Please try another search. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes. That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and . The tornado dissipatedtwo minutes later and caused no damage. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs Tornado Database One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. Three isolated supercells, forming in mid afternoon, moved northeastward as a trio and were responsible for the worst part of the outbreak. Surface Maps To commemorate this event, the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma has compiled a large amount of information including: tornado photos of the Wichita Falls, Vernon, Seymour, and Harrold, TX tornadoes; damage photos; images of radar and satellite data; other maps and diagrams of the event; and storm data for Oklahoma and western north Texas. On April 10, 1979, a devastating tornado struck Wichita Falls in North Texas. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) . This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. 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. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? Numbers for 1979 were similar to that of 1980. Forty-two people were killed outright by the storm and 3 others died as a result of heart attacks. By the way, here's a USA Today article about the 1979 tornado with a photo of that monster. 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. Damage to city property totaled $5 million while Sheppard AFB had $10 million in damages. Severe Weather Safety Of the 7 people killed, six occurred in 5 different homes, and one man was killed when his truck was thrown from a road. Elizabeth Burk Newton. Numerous other disruptive weather events, including torrential, flash-flooding rains, scattered but frequent incidents of hail, and a widespread dust and sand storm, highlighted April, an unusually wet but seasonably mild month for most Texans. Summer Weather Safety Weather Bureau records. February 21, 1994 - Thunderstorms developed in the western part of north Texas during the afternoon hours of February 21st and produced a small weak tornado, hail up to nickel size and damaging winds. 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). April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. Averages and Records Current Hazards Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. To date, it is the most damaging tornado in US history. We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. Other data were supplied by the American National Red Cross. Wayne Collamore, View looking west just east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. 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. Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Casualty data were supplied by the Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. . We left NSSL in Norman, Oklahoma at 10:30 AM to our target of Vernon, TX. Stones as large as two inches were reported further to our northeast. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? 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. Gene is a graduate of Oklahoma University who photographed storms when he lived in Norman, Oklahoma during the 1970s. Other data was found using U.S. High winds in Burkburnett toppled several large trees and damaged limbs, signs, and fences throughout town. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. 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. 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 . April 10, 1979 by James R Mcdonald _ Joseph E. Minor April 20, 1979 . About 1540 CST (3:40 PM), a tornado devastated the southeastern portion of Vernon, TX (11 fatalities). Property damage in the affected areas included 225 homes destroyed, with 50 homes suffering major damage, 200 homes incurring minor damage, and 16 other building receiving major damage. Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. Note that the 50 dBZ core was no longer evident. Winter Weather The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. (Rated F3 by the NWS. Severe Weather Safety A furniture warehouse was also destroyed when severe winds tore the back wall and roof off of the building. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. Deaths were near normal . The northern supercell, the Vernon-Lawton storm, produced its first tornado at 1505 CST (3:05 PM) south of Crowell, TX. The third member of the family formed near Waurika, Oklahoma, at around 8:00p.m. The tornado was about a half-mile wide when it struck Memorial Stadium, snapping light standards and causing heavy damage to the field house. 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). The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Those sources of meteorological data used in this report consist of: official rainfall, snowfall, temperature, wind, sunshine, and moisture data as provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the publications, "Climatological Data: Texas," "Local Climatological Data" (for selected cities), "Storm Data, and "Daily Weather Maps;" weather teletype reports (circuits "A" and "C") from the National Weather Service surface and upper-air observing network; surface and upper-air facsimile charts provided by the National Meteorological Center of NOAA; newspaper accounts; and photographic data obtained by the author. We knew the storms were coming, but didn't want to meet fast moving cells head-on in the low visibilities north of the warm front. FAQ Skywarn Storm Spotters 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. 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. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. (Rated F2 by the NWS.). Multiple locations were found. Joe Landon Haney. Elizabeth Lee Burk Newton 82 of Wichita Falls Tx. Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant. The warnings were being broadcast repeatedly by two local TV stations and three local radio stations which were receiving continuously updated information over the emergency hotline connecting them with the Wichita Falls WSO. Past Weather Events It damaged several homes and businesses before going into Wichita Falls where it . Several brief touchdowns in Seymour resulted in scattered roof damage and one overturned truck. Special Weather Statements The Wichita Falls storm produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 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. Just after 5:00 p.m., another tornado spawned by the same thunderstorm system crashed into Lawton, Oklahoma. 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. ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. For example, the police chief called the city manager out of a meeting with county commissioners. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. Sep 18, 2004. There was strong upper level dynamics all coming together to produce strong tornado-producing supercells. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. 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