wichita falls tornado 1979 deathswichita falls tornado 1979 deaths

Moving into the city, the tornado first struck Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School (location #1 on the damage path diagram), severely damaging both structures. Special Weather Statements It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products Wichita Falls Buries the First of 44 Tornado Victims, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/14/archives/wichita-falls-buries-the-first-of-44-tornado-victims.html. At the end of the outbreak, 54 people lost their lives in Texas, three were killed in Oklahoma and one was killed in Indiana. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. Following the deadly Red River Valley tornado outbreak, the National Weather Service, in partnership with FEMA and the American Red Cross, produced a documentary called "Terrible Tuesday" that chronicled the events in Wichita Falls on April 10, 1979. Widespread downburst winds and hail brought damages of $200,000 to the town of Iowa Park alone. The late afternoon lighting was much different on this storm giving a yellowish cast as we looked southwest. The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. He was great at identifying cloud structures. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up. 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 tornado leveled a mobile home park on the north side of U.S. Highway 287, but residents had evacuated that area and no fatalities occurred in the park. Soon thereafter tornadoes were spotted near Crosby ton and Plainview and golfball size hail fell near Tulia, Afton, and Washburn (High Plains). Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. The inner hallways would have been the only relatively safe shelter in the building. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. The spring of 1979 was a very active tornado period for the plains states. The lights of wichita shone bright now. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. 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). The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall. 38 On April 10, 1979, a series of deadly tornadoes broke out near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Deaths were near normal . No fatalities or serious injuries occurred, but 13 people were treated for minor injuries, mostly as a result of flying glass. Local Storm Reports 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. Daily Weather History 1. 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. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration By 1800 CST (6:00 PM), the storm had taken on a very classic supercell look with the tornado-associated mesocyclone and hook echo in the right rear portion of the echo. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. We 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 three main storms in the Red River Valley outbreak were giant tornadoes. All of them happened in the first half of April. The huge thunderstorm that yielded the Seymour tornado also pounded Holliday with baseball-size hail and an area west of Iowa Park with golfball-size hail. 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. Life Cycle of the Wichita Falls Tornadic Storm. Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. 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. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. The number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. It sped into Clay County, causing no deaths but 40 injuries and damage in the communities of Dean and Petrolia that amounted to $15 million. In addition, many businesses, cars, trees, windows, TV antennas, and power poles incurred damage. "Automobiles are a steel death trap in a tornado . No explanation for the unusually low reflectivity values with that phase of the storm (sensed by several radars) has been developed. He shot these images one handed while driving down a dirt road. I'm surprised he got the tornado in the frame. Please try another search. David Ehrenfeld read the 23d Psalm over the pearl white coffin. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 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. Extensive wind damage to about 100 homes and outbuildings occurred in Burkburnett where two 40-foot smoke stacks were also toppled. StormReady Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. ", "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. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. This route took us in front of the advancing vortex and provided a pretty exciting ride. Total damage in the city was estimated at $400 million; five thousand families (or about 20,000 people) were left homeless. Used by permission of author Don Burgess. No injuries or deaths occurred during this tornado. May 23, 1888 - A tornado moved northeastward and passed 6 miles west of Wichita Falls during the evening of May 23, 1888. Wichita Falls has had three major tornado strikes in its history. Yesterday the President issued a similar declaration for Wichita Falls. 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. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. 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. Severe Weather Safety Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs A mattress fell beside the vehicle and I looked out to see a woman standing in what appeared to be a junk yard. This was especially true of the Wichita Falls tornado, whose more than 1-mile-wide path of damage is one of the biggest on record. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. In addition to the 42 fatalities directly caused by the tornado, three more people died of heart attacks and other illnesses during the stress of the tornado's passage. Twenty-five of the deaths were. In addition, the author hopes that the analyses will serve as a handy source of reference to those who seek to recall the past and those whose research work attempts to relate the weather to other aspects of human existence. It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. 2. About the Artist: Frank Gohlke is a leading figure in American landscape photography. Fortunately, its long path on the ground was mostly over open farmland so that it caused relatively few casualties and small total property damage. The damage was quite hit and miss. By this time teams from NSSL and the University of Oklahoma had arrived. The powerful vortex, although rated only F-2, had winds of over 200 MPH. The twister cut a swath through one-third of the city and killed. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma The tornado was at the top of the hill less than a mile away. Further to the northeast we could see a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation. 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. These figures include 12 counties. Jeanine V. Wolff. The storm spawned a second tornado that moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm. On Saturday, June 28, 1924, a deadly F4 tornado struck the Lake Erie shoreline communities of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. July 21, 1961 - A small, weak tornado touched down briefly in the eastern part of Wichita Falls, about 3 miles from the airport. The funnel was quite close at this time and large black crows were caught up in the outer circulation. This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. Below are some quick facts about the event from the NWS Norman: People from the shopping center took shelter in refrigerator vaults, in restrooms, and under closets. Every year in the United States the threat of a catastrophe looms whenever tornadoes approach large gatherings of people. A furniture warehouse was also destroyed when severe winds tore the back wall and roof off of the building. 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. Tours. those all. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. The storm intercept teams noted that the tornado developed from a rotating wall cloud in the Seymour area. 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. 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. The middle supercell, the Harrold-Grandfield storm, produced the longest-track tornado of the outbreak (64 mile path length) at 1555 CST (3:55 PM). StormReady 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). A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. Horner was . 45 people died in the Wichita Falls tornado. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. ), 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. Data modified as described in NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database"). Local Storm Reports 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. There were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado. Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. Half of the injuries sustained by Vernon residents were deemed critical by city officials. The tornado moved to the north-northwest during its life before lifting 2 miles from Burkburnett. 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. For the first time in years we altered that route. 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