Overall, the outbreak produced nearly 30 tornadoes and a large number of damaging wind and severe hail reports. Texas was extremely unstable early in the evening (Figure 25). In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. Click on the numbers on the map below or on each individual photo to see a larger image of that photo. Last year the Wichita Falls Museum of Art featured a show by the acclaimed American landscape photographer Frank Gohlke of his photographs of Wichita Falls in the aftermath of a massive tornado that destroyed so much of the town in 1979. 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). More than 1700 injuries occurred within Wichita Falls. As seen in the photographs by Winston Wells (location #10), the tornado became multi-vortex, displaying as many as five satellite vortices rotating around the center of circulation. Apr 8, 2009 #1 NWS OUN has put up a nice page for the 30th anniversary of this monster: . Storm Pictures. It didn't seem like any storms were in the area. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. 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. (1 death) April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma (11 deaths) April 10 - Texas, . Other homes in the area were damaged. The other times were outbreaks on June 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999. As it moved north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many homes in both the Western Hills Addition and the Faith Village Addition and severely damaged Ben Milam Elementary School. Had we gotten stuck in the damage of the town the chase would have been over. 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. ", "At Vernon, reports of earlier damage to the southwest of the city had alerted spotters and city officials. The tornado slung mud across the inside of the windshield which made it difficult to drive. Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Damage to city property totaled $5 million while Sheppard AFB had $10 million in damages. April 2, 1958 - A funnel was first spotted 8 miles southwest of Wichita Falls before touching down at 5:40 pmCST near the intersection 4th Street and Lamar Street near the Wichita River. Three isolated supercells, forming in mid afternoon, moved northeastward as a trio and were responsible for the worst part of the outbreak. The tornado's first fatalities were recorded in the apartment complex and adjoining housing area. 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. The Wichita Falls tornado, with how black . Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? About 65 people attended the funeral. Driving north on Texas 267 we witnessed the Thalia tornado. 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. 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. The powerful vortex, although rated only F-2, had winds of over 200 MPH. The Wichita Falls storm formed north of Abilene, TX. A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. The tornado was associated with a line of thunderstorms that produced very heavy rains in the Wichita Falls area. By afternoon, the warm front had lifted to the vicinity of the Red River, and a new low pressure area had formed near Childress. The tornado then swept through the Southmoor area, destroying homes and a shopping center. 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. Deaths were near normal . The mall was on the north side of the tornado path and appeared to escape the most violent winds. Wayne Collamore. February 16, 2023. 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. NOAA Disaster Survey Report 80-1, Chapter 1. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Fire Weather One man was killed at a dairy farm in Dean. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. Earlier in the day around daybreak, low-level moisture from the Gulf was observed pouring northward through the heart of the State while much drier air was surging eastward across the Pecos River (Figure 10). The tornado's first fatalities were recorded in the apartment complex and adjoining housing area. A large number of roofs were damaged at the air base, and buildings at the Wichita Valley Airport also suffered roof damage. No damage was reported from this small, weak tornado and it was rated F0. Daily Weather History FAQ Sep 18, 2004. Although his house was completely destroyed, Mr. Molet escaped with only minor injuries as his pickup truck was blown over him, protecting him from the worst winds and debris. For. The tornado was at the top of the hill less than a mile away. All of them happened in the first half of April. ", "Storm spotter networks were alerted. The following severe weather account is by Gene Moore. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. Widespread downburst winds and hail brought damages of $200,000 to the town of Iowa Park alone. 2. The publication was written and prepared by George W. Bomar of Weather Modification & Technology Section of the Texas Department of Water Resources. Lubbock, Wichita Falls, Waco, and of course Fort Worth come to mind, even Austin had one dancing around over the Capitol dome in 1922. Surface Maps While only on the ground for 35 minutes, the 800-foot-wide twister killed seven people, injured 111, and destroyed 225 homes. When it was all over, an 8 mile swath of the city over a mile wide was . 1 Wilbarger County, TX. Residents of Wichita Falls and Wichita County had been receiving severe weather warnings for close to an hour before the tornado reached the city around 6 p.m. This thunderstorm spawned a tornado with a continuous ground track of almost 60 miles. WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - April 10th, 1979, a day forever ingrained in the minds of those who lived through it. There we hoped the dryline and warm front would intersect with a strong jet stream. In New York, Ernest W. Brinkman, vice president of the Underwriters Adjusting Company, said that most of the families affected by the tornadoes were getting substantial advance payments from insurance companies for emergency shelter and repairs. 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. 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. Per the SPC Database, 25 tornadoes occurred mainly in TX and OK with one lone tornado in KS. 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. More destruction from the Wichita Falls tornado, Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:48, List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Wichita Falls, TX Tornadoes (1900-Present)", "The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979", "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 18901999", 10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2, The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of April 10, 1979, Full map of the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak, 47miles.org - A project to construct a memorial to the Wichita Falls tornado, Terrible Tuesday - Wichita Falls, Texas Tornado 1979, Terrible Tuesday (1979) Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, Terrible Tuesday: April 10, 1979 in Wichita Falls, Texas, Coming Back: Wichita Falls, TX Tornado - April 10, 1979 KAUZ-TV, Bridge Creek, Moore, & Oklahoma City (Metro), OK, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1979_Red_River_Valley_tornado_outbreak&oldid=1141443347. Some of these people had stopped their cars under an overpass on the highway, seeking shelter from the storm. Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. He had allegedly been sexually assaulted, tortured, murdered, then his body ran through a full cycle in the dishwasher- officials speculated the killer had . 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. "It was just a regular old day. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. Non Precipitation Warnings Another tornado swept the community of Harrold soon thereafter, causing much less extensive damage. Graphical Forecasts It rapidly intensified to F4 intensity as it entered the city near Memorial Stadium by McNiel Jr. High School on Southwest Parkway, which was located to the west of Wichita Falls at approximately 6:07p.m., damaging both structures severely. Anyone can read what you share. No explanation for the unusually low reflectivity values with that phase of the storm (sensed by several radars) has been developed. View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Vehicles (cars, pickups, and trucks) are poor protection and should be avoided during tornado situations in larger cities where travel is congested and tornado escape routes are not readily available and open for use. ", "Despite excellent warning lead-time and multiple soundings of the sirens, some people of Wichita Falls either did not hear the warnings or failed to take prescribed lifesaving actions. Further to the northeast we could see a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. Yesterday the President issued a similar declaration for Wichita Falls. During this time I navigated and Eddie drove. One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. (Rated F5 by the NWS.). '", "When the day had ended, the tornadoes had left in their wake a tragically high toll -- 56 dead and 1916 injured. The effects of passage of both the warm front from the Gulf and later the dry line from the west were pronounced at points like Abilene, where rapidly falling surface pressures, a soaring temperature, and a sudden plunge in dew point (signaling the arrival of the dry line) identified well the events that combined to cause devastation farther to the north a few hours later (Figure 18). [19] Cool Pictures. Terrible Tuesday - Wichita Falls, Texas Tornado 1979 ILovestorms 705 subscribers 713 40K views 2 years ago This is a documentary that focused on the Wichita Falls, Texas F4 tornado of April. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. 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." View looking west-southwest at the approaching tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. 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. Meanwhile, President Carter declared Oklahoma a major disaster area as a result of the tornadoes, making Federal funds available for relief and recovery efforts. The trees on the southwest edge of the city were denuded of limbs and bark. The tornado destroyed 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls, and damaged 3 homes near Thornberry. Moving into the city, the tornado first struck Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School (location #1 on the damage path diagram), severely damaging both structures. 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. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. I can't say for sure, chasing was different back then. 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. Alberty, R. A., D. W. Burgess and T. T. Fujita, 1980: Severe weather events of 10 April 1979. The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. Eddie was trying to tell me something; finally with some tugging, he got my attention. Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. Fifty mph sustained inflow winds were occurring at this time. Flood Warnings Science And Nature . 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. A small home was swept away in the affected area, and factories and warehouses were unroofed. This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. Winter Weather While the tornado was passing, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house. Three barns were destroyed as well. Please try another search. Hazardous Weather Outlook Well-built modern houses, in general, offer fairly good protection from tornadoes. -11 Wilbarger County, TX. Nationwide, Current Conditions No fatalities or serious injuries occurred, but 13 people were treated for minor injuries, mostly as a result of flying glass. The atmosphere in the Low Rolling Plains was highly unstable (with a Totals Index above 50 and a strong positive K Index extending southward out of western Oklahoma); very vigorous lifting of such unsettled air by the advancing dry line seemed sure to trigger violence (Figure 14). Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. The following table includes data and summaries from the tornadoes that occurred in the area since the late 1800's. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. Satellite Imagery, Forecasts Within 30 minutes the tornado, with a track that varied between 1/2 and 1 1/2 miles wide and 8 miles long, had sped across the southern portion of Wichita Falls. A short time later, the same tornado invaded Vernon, taking the lives of 10 inhabitants and injuring 67 others. Tornado Database In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. Despite passing north of the Sikes Senter Shopping Mall, intense winds from the outer circulation of the tornado heavily damaged a few stores and blew many cars in the mall's parking lot some distance away from where they originated and stacked on top of each other. Using spotter and radar reports, Lawton officials sounded the siren system to warn the people of the approaching storm. 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. Tornado data and F-scale ratings for tornadoes from 1950 to the present are referenced from NWS records. 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. Wayne Collamore, Approaching Harrold, Texas from the southeast on Highway 287 - view is looking west at about 4:05 pm CST. Evan got up, the moonlight bouncing off his not so wicked blue eyes. We received the following letter from Joel Manes, who was living in Wichita Falls, Texas on April 10, 1979. "Automobiles are a steel death trap in a tornado . This image was taken as the tornado widened and approached our position. The long, slender tornado was milky white in appearance and was accompanied by a loud roar. As the much drier air whipped eastward out of the southern High Plains just after noon, thunderstorms, some of which were very heavy, boiled up in parts of the eastern High Plains and quickly spilled over into the Low Rolling Plains. All NOAA. 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. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. The huge thunderstorm that yielded the Seymour tornado also pounded Holliday with baseball-size hail and an area west of Iowa Park with golfball-size hail. [8] The tornado cut a path 8 miles (13km) through the city, with significant devastation. We were worried that the rain would get worse before we set up the cameras which was not desirable considering we were on a dirt road. That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and . In addition, many businesses, cars, trees, windows, TV antennas, and power poles incurred damage. McNeil Junior High school was next in the path of the tornado and the school was severely damaged. Winter Weather Safety, Special Programs (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. DOC/NOAA, January, 1980: Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. Ben Faltinowski. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ), 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. He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes as part of a three-member tornado family. On September 25th, 2000, 11 year old Christopher Morris was found in the dishwasher of his family home which was in Sheppard Air Force Base base housing. Tours. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 0 10 19 . This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1979, primarily in the United States. Graphical Forecasts (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. US Dept of Commerce The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak, one of the most significant outbreaks on record for this region, occurred on April 10, 1979. There were a total 42 tornado fatalities in Wichita Falls, of which 25 were vehicle related. Multiple locations were found. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas . 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 . 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. To the north of Southwest Parkway, the tornado destroyed many houses in the Western Hills Addition. Although his house was completely destroyed, Mr. Molet escaped with only minor injuries as his pickup truck was blown over him, protecting him from the worst winds and debris. 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 . A powerful tornado tore through the Wichita, Kansas, area Friday night, leveling dozens of structures in the city of Andover, according to officials. Undoubtedly, this earlier warning and the afternoon Vernon tornado had primed the Wichita Falls populace to the threat of additional tornado activity. 1979 tornado outbreak leaves massive damage and 57 dead in Texoma. 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. The clouds in the flanking lines exploded up the back of the storm through the back-sheared anvil to the overshooting top. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. However, widespread high winds from the parent supercell thunderstorm also produced extensive damage in the Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and Burkburnett areas. 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). The tornado exited Texas about 4 miles east of Byers, uprooting over 200 trees along the Red River. 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. Local Storm Reports (Rated F3 by the NWS. No fatalities or injuries occurred. Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. The northeastern mesocyclone in the mesocyclone pair was the occluding parent circulation of the Seymour tornado while the southwestern mesocyclone in the pair was the developing parent circulation of the Wichita Falls tornado. The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. Rivers and Lakes The storm occurred in a largely uninhabited area, but heavily damaged a barn by unroofing it and buckling two of the barn walls outward. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. He is now self-employed and lives with his family in San Antonio, Texas. Killed at a wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths farm in Dean hail was observed a warm front lifted pulling. 8, 1974 and May 3, 1999 2 homes north-northwest of Wichita Falls tornado cut a path 8 (. The Great Lakes severe hail reports, reports of earlier damage to the north side of the hill less a... Small home was swept away in the McGehee area image was taken as the tornado slung across! Antonio, Texas with some tugging, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the of! Tornado from Ligon Coliseum at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, and power poles incurred.. 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wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths