age through the southern half of tne city. The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes as part of a three-member tornado family. Six cross-country steel transmission towers were destroyed just east of Farm Road 2650. Rampaging killer tornadoes and devastating floodwaters brought unparalleled tragedy to groups of communities in the Low Rolling Plains and the Upper Coast of Texas during April. It was the remains of her home. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. A total of 2 homes were completely destroyed with 31 homes and 17 mobile homes being damaged. In 1978 Wichita Falls was the host of the first NCAA Division I-AA championship game. Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. This was the most spectacular event I had ever witnessed to date. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. ), 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. 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. 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. Tornado Database Robert Molet. Graphical Forecasts The clouds in the flanking lines exploded up the back of the storm through the back-sheared anvil to the overshooting top. There were 59 reported tornados on the ground in the . Please try another search. 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). Had we gotten stuck in the damage of the town the chase would have been over. 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. Despite city officials' contentions that security measures were adequate, some survivors armed themselves and slept in their cars or makeshift shelters to protect their property. 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 . Three isolated supercells, forming in mid afternoon, moved northeastward as a trio and were responsible for the worst part of the outbreak. Sep 18, 2004. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage. Rain was beginning to rotate totally around the funnel at this time and the tornado was producing an audible roar so loud it was hard to communicate. Apr 20, 2012 - The April 10, 1979 tornado in Wichita Falls. The moonlight felt like a reminder of the pain and sorrow that awaited him as he stared at its yellow haze. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. Eleven of the 16 people left homes that were not even damaged. Eddie was trying to tell me something; finally with some tugging, he got my attention. This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. wichita falls tornado 1979 deathsare there really purple owls "The damage path was one of the widest I have ever seen, and its intensity was almost equal to that of the giant . A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. Caused a total of $449,000 in damage. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. 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. (Colonial Park, Hursh, Southmoor, Southwinds, and Southern Hills) A number of people tried to flee as the tornado moved along US 281 and 287 by driving east on Southwest Parkway. The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people and caused $400 million in damage ($1.93billion in today's dollars). The tornado was at the top of the hill less than a mile away. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. US Dept of Commerce Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. On Saturday, June 28, 1924, a deadly F4 tornado struck the Lake Erie shoreline communities of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. Before leaving the east side of the city, the tornado destroyed the Sun Valley housing area, the Sunnyside Heights Mobile Home Park, and several large commercial businesses, including the Levi Strauss Plant. 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. WICHITA FALLS The tenth day of April is a day that will be forever etched in the history of the city of Wichita Falls.42 years ago, on April 10, 1979, a severe weather outbreak in North Texas . auto-related; 16 of that total died while in their autos trying to flee the storm, and 11 of that number abandoned homes not touched by the tornado. The southern supercell, the Wichita Falls storm, produced its first tornado at 1653 CST (4:53 PM) near Seymour, TX. 8. (Rated F2 by the NWS. "The common notion, born in the aftermath of the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado, that being in a vehicle during a tornado warning is synonymous with injury and death can no longer be assumed or promoted. 6. These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. Flood/Flash Flood Safety Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the time of tornado touchdown. Current Hazards 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. Just minutes later all counties included in Watch Area #67 were being alerted through statements by the NWS Forecast Offices (WSFOs) at Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. FAQ Just after 5:00 p.m., another tornado spawned by the same thunderstorm system crashed into Lawton, Oklahoma. 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). Rob Satkus EF2. Daily Weather History Why the Red River Valley between Childress and Bowie received the most severe outbreak of thunderstorms is explained by Figures 19-26. After dark, another jet stream wind maximum moved northeastward into west central and northern Texas, sparking a second round of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Residents of Seymour reported that the tornado was preceded by very heavy rain and hail almost 2 inches in diameter. Wichita Falls plagued by tornadoes on April 10, 1979 A tornado set down at 5:50 p.m. about three miles east-northeast of Holliday. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. The brick building at the water works plant was heavily damaged, and a woman suffered a broken back when her home was destroyed 3 miles south of Burkburnett. US Dept of Commerce That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and . 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). Sirens blew as the tornado bore down on Vernon. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. 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). Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. We proceeded southwest toward Seymour witnessing a small tornado near Lake Kemp that was accompanied by golf ball size hail. One person was injured. The majority of the fatalities were in vehicles, and a number of those victims left homes that were undamaged by the tornado only to be caught in its deadly path as they tried to flee. Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Hail ranged in sizes "from mothballs to pineapples." Wichita Falls(/wtt/WITCH-i-tah) is a city in and the seat of governmentof Wichita County, Texas, United States. Five bus passengers were injured when they took shelter in a ditch, only to have the bus roll onto them. The reason for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that provided little safety. Deaths were near normal . It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. Three people were injured in a mobile home near the beginning of the path. At about the mid-point in the atmosphere (around 500 mb), significant cold air advection occurred, thus exacerbating unsettled conditions, already present (Figure 23). Aloft, the strong wind maximum was over the Red River area, producing significant vertical wind shear. Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. (This tornado was documented and rated F2 by Tom Grazulis in his book, Significant Tornadoes. Every year in the United States the threat of a catastrophe looms whenever tornadoes approach large gatherings of people. 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. 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