(1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. The tornado moved northeastward as was described as a "dirty green funnel." The giant tornado was a massive black column extending from the low striated base of the inky clouds to the ground. The strongest wind measurement logged on the USWB equipment located 1 mile south of the air base was a 55-knot peak gust. Flood Warnings Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. (Rated F1 by the NWS. There were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado. By noon, all doubt was gone. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. Mr. Molet continued to take photographs until the wind blew him into his garage. Flood/Flash Flood Safety Special Weather Statements It damaged homes and oil storage tanks as it moved east toward Wichita Falls. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. apartments in dallas that allow airbnb Uncovering hot babes since 1919. Tornado F-scale ratings prior to 1950, as well as most tornado data are referenced from Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis. Composed of three funnels fused into one and powerful winds exceeding 250 mph, this F4-rated tornado remained on the ground for an hour, destroying over a fifth of the city, lifting cars into the air, tearing buildings apart, and destroying 2,000 homes. Total damage in the city was estimated at $400 million; five thousand families (or about 20,000 people) were left homeless. 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. (Rated F2 by the NWS. Galvanized roofing and 2x4 rafters from the barn were thrown along a 100-yard path for 3/4 of a mile. At 1730 CST (5:30 PM), a core of greater than 50 dBZ and two mesocyclones were seen with the storm. Three people were killed in the restaurant. Rivers and Lakes To the north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many houses in the Western Hills Addition. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. US Dept of Commerce A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. A storm appeared on the horizon that had developed far to our south near Abilene. Used by permission of author Don Burgess. The tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage. Tornado Database Upper Air Maps Also, tornado survivors said that some golf ball size hail fell prior to and immediately after the 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. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed 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 tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. ), 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. Severe Weather Safety Summer Weather Safety About Our Office McNiel Junior High School is shown in the middle left of this and all of the following photos. 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). The storm killed eight people in Sandusky before moving east over Lake Erie and striking Lorain, where 72 were killed. The Wichita Falls area has been visited by tornadoes many times over the course of its history. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard., several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. Averages and Records One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. Other homes in the area were damaged. 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). 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. 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). ", "Storm spotter networks were alerted. The half-mile wide tornado crossed the Red River into Oklahoma about 9 miles north-northeast of Electra. The large Wichita Falls F4 tornado moving through town. Some of these people attempted to run to their cars from the mall. About the time the tornado entered town, it changed appearance, becoming one large black cloud of condensation and debris. 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. Wichita Falls Tornado 1979. 1979-04-10 Wichita Falls. We continued south passing a damage path across the highway from the Harrold tornado. A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. A trailer and three barns were destroyed. Tornado Watch #67 was issued at 1:55 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST)2 calling for tornadoes, large hail, and damaging thunderstorm winds in portions of a 30,000-square-mile area in north central Texas and southwest Oklahoma. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at approaching tornado. A furniture warehouse was also destroyed when severe winds tore the back wall and roof off of the building. 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). The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. 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. In Wichita Falls, an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and radio stations assured rapid and complete local dissemination. ", "When the giant tornado struck Wichita Falls just before 6:00 p.m., most people were not surprised. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. 1964, and another in 1979. On that day, at least 13 separate tornadoes touched down in the Texas/Oklahoma area, striking Wichita Falls, Vernon, Seymour, and a number of other towns. The funnel was quite close at this time and large black crows were caught up in the outer circulation. ", "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. 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. Precipitation was to our west through southwest and wrapped around the tornado. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. We were rushed to get into position. Most of the destroyed homes had some of these interior walls still standing after the tornado. The tornado moved to the north-northwest during its life before lifting 2 miles from Burkburnett. Several vehicles, including a bus, were flipped and tossed. For. (Rated F2 by the NWS. 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. 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. To avoid getting trapped, it's been my policy to avoid blasted cities when ever possible. We didn't get phone guidance and it was before on-board equipment. A large number of roofs were damaged at the air base, and buildings at the Wichita Valley Airport also suffered roof damage. A mattress fell beside the vehicle and I looked out to see a woman standing in what appeared to be a junk yard. 10. A Doppler radar view of the three supercells is available. |. Strong inflow winds associated with the tornado and the larger-scale mesocyclonic winds rotating around the tornado produced light damage over almost all of the city. A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. 8. Eight persons were killed outside, 4 were killed in homes or apartments, and 4 others died in public buildings. . At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. 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! My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. The event would put Wichita Falls in the national news and history books, while almost taking it off of the map. The western portion of the school building was crushed by the intense winds. There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. ), 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. Aug 23, 2005 163 3 0 58 Norman Ok www.chasestories.com. The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. 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. 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. For example, the police chief called the city manager out of a meeting with county commissioners. Anyone can read what you share. 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). These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak. The tornado was 1.5 miles wide as it passed through 8 miles of residential area in Wichita Falls. The tornado has widened and intensified at this stage. Continuing at F4 intensity, the now massive wedge tornado, which was at its maximum 1.5 miles (2.4km) wide, cut a 2.5-mile (4.0km) swath of destruction through the south side of town. April 10, 1979: The worst single tornado in Texas' history hit Wichita Falls. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. 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 tornado was associated with a line of thunderstorms that produced very heavy rains in the Wichita Falls area. The tornado was at the top of the hill less than a mile away. 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. At the Iowa Park Fairgrounds, wind damage covered a 4-block area. 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. The storm occurred in a largely uninhabited area, but heavily damaged a barn by unroofing it and buckling two of the barn walls outward. Daily Weather History 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 following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. They survived! North Texas County DA to seek death penalty for Tanner Horner, man accused of killing Athena Strand. The reason for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that provided little safety. Thanks to Bob Davies-Jones from NSSL we saw another tornado as the storm moved into Wichita Falls. Interview She and her family couldn't find their dog. Robert Molet. Local Storm Reports Skywarn Storm Spotters The tornado then crossed over Kemp Boulevard and destroyed several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, resulting in several additional fatalities. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. 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). For the most part, however, rainfall amounts were modest, with only a few points collecting more than 1 inch (Figure 27). Below are some quick facts about the event from the NWS Norman: A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. 1 A tornado struck Waco and McLennan County on May 11, 1953, inflicting 114 deaths, 597 injuries, and damages of $4i.2 million. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. Historical weather events. The storm intercept teams noted that the tornado developed from a rotating wall cloud in the Seymour area. 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. by Glasstire May 2, 2017. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. Air Quality 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. He shot these images one handed while driving down a dirt road. The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. Fire Weather By the end of the day we had seen four tornadoes, Thalia, Vernon (although not well), Lake Kemp, and Seymour. That supercell was in progress just to our northeast, although there was no direct route to catch the fast moving storm. Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. Some or all of the walls remained for well-built homes (photos 4-6 on the damage photo tab) and bathrooms in particular provided good protection. We were under an extensive rain free updraft area on the southeast side of the storm. The twister cut a swath through one-third of the city and killed. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. 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). Submit a Spot Forecast Brenda Lee Whitehead. Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. The awesome "freight train like sound" was audible from the Weather Bureau Airport Station. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls. In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. 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. In this stage, the tornado did extensive damage just south of Dean and near Byars, destroying a large number of rural homes, but causing no more fatalities, The suffering and destruction caused by the Wichita Falls tornado is nearly inconceivable. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Forty-two people were killed outright by the storm and 3 others died as a result of heart attacks. 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. 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 Our Office ", "The three main storms in the Red River Valley outbreak were giant tornadoes. . WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) . The April 10, 1979, tornado that hit Wichita Falls is the state's fifth-deadliest and one of the largest in U.S. history. We continued to drive east on a dirt road from Mabelle, Texas which is basically an intersection with a couple of old buildings. Toggle navigation. Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near. Wayne Collamore, View looking west just east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 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. Would we have seen the tornado and diverted? NWS 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). The powerful vortex, although rated only F-2, had winds of over 200 MPH. "It was just a regular old day. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. The Vernon tornado destroyed a restaurant, motel, a farm implement store, and more than a dozen homes; damage totaled $27 million. The southern supercell, the Wichita Falls storm, produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. Meanwhile, President Carter declared Oklahoma a major disaster area as a result of the tornadoes, making Federal funds available for relief and recovery efforts. ), May 9, 1951 - A supercell thunderstorm produced a small, narrow tornado that moved east-northeastward along a 5-mile path from Iowa Park to near Wichita Falls. Daily Weather History Flood Warnings By afternoon, the warm front had lifted to the vicinity of the Red River, and a new low pressure area had formed near Childress. With surface pressures in the southern High Plains plunging rapidly, a low pressure center formed in the vicinity of Lubbock around noon (Figure 15). The publication was written and prepared by George W. Bomar of Weather Modification & Technology Section of the Texas Department of Water Resources. Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident. Flood/Flash Flood Safety Fire Weather Cool Pictures. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. July 21, 1961 - A small, weak tornado touched down briefly in the eastern part of Wichita Falls, about 3 miles from the airport. Each parallelogram on the map below represents the approximate aerial coverage shown in each photo. View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. An aerial view shows the destructive force of a powerful tornado that swept through Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. National Weather Service More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. 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). WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - April 10th, 1979, a day forever ingrained in the minds of those who lived through it. Earlier in the day around daybreak, low-level moisture from the Gulf was observed pouring northward through the heart of the State while much drier air was surging eastward across the Pecos River (Figure 10). Wildfire Safety Very often, those features of Texas weather having the most import-such as the continuation or cessation of damaging drought, occurrences of flash-flooding rains, sharp changes in temperature, and incidences of tornadoes and hurricanes, cannot be discerned from the volumes of meteorological data that are published periodically. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. 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. Past Weather Events (1 death) April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma (11 deaths) April 10 - Texas, . Stability indices indicated the air throughout central. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. David Ehrenfeld read the 23d Psalm over the pearl white coffin. Explore. Severe, tornado-producing, thunderstorms erupted along the dry line and moved eastward along and north of the warm front, continuing into the night in central and northeast Oklahoma. This followed an earlier warning at 5:08 pm, due to the Rocky Point tornado. Wayne Collamore. It generally moved to the northeast, but turned to the right along the middle of its path, the period during which it produced its violent tornado. Excerpts from the Texas Department of Water Resources publication, "A Review of Texas' Weather in 1979: The Year of Devastating Tornadoes and Flash Floods," is also available. The northern supercell, the Vernon-Lawton storm, produced its first tornado at 1505 CST (3:05 PM) south of Crowell, TX. A mobile home was destroyed near Faxson, resulting in two serious injuries. -56 NWS WFO, Norman, OK. Three people were injured. The first tornado formed near Seymour at around 4:53 pm. All the storms this day exhibited violent cloud motions. After dark, another jet stream wind maximum moved northeastward into west central and northern Texas, sparking a second round of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Weather Radio, About Us Radar warnings and alerts from the Weather Bureau office were credited with saving many lives. More Observations The tornado was photographed from the south during this period by Pat Blacklock, who was located on the southern shore of Lake Wichita (Tornado Track Figure; location #5). Twenty-five of the deaths were. StormReady National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. Ben Faltinowski. Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. Historic data, especially before 1950, are likely incomplete. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records .) For the first time in years we altered that route. Storm Spotter Training April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. 16 of those 25 vehicle related deaths were from people leaving their homes to escape the. much of the Trans-Pecos region. 1979 tornado outbreak leaves massive damage and 57 dead in Texoma. After crossing U.S. Highway 281, the twister then struck the Sun Valley neighborhood and destroyed additional homes, apartments, and businesses on the south side of U.S. Highway 287. Is it curse or coincidence? One mobile home was completely destroyed on Bobby Point Road, prompting an F1 rating. 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. Burgess, D. W., 1982. In addition to the 42 fatalities directly caused by the tornado, three more people died of heart attacks and other illnesses during the stress of the tornado's passage. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. ), 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. Surprisingly, very few fatalities occurred in Faith Village. One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. It rapidly intensified to F4 intensity as it entered the city near Memorial Stadium by McNiel Jr. High School on Southwest Parkway, which was located to the west of Wichita Falls at approximately 6:07p.m., damaging both structures severely. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. The tornado was also captured on film by Troy Glover from the roof of the Bethania hospital (location #8). While photographing this shot I began to feel vibration in the camera. Thread starter Rob Satkus; Start date Apr 8, 2009; Forums. The thunderstorm that fostered that tornado also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold. ), 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.