wichita falls tornado 1979 deathswichita falls tornado 1979 deaths

There were 59 reported tornados on the ground in the . Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. 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. 5. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. Several trailers were destroyed. 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. Pinterest. ), 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. We decided to make a break for it to the east which was not a smart move. Frost Tornado. Averages and Records 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). Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. April 10, 1979 by James R Mcdonald _ Joseph E. Minor April 20, 1979 . Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. Weather and Chasing. Graphical Forecasts Home; Exhibits and Displays An aerial view shows the destructive force of a powerful tornado that swept through Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. Air Quality Published In . 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. Averages and Records ", "At Vernon, reports of earlier damage to the southwest of the city had alerted spotters and city officials. The northeastern mesocyclone in the mesocyclone pair was the occluding parent circulation of the Seymour tornado while the southwestern mesocyclone in the pair was the developing parent circulation of the Wichita Falls tornado. Near the center of the tornado and about a half mile south of the mall, a church was demolished with one person killed inside the building. Also, the second story of the press box at the high school football stadium was blown off and scattered across the playing field. 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. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. Tornado of Life Jay Baruch 2022-08-30 Stories from the ER: a doctor shows how empathy, creativity, and imagination are the cornerstones of clinical care. 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. Three barns were destroyed as well. Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). Skywarn Storm Spotters At about the mid-point in the atmosphere (around 500 mb), significant cold air advection occurred, thus exacerbating unsettled conditions, already present (Figure 23). 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. Around 3:05 in the afternoon, the first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. 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 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. FAQ 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. #1. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. 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. The tornado originated from a weak thunderstorm with a radar top of only 16,000 feet. Wayne Collamore, View looking northwest east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:20 pm CST. There were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado. On the first street of houses to the northeast of Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (location #3). The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. Winter Weather It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. Watch. 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. North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for . Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. 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. Winston Wells, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. The tornado was about a half-mile wide when it struck Memorial Stadium, snapping light standards and causing heavy damage to the field house. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma During this interval, the tornado was photographed by Professor Joe Henderson of Midwestern State University from the Ligon Coliseum (Tornado Track Figure; Location #7) and by Troy Glover from the roof of the Bethania Hospital (Tornado Track Figure; Location #8). Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. 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. View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. ), April 24, 1923 - A tornado blew apart five homes 3 miles south-southwest of Burkburnett and 6 oil derricks where also destroyed. wichita falls tornado 1979 deathsare there really purple owls "The damage path was one of the widest I have ever seen, and its intensity was almost equal to that of the giant . Flash Flood Warnings At the end of the outbreak, 54 people lost their lives in Texas, three were killed in Oklahoma and one was killed in Indiana. The formation of the tornado and its movement toward the Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School were captured by Wolfgang Lange from the front of his apartment complex which was across the street from school building (Tornado Track Figure; Location #2). People from the shopping center took shelter in refrigerator vaults, in restrooms, and under closets. Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. . The North Texas town of Wichita Falls has seen three major tornadoesin 1958, 1964, and another in 1979. 3. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. The tornado developed on the extreme northeast side of Seymour and moved northeast to about 2 miles north-northeast of Maybelle. View obituary. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard., several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. Preprints, 12th Conference Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, Boston, 441-443. Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. Amateur radio storm spotters turned in the first report of the storm, which allowed 5 to 10 minutes of valuable warning time. The trees on the southwest edge of the city were denuded of limbs and bark. 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. We received the following letter from Joel Manes, who was living in Wichita Falls, Texas on April 10, 1979. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. 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. Driving north on Texas 267 we witnessed the Thalia tornado. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Upper Air Maps The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. The tornado was associated with a line of thunderstorms that produced very heavy rains in the Wichita Falls area. From the blizzards that traditionally pound the Panhandle each winter to the enduring heat that scorches vast sections of Texas later in the summer, Texas in the meteorological sense truly is the "Land of Contrast." 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. It is interesting to note that the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes both formed during periods of relative decline in storm-top height and reflectivity values, a characteristic that has been noted for a number of supercell storms that have produced several cycles of tornadoes. Interview She and her family couldn't find their dog. My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. Wichita Falls(/wtt/WITCH-i-tah) is a city in and the seat of governmentof Wichita County, Texas, United States. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. This report summarizes the injuries and deaths associated with these tornadoes based on information from emergency department and hospital records and death certificates. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. 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 . Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. By RAEGAN SCHARFETTER, ANNIE GIMBEL. 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. The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. The long, slender tornado was milky white in appearance and was accompanied by a loud roar. We were on our own. Other data was found using U.S. Wayne Collamore, View looking west just east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. 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). Multiple locations were found. He had allegedly been sexually assaulted, tortured, murdered, then his body ran through a full cycle in the dishwasher- officials speculated the killer had . Violent weather became more widespread as the afternoon progressed. By afternoon, the warm front had lifted to the vicinity of the Red River, and a new low pressure area had formed near Childress. Bulletin American Meteorological Society, 61, 1033-34. NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. The maximum F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was rated F0. 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. One tree near a house fell onto a power line, causing an electrical surge that set the kitchen of the house on fire. 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. 5) The Wichita Falls Tornado - April 10, 1979. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. Aviation Weather 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. 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. There was much scientific discussion and debate concerning the possibility that the some of the damage was severe enough, and wind speeds high enough, for the tornado to be rated F5. 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. Fire Weather The destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. At Sheppard Air Force Base, winds up to 70 mph tore countless limbs from trees and knocked out windows on some base housing units. A mobile home was destroyed near Faxson, resulting in two serious injuries. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. by Glasstire May 2, 2017. Questions? The majority of the fatalities were in vehicles, and a number of those victims left homes that were undamaged by the tornado only to be caught in its deadly path as they tried to flee. ), 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. 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 tornado's first fatalities were recorded in the apartment complex and adjoining housing area. I had never witnessed anything of this magnitude. This thunderstorm spawned a tornado with a continuous ground track of almost 60 miles. June 16, 1997 - A survey conducted by a National Weather Service meteorologist confirmed that an F1 tornado touched down briefly about 5 miles southeast of Burkburnett (or 1.5 miles north of the north end of Sheppard AFB). The tornado killed 42 Wichita Falls residents and caused over $200 million in damages, leaving 20 percent of the city's population homeless. On the evening of April 10th 1979 an F4 tornado touched down outside Wichita Falls TX and carved a 47 mile long path of destruction that would become the costliest Tornado in United States History. The tornado was photographed from the south during this period by Pat Blacklock location #5). Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the time of tornado touchdown. View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. Sep 18, 2004. The awesome "freight train like sound" was audible from the Weather Bureau Airport Station. February 21, 1994 - Thunderstorms developed in the western part of north Texas during the afternoon hours of February 21st and produced a small weak tornado, hail up to nickel size and damaging winds. The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. The messages were fanned out by NOAA Weather Wire, NOAA Weather Radio, and by direct phone calls to media outlets for radio and TV broadcasters to the public. Half of the injuries sustained by Vernon residents were deemed critical by city officials. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . April 26, 1991. Despite passing north of the Sikes Senter Shopping Mall, intense winds from the outer circulation of the tornado heavily damaged a few stores and blew many cars in the mall's parking lot some distance away from where they originated and stacked on top of each other. Would we have seen the tornado and diverted? Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. Although high numbers of deaths have occurred in vehicles during tornadoes, the occurrences are rare. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. Tornado F-scale ratings prior to 1950, as well as most tornado data are referenced from Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. Barely one week later, phenomenally great amounts of rainfall poured on the southeastern sector of the State, taking 4 lives and inundating parts of numerous communities. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. Click on the numbers on the map below or on each individual photo to see a larger image of that photo. Storm Data, Weather Safety After moving out of Faith Village, the tornado flattened several businesses, including a restaurant, on Kemp Boulevard. We were rushed to get into position. 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. ", "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. Multiple vortices are seen in this photo. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. Upper Air Maps (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Submit a Spot Forecast Scary stuff. 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. Daily Weather History Local Climate Data Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. Summer Weather Safety The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. 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. The funnel was quite close at this time and large black crows were caught up in the outer circulation. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). Deaths An Estimated 42 people died A darker version of this image shows the rain curtain extending around the vortex. Thus, the tornado damage/intensity was officially rated as a strong F4 tornado. An estimated 20,000 persons were left homeless by this storm. Further eastward, most houses in the Faith Village Addition were destroyed, and Ben Milam Elementary School was severely damaged (location #6). 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. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. Special Weather Statements 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. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. 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