Tours. March 3, 1973 - The Wichita Falls police department reported a small tornado touching down briefly in the vicinity of Midwestern University. A wind maximum gusting to 65 knots moved over Guadalupe Peak recording station in far southwest Texas; this triggered our departure. The atmosphere in the Low Rolling Plains was highly unstable (with a Totals Index above 50 and a strong positive K Index extending southward out of western Oklahoma); very vigorous lifting of such unsettled air by the advancing dry line seemed sure to trigger violence (Figure 14). National Weather Service As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard., several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. 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. Usually hail is a problem in this position, but we encountered none on this storm. To Tornado data and F-scale ratings for tornadoes from 1950 to the present are referenced from NWS records. More destruction from the Wichita Falls tornado, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:48, List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Wichita Falls, TX Tornadoes (1900-Present)", "The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979", "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 18901999", 10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2, The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of April 10, 1979, Full map of the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak, 47miles.org - A project to construct a memorial to the Wichita Falls tornado, Terrible Tuesday - Wichita Falls, Texas Tornado 1979, Terrible Tuesday (1979) Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, Terrible Tuesday: April 10, 1979 in Wichita Falls, Texas, Coming Back: Wichita Falls, TX Tornado - April 10, 1979 KAUZ-TV, Bridge Creek, Moore, & Oklahoma City (Metro), OK, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1979_Red_River_Valley_tornado_outbreak&oldid=1141443347. The Red River Valley tornado outbreak of April 10, 1979 is one of the most significant tornado outbreaks that ever occurred in western north Texas and southern Oklahoma. Although high numbers of deaths have occurred in vehicles during tornadoes, the occurrences are rare. In Texas: Clay, Foard, Wichita and Wilbarger; and in Oklahoma: Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, Stephens and Tillman. Watch. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). The following severe weather account is by Gene Moore. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. The funnel was quite close at this time and large black crows were caught up in the outer circulation. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. 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. Eyewitnesses described details of the storm differently, but they were unanimous on one point -- it was an awesome, terrifying experience beyond anything they had encountered before. Multiple locations were found. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? We were on our own. Fortunately, the strong and wide Harrold-Grandfield tornado spent its entire life in rural areas not striking any towns, but coming close to Harrold, TX (one fatality) and Grandfield, OK. We proceeded southwest toward Seymour witnessing a small tornado near Lake Kemp that was accompanied by golf ball size hail. Overall, mobile homes and permanent homes lead fatality location totals with 44.8% and 26.2% of all deaths occurring in these structures, respectively. A total of 10 people received injuries due to the high winds. Hail ranged in sizes "from mothballs to pineapples." Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. For the most part, however, rainfall amounts were modest, with only a few points collecting more than 1 inch (Figure 27). Ben Faltinowski. At the Iowa Park Fairgrounds, wind damage covered a 4-block area. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. Wayne Collamore. Damage as severe as F4 was found along most of the track across the city. Tornado Understand a Tornado: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. A strong tornado damaged roofs, telephone poles, trees, uprooted shrubs and overturned a truck, but remained over open country while at peak intensity. A storm appeared on the horizon that had developed far to our south near Abilene. Storm Spotter Training Major damage in the. Three thousand and ninety-five homes were destroyed and 600 were damaged. Burgess, D. W., 1982. Special Weather Statements The tornado was coming down, but getting photography was difficult. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. One person was injured. 1970s. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover. NWS This route took us in front of the advancing vortex and provided a pretty exciting ride. 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. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. This tornado was part of an outbreak of tornadoes that occurred on May 25-26, 1955 across the southern Great Plains, and included the deadly F5 tornadoes at Blackwell, OK and Udall, KS. have just been raked by debris from rear flank downdraft surge wrapping around the tornado - tornado now in a sunlit position relative to us - getting really spectacular! As we drove south on the H.E. 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. Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant. Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. Jeanine V. Wolff. No injuries or deaths occurred during this tornado. 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. 15:25 F4. More. We didn't get phone guidance and it was before on-board equipment. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. Anyone can read what you share. Wildfire Safety Summer Weather Safety Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. I survived an enormous North Texas twister on April 10, 1979 that took 52 lives when three vortexes merged into one. April 26, 1991. StormReady 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. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. While only on the ground for 35 minutes, the 800-foot-wide twister killed seven people, injured 111, and destroyed 225 homes. Local Winter Weather The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. The twister did level a number of telephone poles along Highway 283, before dissipating just east of 283 near Maybelle. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. 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. 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. Hail to 1.75 inches was also reported south of the city. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . Questions? Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. A large number of roofs were damaged at the air base, and buildings at the Wichita Valley Airport also suffered roof damage. View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. ), 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 approaching tornado. 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. Evan got up, the moonlight bouncing off his not so wicked blue eyes. (Rated F1 by the NWS. After the tornado left Wichita Falls and travelled northeast, it entered Clay County and changed its appearance. 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. David Ehrenfeld read the 23d Psalm over the pearl white coffin. The Wichita Falls storm formed north of Abilene, TX. The event would put Wichita Falls in the national news and history books, while almost taking it off of the map. We Past Weather Events The two worst damage points appeared to be McNiel Junior High (location #1 on the damage path diagram; photos 9-15 on the damage photo tab) and the Southwest National Bank (location #4; no close-up photographs available). Explore. [7] It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. 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 . The sun had set, and the moon was now a crescent. The following text contains excerpts from the Texas Department of Water Resources publication "A Review of Texas' Weather in 1979: The Year of Devastating Tornadoes and Flash Floods" published in 1980. The clouds in the flanking lines exploded up the back of the storm through the back-sheared anvil to the overshooting top. Ashley found that 69.2% of all tornado fatalities from 1985 to 2005 occurred in either mobile or permanent homes, illustrating the enhanced vulnerability of these particular housing structures. Rob Satkus EF2. As seen in the photographs by Winston Wells (location #10), the tornado became multi-vortex, displaying as many as five satellite vortices rotating around the center of circulation. 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. It was the costliest tornado in history until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado struck in 1999. . North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. Air Quality The storm killed eight people in Sandusky before moving east over Lake Erie and striking Lorain, where 72 were killed. Watch on. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. This huge F4 first touched down about 3 miles northeast of Holliday. There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. Hazardous Weather Outlook NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. To the north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many houses in the Western Hills Addition. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Weather and Chasing. April 10, 1979: The worst single tornado in Texas' history hit Wichita Falls. Surprisingly, very few fatalities occurred in Faith Village. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. No fatalities or injuries occurred. The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. Moving into the air base proper, the tornado destroyed 5 unoccupied 2-story barracks, damaged a hanger, power installations, transformer station, paint shop, and the base's 10-story control tower. Further eastward, most houses in the Faith Village Addition were destroyed, and Ben Milam Elementary School was severely damaged (location #6). 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. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the time of tornado touchdown. As the tornado neared the road it began to shrink in size and slowed a little, aiding our hasty retreat. Aloft, the strong wind maximum was over the Red River area, producing significant vertical wind shear. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Nationwide, Current Conditions Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. The following images and text have been provided by permission of the author are to be used for informational purposes only. Pat Blacklock. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. 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. Other data were supplied by the American National Red Cross. Radar warnings and alerts from the Weather Bureau office were credited with saving many lives. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. Wolfgang Lange. Joe Landon Haney. To the south of the warm front, moist, unstable air was streaming northward. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. those all. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. The giant tornado was a massive black column extending from the low striated base of the inky clouds to the ground. 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. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 7:25 AM PST. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. 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. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. 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. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. Please select one of the following: Table 1 -- Casualty and Property Losses -, GOES Visible Satellite Images (1530Z 4/10/1979 - 0014Z 4/11/1979), GOES Infrared Satellite Images (0000Z - 0600Z 4/11/1979). 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). Fire Weather Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). Submit a Spot Forecast Winston Wells, Current Hazards Please try another search. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. 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. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. See the article in its original context from. The northern supercell, the Vernon-Lawton storm, produced its first tornado at 1505 CST (3:05 PM) south of Crowell, TX. The electrical power to local stations was down from the storm which prevented the gas pumps from operating and us from getting more gas. Around 3:05 in the afternoon, the first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas. Weather Bureau records. (Rated F2 by the NWS. No fatalities or injuries occurred. 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. Interview She and her family couldn't find their dog. Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. The tornado has widened and intensified at this stage. Gene is a graduate of Oklahoma University who photographed storms when he lived in Norman, Oklahoma during the 1970s. A tool shed was blown away, trees uprooted, and utility poles damaged, and the Pontiac Company building was destroyed. As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, [18] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. With an east-northeast movement, it entered Wichita County and damaged a few rural homes and a string of metal high-voltage towers. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. 16 of those 25 vehicle related deaths were from people leaving their homes to escape the. During this time I was trying to shoot pictures through the window. Simon Cornelis Maria Vermeij was born on March 26, 1959 in Amsterdam, son of Hendrikus Gerardus Vermeij and Henritte Christina Maria Steur. This was the most spectacular event I had ever witnessed to date. passed away on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Wichita Falls Texas. Storm Events Database, tornadoes, 04-10-1979. A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. Horner was . Summer Weather Safety Assuredly, no two years weatherwise in Texas are even remotely similar, for the community that reeled one year from a capricious dry spell likely is the recipient of plenty of rain in the following year, while a not-too-distant neighboring locale that hurt from a disastrous hailstorm one Spring experiences relative calm during the following year's storm season. 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." My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. Storm Data, Weather Safety 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. The tornado moved northeastward as was described as a "dirty green funnel." 6. 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. Half of the injuries sustained by Vernon residents were deemed critical by city officials. Lawton had been alerted by Tornado Watch #67 and had received a tornado warning issued by WSFO Oklahoma City. 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. NOAA Disaster Survey Report 80-1, Chapter 1. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. ), 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. Special Weather Statements At about the time the tornado was developing at Harrold, 1.5 to 3 inch diameter hailstones were reported 7 miles west of Harrold. The strongest wind measurement logged on the USWB equipment located 1 mile south of the air base was a 55-knot peak gust. Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. Published In . A total of 2 people were seriously injured along the tornado's path, but most of injuries people received were minor. They survived! A darker version of this image shows the rain curtain extending around the vortex. I had never witnessed anything of this magnitude. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. 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." "The common notion, born in the aftermath of the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado, that being in a vehicle during a tornado warning is synonymous with injury and death can no longer be assumed or promoted. Please Contact Us. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. View looking west-northwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. This followed an earlier warning at 5:08 pm, due to the Rocky Point tornado. It began at 4:57 p.m. about a mile-and-a-half south of Clearwater. Losses eligible for Federal disaster relief totaled $63 million, but Federal disaster assistance did not cover additional millions in damages. WICHITA FALLS The tenth day of April is a day that will be forever etched in the history of the city of Wichita Falls.42 years ago, on April 10, 1979, a severe weather outbreak in North Texas . Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products 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. Aviation Weather It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. 1 Wilbarger County, TX. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. Three isolated supercells, forming in mid afternoon, moved northeastward as a trio and were responsible for the worst part of the outbreak. The NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979" is available, and a synopsis and discussion of the event by Don Burgess can also be perused from this site. We think this was the early stages of the Vernon tornado. (Colonial Park, Hursh, Southmoor, Southwinds, and Southern Hills) A number of people tried to flee as the tornado moved along US 281 and 287 by driving east on Southwest Parkway. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. These are 40 before/after pairings, as he shot dramatically injured locations . February 18, 2023 (64 years old) View obituary. 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). 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. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. Barns were destroyed and livestock was killed, including horses on two farms. Daily Weather History Wichita Falls Tornado 1979. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. Pinterest. Storm Spotter Training Tornado Database Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. Daily Weather History In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. Continuing east-northeastward, the violent tornado destroyed a large portion of a residential neighborhood before heavily damaging a commercial building along Southwest Parkway. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Winston Wells, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. 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. About the Artist: Frank Gohlke is a leading figure in American landscape photography. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. 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