age through the southern half of tne city. I had never witnessed anything of this magnitude. 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. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. 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. A total of 2 homes were completely destroyed with 31 homes and 17 mobile homes being damaged. February 16, 2023. Property damages to both civilian properties and Sheppard were set at over $15 million. 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 . Still other tornadoes struck the communities of Lockett and Seymour a short time later, killing one inhabitant in Lockett. - May 31st, 2010 . Multiple vortices are seen in this photo. The tornado moved northeastward as was described as a "dirty green funnel." More than 1700 injuries occurred within Wichita Falls. Caused $190,000 in damage. In the latter Blacklock photographs, the gust front and associated strong west winds to the south of the tornado can be seen producing waves on Lake Wichita and kicking up spray from the lake. 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. National Severe Storms Laboratory storm chasers photographed the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. Usually hail is a problem in this position, but we encountered none on this storm. 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. 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. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the time of tornado touchdown. 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. ", "Early on April 10, NWS forecasters became aware of the threat of severe weather. A wind maximum gusting to 65 knots moved over Guadalupe Peak recording station in far southwest Texas; this triggered our departure. By afternoon, the warm front had lifted to the vicinity of the Red River, and a new low pressure area had formed near Childress. Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. The strongest wind measurement logged on the USWB equipment located 1 mile south of the air base was a 55-knot peak gust. 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). 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). A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. As we drove south on the H.E. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas . 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. Weather and Chasing. The number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Please try another search. It looked killer from the beginning. Galvanized roofing and 2x4 rafters from the barn were thrown along a 100-yard path for 3/4 of a mile. However, widespread high winds from the parent supercell thunderstorm also produced extensive damage in the Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and Burkburnett areas. Pinterest. Tornado data and F-scale ratings for tornadoes from 1950 to the present are referenced from NWS records. Many of the 1,800 injured, however, were in homes. About the Artist: Frank Gohlke is a leading figure in American landscape photography. In Texas: Clay, Foard, Wichita and Wilbarger; and in Oklahoma: Carter, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson, Pottawatomie, Stephens and Tillman. 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). Sep 18, 2004. The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. ", "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. Multiple locations were found. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. On September 25th, 2000, 11 year old Christopher Morris was found in the dishwasher of his family home which was in Sheppard Air Force Base base housing. DOC/NOAA, January, 1980: Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. In the upper atmosphere, the nose of an extremely strong jet stream wind maximum was moving eastward through northern Mexico, preparing to turn northeastward and take aim on Texas and Oklahoma. Meanwhile, President Carter declared Oklahoma a major disaster area as a result of the tornadoes, making Federal funds available for relief and recovery efforts. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather April 26, 1991. The deadliest tornadoes to strike in Texas in 26 years ravaged parts of four communities near the Red River on April 10, taking 53 lives, injuring 1808, and causing damage worth $427 million1. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. On the first street of houses to the northeast of Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (location #3). Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. Tornadoes are capable of completely destroying well-made structures, uprooting trees, and hurling objects through the air like deadly missiles. Wichita Falls Tornado. 25 of those deaths were vehicle related. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Upper Air Maps Averages and Records The tornado was photographed from the south during this period by Pat Blacklock location #5). Apr 8, 2009 #1 NWS OUN has put up a nice page for the 30th anniversary of this monster: . The tornado has widened and intensified at this stage. With surface pressures in the southern High Plains plunging rapidly, a low pressure center formed in the vicinity of Lubbock around noon (Figure 15). (This tornado was documented and rated F2 by Tom Grazulis in his book, Significant Tornadoes. At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. as derived from photogrammetric analysis. Tuesday, April 10, 1979 seemed like a perfect spring day - right up until a tornado appeared seemingly out of nowhere, cutting a path through Wilbarger County and Vernon that left 11 dead, dozens injured and millions of dollars of property destroyed. those all. One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. A total of 10 people received injuries due to the high winds. A tool shed was blown away, trees uprooted, and utility poles damaged, and the Pontiac Company building was destroyed. Wayne Collamore, View looking northwest east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:20 pm CST. February 18, 2023 (64 years old) View obituary. 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. 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. 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. The twister did level a number of telephone poles along Highway 283, before dissipating just east of 283 near Maybelle. 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. If McNiel Junior High had been fully occupied by students and teachers at the time of the tornado, there would have been hundreds of additional casualties and many more deaths. Elizabeth Burk Newton. Eleven of the 16 people left homes that were not even damaged. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. Earlier on the same day, several tornadoes hit farther west. 8. 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. The damage was quite hit and miss. Caused a total of $449,000 in damage. View obituary. Small buildings were damaged or destroyed, and roofs, signs, oil field derricks and tanks were damaged. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. A detailed mapping of each house and public/commercial building in the city led to the construction of an F-scale map. The night time tornadoes, although strong, were not as devastating as the ones that occurred in the Red River Valley during the afternoon. Additional light rural damage occurred in the miles of Wichita County that the tornado covered. 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. The trees on the southwest edge of the city were denuded of limbs and bark. ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. 1979 tornado outbreak leaves massive damage and 57 dead in Texoma. I'm surprised he got the tornado in the frame. The tornadoes pictured here were part of the Red River Valley Outbreak, the biggest event of that year. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. NWS The following severe weather account is by Gene Moore. On that spring day, three large supercell storms developed, each producing a series of tornadoes that moved quickly across the northern Texas and southern Oklahoma plains. 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. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. 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). It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. Stability indices indicated the air throughout central. . ), March 31, 1892 - A tornado hit parts of Iowa Park where a house was moved 30 feet and destroyed, injuring 3 occupants. Also, the second story of the press box at the high school football stadium was blown off and scattered across the playing field. 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). Rivers and Lakes About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. 1 A tornado struck Waco and McLennan County on May 11, 1953, inflicting 114 deaths, 597 injuries, and damages of $4i.2 million. On April 10, 1979, a devastating tornado struck Wichita Falls in North Texas. The Wichita Falls tornado, with how black . "It was just a regular old day. To date, it is the most damaging tornado in US history. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Further statistics reveal that 25 of the deaths were auto-related. Those who were caught in automobiles and trucks made up a high percentage of the fatalities. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. The tornado then moved east-northeast into the Western hills neighborhood, south of Southwest Parkway. Robert Molet. The tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage. National Weather Service [7] It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita counties. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. Just minutes later all counties included in Watch Area #67 were being alerted through statements by the NWS Forecast Offices (WSFOs) at Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up. This means that those people who moved to the center part of their houses, got down low, and covered themselves, by-in-large escaped with their lives, sustaining injuries instead of death. During this time I was trying to shoot pictures through the window. The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). Museum of the Kansas National Guard . Well-built modern houses, in general, offer fairly good protection from tornadoes. Horner was . At the Iowa Park Fairgrounds, wind damage covered a 4-block area. The southern supercell, the Wichita Falls storm, produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 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. By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. While only on the ground for 35 minutes, the 800-foot-wide twister killed seven people, injured 111, and destroyed 225 homes. 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. It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. It was on the ground for 11 miles. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed The clouds would roll over like they were collapsing into a deep hold. Five bus passengers were injured when they took shelter in a ditch, only to have the bus roll onto them. 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. . Six barns and two homes were destroyed. The Wichita Falls storm produced a third and final tornado about 2000 CST (8:00 PM) near Pruitt, OK. As the tornado neared the road it began to shrink in size and slowed a little, aiding our hasty retreat. Numerous other thunderstorms trekked across the area between Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Brownwood during the early evening, as the surface front, now occluded in the Panhandle, pushed relentlessly eastward. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. ), 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. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. 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 first tornado formed near Seymour at around 4:53 pm. Losses eligible for Federal disaster relief totaled $63 million, but Federal disaster assistance did not cover additional millions in damages. After dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the east side of Vernon. In particular, note the sharp decline in reflectivity near the genesis time and during the life of the Wichita Falls tornado with maximum values less than 45 dBZ for a brief period. A furniture warehouse was also destroyed when severe winds tore the back wall and roof off of the building. 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. Pat Blacklock, View looking north from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Thanks to Bob Davies-Jones from NSSL we saw another tornado as the storm moved into Wichita Falls. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. Perennially the State perseveres through frequent bombardments of hail, high winds, and flash floods, often with the accompaniment of tornadoes-as well as the threat of being struck on its coastal flank by a hurricane or intense tropical cyclone. Bulletin American Meteorological Society, 61, 1033-34. 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. 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). Life Cycle of the Wichita Falls Tornadic Storm. Over 3,000 homes were destroyed and another 1,000 were damaged, and over 1,000 apartment units/ condominiums were destroyed and another 130 damaged. Troy Glover. Weather Radio, About Us 3 Comanche County, OK. 17:05 F3. The storm killed eight people in Sandusky before moving east over Lake Erie and striking Lorain, where 72 were killed. 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). Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. The April 10, 1979, tornado that hit Wichita Falls is the state's fifth-deadliest and one of the largest in U.S. history. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Home; Exhibits and Displays Weather Bureau records. It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . A tornado on the gust front developed at 3:01 pmCST near Wichita Falls Municipal Airport and traveled east approximately 1/2 mile before dissipating near Sheppard AFB at 3:04 pmCST. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. All NOAA. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) . (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. ), 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. As the first violent tornado on record to hit the Wichita Falls area, [18] it left seven dead and more than 100 injured. The intense damage averaged between one quarter and one half of a mile in width. The width of the F4 damage in the Wichita Falls tornado approached 0.5 miles in the area of Faith Village and Ben Milam Elementary School (location #6). Widespread downburst winds and hail brought damages of $200,000 to the town of Iowa Park alone. Deaths were near normal . Daily Weather History The late afternoon lighting was much different on this storm giving a yellowish cast as we looked southwest. Minor damage occurred to some fences and the area. The tornado moved to the north-northwest during its life before lifting 2 miles from Burkburnett. The twister was almost a mile wide when it entered the Faith Village neighborhood on the north side of the east-west oriented Southwest Parkway. Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. Thus, the tornado damage/intensity was officially rated as a strong F4 tornado. 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. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records .) The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. Miss Mahon's parents and five brothers and sisters wept as the Rev. Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 7:25 AM PST. 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. Also, tornado survivors said that some golf ball size hail fell prior to and immediately after the tornado. View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Fortunately, on April 10, 1979, McNiel Junior High was almost totally unoccupied when the tornado struck and a worse catastrophe was avoided. Final totals across three states were 181 killed and 970 injured. 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. Weather Radio, About Us As a result of the early warning, the casualty list of 3 dead and 109 injured was relatively small despite the destruction of several hundred homes and businesses. The tornado killed 42 Wichita Falls residents and caused over $200 million in damages, leaving 20 percent of the city's population homeless. 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 . A trailer and three barns were destroyed. 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. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs Further to the northeast we could see a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. Graphical Forecasts 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. 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 three main storms in the Red River Valley outbreak were giant tornadoes. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes. The collingsworth family is a southern gospel /inspirational group started by phil and kim collingsworth and features their family as the group. A fourth tornado touched down just outside of Seymour an hour later, but again damage was comparatively minor. One thousand and sixty-two apartment units and condominiums were demolished and 130 damaged. Local The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. However, several small communities, among them Harrold, Texas and Grandfield, Oklahoma, were hit by the storm. much of the Trans-Pecos region. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. At Sheppard Air Force Base, winds up to 70 mph tore countless limbs from trees and knocked out windows on some base housing units. 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. 6. Winston Wells, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. We decided to make a break for it to the east which was not a smart move. Fire Weather At the time we passed in front of the funnel the mud road had become slick enough that the car was not going very fast anymore. Storm Pictures. Casualty data were supplied by the Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices. 2 All times in Central Standard Time. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Tornado Pictures. Fire Weather 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). Wildfire Safety