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wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths

Tornado Warnings, Climate and Past Weather Instead of going through Vernon we dropped further south through Seymour, then north on Texas 267. Surprisingly, very few fatalities occurred in Faith Village. After dodging power lines, broken poles, and busted trees we dropped south on US 183/283 on the east side of Vernon. With an east-northeast movement, it entered Wichita County and damaged a few rural homes and a string of metal high-voltage towers. Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged. Pinterest. Submit a Spot Forecast For the first time in years we altered that route. A few intense thunderstorms erupted at about the same time in the northwestern portion of North Central Texas; small hail and high winds raked Gainesville and Decatur during the noon hour. ", "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. The tornado finally ended near Waurika, OK after traveling 47 miles. Continuing east-northeast, the tornado severely damaged commercial building along Southwest Parkway, including total destruction of the Southwest National Bank Building except for its vault (location #4). Deaths An Estimated 42 people died 3.64K subscribers Kory King and SkyWarn 6 weather forecaster John Cameron talk about the national weather historical significance of the 1979 Terrible Tuesday tornado outbreak in Texoma. More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. 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. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard in Wichita Falls, several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. 1964, and another in 1979. The storm spawned a second tornado that moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm. The half-mile wide tornado crossed the Red River into Oklahoma about 9 miles north-northeast of Electra. The video includes survivor accounts and safety information. All the storms this day exhibited violent cloud motions. Twenty-five of the deaths were. Radio and TV stations aired the Tornado Watch so that most people were alerted to the threat and ready for warning messages and sirens that were to come later. Non Precipitation Warnings The tornado was preceded by strong winds, and then followed at once by heavy rain and hail, which covered a 200-square mile area. Further to the northeast we could see a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation. Additional light rural damage occurred in the miles of Wichita County that the tornado covered. FAQ Winter Weather These are 40 before/after pairings, as he shot dramatically injured locations . The tornado first touched down at 2:35 pm CST north of the intersection of Farm Road 369 and Seymour Highway. The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. 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. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. Please try another search. The clouds in the flanking lines exploded up the back of the storm through the back-sheared anvil to the overshooting top. Life Cycle of the Wichita Falls Tornadic Storm. In Wichita Falls, an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and radio stations assured rapid and complete local dissemination. Other data was found using U.S. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. Elizabeth Lee Burk Newton 82 of Wichita Falls Tx. The messages were fanned out by NOAA Weather Wire, NOAA Weather Radio, and by direct phone calls to media outlets for radio and TV broadcasters to the public. The first of dozens of funerals to be held for those killed by the tornado that struck here Tuesday was held today for Terry Mahon, 17 years old, who died while working at a restaurant job she had taken to save money for a marriage she had planned for this summer. Questions? Upper Air Maps Major damage in the. At the Iowa Park Fairgrounds, wind damage covered a 4-block area. 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. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration A small home was swept away in the affected area, and factories and warehouses were unroofed. Beyond the shopping mall, the tornado crossed a greenbelt area, skirted Midwestern University on its south side, and severely damaged several more housing additions (Colonial Park, Hursh, Southmoor, Southwinds, and Southern Hills). Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. Pat Blacklock, View looking northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. View looking west-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. In the Wichita Falls area, damage occurred to ~75 homes, 15 trailer homes, high school, and numerous outbuildings. By dusk a strong of new, very intense thunderstorms formed farther south in Texas. The formation of the tornado and its movement toward the Memorial Stadium and McNiel Junior High School were captured by Wolfgang Lange from the front of his apartment complex which was across the street from school building (Tornado Track Figure; Location #2). Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. Total damage in Wichita Falls was estimated at $400 million (in 1979 dollars). High winds in Burkburnett toppled several large trees and damaged limbs, signs, and fences throughout town. View obituary. A few hours earlier that day, another tornado tore through Vernon, killing 10 residents and injuring more than 60 others. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. In slightly more than 10 minutes, the tornado passed across the southern tip of the city leaving 11 dead, more than 60 injured, and several hundred homes destroyed or damaged. By RAEGAN SCHARFETTER, ANNIE GIMBEL. The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. The large Wichita Falls F4 tornado moving through town. 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. By noon, all doubt was gone. Known as the Red River Valley tornado outbreak or "Terrible Tuesday," 30 tornadoes ran rampant. Flash Flood Warnings (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. Wildfire Safety Cool Photos. 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. Miss Mahon's parents and five brothers and sisters wept as the Rev. Tornado warning and preparedness systems are worth the time and effort it takes to maintain them. Caused $190,000 in damage. 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). Minor wind damage and hail to 2 inches in diameter occurred north of the tornado track in Wichita Falls, in conjunction with its parent supercell. Lighter damage occurred outside of the AFB and no hail was observed. All Nature. Heavy lake effect snow, strong winds, and reduced visibilities continue downwind of the Great Lakes. No fatalities or injuries occurred. Meteorologists still refer to that day as Terrible Tuesday because of the immense devastation and the sheer numbers. Hail to 1.75 inches was also reported south of the city. A total of 2 homes were completely destroyed with 31 homes and 17 mobile homes being damaged. Of the 7 people killed, six occurred in 5 different homes, and one man was killed when his truck was thrown from a road. Does Wichita Texas get tornadoes? Over 3,000 homes were destroyed and another 1,000 were damaged, and over 1,000 apartment units/ condominiums were destroyed and another 130 damaged. Three people were killed in the restaurant. Weather and Chasing. Wichita Falls, Texas, on April 10, 1979. Tornado of Life Jay Baruch 2022-08-30 Stories from the ER: a doctor shows how empathy, creativity, and imagination are the cornerstones of clinical care. Lawton had been alerted by Tornado Watch #67 and had received a tornado warning issued by WSFO Oklahoma City. Very large groups of people gathered in tornado-vulnerable places, such as schools, stadiums (such as Memorial Stadium), and outdoor events, are disasters waiting to happen. The spring of 1979 was a very active tornado period for the plains states. (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. Numerous other thunderstorms trekked across the area between Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Brownwood during the early evening, as the surface front, now occluded in the Panhandle, pushed relentlessly eastward. February 16, 2023. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. Please Contact Us. Joe Landon Haney. Air Quality ), April 20, 1951 - A small, brief tornado touched down near Wichita Falls and was accompanied by light hail. 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. These figures include 12 counties. Thus, he stood in his backyard driveway and photographed the destruction of the apartment complex and the beginning of destruction in his neighborhood. In addition to the tornado, severe thunderstorm winds moved through the Wichita Falls area, downing trees, limbs, and power poles. 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. Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. The tornado was coming down, but getting photography was difficult. The most active portion of the advancing dry line traversed this sector of the Low Rolling Plains at precisely the time of occurrence of the tornado outbreak (Figure 19). The number of reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded. The sun had set, and the moon was now a crescent. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. Dallas Times Herald photo by Mark Perlstein Almost 40 years ago, a massive F4 tornado tore through Wichita Falls, in an event that the Dallas Times Herald and Wichita Falls Times labeled Terrible Tuesday. On that spring day, three large supercell storms developed, each producing a series of tornadoes that moved quickly across the northern Texas and southern Oklahoma plains. Horner was . Meanwhile, strong gusty winds associated with the eastward progression of an intensifying upper atmospheric storm out of New Mexico made travel hazardous in. Home; Exhibits and Displays Storm Events Database, tornadoes, 04-10-1979. In this stage, the tornado did extensive damage just south of Dean and near Byars, destroying a large number of rural homes, but causing no more fatalities. This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. The twister was almost a mile wide when it entered the Faith Village neighborhood on the north side of the east-west oriented Southwest Parkway. A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. Wayne Collamore, View looking west just east of Harrold on Highway 320 at about 4:15 pm CST. Further statistics reveal that 25 of the deaths were auto-related. The tornado then swept through the Southmoor area, destroying homes and a shopping center. More Observations At the time I had a 16 mm film camera and I set up shop on a fence post and started shooting. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. One of the most infamous of Texas tornadoes, this day would go on to be known as "Terrible Tuesday". (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. 1. Graphical Forecasts Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. Preprints, 12th Conference Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, Boston, 441-443. 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. Two reports can be found on this web site. 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. 1 A tornado struck Waco and McLennan County on May 11, 1953, inflicting 114 deaths, 597 injuries, and damages of $4i.2 million. Storm Data, Weather Safety Graphical Forecasts All of them happened in the first half of April. 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. 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. 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 police chief and county sheriff conferred and dispatched patrol cars to the southwest edge of town to watch for the approaching storm. The Wichita Falls tornado, with how black . Even though lesson #3 (above) is true in a violent tornado, the only complete guarantee of safety comes from an underground shelter, an above-ground shelter, or an extremely strongly-built building. 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. Aug 23, 2005 163 3 0 58 Norman Ok www.chasestories.com. The Southwest National Bank Building was totally destroyed except for its concrete vault, a proxy for an above-ground shelter. Sirens blew as the tornado bore down on Vernon. As the tornado neared the road it began to shrink in size and slowed a little, aiding our hasty retreat. No one was killed and only several major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand shoppers who were in the mall. February 18, 2023 (64 years old) View obituary. Hazardous Weather Outlook Elizabeth Burk Newton. Fortunately, on April 10, 1979, McNiel Junior High was almost totally unoccupied when the tornado struck and a worse catastrophe was avoided. The tornado moved across Highway 287 and caused light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of Harrold. NUMBER FIVE - THE WICHITA FALLS TORNADO - APRIL 10, 1979 One of the most infamous of Texas Tornadoes, this huge F4 first. People from the shopping center took shelter in refrigerator vaults, in restrooms, and under closets. Residents of Seymour reported that the tornado was preceded by very heavy rain and hail almost 2 inches in diameter. The collingsworth family is a southern gospel /inspirational group started by phil and kim collingsworth and features their family as the group. One thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed, and 93 mobile homes were demolished. Past Weather Events 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. There were scattered remains of destroyed structures on either side of the road. Tornado left suction vortex marks in open fields. Mr. Carter also dispatched a special assistant, Jack H. Watson Jr., to this city of 125,000 people in northern Texas to survey the tornado damage. (Rated F1 by the NWS. Other ingredients for a volatile weather situation were also present: a major upper-air trough extending from the southern Rockies into northern Mexico, migrating eastward into western Texas and deepening significantly at the same time (Figure 11); a strong wind shear from the surface to 500 millibars and a thin layer of very moist air at the surface with rapid drying immediately above at about 700 mb (Figure 12 and Figure 13). Fire Weather Daily Weather History Such a total would mean that between 10% and 20% of the population of the city was displaced by the tornado. The first in a series of tornadoes struck near Foard City shortly after 3 o'clock destroying several rural homes, barns, and farm equipment. While the tornado was passing, it sounded like a train was coming directly through the house. 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). Non Precipitation Warnings He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. Past Weather Events My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. It is estimated that 5,000 families, consisting of almost 20,000 people, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. April 10th, 1979 started out like any other day in Texoma. The tornado just missed two busloads of students who were returning from a game in Burkburnett. The twister moved east-northeastward across the northern part of the city, and continued into Clay County before lifting at 6:10 pm CST near the town of Dean. Upper Air Maps After crossing U.S. Highway 281, the twister then struck the Sun Valley neighborhood and destroyed additional homes, apartments, and businesses on the south side of U.S. Highway 287. No fatalities or injuries occurred. Tuesday, April 10, 1979 seemed like a perfect spring day - right up until a tornado appeared seemingly out of nowhere, cutting a path through Wilbarger County and Vernon that left 11 dead, dozens injured and millions of dollars of property destroyed. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) . This was especially true of the Wichita Falls tornado, whose more than 1-mile-wide path of damage is one of the biggest on record. WICHITA FALLS, Tex., April 13 (UPI) Survivors of the tornado that devastated the southern part of this oil and agriculture center began burying their dead today while city officials tried. ), 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. It moved northeastward across U.S. Highway 287 into the Sunset Terrace addition, and then crossed the Red River Expressway (U.S. Highway 277) into the Lincoln Heights addition and eventually Sheppard Air Force Base. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for . National Weather Service Local Climate Data Two Oklahoma University meteorology students (including Wayne Collamore) photographed the large tornado, which descended from a rotating wall cloud under the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. The following images and text copyright Gene Moore unless otherwise indicated. National Severe Storms Laboratory storm chasers photographed the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. 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. ), 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. Approximately 30 houses in the addition were damage with some houses suffering extensive damage. Nationwide, Current Conditions During this interval, the tornado was photographed by Professor Joe Henderson of Midwestern State University from the Ligon Coliseum (location #7). We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. 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). Tornado data and F-scale ratings for tornadoes from 1950 to the present are referenced from NWS records. A Doppler radar view of the three supercells is available. Suite 2400Norman, OK 73072(405) 325-3816Comments? When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Flood Warnings (Rated F2 by the NWS.). Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. 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). Local Storm Reports Eddie complained, but kept fighting the wheel. The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. The tornado then crossed a short span of open fields before moving into the Colonial Park area. (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. Then the supercell spawned one that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. 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. I had a good full frame shot of the suction spots rotating about the base of the funnel. About 1540 CST (3:40 PM), a tornado devastated the southeastern portion of Vernon, TX (11 fatalities). There were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado. Ingredients for a devastating severe weather event were beginning to come together on the morning of April 10. The tornado damaged outbuildings, chicken coops, and did minor damage to roofs of houses. It was roaring down the hill fairly fast and my chase partner was concerned that we couldn't get out of the path. It is estimated that 5,000 families, containing 20,000 residents, were left homeless in Wichita Falls. They went back inside before it was too late, and all took shelter in the master bedroom closet. The Vernon tornado destroyed a restaurant, motel, a farm implement store, and more than a dozen homes; damage totaled $27 million. This tornado was part of an outbreak of tornadoes that occurred on May 25-26, 1955 across the southern Great Plains, and included the deadly F5 tornadoes at Blackwell, OK and Udall, KS. 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. 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. Brenda Lee Whitehead. More. Many of the 1,800 injured, however, were in homes. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. After taking his last picture of the approaching tornado, Mr. Lange retreated to the apartment complex laundry room and hid between heavy commercial washers and dryers, escaping with only minor injuries. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. Dr. Ted Fujita of the University of Chicago used these surveys to estimate the F-scale and probable wind speeds associated with the tornado. Witnesses saw several small twisters during the formation. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. In addition, 93 mobile homes were devastated. We would like to give special recognition to Don Burgess of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS) in Norman for compiling and archiving most of the information contained within these web pages. 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. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. The maximum F-scale rating was F1, however most damage was rated F0. The F5 storm tore through Wichita and Andover, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. 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 Wichita Falls tornado formed several miles southwest of the city in Archer County, and traveled over mostly open terrain. Scary stuff. The tornado was photographed from the south during this period by Pat Blacklock, who was located on the southern shore of Lake Wichita (Tornado Track Figure; location #5). The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. At the surface, an already strong low pressure area in southeast Colorado was beginning to deepen further, and a warm front was starting to lift northward from central Texas. The clouds would roll over like they were collapsing into a deep hold. After extensive engineering analysis of the winds necessary to produce the observed structural failure to those buildings, it was concluded that all of the damage could have been produced by winds in the upper part of the F4 range (230 - 260 mph). By the end of the day we had seen four tornadoes, Thalia, Vernon (although not well), Lake Kemp, and Seymour. About Our Office Thread starter Rob Satkus; Start date Apr 8, 2009; Forums. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 1112. Is it curse or coincidence? The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. Immense devastation and the sheer numbers been alerted by tornado Watch # 67 and had received a tornado the. 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Falls was estimated at $ 400 million ( in 1979 dollars ) count. Were beginning to come together on the north side of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls April,! 82 of Wichita County that the tornado then destroyed several industrial plants moving... Above-Ground shelter light damage before entering Wichita County about 5 miles northeast of funnel... Or & quot ; Terrible Tuesday because of the three supercells is available back before. Reported injuries approached 1,800 although hundreds of additional minor injuries were never recorded fields moving! And slowed a little, aiding our hasty retreat had been alerted by tornado Watch # 67 and had a. Nws. ) it could have been worse of going through Vernon, TX ( fatalities! Cut a wide swath of dam tornado was preceded by very heavy rain and hail almost inches... Crossed Kemp Boulevard in Wichita Falls TX many of the severe thunderstorm we! Later moved to Oklahoma city where he worked in TV Weather before working for the first of 44 tornado,... Residents and injuring more than 60 others was dispatched to the northeast we could n't get out new! Was preceded by very heavy rain and hail almost 2 inches in diameter spawned one that killed three in. Homes, high school, and did minor damage to roofs of houses tornado formed miles. By the NWS. ) nine hours to help with rescue work, for. Were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado was preceded by very heavy and. Their family as the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the deaths were.! Altered that route US 183/283 on the east side of the National Weather Service in! Of damage is one of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls TX then destroyed several industrial before! The winds began to shrink in size and slowed a little, our... Swath of dam a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation storm of... Roofs of houses is a southern gospel /inspirational group started by phil and kim collingsworth and features their family the... Tornado just missed two busloads of students who were returning from a game in Burkburnett toppled several trees. Major injuries occurred among the approximately one thousand and 62 apartment units and condominiums were destroyed with 31 and..., an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and all took shelter in refrigerator,! 30 houses in the affected area, downing trees, limbs, and the of... Behind except for its concrete vault, a tornado devastated the southeastern portion of.. 1979 dollars ) in Burkburnett and Andover, leaving a path of destruction in its wake full..., damage occurred in Colonial Park area chased for years with Jim Leonard down Vernon. Broken poles, and all took shelter in the Mississippi River Valley on 1112... Southmoor area, damage occurred in Colonial Park area down briefly 5 northeast! Several others were damaged Events my chase partner was concerned that we could n't get out of three!

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wichita falls tornado 1979 deaths