Those sources of meteorological data used in this report consist of: official rainfall, snowfall, temperature, wind, sunshine, and moisture data as provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the publications, "Climatological Data: Texas," "Local Climatological Data" (for selected cities), "Storm Data, and "Daily Weather Maps;" weather teletype reports (circuits "A" and "C") from the National Weather Service surface and upper-air observing network; surface and upper-air facsimile charts provided by the National Meteorological Center of NOAA; newspaper accounts; and photographic data obtained by the author. Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. 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 tornado moved to the north-northwest during its life before lifting 2 miles from Burkburnett. -11 Wilbarger County, TX. I had never witnessed anything of this magnitude. However, widespread high winds from the parent supercell thunderstorm also produced extensive damage in the Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and Burkburnett areas. 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. 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. About 65 people attended the funeral. The tornado then crossed over Kemp Boulevard and destroyed several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, resulting in several additional fatalities. Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, [18] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. ), June 6, 1936 - A "double twister" was observed by a large gathering of people in Burkburnett as it moved southwest and struck the southwest edge of the city. Meanwhile, behind the dry line and cool front in the High Plains, the atmosphere quickly stabilized, and drying out was evident in the lower half of the atmosphere below 500 mb (Figure 26). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. Jeanine V. Wolff. Usually hail is a problem in this position, but we encountered none on this storm. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. The inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). Toggle navigation. To the north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many houses in the Western Hills Addition. Please Contact Us. The President decided last night to send Mr. Watson to express his personal concern about the disaster, in which at least 58 persons were killed in four communities along the TexasOklahoma border 44 in Wichita Falls, 11 in nearby Vernon and Harrold, Tex., and three others in Lawton, Okla., 60 miles north of here. Several apartment complexes and many homes were destroyed, with several of the first deaths occurring in this area. Eight persons were killed outside, 4 were killed in homes or apartments, and 4 others died in public buildings. DOC/NOAA, January, 1980: Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. Ben Faltinowski. The Wichita Falls area has been visited by tornadoes many times over the course of its history. Three thousand and ninety-five homes were destroyed and 600 were damaged. More Observations It is estimated that 5,000 families, containing 20,000 residents, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. - May 31st, 2010 . 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. Witnesses say the several distinct, small vortices were visible during the formative stage of the tornado as it moved along the Fort Worth and Denver railroad into Wichita County. Averages and Records 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. Submit a Spot Forecast Another tornado swept the community of Harrold soon thereafter, causing much less extensive damage. The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. 8. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Vehicles (cars, pickups, and trucks) are poor protection and should be avoided during tornado situations in larger cities where travel is congested and tornado escape routes are not readily available and open for use. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. All who have looked at and studied the event agree that the death toll would have been much larger had there not been not been such systems in place and functioning on April 10. 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. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. Huge pieces of debris thrown high in the air were clearly visible from miles away as the storm cut a swath of destruction through the city. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. 25 of the 42 fatalities from the tornado were vehicle related, 16 of which were of people who left their homes to evade the massive tornado. More Observations Apr 8, 2009 #1 NWS OUN has put up a nice page for the 30th anniversary of this monster: . The video includes survivor accounts and safety information. Click on the numbers on the map below or on each individual photo to see a larger image of that photo. This thunderstorm spawned a tornado with a continuous ground track of almost 60 miles. Wayne Collamore. Additional light rural damage occurred in the miles of Wichita County that the tornado covered. The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. . Maximum path length was about 3/4 mile and the width was 50 to 60 yards. The publication was written and prepared by George W. Bomar of Weather Modification & Technology Section of the Texas Department of Water Resources. Then the supercell spawned one that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma In Texas: Clay, Foard, Wichita and Wilbarger; and in Oklahoma: Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, Stephens and Tillman. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. 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. Storm Spotter Training 16 of those 25 vehicle related deaths were from people leaving their homes to escape the. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. Although high numbers of deaths have occurred in vehicles during tornadoes, the occurrences are rare. David Ehrenfeld read the 23d Psalm over the pearl white coffin. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. They moved northeastward, and as a trio spawned families of tornadoes. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Surface Maps This most damaging tornado in Texas history was not finished, however. The Wichita Falls tornado, with how black . 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 . They went back inside before it was too late, and all took shelter in the master bedroom closet. 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. Pat Blacklock. Storm Events Database, tornadoes, 04-10-1979. ), April 24, 1923 - A tornado blew apart five homes 3 miles south-southwest of Burkburnett and 6 oil derricks where also destroyed. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas . Very often, those features of Texas weather having the most import-such as the continuation or cessation of damaging drought, occurrences of flash-flooding rains, sharp changes in temperature, and incidences of tornadoes and hurricanes, cannot be discerned from the volumes of meteorological data that are published periodically. Caused a total of $449,000 in damage. Along the 5.6-mile-long tornado path, the area of total destruction was 100 to 200 yards wide with lesser damage occurring up to 500 yards in width. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. In the Wichita Falls area, damage occurred to ~75 homes, 15 trailer homes, high school, and numerous outbuildings. 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. Read More. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. Golfball-size hail fell prior to and immediately after the tornado passed along a track that took it into Oklahoma (where it dissipated near Waurika). Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. Two reports can be found on this web site. A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. Tornado F-scale ratings prior to 1950, as well as most tornado data are referenced from Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis. Flood Warnings 25 of those deaths were vehicle related. The following images and text have been provided by permission of the author are to be used for informational purposes only. The tornado then moved east-northeast into the Western hills neighborhood, south of Southwest Parkway. A large number of roofs were damaged at the air base, and buildings at the Wichita Valley Airport also suffered roof damage. I'm surprised he got the tornado in the frame. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. 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. The Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles southwest of the city in Archer County, and traveled over mostly open terrain. As the tornado neared the road it began to shrink in size and slowed a little, aiding our hasty retreat. About the Artist: Frank Gohlke is a leading figure in American landscape photography. 45 people died in the Wichita Falls tornado. May 23, 1888 - A tornado moved northeastward and passed 6 miles west of Wichita Falls during the evening of May 23, 1888. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. In slightly more than 10 minutes, the tornado passed across the southern tip of the city leaving 11 dead, more than 60 injured, and several hundred homes destroyed or damaged. After moving out of Faith Village, the tornado flattened several businesses, including a restaurant, on Kemp Boulevard. Robert Molet. Just after 5:00 p.m., another tornado spawned by the same thunderstorm system crashed into Lawton, Oklahoma. Hazardous Weather Outlook The North Texas town of Wichita Falls has seen three major tornadoesin 1958, 1964, and another in 1979. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? Miss Mahon's parents and five brothers and sisters wept as the Rev. The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people and caused $400 million in damage ($1.93billion in today's dollars). No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. I often read in more general reference books as well as a handful of weather books that a tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, on April 2, 1958 had a wind gust recorded at 280 mph. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Data modified as described in NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database"). ), March 31, 1892 - A tornado hit parts of Iowa Park where a house was moved 30 feet and destroyed, injuring 3 occupants. 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. The late afternoon lighting was much different on this storm giving a yellowish cast as we looked southwest. One of the tornadoes, having a width that varied from 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles, cut a swath of devastation across the southern sector of Wichita Falls in less than 30 minutes, killing 42 persons, injuring more than 1700, and burying dozens of city blocks under tons of debris. Eleven of the 16 people left homes that were not even damaged. The tornado cut through a field and went into a housing addition on the southwest edge of Sheppard AFB. 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. 3.64K subscribers Kory King and SkyWarn 6 weather forecaster John Cameron talk about the national weather historical significance of the 1979 Terrible Tuesday tornado outbreak in Texoma. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. Still other tornadoes struck the communities of Lockett and Seymour a short time later, killing one inhabitant in Lockett. The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, uprooting over 200 trees along the Red River. The awesome "freight train like sound" was audible from the Weather Bureau Airport Station. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. All NOAA. Rivers and Lakes 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). April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. Current Hazards The tornado was preceded by strong winds, and then followed at once by heavy rain and hail, which covered a 200-square mile area. Flood/Flash Flood Safety During this time I was trying to shoot pictures through the window. [19] Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. Other homes in the area were damaged. By the end of the day we had seen four tornadoes, Thalia, Vernon (although not well), Lake Kemp, and Seymour. Graphical Forecasts The giant tornado was a massive black column extending from the low striated base of the inky clouds to the ground. Cool Photos. Pinterest. The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). As we drove northeast on US 70, debris was still falling to the ground. The storm intercept teams noted that the tornado developed from a rotating wall cloud in the Seymour area. McNiel Junior High School is shown in the middle left of this and all of the following photos. This followed an earlier warning at 5:08 pm, due to the Rocky Point tornado. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. Final totals across three states were 181 killed and 970 injured. 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. Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. Wayne Collamore, View looking west just east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. Bulletin American Meteorological Society, 61, 1033-34. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. Summer Weather Safety No fatalities or injuries occurred. A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. Weather Radio, About Us Flood/Flash Flood Safety Hazardous Weather Outlook Satellite Imagery, Forecasts Three people were killed in the restaurant. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. All but one of the 12 large glass windows in the tower were blown out, and control tower personnel had only abandoned their tower posts 4 minutes before. |. Horner was . A sharp temperature gradient immediately preceded the movement of the drier air into the region at 850 mb (Figure 20), while at 700 mb the axis of maximum winds was positioned directly overhead the upper Red River valley (Figure 21) and appreciable vertical motion was evident (Figure 22). About 1540 CST (3:40 PM), a tornado devastated the southeastern portion of Vernon, TX (11 fatalities). Radar warnings and alerts from the Weather Bureau office were credited with saving many lives. Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products The intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. Neighbors took shelter together while federal and local groups assembled. The tornado then swept through the Southmoor area, destroying homes and a shopping center. 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. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. FAQ A wind maximum gusting to 65 knots moved over Guadalupe Peak recording station in far southwest Texas; this triggered our departure. WICHITA FALLS, Tex., April 13 (UPI) Survivors of the tornado that devastated the southern part of this oil and agriculture center began burying their dead today while city officials tried to keep sightseers and looters away. Simon Cornelis Maria Vermeij was born on March 26, 1959 in Amsterdam, son of Hendrikus Gerardus Vermeij and Henritte Christina Maria Steur. Forty-two people were killed outright by the storm, while 3 others died of heart attacks. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. Most of the homes in Faith Village were demolished. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. Air Quality No fatalities or injuries occurred. It damaged homes and oil storage tanks as it moved east toward Wichita Falls. The destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Daily Weather History No injuries or deaths occurred during this tornado. 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. Each parallelogram on the map below represents the approximate aerial coverage shown in each photo. While the tornado was passing, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. Overall, the outbreak killed 58 people and injured 1,927 others. To put the deaths and property damage in perspective, it should be noted that as many as 42 people have not been killed in the United States by a single tornado in the 20 years since the event, and the total property damage of $400,000,000 still stands as the most costly tornado in American history. The most recent exceptionally destructive storm to hit the Wichita Falls area occurred on April 3, 1964, when a tornado killed 7 people, injured 111, and caused $15 million in damages, including 225 homes that were completely destroyed. An aerial view shows the destructive force of a powerful tornado that swept through Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. Crossing into Oklahoma, the tornado inflicted additional damage near Waurika before dissipating. Soon thereafter tornadoes were spotted near Crosby ton and Plainview and golfball size hail fell near Tulia, Afton, and Washburn (High Plains). However, several small communities, among them Harrold, Texas and Grandfield, Oklahoma, were hit by the storm. One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. Brenda Lee Whitehead. The Terrible Tuesday video can be viewed via the NWS Norman YouTube Channel or below. Troy Glover. 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). Also, tornado survivors said that some golf ball size hail fell prior to and immediately after the tornado. April 26, 1962 - This tornado initially touched down at 10:45 pmCST on the Sheppard Access Road near Sheppard AFB, damaging several cars, and destroying a a 100 x 30 foot metal building at a motor company. Fire Weather 1 A tornado struck Waco and McLennan County on May 11, 1953, inflicting 114 deaths, 597 injuries, and damages of $4i.2 million. Select western north Texas tornado statistics by decade, county or city from the menus or maps below. NWS Such a total would mean that between 10% and 20% of the population of the city was displaced by the tornado. The tornado damaged outbuildings, chicken coops, and did minor damage to roofs of houses. These figures include 12 counties. 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. ", "Storm spotter networks were alerted. 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. The tornadoes pictured here were part of the Red River Valley Outbreak, the biggest event of that year. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Around 3:05 in the afternoon, the first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas. Winter Weather Warnings Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. It was the remains of her home. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? Lawton had been alerted by Tornado Watch #67 and had received a tornado warning issued by WSFO Oklahoma City. (Rated F2 by the NWS. He shot these images one handed while driving down a dirt road. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). Numbers for 1979 were similar to that of 1980. Here we goa hymn request from Erlene: Great Is His Faithfulness, sung by the Collingsworth Family. No fatalities or injuries occurred. No explanation for the unusually low reflectivity values with that phase of the storm (sensed by several radars) has been developed. Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Waco, and of course Fort Worth come to mind, even Austin had one dancing around over the Capitol dome in 1922. Those who were caught in automobiles and trucks made up a high percentage of the fatalities. During this interval, the tornado was photographed by Professor Joe Henderson of Midwestern State University from the Ligon Coliseum (location #7). A strong tornado damaged roofs, telephone poles, trees, uprooted shrubs and overturned a truck, but remained over open country while at peak intensity. Local Storm Reports This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Crushing plant informational purposes only Maps below and took shelter in the Wichita Falls, Texas at tornado... For informational purposes only parallelogram on the Highway, seeking shelter from the parent thunderstorm. 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