Winter Weather No explanation for the unusually low reflectivity values with that phase of the storm (sensed by several radars) has been developed. US Dept of Commerce A dry line had formed from the Childress low southward, and temperatures had become very warm in west Texas. A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. Most of the destroyed homes had some of these interior walls still standing after the tornado. We didn't get phone guidance and it was before on-board equipment. The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather The electrical power to local stations was down from the storm which prevented the gas pumps from operating and us from getting more gas. People from the shopping center took shelter in refrigerator vaults, in restrooms, and under closets. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Known as the Red River Valley tornado outbreak or "Terrible Tuesday," 30 tornadoes ran rampant. 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). Also, the second story of the press box at the high school football stadium was blown off and scattered across the playing field. 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. 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. Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at 4:00 pm CST. Skywarn Storm Spotters Why the Red River Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures 19-26. Pat Blacklock. ", 1 The Storm Prediction Center is now located in Norman, Oklahoma NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. Non Precipitation Warnings Rob Satkus EF2. much of the Trans-Pecos region. Wichita Falls Tornado. Sep 18, 2004. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. February 16, 2023. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. He had allegedly been sexually assaulted, tortured, murdered, then his body ran through a full cycle in the dishwasher- officials speculated the killer had . NOAA Disaster Survey Report 80-1, Chapter 1. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. There is no doubt that hundreds of lives were saved by the news media and siren warnings. 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. Wichita Falls(/wtt/WITCH-i-tah) is a city in and the seat of governmentof Wichita County, Texas, United States. Weather Radio, About Us McNiel Junior High School is shown in the middle left of this and all of the following photos. The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. The long, slender tornado was milky white in appearance and was accompanied by a loud roar. Pinterest. The southern supercell, the Wichita Falls storm, produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. On the first street of houses to the northeast of Wolfgang Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (Tornado Track Figure; Location #3). Multiple vortices are seen in this photo. Three people were injured. CoCoRaHS 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. 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. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Tornado caused $3,500,000 to the downtown business district in. 25 of those deaths were vehicle related. 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 . 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." Dr. Ted Fujita of the University of Chicago used these surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind speeds associated with the tornado. A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. By afternoon, the warm front had lifted to the vicinity of the Red River, and a new low pressure area had formed near Childress. 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 destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. The Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles southwest of the city in Archer County, and traveled over mostly open terrain. One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. Bailey Turnpike to Lawton we were in low clouds with light fog and drizzle. The width of the F1 damage was generally as wide as one mile, and the extent of the F0 damage was even wider, but so widespread that it was not mapped. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. During its life, radar-derived storm tops exceeded 50,000 feet and reflectivities were higher than 50 dBZ. A wind maximum gusting to 65 knots moved over Guadalupe Peak recording station in far southwest Texas; this triggered our departure. Then the supercell spawned one that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. (This tornado was documented and rated F2 by Tom Grazulis in his book, Significant Tornadoes. Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls. Local 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. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. This thunderstorm spawned a tornado with a continuous ground track of almost 60 miles. As we drove south on the H.E. A second severe thunderstorm pounded the area just north of Brownwood with hail having a diameter of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. Pat Blacklock, View looking north from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Weather and Chasing. 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. Local Climate Data Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. May 30, 2001 - This tornado was observed at 6:30 pm CST by three people over northern portions of Lake Wichita, or 6 miles southwest of Wichita Falls. Frank Gohlke's portfolio of 40 black and white photographs, which capture the devastation of the 1979 Wichita Falls Tornado and the landscape a year later, will be on exhibition to mark the anniversary of Terrible Tuesday, April 10, 1979. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. First indications of tornado damage were near Harrold, which is located approximately 16 miles southwest of Vernon. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs 15:55 F2. May 23, 1888 - A tornado moved northeastward and passed 6 miles west of Wichita Falls during the evening of May 23, 1888. [19] 38 On April 10, 1979, a series of deadly tornadoes broke out near the Texas-Oklahoma border. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for . Multiple locations were found. Upper Air Maps A number of people tried the flee from the tornado as it crossed the south side of the city by getting in cars and driving east on Southwest Parkway, north on US Highway 281 and east again on US Highway 287. Wolfgang Lange. The tornadoes destroyed the press box and lights at Memorial Stadium, which lead to the Pioneer Bowl being. Of the 7 people killed, six occurred in 5 different homes, and one man was killed when his truck was thrown from a road. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. Preprints, 12th Conference Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, Boston, 441-443. 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. Moving into the city, the tornado first struck Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School (location #1 on the damage path diagram), severely damaging both structures. The tornado then crossed over Kemp Boulevard and destroyed several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, resulting in several additional fatalities. (Rated F2 by the NWS. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. The maximum F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was rated F0. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Thanks to Bob Davies-Jones from NSSL we saw another tornado as the storm moved into Wichita Falls. February 20, 2023 (92 years old) View obituary. 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