Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. [19] As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "It was just a regular old day. Three people were injured. He died on July 16, 1979 in El Arenal, Spanje (Palma de Mallorca). Please select one of the following: Local Enhanced Radar (Central Oklahoma-KTLX), Local Standard Radar (KTLX-low bandwidth), Local Enhanced Radar (Southwest OK/Western North TX-KFDR), Local Standard Radar (KFDR-low bandwidth), Local Standard Radar (KVNX-low bandwidth), Averages and Records for OKC, Wichita Falls & Lawton, NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database"), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Near Kamay - Wichita Valley Airport - Sheppard AFB, NW Wichita Falls (FM-369/ Seymour Highway)- Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls (near Midwestern University), 3 ENE Holliday- Wichita Falls- 4 E Byers- NNE of Waurika OK, Wichita Falls (4 SSW - 1 E center of town). Other data were supplied by the American National Red Cross. Wayne Collamore, View looking west about 3-4 miles east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. High winds in Burkburnett toppled several large trees and damaged limbs, signs, and fences throughout town. It looked killer from the beginning. In Wichita Falls, an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and radio stations assured rapid and complete local dissemination. The tornado was at the top of the hill less than a mile away. McNiel Junior High School is shown in the middle left of this and all of the following photos. CoCoRaHS Satellite Imagery, Forecasts 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. The funnel was quite close at this time and large black crows were caught up in the outer circulation. Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. Local Enhanced Radar (Central Oklahoma-KTLX), Local Standard Radar (KTLX-low bandwidth), Local Enhanced Radar (Southwest OK/Western North TX-KFDR), Local Standard Radar (KFDR-low bandwidth), Local Standard Radar (KVNX-low bandwidth), Averages and Records for OKC, Wichita Falls & Lawton, radar-derived storm tops exceeded 50,000 feet and reflectivities were higher than 50 dBZ, a core of greater than 50 dBZ and two mesocyclones, tornado-associated mesocyclone and hook echo in the right rear portion of the echo, its movement toward the stadium and junior high, >many cars in the mall parking lot were blown some distance and stacked on top of each other, Map of the Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak in North Texas and southern Oklahoma by (Fujita and Wakimoto), Map of Significant Weather Events which occurred between 6 AM CST April 10, 1979 and 6 AM CST April 11, 1979 (Burgess), Tornado Watch Box #67 issued by the National Severe Storms Forecast Center - valid 230 PM to 700 PM CST, April 10, 1979, Storm Track of the Wichita Falls, Texas Supercell on April 10, 1979 (Burgess), Time/Height Profile of the Wichita Falls, Texas Supercell on April 10, 1979 (Burgess), Map of Radar Reflectivity and Mesocyclone Positions of the Wichita Falls, Texas Supercell at 530 pm CST, April 10, 1979 (Burgess), Map of Radar Reflectivity and Mesocyclone Position of the Wichita Falls, Texas Supercell at 600 pm CST, April 10, 1979 (Burgess), Approximate Damage Path of the Wichita Falls Tornado on April 10, 1979 (, Map of the Red River Valley Area of Oklahoma and Texas Showing Communities and Counties Affected by the April 10, 1979 Tornadoes (NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Severe Storms Laboratory storm chasers photographed the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at 4:00 pm CST. By this time teams from NSSL and the University of Oklahoma had arrived. While photographing this shot I began to feel vibration in the camera. Horner was . Winter Weather Warnings The half-mile wide tornado crossed the Red River into Oklahoma about 9 miles north-northeast of Electra. ", "At Vernon, reports of earlier damage to the southwest of the city had alerted spotters and city officials. The reason for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that provided little safety. 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. April 10, 1979 - The tornado, which was part of a tornado outbreak in the Red River valley area, began at 5:50 pmCST on the southwest flank of its parent supercell thunderstorm about 3 miles east-northeast of Holliday. Would we have seen the tornado and diverted? 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. (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. Past Weather Events Tornado Pictures. Assuredly, no two years weatherwise in Texas are even remotely similar, for the community that reeled one year from a capricious dry spell likely is the recipient of plenty of rain in the following year, while a not-too-distant neighboring locale that hurt from a disastrous hailstorm one Spring experiences relative calm during the following year's storm season. Our path across the Red River was always through Lawton; then we usually took a short cut on OK 36 and OK 5 through open wheat country to Fredrick and Vernon. A number of people were also killed or injured in the parking lot of Sikes Senter (sic) Mall, also on Kemp Boulevard. US Dept of Commerce July 21, 1961 - A small, weak tornado touched down briefly in the eastern part of Wichita Falls, about 3 miles from the airport. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. By mid-afternoon the surface low had migrated northeastward toward the northern Low Rolling Plains, where steep pressure falls of up to 8mb or more in three hours were observed (Figure 16 insert). Wrecked cars were smashed against bridge abutments, a power plant was knocked out, and part of a high school was destroyed. . The tornado continued into Clay County, resulting in no deaths, but 40 additional injuries. Six cross-country steel transmission towers were destroyed just east of Farm Road 2650. The Wichita Falls area has been visited by tornadoes many times over the course of its history. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. Upper Air Maps 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. 8. Surface Maps Averages and Records The Wichita Falls storm produced a third and final tornado about 2000 CST (8:00 PM) near Pruitt, OK. Other homes in the area were damaged. The middle supercell, the Harrold-Grandfield storm, produced the longest-track tornado of the outbreak (64 mile path length) at 1555 CST (3:55 PM). We give still life with tornado and numerous ebook collections from fictions to scientific research in any way. It was the remains of her home. Local Storm Reports The sun had set, and the moon was now a crescent. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. The night time tornadoes, although strong, were not as devastating as the ones that occurred in the Red River Valley during the afternoon. Winds gusted the 93 miles per hour (mph) in Guadalupe Mountain National Park at mid-afternoon, while wind gusts of 60 mph or more stirred up dust and sand that reduced visibilities at many points from El Paso to Midland to 3 miles; at Lubbock visibilities dropped to 1 1/2 miles by late afternoon. Half of the injuries sustained by Vernon residents were deemed critical by city officials. A very intense spring storm shifted out of the Rocky Mountains on April 10, generating lines of severe thunderstorms that swept across the northern portion of the State. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. Robert Molet. Gene is a graduate of Oklahoma University who photographed storms when he lived in Norman, Oklahoma during the 1970s. Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area. The tornadoes destroyed the press box and lights at Memorial Stadium, which lead to the Pioneer Bowl being. Over 100 commercial businesses, some of them large manufacturing concerns, were destroyed. It didn't seem like any storms were in the area. 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. Non Precipitation Warnings More. Also, the second story of the press box at the high school football stadium was blown off and scattered across the playing field. April 26, 1962 - This tornado initially touched down at 10:45 pmCST on the Sheppard Access Road near Sheppard AFB, damaging several cars, and destroying a a 100 x 30 foot metal building at a motor company. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. ), 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. Fifty mph sustained inflow winds were occurring at this time. For example, the police chief called the city manager out of a meeting with county commissioners. Flood/Flash Flood Safety Storm Spotter Training Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. On the first street of houses to the northeast of Lange's apartment complex, Robert Molet also photographed the approaching tornado (location #3). Fortunately, the tornado moved through rural areas and did not affect any housing at this stage. ), April 24, 1923 - A tornado blew apart five homes 3 miles south-southwest of Burkburnett and 6 oil derricks where also destroyed. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. One of the tornadoes, having a width that varied from 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles, cut a swath of devastation across the southern sector of Wichita Falls in less than 30 minutes, killing 42 persons, injuring more than 1700, and burying dozens of city blocks under tons of debris. A dry line had formed from the Childress low southward, and temperatures had become very warm in west Texas. According to the American National Red Cross, 7,759 families suffered losses in the storms (Table 1). It was on the ground for 11 miles. 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. The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Storm Data, Weather Safety The Red River Valley tornado outbreak of April 10, 1979 is one of the most significant tornado outbreaks that ever occurred in western north Texas and southern Oklahoma. He is now self-employed and lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas. Total property damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400,000,000 (in 1979 dollars). 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. Per the SPC Database, 25 tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado in KS. 1964, and another in 1979. Scary stuff. Please Contact Us. 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. 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. But before the day's end, three very large, devastating tornadoes swept across the area leaving scores dead and hundreds injured. Then, a second vicious tornado formed near Thalia and moved into Lockett, where a driver of an auto was killed when her vehicle was thrown 200 yards off the highway. Questions? 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. Multiple locations were found. We received the following letter from Joel Manes, who was living in Wichita Falls, Texas on April 10, 1979. We Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage. Forecasters at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City1 had to decide only how soon tornadoes would develop and how large an area would be threatened. The thunderstorm that fostered that tornado also produced hail up to 3 inches in diameter west of Harrold. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. To date, it is the most damaging tornado in US history. The awesome "freight train like sound" was audible from the Weather Bureau Airport Station. After the tornado left Wichita Falls and travelled northeast, it entered Clay County and changed its appearance. However, widespread high winds from the parent supercell thunderstorm also produced extensive damage in the Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and Burkburnett areas. Rivers and Lakes Although high numbers of deaths have occurred in vehicles during tornadoes, the occurrences are rare.
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