wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths
Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. In addition, the damage paths of all three were wider than normal. Elizabeth was born on January. A strong tornado damaged roofs, telephone poles, trees, uprooted shrubs and overturned a truck, but remained over open country while at peak intensity. We knew the storms were coming, but didn't want to meet fast moving cells head-on in the low visibilities north of the warm front. On April 10, 1979, a huge F4 tornado touched down just outside of Wichita Falls. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. Severe Weather Safety The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. This thunderstorm spawned a tornado with a continuous ground track of almost 60 miles. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. Twenty-five of the deaths were. Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. The Vernon tornado destroyed a restaurant, motel, a farm implement store, and more than a dozen homes; damage totaled $27 million. Each parallelogram on the map below represents the approximate aerial coverage shown in each photo. The width of the F4 damage in the Wichita Falls tornado approached 0.5 miles in the area of Faith Village and Ben Milam Elementary School (location #6). Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. |. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records .) The trees on the southwest edge of the city were denuded of limbs and bark. Near the center of the tornado and about a half mile south of the mall, a church was demolished with one person killed inside the building. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. The storm that produced an EF-4 tornado a mile wide would ultimately leave over fifty people dead, displace one fifth of Wichita Falls' population, and change the landscape of our city forever. The giant tornado was a massive black column extending from the low striated base of the inky clouds to the ground. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather The Southwest National Bank Building was totally destroyed except for its concrete vault, a proxy for an above-ground shelter. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. Galvanized roofing and 2x4 rafters from the barn were thrown along a 100-yard path for 3/4 of a mile. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. Skywarn Storm Spotters The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, uprooting over 200 trees along the Red River. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. Eddie complained, but kept fighting the wheel. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. One mobile home was completely destroyed on Bobby Point Road, prompting an F1 rating. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. Three homes were destroyed and others were damaged. among them is this still life with tornado that can be your partner. Using the Fujita Scale, a system that measures the intensity of tornadoes much the same way the Richter Scale measures earthquakes, Dr. McDonald rated the Wichita Falls tornado as a high F4 . Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. The clouds in the flanking lines exploded up the back of the storm through the back-sheared anvil to the overshooting top. We were under an extensive rain free updraft area on the southeast side of the storm. At 1730 CST (5:30 PM), a core of greater than 50 dBZ and two mesocyclones were seen with the storm. 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. Hail ranged in sizes "from mothballs to pineapples." (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. That supercell was in progress just to our northeast, although there was no direct route to catch the fast moving storm. On September 25th, 2000, 11 year old Christopher Morris was found in the dishwasher of his family home which was in Sheppard Air Force Base base housing. [7] It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. Graphical Forecasts Wildfire Safety Meanwhile, President Carter declared Oklahoma a major disaster area as a result of the tornadoes, making Federal funds available for relief and recovery efforts. The destruction in Wichita Falls resulted in 42 dead, 1,740 injured, over 3,000 homes destroyed and damage of approximately $400 million. The storm's second tornado, the terrible Wichita Falls tornado, formed at 1755 CST (5:55 PM) to the southwest of the city and moved through the southern and eastern sides of Wichita Falls shortly after 1800 CST (6:00 PM). With an east-northeast movement, it entered Wichita County and damaged a few rural homes and a string of metal high-voltage towers. Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. It didn't seem like any storms were in the area. A small home was swept away in the affected area, and factories and warehouses were unroofed. A wind maximum gusting to 65 knots moved over Guadalupe Peak recording station in far southwest Texas; this triggered our departure. Overall, mobile homes and permanent homes lead fatality location totals with 44.8% and 26.2% of all deaths occurring in these structures, respectively. Tornado Pictures. Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. Elizabeth Lee Burk Newton 82 of Wichita Falls Tx. April 8, 1961 - A small tornado formed near Kamay at 4:00 pmCST, moved northeast across the Wichita Valley Airport, and then moved into Sheppard AFB. (1 death) April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma (11 deaths) April 10 - Texas, . Very large groups of people gathered in tornado-vulnerable places, such as schools, stadiums (such as Memorial Stadium), and outdoor events, are disasters waiting to happen. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. The tornado was photographed from the south during this period by Pat Blacklock, who was located on the southern shore of Lake Wichita (Tornado Track Figure; location #5). Excerpts from the Texas Department of Water Resources publication, "A Review of Texas' Weather in 1979: The Year of Devastating Tornadoes and Flash Floods," is also available. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. To the south of the warm front, moist, unstable air was streaming northward. Living in Tornado Alley, I'm most familiar with tornados. Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. The video includes survivor accounts and safety information. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. ", "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. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. The damage was quite hit and miss. "The common notion, born in the aftermath of the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado, that being in a vehicle during a tornado warning is synonymous with injury and death can no longer be assumed or promoted. If McNiel Junior High had been fully occupied by students and teachers at the time of the tornado, there would have been hundreds of additional casualties and many more deaths. Please try another search. ", "Storm spotter networks were alerted. One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. Further statistics reveal that 25 of the deaths were auto-related. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs The tornado killed 42 Wichita Falls residents and caused over $200 million in damages, leaving 20 percent of the city's population homeless. CoCoRaHS (This tornado was documented and rated F2 by Tom Grazulis in his book, Significant Tornadoes. However, several small communities, among them Harrold, Texas and Grandfield, Oklahoma, were hit by the storm. This tornado was part of an outbreak of tornadoes that occurred on May 25-26, 1955 across the southern Great Plains, and included the deadly F5 tornadoes at Blackwell, OK and Udall, KS. During this time I navigated and Eddie drove. Several trailers were destroyed. In New York, Ernest W. Brinkman, vice president of the Underwriters Adjusting Company, said that most of the families affected by the tornadoes were getting substantial advance payments from insurance companies for emergency shelter and repairs. Local Storm Reports One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. Flood Warnings Questions? No fatalities or serious injuries occurred, but 13 people were treated for minor injuries, mostly as a result of flying glass. The 1979 tornado cut a wide path of destruction through Wichita Falls homes and apartments. April 10, 1979: The worst single tornado in Texas' history hit Wichita Falls. One tree near a house fell onto a power line, causing an electrical surge that set the kitchen of the house on fire. While photographing this shot I began to feel vibration in the camera. 1970s. 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 inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building. On the first street of houses to the northeast of Wolfgang Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (Tornado Track Figure; Location #3). 128 followers. A Doppler radar view of the three supercells is available. Past Weather Events Rob Satkus EF2. Fortunately, the strong and wide Harrold-Grandfield tornado spent its entire life in rural areas not striking any towns, but coming close to Harrold, TX (one fatality) and Grandfield, OK. April 26, 1991, saw one of the biggest, if not the biggest, tornadoes in Wichita history. The Wichita Falls storm formed north of Abilene, TX. Frost Tornado. Watch on. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? No fatalities or injuries occurred. First indications of tornado damage were near Harrold, which is located approximately 16 miles southwest of Vernon. Historic data, especially before 1950, are likely incomplete. Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls. ", "At Vernon, reports of earlier damage to the southwest of the city had alerted spotters and city officials. 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. If I had the opportunity to chase this one over I certainly would do it differently, but considering we were on visual back then we didn't do too bad. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas.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. The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. A storm appeared on the horizon that had developed far to our south near Abilene. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. Soon thereafter tornadoes were spotted near Crosby ton and Plainview and golfball size hail fell near Tulia, Afton, and Washburn (High Plains). National Weather Service Air Quality 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. Please Contact Us. Museum of the Kansas National Guard . Local Climate Data Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Waco, and of course Fort Worth come to mind, even Austin had one dancing around over the Capitol dome in 1922. Earlier on the same day, several tornadoes hit farther west. Non Precipitation Warnings Averages and Records NWS April 10, 1979 - The tornado, which was part of a tornado outbreak in the Red River valley area, began at 5:50 pmCST on the southwest flank of its parent supercell thunderstorm about 3 miles east-northeast of Holliday. On that day, at least 13 separate tornadoes touched down in the Texas/Oklahoma area, striking Wichita Falls, Vernon, Seymour, and a number of other towns. This image was taken as the tornado widened and approached our position. Hazardous Weather Outlook 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. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. The Wichita Falls tornado of April 10, 1979 was one of thirteen tornadoes which rampaged across parts of north Texas and Oklahoma that "Terrible Tuesday." This over one mile-wide beast. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. Per the SPC Database, 25 tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado in KS. (Rated F1 by the NWS. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Many of the 1,800 injured, however, were in homes. 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. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. 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. He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. 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. Questions? Please select one of the following: Table 1 -- Casualty and Property Losses -, GOES Visible Satellite Images (1530Z 4/10/1979 - 0014Z 4/11/1979), GOES Infrared Satellite Images (0000Z - 0600Z 4/11/1979). TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Every year in the United States the threat of a catastrophe looms whenever tornadoes approach large gatherings of people. Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident. These are 40 before/after pairings, as he shot dramatically injured locations . 1 Wilbarger County, TX. ", "The three main storms in the Red River Valley outbreak were giant tornadoes. 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). The tornado then swept through the Southmoor area, destroying homes and a shopping center. Special Weather Statements Why the Red River Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures 19-26. After crossing U.S. Highway 281, the twister then struck the Sun Valley neighborhood and destroyed additional homes, apartments, and businesses on the south side of U.S. Highway 287. Thanks to Bob Davies-Jones from NSSL we saw another tornado as the storm moved into Wichita Falls. About $15 million of damage occurred as the tornado destroyed homes immediately south of TX State Highway 79, from Wichita Falls into the Dean and Petrolia areas. Toggle navigation. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. Joe Landon Haney. Weather Bureau records. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover. The police chief and county sheriff conferred and dispatched patrol cars to the southwest edge of town to watch for the approaching storm. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed ), 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. April 3, 1964 - A violent tornado struck the northwest section of Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base, killing 7 persons and injuring 111 other people. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. He was great at identifying cloud structures. But as the day progressed, and the storms began to form, a good day turned into a bad day. We left NSSL in Norman, Oklahoma at 10:30 AM to our target of Vernon, TX. ), May 26, 1955 - A small tornado touched down briefly at 1:38 am CST, moved northeastward along a narrow, 1-mile path and demolished a "washateria" and produced severely damaged several utility poles, business structures, homes, and trees. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. ), March 27, 1939 - This tornado touched down north-northwest of Wichita Falls and moved northeastward into Clay County. By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. [8] The tornado cut a path 8 miles (13km) through the city, with significant devastation. Six barns and two homes were destroyed. The first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas, at around 3:05p.m. About 35 minutes later, the first killer one of the outbreak ripped through Vernon and killed 11 people. View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. We also assessed the protective measures taken by a representative sample of community residents who suffered no major injury in order to estimate the relative risk of injury to people directly in the tornado's path . 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. The night time tornadoes, although strong, were not as devastating as the ones that occurred in the Red River Valley during the afternoon. Total damage in the city was estimated at $400 million; five thousand families (or about 20,000 people) were left homeless. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. US Dept of Commerce The clouds would roll over like they were collapsing into a deep hold. StormReady ), June 6, 1936 - This tornado moved south into the northeastern edge of Wichita Falls, and was associated with the same parent supercell thunderstorm that produced the earlier tornado near Burkburnett. Storm Events Database, tornadoes, 04-10-1979. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. . The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). In many years at least some portions of the Lone Star State experience destruction or severe damage from an untimely freeze, a debilitating drought, or a lengthy spell of excessive rains. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. Perennially the State perseveres through frequent bombardments of hail, high winds, and flash floods, often with the accompaniment of tornadoes-as well as the threat of being struck on its coastal flank by a hurricane or intense tropical cyclone. As it turned out we would have driven into Vernon just before a major tragedy unfolded with injuries and death. Skywarn Storm Spotters Special Weather Statements Aviation Weather He died on July 16, 1979 in El Arenal, Spanje (Palma de Mallorca). At the time we passed in front of the funnel the mud road had become slick enough that the car was not going very fast anymore. FAQ There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. Select western north Texas tornado statistics by decade, county or city from the menus or maps below. As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. This tornado was part of a widespread outbreak of tornadoes that occurred in the Great Plains area including the states of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The wide swath of damage can also be seen by viewing the NASA aerial photographs (aerial photos 1-10 on the damage photo tab) and the other aerial photographs (photos 7 & 8 on the damage photo tab). I didn't want to move. It seems that almost every major Texas city has had to deal with a tornado at least once. Casualty data were supplied by the Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices. A tornado on the gust front developed at 3:01 pmCST near Wichita Falls Municipal Airport and traveled east approximately 1/2 mile before dissipating near Sheppard AFB at 3:04 pmCST. Over 3,000 homes were destroyed and another 1,000 were damaged, and over 1,000 apartment units/ condominiums were destroyed and another 130 damaged. The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people and caused $400 million in damage ($1.93billion in today's dollars). Overall, the outbreak killed 58 people and injured 1,927 others. These figures include 12 counties. much of the Trans-Pecos region. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. Although his house was completely destroyed, Mr. Molet escaped with only minor injuries as his pickup truck was blown over him, protecting him from the worst winds and debris. Moving into the air base proper, the tornado destroyed 5 unoccupied 2-story barracks, damaged a hanger, power installations, transformer station, paint shop, and the base's 10-story control tower. The tornado was also captured on film by Troy Glover from the roof of the Bethania hospital (location #8). Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. Local Climate Data Surface Maps Winter Weather Today. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Summer Weather Safety 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. As the much drier air whipped eastward out of the southern High Plains just after noon, thunderstorms, some of which were very heavy, boiled up in parts of the eastern High Plains and quickly spilled over into the Low Rolling Plains. 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. Apr 8, 2009 #1 NWS OUN has put up a nice page for the 30th anniversary of this monster: . Of roof from an Elementary school near as it turned out we have., and 93 mobile homes were demolished the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident 8 ) in homes,. Immediate surroundings generally fared well warn the people of the city was at. City, with Significant devastation moving storm were scattered remains of destroyed structures on side! 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