wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths

McNiel Junior High School is shown in the middle left of this and all of the following photos. When was the last time there was a tornado in Wichita? There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. We left NSSL in Norman, Oklahoma at 10:30 AM to our target of Vernon, TX. Surface Maps Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. This information is part of Stamboom Vermeij by Truus Vermeij on Genealogy Online. By noon, all doubt was gone. Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. (Rated F3 by the NWS. These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. 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. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. An aerial view shows the destructive force of a powerful tornado that swept through Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. Texas was extremely unstable early in the evening (Figure 25). About 1540 CST (3:40 PM), a tornado devastated the southeastern portion of Vernon, TX (11 fatalities). ", "The thunderstorm system that produced the Vernon tornado crossed the Red River and left a 50-mile-long skipping track of tornado damage through Oklahoma. This line raced northeastward, spilling heavy rains, hail and high winds on numerous communities. 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. 5. Members of the Wichita Falls Repeater Club Weather Spotters manned their pre-planned command post on the NWS Office (WSO) and deployed radio-equipped members to vantage points that assured good observation coverage southwest of the city. Severe Weather Safety Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers. Local Climate Data However, several small communities, among them Harrold, Texas and Grandfield, Oklahoma, were hit by the storm. Miss Mahon's parents and five brothers and sisters wept as the Rev. Several apartment complexes and many homes were destroyed, with several of the first deaths occurring in this area. 10. Ingredients for a devastating severe weather event were beginning to come together on the morning of April 10. The half-mile wide tornado crossed the Red River into Oklahoma about 9 miles north-northeast of Electra. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. ), August 11, 1953 - This summertime tornado touched down at 7:00 pm CST in Wichita Falls and moved northeastward through the suburbs of the city. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. The clouds would roll over like they were collapsing into a deep hold. I can't say for sure, chasing was different back then. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs Eyewitnesses described details of the storm differently, but they were unanimous on one point -- it was an awesome, terrifying experience beyond anything they had encountered before. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage. Per the SPC Database, 25 tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado in KS. The tornado was coming down, but getting photography was difficult. Flood/Flash Flood Safety 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 . Had we gotten stuck in the damage of the town the chase would have been over. Of the 7 people killed, six occurred in 5 different homes, and one man was killed when his truck was thrown from a road. The Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles southwest of the city in Archer County, and traveled over mostly open terrain. A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. Historic data, especially before 1950, are likely incomplete. 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. 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). Other data was found using U.S. ), 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. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. We didn't get phone guidance and it was before on-board equipment. One piece of farm equipment was destroyed and damage occurred to fences and trees. A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. Three people were killed in the restaurant. The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. After dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the east side of Vernon. Sirens blew as the tornado bore down on Vernon. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. 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. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. At the Iowa Park Fairgrounds, wind damage covered a 4-block area. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. To avoid getting trapped, it's been my policy to avoid blasted cities when ever possible. 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). The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, uprooting over 200 trees along the Red River. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, one of the most significant outbreaks on record for this region, occurred on April 10, 1979. Earlier on the same day, several tornadoes hit farther west. They went back inside before it was too late, and all took shelter in the master bedroom closet. Local Storm Reports Historical weather events. More than 40 died, and about 1,700 were injured. A thunderstorm that pelted the Coleman area with golfball-size hail also generated a tornado that caused considerable damage to power lines and outbuildings north of the city. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. 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. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. 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. It was the costliest tornado in history until the F5 Moore-Oklahoma City tornado struck in 1999. . FAQ Non Precipitation Warnings Satellite Imagery, Forecasts The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. 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. Winter Weather Warnings The NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979" is available, and a synopsis and discussion of the event by Don Burgess can also be perused from this site. 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. Aug 23, 2005 163 3 0 58 Norman Ok www.chasestories.com. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed Life Cycle of the Wichita Falls Tornadic Storm. Tornado Database Averages and Records In addition, many businesses, cars, trees, windows, TV antennas, and power poles incurred damage. June 16, 1997 - A survey conducted by a National Weather Service meteorologist confirmed that an F1 tornado touched down briefly about 5 miles southeast of Burkburnett (or 1.5 miles north of the north end of Sheppard AFB). I often read in more general reference books as well as a handful of weather books that a tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, on April 2, 1958 had a wind gust recorded at 280 mph. South in Texas the Red River destroyed, with several of the Wichita Falls tornado formed miles! Of destruction in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the outbreak near Stadium! There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of Vernon, TX destruction in his driveway... The homes that were left actually incurred damage the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems ; are. 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