", "About the time the Vernon tornado was moving across the Red River into Oklahoma, 20 miles to the south another funnel cloud was dropping out of the thunderstorm clouds approaching Harrold, Texas. The brick building at the water works plant was heavily damaged, and a woman suffered a broken back when her home was destroyed 3 miles south of Burkburnett. 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). In Wichita Falls, an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and radio stations assured rapid and complete local dissemination. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. Nationwide, Current Conditions Eyewitnesses described details of the storm differently, but they were unanimous on one point -- it was an awesome, terrifying experience beyond anything they had encountered before. An estimated 20,000 persons were left homeless by this storm. We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. Continuing at F4 intensity, the now massive wedge tornado, which was at its maximum 1.5 miles (2.4km) wide, cut a 2.5-mile (4.0km) swath of destruction through the south side of town. Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. Wichita Falls Tornado. Most of the damage the tornado produced was minor, consisting of downed trees, fences and signs, however near the junction of U.S. Highway 281 and U.S. Highway 287, a machine shop composed of sheet metal sustained significant damage to the walls and frame when the roof was pushed upward, allowing the walls to cave in slightly. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas . Preprints, 12th Conference Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, Boston, 441-443. I can't say for sure, chasing was different back then. 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 most devastating tornado of the day dipped from a thunderstorm (with a top estimated at 58,000 feet) that was moving northeastward into Wichita Falls at a speed of 35 miles per hour a few minutes before 6:00. 2. Most of the destroyed homes had some of these interior walls still standing after the tornado. ", "When the giant tornado struck Wichita Falls just before 6:00 p.m., most people were not surprised. It was the costliest tornado in history until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado struck in 1999. . After the tornado left Wichita Falls and travelled northeast, it entered Clay County and changed its appearance. While only on the ground for 35 minutes, the 800-foot-wide twister killed seven people, injured 111, and destroyed 225 homes. The large Wichita Falls F4 tornado moving through town. While the tornado was passing, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house. When was the last time there was a tornado in Wichita? Winter Weather Warnings Hazardous Weather Outlook We were rushed to get into position. See the article in its original context from. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather For example, the police chief called the city manager out of a meeting with county commissioners. As seen in the photographs by Winston Wells (Tornado Track Figure; Location #10), the tornado became multi-vortex, displaying as many as five satellite vortices rotating around the center of circulation. Questions? To avoid getting trapped, it's been my policy to avoid blasted cities when ever possible. Tornado Database much of the Trans-Pecos region. My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. The maximum F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was rated F0. About Our Office Storm Pictures. 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. ), April 24, 1923 - A tornado blew apart five homes 3 miles south-southwest of Burkburnett and 6 oil derricks where also destroyed. Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall. Tuesday, April 10, 1979 seemed like a perfect spring day - right up until a tornado appeared seemingly out of nowhere, cutting a path through Wilbarger County and Vernon that left 11 dead, dozens injured and millions of dollars of property destroyed. The Wichita Falls storm formed north of Abilene, TX. Aviation Weather On the first street of houses to the northeast of Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (location #3). The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. Sixteen of the 25 got in vehicles to evade the tornado, and 11 of the 16 homes which were left did not incur damage by the tornado. Frank Gohlke's portfolio of 40 black and white photographs, which capture the devastation of the 1979 Wichita Falls Tornado and the landscape a year later, will be on exhibition to mark the anniversary of Terrible Tuesday, April 10, 1979. Bulletin American Meteorological Society, 61, 1033-34. The tornado's worst winds generally missed the Sikes Senter Shopping Mall to the South, but a few of the stores were heavily damaged and many cars in the mall parking lot were blown some distance and stacked on top of each other. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard in Wichita Falls, several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. 8. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. March 3, 1973 - The Wichita Falls police department reported a small tornado touching down briefly in the vicinity of Midwestern University. Burgess, D. W., 1982. - May 31st, 2010 . (Rated F1 by the NWS. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. The passage of a violent tornado through an 8-mile section of a city is an almost unheard-of natural disaster. Three people were injured in a mobile home near the beginning of the path. Rivers and Lakes as derived from photogrammetric analysis. As we drove northeast on US 70, debris was still falling to the ground. As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. Explore. Also, tornado survivors said that some golf ball size hail fell prior to and immediately after the tornado. Unlike Mr. Lange, Mr. Molet did not have an unobstructed view of the western horizon and did not immediately recognize that the threatening cloud was a tornado. After dark, another jet stream wind maximum moved northeastward into west central and northern Texas, sparking a second round of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. They went back inside before it was too late, and all took shelter in the master bedroom closet. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. Please try another search. At the surface, an already strong low pressure area in southeast Colorado was beginning to deepen further, and a warm front was starting to lift northward from central Texas. We continued to drive east on a dirt road from Mabelle, Texas which is basically an intersection with a couple of old buildings. Winds gusted the 93 miles per hour (mph) in Guadalupe Mountain National Park at mid-afternoon, while wind gusts of 60 mph or more stirred up dust and sand that reduced visibilities at many points from El Paso to Midland to 3 miles; at Lubbock visibilities dropped to 1 1/2 miles by late afternoon. "Automobiles are a steel death trap in a tornado . Bailey Turnpike to Lawton we were in low clouds with light fog and drizzle. Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. Skywarn Storm Spotters Eight persons were killed outside, 4 were killed in homes or apartments, and 4 others died in public buildings. Cool Pictures. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. Tornado Database 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. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. 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. Ashley found that 69.2% of all tornado fatalities from 1985 to 2005 occurred in either mobile or permanent homes, illustrating the enhanced vulnerability of these particular housing structures. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. A thunderstorm that pelted the Coleman area with golfball-size hail also generated a tornado that caused considerable damage to power lines and outbuildings north of the city. Aviation Weather A 368-foot radio antenna and 2 others antennas were blown down, and multiple power lines were downed. 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. It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. Skywarn Storm Spotters Rain was beginning to rotate totally around the funnel at this time and the tornado was producing an audible roar so loud it was hard to communicate. The Wichita Falls area has been visited by tornadoes many times over the course of its history. But as the day progressed, and the storms began to form, a good day turned into a bad day. Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. 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). Eddie complained, but kept fighting the wheel. FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 0 10 19 . On April 10, 1979, a huge F4 tornado touched down just outside of Wichita Falls. View looking west-northwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. About 65 people attended the funeral. 38 On April 10, 1979, a series of deadly tornadoes broke out near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. . Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. 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