Wayne Collamore, View looking west about 3-4 miles east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. Two reports can be found on this web site. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. On April 10, 1979, a huge F4 tornado touched down just outside of Wichita Falls. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. 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. The Wichita Falls tornado, with how black . In many years at least some portions of the Lone Star State experience destruction or severe damage from an untimely freeze, a debilitating drought, or a lengthy spell of excessive rains. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover. Three thousand and 95 homes were destroyed while roofs of many other buildings were sheared away. (Rated F2 by the NWS. A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. A mattress fell beside the vehicle and I looked out to see a woman standing in what appeared to be a junk yard. The northern supercell, the Vernon-Lawton storm, produced its first tornado at 1505 CST (3:05 PM) south of Crowell, TX. Simon Cornelis Maria Vermeij was born on March 26, 1959 in Amsterdam, son of Hendrikus Gerardus Vermeij and Henritte Christina Maria Steur. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes as part of a three-member tornado family. Aug 23, 2005 163 3 0 58 Norman Ok www.chasestories.com. Minor wind damage and hail to 2 inches in diameter occurred north of the tornado track in Wichita Falls, in conjunction with its parent supercell. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. The twister, which had a wide funnel, shrouded the community in darkness as it swept eastward south of Vernon and along the east side of the city, resulting in millions of dollars in damage and 11 directly killed by the tornado (10 in Vernon and 1 in Lockett, TX). Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 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). Tours. Storm Data, Weather Safety It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. While the leading edge of the moist, tropical air had already surged northward across the Red River, giving Wichita Falls a vigorous southeasterly wind and a climbing dew point (Figure 16), the advancing edge of much drier, continental air swept eastward out of the High Plains and undercut the less dense and more moist tropical air. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. 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. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. Severe Weather Safety Sep 18, 2004. Here we goa hymn request from Erlene: Great Is His Faithfulness, sung by the Collingsworth Family. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. 1. 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 Wichita Falls tornado of April 10, 1979 was one of thirteen tornadoes which rampaged across parts of north Texas and Oklahoma that "Terrible Tuesday." This over one mile-wide beast. . (Rated F2 by the NWS. 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). But as the day progressed, and the storms began to form, a good day turned into a bad day. 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. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. A number of people were also killed or injured in the parking lot of Sikes Senter (sic) Mall, also on Kemp Boulevard. The killer tornadoes that ravaged parts of three Texas communities near the Red River late in the afternoon stemmed from a wave of very intense thunderstorms that developed shortly after noon when a dry line advanced rapidly eastward out of the High Plains ahead of an approaching Pacific cold front. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. Flood Warnings 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. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. Such a total would mean that between 10% and 20% of the population of the city was displaced by the tornado. Final totals across three states were 181 killed and 970 injured. Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. Further statistics reveal that 25 of the deaths were auto-related. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Twenty-five of the deaths were. Barns were destroyed and livestock was killed, including horses on two farms. 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. Multiple locations were found. 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. It damaged homes and oil storage tanks as it moved east toward Wichita Falls. Read More. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. The tornado moved northeastward as was described as a "dirty green funnel." Please Contact Us. We were under an extensive rain free updraft area on the southeast side of the storm. Local Climate Data After the tornado, a thorough investigation of the damage was performed by Texas Tech University, Institute for Disaster Research, and the University of Chicago. All but one of the 12 large glass windows in the tower were blown out, and control tower personnel had only abandoned their tower posts 4 minutes before. The long, slender tornado was milky white in appearance and was accompanied by a loud roar. Rivers and Lakes 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 mobile home was destroyed near Faxson, resulting in two serious injuries. First indications of tornado damage were near Harrold, which is located approximately 16 miles southwest of Vernon. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. These figures include 12 counties. Over 100 commercial businesses, some of them large manufacturing concerns, were destroyed. 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. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. The siren system for the city was sounded three times, the last around 5:50 p.m., just as the storm spotters reported the tornado approaching Memorial Stadium in the southwestern suburbs of Wichita Falls. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. During this period, large hail was occurring in the central and northern portions of Wichita Falls as the tornado devastated the southern portion of the city. ), 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. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. The collingsworth family is a southern gospel /inspirational group started by phil and kim collingsworth and features their family as the group. Severe weather warnings had been in effect for Wichita County and Wichita Falls for almost an hour. View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. Nationwide, Current Conditions Local ), 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. It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. The sun had set, and the moon was now a crescent. The tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage. Aerial Reconnaissance photos- Source Don Burgess; Credit: NASA, Mission 399; Roll: #3; Film Type: 50-397; Frames: 041 to 050; Date: 4/12/1979, Damage photos - Source: Don Burgess; Credit: NSSL; Institute for Disaster Research, at Texas Tech University, Harrold, TX photos - Credit: Wayne Collamore, Doppler Radar images - Source: Don Burgess; Credit: NSSL, Satellite images - Source: Dennis McCarthy, Former MIC, NWSFO OUN; Credit: NOAA/NWS. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. This was the most spectacular event I had ever witnessed to date. Crossing into Oklahoma, the tornado inflicted additional damage near Waurika before dissipating. Non Precipitation Warnings Elizabeth Burk Newton. ), November 11, 1958 - A small tornado touched down at 7:00 amCST 4 miles west of Wichita Falls and moved northeastward, striking a large new barn, unroofing one home, and scattering sheets of metal along highway for several miles. That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and . 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. In addition, the author hopes that the analyses will serve as a handy source of reference to those who seek to recall the past and those whose research work attempts to relate the weather to other aspects of human existence. ), 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. 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." Jeanine V. Wolff. Ingredients for a devastating severe weather event were beginning to come together on the morning of April 10. All Nature. The southern supercell, the Wichita Falls storm, produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 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. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, one of the most significant outbreaks on record for this region, occurred on April 10, 1979. Preprints, 12th Conference Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, Boston, 441-443. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. The destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. The twister moved east-northeastward across the northern part of the city, and continued into Clay County before lifting at 6:10 pm CST near the town of Dean. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. Skywarn Storm Spotters 1964, and another in 1979. Past Weather Events A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. Tornado Database 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. 15:55 F2. This information is part of Stamboom Vermeij by Truus Vermeij on Genealogy Online. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. 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. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. The last siren from the city's warning system sounded around 5:50 p.m. the same time that storm spotters reported seeing the tornado . Select western north Texas tornado statistics by decade, county or city from the menus or maps below. 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. At the end of the outbreak, 54 people lost their lives in Texas, three were killed in Oklahoma and one was killed in Indiana. The Southwest National Bank Building was totally destroyed except for its concrete vault, a proxy for an above-ground shelter. 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. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. . Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. Wichita Falls Buries the First of 44 Tornado Victims, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/14/archives/wichita-falls-buries-the-first-of-44-tornado-victims.html. Rivers and Lakes It looked killer from the beginning. 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. We decided to make a break for it to the east which was not a smart move. This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. Is it curse or coincidence? Surface Maps A few hours earlier that day, another tornado tore through Vernon, killing 10 residents and injuring more than 60 others. Apr 8, 2009 #1 NWS OUN has put up a nice page for the 30th anniversary of this monster: . Two Oklahoma University meteorology students (including Wayne Collamore) photographed the large tornado, which descended from a rotating wall cloud under the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. Near the center of the tornado and about a half mile south of the mall, a church was demolished with one person killed inside the building. Tornado Database Tornado warning and preparedness systems are worth the time and effort it takes to maintain them. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. 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