", "The three main storms in the Red River Valley outbreak were giant tornadoes. Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . [8] The tornado cut a path 8 miles (13km) through the city, with significant devastation. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) . Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. The clouds would roll over like they were collapsing into a deep hold. (Rated F3 by the NWS. 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. Click on the numbers on the map below or on each individual photo to see a larger image of that photo. Wind gusts to 100 mph were observed at the observation site. Forty-two peoples were killed and over 1700 injured. Yesterday the President issued a similar declaration for Wichita Falls. FAQ ), 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. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. Flash Flood Warnings More than 1700 injuries occurred within Wichita Falls. One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. Averages and Records Sirens blew as the tornado bore down on Vernon. Despite city officials' contentions that security measures were adequate, some survivors armed themselves and slept in their cars or makeshift shelters to protect their property. Three barns were destroyed as well. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. We proceeded southwest toward Seymour witnessing a small tornado near Lake Kemp that was accompanied by golf ball size hail. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. 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. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. Tornado warning and preparedness systems are worth the time and effort it takes to maintain them. Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. 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. Multiple locations were found. A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. US Dept of Commerce Tornado left suction vortex marks in open fields. Several trailers were destroyed. Eddie was trying to tell me something; finally with some tugging, he got my attention. Tornado Pictures. A tool shed was blown away, trees uprooted, and utility poles damaged, and the Pontiac Company building was destroyed. We received the following letter from Joel Manes, who was living in Wichita Falls, Texas on April 10, 1979. View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. Non Precipitation Warnings ), March 31, 1892 - A tornado hit parts of Iowa Park where a house was moved 30 feet and destroyed, injuring 3 occupants. On April 10, 1979, a devastating tornado struck Wichita Falls in North Texas. 6. Small buildings were damaged or destroyed, and roofs, signs, oil field derricks and tanks were damaged. ), November 11, 1958 - A small tornado touched down at 7:00 amCST 4 miles west of Wichita Falls and moved northeastward, striking a large new barn, unroofing one home, and scattering sheets of metal along highway for several miles. 1 Wilbarger County, TX. 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). As we drove northeast on US 70, debris was still falling to the ground. Weather Bureau records. 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). Driving north on Texas 267 we witnessed the Thalia tornado. The damage was quite hit and miss. Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. After moving northeast of Seymour, the tornado intensified. Additional light rural damage occurred in the miles of Wichita County that the tornado covered. ", "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. 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). It's the day an F-4 tornado ravaged the city of Wichita Falls. Dr. Ted Fujita of the University of Chicago used these surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind speeds associated with the tornado. I survived an enormous North Texas twister on April 10, 1979 that took 52 lives when three vortexes merged into one. 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. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. Most of the destroyed homes had some of these interior walls still standing after the tornado. Select western north Texas tornado statistics by decade, county or city from the menus or maps below. 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. After taking his last picture of the approaching tornado, Mr. Lange retreated to the apartment complex laundry room and hid between heavy commercial washers and dryers, escaping with only minor injuries. 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. 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 intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. Nationwide, Current Conditions It was on the ground for 11 miles. At about the mid-point in the atmosphere (around 500 mb), significant cold air advection occurred, thus exacerbating unsettled conditions, already present (Figure 23). Tornado Database Rob Satkus EF2. 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. Twenty-five of the deaths were. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. 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. ), March 17, 1952 - A small, weak tornado touched down about 5 miles south-southwest of the Wichita Falls Airport where some buildings were unroofed and smaller buildings blown down. The first tornado formed near Seymour at around 4:53 pm. 8. Two reports can be found on this web site. 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. The tornado originated from a weak thunderstorm with a radar top of only 16,000 feet. This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. The tornado was associated with a line of thunderstorms that produced very heavy rains in the Wichita Falls area. Averages and Records Toggle navigation. A very intense spring storm shifted out of the Rocky Mountains on April 10, generating lines of severe thunderstorms that swept across the northern portion of the State. Daily Weather History Tours. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. The tornado cut through a field and went into a housing addition on the southwest edge of Sheppard AFB. The destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Storm Spotter Training Multiple locations were found. It began at 4:57 p.m. about a mile-and-a-half south of Clearwater. With surface pressures in the southern High Plains plunging rapidly, a low pressure center formed in the vicinity of Lubbock around noon (Figure 15). Fortunately, on April 10, 1979, McNiel Junior High was almost totally unoccupied when the tornado struck and a worse catastrophe was avoided. Wichita Falls Tornado 1979. Meanwhile, strong gusty winds associated with the eastward progression of an intensifying upper atmospheric storm out of New Mexico made travel hazardous in. For the first time in years we altered that route. He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. In addition, the damage paths of all three were wider than normal. Before leaving the east side of the city, the tornado destroyed the Sun Valley housing area, the Sunnyside Heights Mobile Home Park, and several large commercial businesses, including the Levi Strauss Plant. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. Even though lesson #3 (above) is true in a violent tornado, the only complete guarantee of safety comes from an underground shelter, an above-ground shelter, or an extremely strongly-built building. Wayne Collamore. Total property damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400,000,000 (in 1979 dollars). 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. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. Nationwide, Current Conditions . But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. Photographs indicated that it was a large, cylindrical tornado with a well organized debris cloud. Galvanized roofing and 2x4 rafters from the barn were thrown along a 100-yard path for 3/4 of a mile. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. 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. At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. No fatalities or injuries occurred. Six cross-country steel transmission towers were destroyed just east of Farm Road 2650. It was spectacular to watch! See the article in its original context from. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. Interview She and her family couldn't find their dog. 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. There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. We It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. The tornado was also captured on film by Troy Glover from the roof of the Bethania hospital (location #8). Home; Exhibits and Displays The lights of wichita shone bright now. Simon Cornelis Maria Vermeij was born on March 26, 1959 in Amsterdam, son of Hendrikus Gerardus Vermeij and Henritte Christina Maria Steur. age through the southern half of tne city. 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. 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. After taking his last picture of the approaching tornado, Mr. Lange retreated to the apartment complex laundry room and hid between heavy commercial washers and dryers, escaping with only minor injuries. 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 slung mud across the inside of the windshield which made it difficult to drive. The storm killed eight people in Sandusky before moving east over Lake Erie and striking Lorain, where 72 were killed. Soon thereafter tornadoes were spotted near Crosby ton and Plainview and golfball size hail fell near Tulia, Afton, and Washburn (High Plains). 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 . View looking west-northwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. 3 Comanche County, OK. 17:05 F3. It was the costliest tornado in history until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado struck in 1999. . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. Such a total would mean that between 10% and 20% of the population of the city was displaced by the tornado. There was strong upper level dynamics all coming together to produce strong tornado-producing supercells. Radio and TV stations aired the Tornado Watch so that most people were alerted to the threat and ready for warning messages and sirens that were to come later. 2. Inevitably each year some sector of Texas suffers from the effects of a tornado strike, a blinding snowstorm, a violent hail-bearing thunderstorm, or a raging sand- or dust storm. The night time tornadoes, although strong, were not as devastating as the ones that occurred in the Red River Valley during the afternoon. Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. Tornado caused $3,500,000 to the downtown business district in. Cool Pictures. 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. Amateur radio storm spotters turned in the first report of the storm, which allowed 5 to 10 minutes of valuable warning time. McNiel Junior High, a new concrete/steel-reinforced building was not built well enough to provide safe shelter from the tornado. View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Flood/Flash Flood Safety We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. After the tornado left Wichita Falls and travelled northeast, it entered Clay County and changed its appearance. 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). Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. July 21, 1961 - A small, weak tornado touched down briefly in the eastern part of Wichita Falls, about 3 miles from the airport. Scary stuff. CoCoRaHS 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. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. Skywarn Storm Spotters We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. 2. 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). 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. Horner was . Summer Weather Safety Multiple vortices are seen in this photo. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. No fatalities or injuries occurred. A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. We sat up to photograph to the east of the tornado and shot back west and north as it passed. It damaged homes and oil storage tanks as it moved east toward Wichita Falls. All NOAA. Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 7:25 AM PST. Tornado Database 2 All times in Central Standard Time. #1. 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. Damage as severe as F4 was found along most of the track across the city. The most active portion of the advancing dry line traversed this sector of the Low Rolling Plains at precisely the time of occurrence of the tornado outbreak (Figure 19). 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. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather ", "Despite excellent warning lead-time and multiple soundings of the sirens, some people of Wichita Falls either did not hear the warnings or failed to take prescribed lifesaving actions. 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). Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. 10. The twister moved east-northeastward across the northern part of the city, and continued into Clay County before lifting at 6:10 pm CST near the town of Dean. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. April 26, 1991. The police chief and sheriff later said the approaching storm did not look like a normal twister, but appeared as a thick, dark mass of clouds low to the ground and difficult to see because of the heavy rain, hail, and low cloud base. Eleven of the 16 people left homes that were not even damaged. '", "When the day had ended, the tornadoes had left in their wake a tragically high toll -- 56 dead and 1916 injured. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? 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. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the time of tornado touchdown. NWS National Weather Service The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). 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). ", "Early on April 10, NWS forecasters became aware of the threat of severe weather. It didn't seem like any storms were in the area. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. Final totals across three states were 181 killed and 970 injured. CoCoRaHS 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. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather 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. The F5 storm tore through Wichita and Andover, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. They moved northeastward, and as a trio spawned families of tornadoes. High winds in Burkburnett toppled several large trees and damaged limbs, signs, and fences throughout town. It seems that almost every major Texas city has had to deal with a tornado at least once. Special Weather Statements One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. 1970s. The following images and text have been provided by permission of the author are to be used for informational purposes only. Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage. Weather and Chasing. Why the Red River Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures 19-26. 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. Museum of the Kansas National Guard . 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. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. Continuing east-northeast, the tornado severely damaged commercial building along Southwest Parkway, including total destruction of the Southwest National Bank Building except for its vault (location #4). Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. 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. The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. To 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. In addition to the tornado which developed near Wichita Falls, sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph from the southeast with gusts near 60 mph developed across western north Texas during the mid-evening of the 10th and persisted through much of the night. Deaths were near normal . 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. Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. FAQ The thunderstorm that fostered that tornado also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold. 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