On that spring day, three large supercell storms developed, each producing a series of tornadoes that moved quickly across the northern Texas and southern Oklahoma plains. The powerful vortex, although rated only F-2, had winds of over 200 MPH. The tornado just missed two busloads of students who were returning from a game in Burkburnett. Flood Warnings Minor wind damage and hail to 2 inches in diameter occurred north of the tornado track in Wichita Falls, in conjunction with its parent supercell. National Severe Storms Laboratory storm chasers photographed the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. Deaths An Estimated 42 people died Childress lay in the path of the advancing low pressure center, as surface pressure fell drastically and winds backed during the afternoon before the much drier continental air enveloped the region in the evening (Figure 17). The damage was quite hit and miss. This followed an earlier warning at 5:08 pm, due to the Rocky Point tornado. ), 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. Satellite Imagery, Forecasts Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. At about the mid-point in the atmosphere (around 500 mb), significant cold air advection occurred, thus exacerbating unsettled conditions, already present (Figure 23). This most damaging tornado in Texas history was not finished, however. Joe Landon Haney. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs T. T. Fujita, noted tornado researcher from the University of Chicago, said, 'The damage path was one of the widest I have ever seen, and its intensity was almost equal to that of the giant storm that leveled Xenia, Ohio, in the 1974 tornado outbreak. April 10, 2001 - This tornado developed on the south side of Wichita Falls at 11:46 pmCST, a short distance from Lake Wichita. Rivers and Lakes Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. Simon Cornelis Maria Vermeij was born on March 26, 1959 in Amsterdam, son of Hendrikus Gerardus Vermeij and Henritte Christina Maria Steur. Non Precipitation Warnings Local Storm Reports Forecasters at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City1 had to decide only how soon tornadoes would develop and how large an area would be threatened. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings 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 . 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. Aug 23, 2005 163 3 0 58 Norman Ok www.chasestories.com. The western portion of the school building was crushed by the intense winds. (Rated F2 by the NWS. A few hours earlier that day, another tornado tore through Vernon, killing 10 residents and injuring more than 60 others. Although roughly 4,000 homes were struck by the tornado, there were only five fatalities of people inside homes along the path of the tornado. Jeanine V. Wolff. Approximately 30 houses in the addition were damage with some houses suffering extensive damage. 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. -11 Wilbarger County, TX. All NOAA. 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. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. 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. 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. Tours. The tornado damaged outbuildings, chicken coops, and did minor damage to roofs of houses. One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. Over 100 commercial businesses, some of them large manufacturing concerns, were destroyed. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma The twister did level a number of telephone poles along Highway 283, before dissipating just east of 283 near Maybelle. Local 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. Gene is a graduate of Oklahoma University who photographed storms when he lived in Norman, Oklahoma during the 1970s. NWS Wildfire Safety Fifty mph sustained inflow winds were occurring at this time. Barns were destroyed and livestock was killed, including horses on two farms. Anyone can read what you share. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. I can't say for sure, chasing was different back then. Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. Two Oklahoma University meteorology students (including Wayne Collamore) photographed the large tornado, which descended from a rotating wall cloud under the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. For. Living in Tornado Alley, I'm most familiar with tornados. 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. Aerial Reconnaissance photos- Source Don Burgess; Credit: NASA, Mission 399; Roll: #3; Film Type: 50-397; Frames: 041 to 050; Date: 4/12/1979, Damage photos - Source: Don Burgess; Credit: NSSL; Institute for Disaster Research, at Texas Tech University, Harrold, TX photos - Credit: Wayne Collamore, Doppler Radar images - Source: Don Burgess; Credit: NSSL, Satellite images - Source: Dennis McCarthy, Former MIC, NWSFO OUN; Credit: NOAA/NWS. An explanation of both the causes and effects of the many and varied weather systems that affected Texans during the year has been the central objective of this endeavor. Photographs indicated that it was a large, cylindrical tornado with a well organized debris cloud. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. 3. (Rated F1 by the NWS. Wolfgang Lange. Current Hazards Six barns and two homes were destroyed. 1964, and another in 1979. Winston Wells, Current Hazards As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, [18] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. The spring of 1979 was a very active tornado period for the plains states. 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. . Still other tornadoes struck the communities of Lockett and Seymour a short time later, killing one inhabitant in Lockett. 45 people died in the Wichita Falls tornado. Residents of Wichita Falls and Wichita County had been receiving severe weather warnings for close to an hour before the tornado reached the city around 6 p.m. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. The Harrold tornado was in its formative stages at about the time the Vernon tornado was crossing the Red River. For the most part, however, rainfall amounts were modest, with only a few points collecting more than 1 inch (Figure 27). Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. 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. The Wichita Falls tornado formed in Archer County and moved northeast and damaged a few rural homes and high voltage towers at F1-F2 intensity. To the south of the warm front, moist, unstable air was streaming northward. This report summarizes the injuries and deaths associated with these tornadoes based on information from emergency department and hospital records and death certificates. This image was taken as the tornado widened and approached our position. 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). Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). The intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. Severe weather warnings had been in effect for Wichita County and Wichita Falls for almost an hour. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). April 26, 1991, saw one of the biggest, if not the biggest, tornadoes in Wichita history. ), 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. 1. Graphical Forecasts 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. Known as the Red River Valley tornado outbreak or "Terrible Tuesday," 30 tornadoes ran rampant. ", "To the people of the Red River Valley in Texas and Oklahoma, nothing about the weather appeared unusual during the early hours of April 10, 1979: it was business as usual. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed 5. 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. 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. Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls. Property damage in the affected areas included 225 homes destroyed, with 50 homes suffering major damage, 200 homes incurring minor damage, and 16 other building receiving major damage. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. Pinterest. 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. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. 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. All Nature. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Further eastward, most houses in the Faith Village Addition were destroyed, and Ben Milam Elementary School was severely damaged (location #6). These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard in Wichita Falls, several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. At about the time the tornado was developing at Harrold, 1.5 to 3 inch diameter hailstones were reported 7 miles west of Harrold. apartments in dallas that allow airbnb Uncovering hot babes since 1919. 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. But as the day progressed, and the storms began to form, a good day turned into a bad day. A trailer and three barns were destroyed. About 65 people attended the funeral. ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. Hazardous Weather Outlook The tornado expanded in size as it crossed Southwest Parkway, throwing automobiles about and leveling a number of businesses, including a bank and a fire station. 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. Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. (Rated F5 by the NWS.). much of the Trans-Pecos region. Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident. There were 59 reported tornados on the ground in the . We continued south passing a damage path across the highway from the Harrold tornado. Meanwhile, strong gusty winds associated with the eastward progression of an intensifying upper atmospheric storm out of New Mexico made travel hazardous in. The destruction in Wichita Falls resulted in 42 dead, 1,740 injured, over 3,000 homes destroyed and damage of approximately $400 million. Fire Weather by Glasstire May 2, 2017. Usually hail is a problem in this position, but we encountered none on this storm. At this time the tornado was just getting planted well to our southwest. I didn't want to move. By RAEGAN SCHARFETTER, ANNIE GIMBEL. Please Contact Us. Five bus passengers were injured when they took shelter in a ditch, only to have the bus roll onto them. Miss Mahon's parents and five brothers and sisters wept as the Rev. 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. Members of the Wichita Falls Repeater Club Weather Spotters manned their pre-planned command post on the NWS Office (WSO) and deployed radio-equipped members to vantage points that assured good observation coverage southwest of the city. Beyond the shopping mall, the tornado crossed a greenbelt area, skirted Midwestern State University on its south side, and severely damaged several more housing additions (Colonial Park, Hursh, Southmoor, Southwinds, and Southern Hills). The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. The twister, which had a wide funnel, shrouded the community in darkness as it swept eastward south of Vernon and along the east side of the city, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and 11 directly killed by the tornado (10 in Vernon and 1 in Lockett, TX). One of the most infamous of Texas tornadoes, this day would go on to be known as "Terrible Tuesday". Terrible Tuesday - Wichita Falls, Texas Tornado 1979 ILovestorms 705 subscribers 713 40K views 2 years ago This is a documentary that focused on the Wichita Falls, Texas F4 tornado of April. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. In Texas: Clay, Foard, Wichita and Wilbarger; and in Oklahoma: Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, Stephens and Tillman. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. The following severe weather account is by Gene Moore. The inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building. On April 10, 1979, a huge F4 tornado touched down just outside of Wichita Falls. Damage to city property totaled $5 million while Sheppard AFB had $10 million in damages. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. A fourth tornado touched down just outside of Seymour an hour later, but again damage was comparatively minor. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. The siren system for the city was sounded three times, the last around 5:50 p.m., just as the storm spotters reported the tornado approaching Memorial Stadium in the southwestern suburbs of Wichita Falls. When it was all over, an 8 mile swath of the city over a mile wide was . 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). The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. ", "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. I'm surprised he got the tornado in the frame. -56 NWS WFO, Norman, OK. Three people were killed in the restaurant. Wayne Collamore. Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. In the latter Blacklock photographs, the gust front and associated strong west winds to the south of the tornado can be seen producing waves on Lake Wichita and kicking up spray from the lake. Thanks to Bob Davies-Jones from NSSL we saw another tornado as the storm moved into Wichita Falls. Twenty-five of the deaths were. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. Severe Weather Safety Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. Averages and Records Read More. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. The width of the F1 damage was generally as wide as one mile, and the extent of the F0 damage was even wider, but so widespread that it was not mapped. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. A storm appeared on the horizon that had developed far to our south near Abilene. The tornado moved eastward, was a visible as a column of dust that extended from the ground to the base of its parent thunderstorm, and was probably a landspout tornado. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant. For the first time in years we altered that route. Watch. Elizabeth was born on January. Burgess, D. W., 1982. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. According the Weather Bureau from the time, "The large funnel alternately dipped and soared, and was followed by trailer funnel, 2 funnels touched ground; witnesses reported spotting a third." 6. It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. Hail to 1.75 inches was also reported south of the city. At Sheppard Air Force Base, winds up to 70 mph tore countless limbs from trees and knocked out windows on some base housing units. 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. Special Weather Statements A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. 15:55 F2. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. Elizabeth Lee Burk Newton 82 of Wichita Falls Tx. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. Summer Weather Safety Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. [19] The Norman Doppler radar was used to collect dense data (0.5o azimuth spacing and 150 meter gate spacing) on the Wichita Falls storm during the interval leading to the formation of the violent tornado. 1979-04-10 Wichita Falls. Tornado Understand a Tornado: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Wichita Falls Tornado. May 30, 2001 - This tornado was observed at 6:30 pm CST by three people over northern portions of Lake Wichita, or 6 miles southwest of Wichita Falls. This huge F4 first touched down about 3 miles northeast of Holliday. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. More Observations A 368-foot radio antenna and 2 others antennas were blown down, and multiple power lines were downed. 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