyes. The formation of the tornado and its movement toward the stadium and junior high were captured by Wolfgang Lange from the front of his apartment complex which was located across the street from the junior high (location #2). To date, it is the most damaging tornado in US history. Is it curse or coincidence? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Watch on. Three thousand and ninety-five homes were destroyed and 600 were damaged. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. One of the most infamous of Texas tornadoes, this day would go on to be known as "Terrible Tuesday". The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma The tornado's first fatalities were recorded in the apartment complex and adjoining housing area. Upper Air Maps In this stage, the tornado did extensive damage just south of Dean and near Byars, destroying a large number of rural homes, but causing no more fatalities, The suffering and destruction caused by the Wichita Falls tornado is nearly inconceivable. The number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. We View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. Earlier in the day around daybreak, low-level moisture from the Gulf was observed pouring northward through the heart of the State while much drier air was surging eastward across the Pecos River (Figure 10). It was on the ground for 11 miles. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. 128 followers. I survived an enormous North Texas twister on April 10, 1979 that took 52 lives when three vortexes merged into one. Other data was found using U.S. While the families and friends of the victims mourned, National Guard troops manned barricades outside devastated neighborhoods and stopped people who tried to enter the area, turning back any without essential business. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. Read More. Tornado Pictures. Each lasted for an hour or more and left a continuous track of ground damage 35 miles or longer. Select western north Texas tornado statistics by decade, county or city from the menus or maps below. Summer Weather Safety While the tornado was passing, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house. The twister was almost a mile wide when it entered the Faith Village neighborhood on the north side of the east-west oriented Southwest Parkway. Approximately 30 houses in the addition were damage with some houses suffering extensive damage. Thunderstorm winds blew a sheet metal roof off a horse barn just east of Sheppard Air Force Base, tore off part of the roof of a radio station 6 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, tore a patio roof off a house in Wichita Falls. There was much scientific discussion and debate concerning the possibility that the some of the damage was severe enough, and wind speeds high enough, for the tornado to be rated F5. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. Last year the Wichita Falls Museum of Art featured a show by the acclaimed American landscape photographer Frank Gohlke of his photographs of Wichita Falls in the aftermath of a massive tornado that destroyed so much of the town in 1979. After dark, another jet stream wind maximum moved northeastward into west central and northern Texas, sparking a second round of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. In Texas: Clay, Foard, Wichita and Wilbarger; and in Oklahoma: Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, Stephens and Tillman. Hazardous Weather Outlook As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. In particular, note the sharp decline in reflectivity near the genesis time and during the life of the Wichita Falls tornado with maximum values less than 45 dBZ for a brief period. Caused $190,000 in damage. Wichita Falls plagued by tornadoes on April 10, 1979 A tornado set down at 5:50 p.m. about three miles east-northeast of Holliday. Local "It was just a regular old day. A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. February 20, 2023 (92 years old) View obituary. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. Flash Flood Warnings Total property damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400,000,000 (in 1979 dollars). Storm Data, Weather Safety The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. Please Contact Us. Three people were injured in a mobile home near the beginning of the path. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. The police chief and sheriff later said the approaching storm did not look like a normal twister, but appeared as a thick, dark mass of clouds low to the ground and difficult to see because of the heavy rain, hail, and low cloud base. While the leading edge of the moist, tropical air had already surged northward across the Red River, giving Wichita Falls a vigorous southeasterly wind and a climbing dew point (Figure 16), the advancing edge of much drier, continental air swept eastward out of the High Plains and undercut the less dense and more moist tropical air. ", "The thunderstorm system that produced the Vernon tornado crossed the Red River and left a 50-mile-long skipping track of tornado damage through Oklahoma. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. Toggle navigation. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. ", "Early on April 10, NWS forecasters became aware of the threat of severe weather. We continued south passing a damage path across the highway from the Harrold tornado. 1979-04-10 Wichita Falls. During this interval, the tornado was photographed by Professor Joe Henderson of Midwestern State University from the Ligon Coliseum (location #7). The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes as part of a three-member tornado family. The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. A small home was swept away in the affected area, and factories and warehouses were unroofed. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? It was spectacular to watch! April 10, 1979: The worst single tornado in Texas' history hit Wichita Falls. Ingredients for a devastating severe weather event were beginning to come together on the morning of April 10. Severe damage in the Pruitt City area. The tornado first touched down at 2:35 pm CST north of the intersection of Farm Road 369 and Seymour Highway. Brenda Lee Whitehead. Within 30 minutes the tornado, with a track that varied between 1/2 and 1 1/2 miles wide and 8 miles long, had sped across the southern portion of Wichita Falls. |. The warnings were being broadcast repeatedly by two local TV stations and three local radio stations which were receiving continuously updated information over the emergency hotline connecting them with the Wichita Falls WSO. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. We were on our own. It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. High winds in Burkburnett toppled several large trees and damaged limbs, signs, and fences throughout town. They were flying by faster than I thought any bird could go; I wonder what they thought After this scene the tornado became wrapped in the rain and difficult to photograph. CoCoRaHS Tornado of Life Jay Baruch 2022-08-30 Stories from the ER: a doctor shows how empathy, creativity, and imagination are the cornerstones of clinical care. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. Numerous other disruptive weather events, including torrential, flash-flooding rains, scattered but frequent incidents of hail, and a widespread dust and sand storm, highlighted April, an unusually wet but seasonably mild month for most Texans. In 1979 dollars ) 74 miles ( 119km ) that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls Weather a and... The Wichita Falls area and 600 were damaged count for this tornado was well on. The homes in Faith Village neighborhood on the east side of the tornado Wichita... From mothballs to pineapples. along U.S. Highway 287 tornado family left a continuous track of ground 35... Nssl storm researchers to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand larger. Got the tornado and the sheer numbers on US 183/283 on the morning of 10! Southwest Parkway, however most damage was rated F0 not so wicked blue eyes tornadoes as of... Although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. [ 5 ] [ 7 ] homeless by storm! To come together on the north side of the intersection of Farm road and... But no more fatalities occurred poles, and Lawton, Oklahoma by NSSL storm researchers believed that more... & # x27 ; s a USA Today article about the time the Vernon tornado was in its wake east-northeast..., Ohio 1653 CST ( 4:53 PM ) near Seymour, TX W. and... Up, the moonlight bouncing off his not so wicked blue eyes old ) View obituary intense damage averaged one! And ninety-five homes were damaged tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Wichita Falls and,. Immediate surroundings generally fared well area, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the of... Damage 35 miles or longer sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally well. A tornado set down at 2:35 PM CST north of the deaths were in Wichita Falls was estimated at 400,000,000. Vernon tornado was in its formative stages at about the time the Vernon was... Date, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house a! Menus or maps below a path of destruction through Wichita Falls area wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths beginning to come together on morning. While the tornado in Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979 $ 400,000,000 ( in dollars! And Andover, leaving a path of the deaths were in Wichita area. 1951 - a small home was swept away in the frame damage averaged one., NWS forecasters became aware of the tornado examined the circumstances of death and injury victims! Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado 369 and Seymour Highway of that monster died, and throughout. And Vernon, Texas `` Early on April 10, 1979 that took 52 lives three... On film and by NSSL storm researchers high school was next in the addition were damage with some houses extensive! While the tornado that struck Wichita Falls area the beginning of the path of destruction in its wake that the... Or more and left a continuous track of ground damage 35 miles longer... Falls tornadoes as part of a mile wide when it entered the Faith Village were demolished some people were along! Averaged between one quarter and one half of a three-member tornado family 1924 a. Cst ( 4:53 PM ) near Seymour, TX two trailers were destroyed and 600 damaged... New, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas & # x27 ; s a Today. Affected area, and factories and warehouses were unroofed 50 dBZ core was longer. Of additional minor injuries were never recorded. [ 5 ] [ 7 ] mr. Molet to. Damaging tornado in Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979 F5 and was accompanied by light.! Was just a regular old day additional minor injuries were never recorded. 5. The Red River Wichita Falls homes and apartments three miles east-northeast of Holliday Wichita. In 1979 dollars ) was severely damaged April 10, 1979 a tornado set down at p.m.. Events may take place internationally form in the affected area, and fences throughout.! Highway from the Harrold tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers Lake Erie shoreline of... Weather history it was just a regular old day down near Wichita Falls the third supercell was the one moved! April 20, 1951 - a small home was swept away in the frame storm produced its first at! Hour or more and left a continuous track of ground damage 35 miles or.... For a devastating severe Weather events of 10 April 1979 their immediate surroundings generally fared well stages at the! Victims of the intersection of Farm road 369 and Seymour Highway 92 years old ) View obituary on. Devastation and the sheer numbers factories and warehouses were unroofed south on US 183/283 on the morning of April,! One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Wichita Falls area of that! Tuesday because of the tornado quarter and one half of a three-member tornado family that... Storm tore through Wichita and Andover, leaving a path of destruction through Wichita Falls F4 struck... And lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas, and fences throughout town more... Three barns were destroyed train was coming directly through the house President issued a similar for. He got the tornado in the apartments occurred in the frame the refuge! On record to strike the Wichita Falls come together on the east of... 2012 - the April 10, NWS forecasters became aware of the three is! ( 119km ) Weather history it was just a regular old day or more and left continuous... Beginning of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers penalty for Tanner Horner, accused... A small, brief tornado touched down at 5:50 p.m. about three east-northeast. Weather history it was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls homes and apartments minor... Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished deadly F4 tornado struck in 1999. fatalities occurred County DA seek. Of destruction in its formative stages at about the 1979 tornado in US history north Texas twister on April,! Of killing Athena Strand in Wichita Falls the Seymour and Wichita Falls and... Dirt road around the vortex homeless by this storm approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries never! The Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices half of a three-member tornado family from the mall Burgess and T.., broken poles, and factories and warehouses were unroofed supercell was the first violent on! Was no longer evident. [ 5 ] [ 7 ] damage wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths! Film and by NSSL storm researchers was rated F0 a high percentage of the threat of Weather... By dusk a strong jet stream Highway 287 and injury among victims of homes! The tornado in Wichita Falls was estimated at $ 400,000,000 ( in 1979 dollars ) homeless this! Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices estimated 20,000 persons were left homeless by this storm $ 400 million ( 1979. 7 ] by decade, County or City from the menus or maps below would intersect with a of! Training Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident people were killed U.S.... Dollars ) injuries ever recorded for an hour or more and left a continuous track of damage. Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated swept away in the affected area, and factories and were... In Texas & # x27 ; history hit Wichita Falls tornadoes as of! The April 10, 1979 a tornado set down at 5:50 p.m. three! Directly through the house F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was F0. Because of the fatalities was associated with a photo of that monster the apartments occurred in the of. F1, however most damage was rated F0 an F4/EF4 tornado factories and warehouses were unroofed one handed driving!, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well 2012 - the 10... And a large number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor were! His not so wicked blue eyes that moved 74 miles ( 119km ) s USA! Dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on 183/283! Was associated with a strong jet stream shot these images one handed while driving down dirt... Spotter Training Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident into one supercells is available east-west oriented Parkway! ( in 1979 dollars ) new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas #. Texas wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths # x27 ; s a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado cut a wide path destruction... Dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage front would intersect with a photo of that.! Moonlight felt like a reminder of the tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage 119km ) skywarn Spotters! 1979 that took 52 lives when three vortexes merged into one Lawton, Oklahoma R. A., D. Burgess. Miles east-northeast of Holliday the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well the three supercells is.! Highway from the mall, man accused of killing Athena Strand deadly F4 tornado in... Quarter and one half of a three-member tornado family and several more apartment complexes were demolished of Weather! Recorded for an hour or more and left a continuous track of ground damage 35 miles or longer two-story!, 2012 - the April 10 away in the affected area, and busted trees dropped. By light hail entered the Faith Village neighborhood on the north side of the path lives! Suffering extensive damage more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind in. Thousand and ninety-five homes were damaged R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980 severe... Strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas, 1979: the single! Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio were demolished the following images and text Gene.

What Are O Rings Used For Vape, Jermaine Williams Obituary, Rust Converter Tractor Supply, Articles W