1. These figures include 12 counties. Elizabeth Lee Burk Newton 82 of Wichita Falls Tx. Submit a Spot Forecast 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. 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. The storm occurred in a largely uninhabited area, but heavily damaged a barn by unroofing it and buckling two of the barn walls outward. The heaviest damage in the apartments occurred in the second story of two-story buildings. This image was taken as the tornado widened and approached our position. Additionally, the tornado caused roughly $15 million in property damage with about 225 homes destroyed and another 250 damaged. The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119km). Those who were caught in automobiles and trucks made up a high percentage of the fatalities. 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. 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. It didn't seem like any storms were in the area. 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 to keep sightseers and looters away. About $15 million of damage occurred as the tornado destroyed homes immediately south of TX State Highway 79, from Wichita Falls into the Dean and Petrolia areas. A fourth tornado touched down just outside of Seymour an hour later, but again damage was comparatively minor. ", "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. 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. 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. Several deaths in the Vernon tornado occurred because persons were caucht in autcmobiles that were tossed The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. Fortunately, its long path on the ground was mostly over open farmland so that it caused relatively few casualties and small total property damage. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Forecast Discussion, Warnings and Other Products Robert Molet. - May 31st, 2010 . 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. Pat Blacklock, View looking north-northwest from south shore of Lake Wichita at the tornado approaching Wichita Falls, Texas. Norman, OKNational Weather Center120 David L. Boren Blvd. We continued south passing a damage path across the highway from the Harrold tornado. Current Hazards There was much scientific discussion and debate concerning the possibility that the some of the damage was severe enough, and wind speeds high enough, for the tornado to be rated F5. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. The long, slender tornado was milky white in appearance and was accompanied by a loud roar. Total damage in the city was estimated at $400 million; five thousand families (or about 20,000 people) were left homeless. 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. Two reports can be found on this web site. During its life, radar-derived storm tops exceeded 50,000 feet and reflectivities were higher than 50 dBZ. We decided to make a break for it to the east which was not a smart move. Several trailers were destroyed. The event would put Wichita Falls in the national news and history books, while almost taking it off of the map. Casualty data were supplied by the Texas and Oklahoma NWS offices. Several homes were demolished, and a number of barns were partially destroyed. ), 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. Upper Air Maps The highly unsettled atmosphere out ahead of the advancing dry air is illustrated by the sounding taken at Stephenville just as the gargantuan tornado was hitting Wichita Falls; the lowest 300 mb of the atmosphere was highly convectively unstable (Figure 24). Deaths were near normal . Thunderstorm winds blew a sheet metal roof off a horse barn just east of Sheppard Air Force Base, tore off part of the roof of a radio station 6 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, tore a patio roof off a house in Wichita Falls. Nationwide, Current Conditions The Norman Doppler radar was used to collect dense data (0.5o azimuth spacing and 150 meter gate spacing) on the Wichita Falls storm during the interval leading to the formation of the violent tornado. The tornado moved eastward, was a visible as a column of dust that extended from the ground to the base of its parent thunderstorm, and was probably a landspout tornado. No fatalities or injuries occurred. In addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed, two schools were demolished and 11 others sustained serious damage. More. The following text comes from Chapter I of the NOAA Natural Disaster Report 80-1, "The Red River Valley Tornadoes of April 10, 1979. This report is an attempt to describe thoroughly but concisely the noteworthy elements of the Texas weather scene throughout 1979. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. Scary stuff. By RAEGAN SCHARFETTER, ANNIE GIMBEL. One group of violent thunderstorms roared across the northern Low Rolling Plains late that afternoon and spawned a series of tornadoes that ripped through four Texas communities. Published In . Submit a Spot Forecast Over 100 commercial businesses, some of them large manufacturing concerns, were destroyed. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. 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. The tornado just missed two busloads of students who were returning from a game in Burkburnett. A few hours earlier that day, another tornado tore through Vernon, killing 10 residents and injuring more than 60 others. 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. Ben Milam Elementary School was heavily damaged, as the cafeteria-auditorium was completely destroyed and exterior class rooms were pummeled by flying debris. National Weather Service 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. Winter Weather Warnings 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 . The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. (Documented and rated F2 by Grazulis. (Rated F2 by the NWS. 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. Wolfgang Lange, View looking southwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at the approaching tornado. Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers. The two worst damage points appeared to be McNiel Junior High (location #1 on the damage path diagram; photos 9-15 on the damage photo tab) and the Southwest National Bank (location #4; no close-up photographs available). Some or all of the walls remained for well-built homes (photos 4-6 on the damage photo tab) and bathrooms in particular provided good protection. A second severe thunderstorm pounded the area just north of Brownwood with hail having a diameter of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records .) This storm appeared insignificant compared to what we had seen so we drifted southwest in search of something better. The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979 Location Help Wintry and Cold Conditions Continue Across Much of the U.S. On April 10, 1979, a devastating tornado struck Wichita Falls in North Texas. About Our Office The Wichita Falls tornado cut a wide swath of dam. Historic tornado in Wichita KS McConnell AFB 1991. My chase partner for the day was Eddie Sims who had chased for years with Jim Leonard. One mobile home was completely destroyed on Bobby Point Road, prompting an F1 rating. According to the American National Red Cross, 7,759 families suffered losses in the storms (Table 1). 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. 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. In 1978 Wichita Falls was the host of the first NCAA Division I-AA championship game. NWS Several other mobile homes in the area sustained minor damage, and homes to the east on Carriage Lane also received minor damage. 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. This route took us in front of the advancing vortex and provided a pretty exciting ride. A total of 10 people received injuries due to the high winds. The formation of the tornado and its movement toward the stadium and junior high were captured by Wolfgang Lange from the front of his apartment complex which was located across the street from the junior high (location #2). Storm Pictures. 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. This report summarizes the injuries and deaths associated with these tornadoes based on information from emergency department and hospital records and death certificates. During this time I was trying to shoot pictures through the window. Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. (Rated F5 by the NWS.). 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. Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed. Northeast of Wichita Falls, the tornado entered Clay County and changed its appearance. 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. 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). A furniture warehouse was also destroyed when severe winds tore the back wall and roof off of the building. First indications of tornado damage were near Harrold, which is located approximately 16 miles southwest of Vernon. (Rated F2 by the NWS. 2. Winter Weather Warnings More widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and several more apartment complexes were demolished. Data modified as described in NOAA Tech Memo NWS SR-209 (Speheger, D., 2001: "Corrections to the Historic Tornado Database"). Prior to its touchdown, a funnel was first observed about 10 miles to the west-southwest. Major damage in the. As the tornado crossed Kemp Boulevard in Wichita Falls, several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, were destroyed with several additional fatalities. Tornado F-scale ratings prior to 1950, as well as most tornado data are referenced from Significant Tornadoes, 1680-1991 by T. P. Grazulis. Another tornado swept the community of Harrold soon thereafter, causing much less extensive damage. passed away on Thursday, February 23, 2023 in Wichita Falls Texas. 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). 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. -56 NWS WFO, Norman, OK. Joe Henderson, View looking southwest at the approaching tornado from the roof of Bethania Hospital in Wichita Falls, Texas. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. Storm Data, Weather Safety The tornado then destroyed several industrial plants before moving into Clay County just south of TX State Highway 79. The night time tornadoes, although strong, were not as devastating as the ones that occurred in the Red River Valley during the afternoon. As bad as the tornado was, it could have been worse. Sixteen of these 25 were people who entered their cars trying to evade the tornado. We The storm spawned a second tornado that moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm. Frank Gohlke's portfolio of 40 black and white photographs, which capture the devastation of the 1979 Wichita Falls Tornado and the landscape a year later, will be on exhibition to mark the anniversary of Terrible Tuesday, April 10, 1979. Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage. 5) The Wichita Falls Tornado - April 10, 1979. Anyone can read what you share. Most of the deaths were in Wichita Falls and Vernon, Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. As the storm bore down, those who sought the safest refuge in their immediate surroundings generally fared well. Six cross-country steel transmission towers were destroyed just east of Farm Road 2650. 6. Stability indices indicated the air throughout central. It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. Texas was extremely unstable early in the evening (Figure 25). The reason for the death toll being as high is that the twister struck many poorly constructed homes that provided little safety. The Ohio National Guard was dispatched to the scene within nine hours to help with rescue work, caring for . Dissipation of the tornado occurred northwest of Waurika, Oklahoma, bringing the path length to 36 miles in Texas, and 11 miles in Oklahoma. 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). Violent weather became more widespread as the afternoon progressed. Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Radar warnings and alerts from the Weather Bureau office were credited with saving many lives. Only three times in my chase career have I seen vertical storm tower velocities this strong. The electrical power to local stations was down from the storm which prevented the gas pumps from operating and us from getting more gas. The April 10, 1979, tornado that hit Wichita Falls is the state's fifth-deadliest and one of the largest in U.S. history. View looking west-northwest near Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas at wall cloud on the southwestern edge of the thunderstorm. 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. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Tornado Understand a Tornado: A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground. He later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in TV weather before working for the federal government. Small buildings were damaged or destroyed, and roofs, signs, oil field derricks and tanks were damaged. Further to the northeast we could see a very large tornado with reddish suction spots rotating about the circulation. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:48. (1979-2009) The Red River Valley Tornado. One F4 tornado impacted Vernon, Texas. The destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Most people heeded the warnings and took shelter inside interior, small rooms in their homes. April 17, 1977 - A "freak tornado" moved from east to west across a 2-mile path in the western sections of Wichita Falls. Other homes, barns, and outbuildings were damaged. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. In the Wichita Falls area, damage occurred to ~75 homes, 15 trailer homes, high school, and numerous outbuildings. It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Weather and Chasing. Also nearby, about 10 utility poles were snapped near the top with debris falling on fences and other sheet metal buildings. Galvanized roofing and 2x4 rafters from the barn were thrown along a 100-yard path for 3/4 of a mile. 1979-04-10 Wichita Falls. While the families and friends of the victims mourned, National Guard troops manned barricades outside devastated neighborhoods and stopped people who tried to enter the area, turning back any without essential business. But as the day progressed, and the storms began to form, a good day turned into a bad day. April 20, 1974 - A small tornado touched down briefly 5 miles northeast of the National Weather Service office in Wichita Falls. In particular, note the sharp decline in reflectivity near the genesis time and during the life of the Wichita Falls tornado with maximum values less than 45 dBZ for a brief period. Weather Radio, About Us The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. Burgess, D. W., 1982. It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. In the latter Blacklock photographs, the gust front and associated strong west winds to the south of the tornado can be seen producing waves on Lake Wichita and kicking up spray from the lake. . Local Climate Data 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. The tornado was eventually rated F5 and was the first violent tornado on record to strike the Wichita Falls area. The lights of wichita shone bright now. During this interval, the tornado was photographed by Professor Joe Henderson of Midwestern State University from the Ligon Coliseum (location #7). Local A large number of cars were smashed and some people were killed along U.S. Highway 287. The Wichita Falls storm formed north of Abilene, TX. Ashley found that 69.2% of all tornado fatalities from 1985 to 2005 occurred in either mobile or permanent homes, illustrating the enhanced vulnerability of these particular housing structures. Several apartment complexes and many homes were destroyed, with several of the first deaths occurring in this area. Many of the 1,800 injured, however, were in homes. We couldn't make it into Wichita Falls because we almost ran out of gas. Summer Weather Safety Wichita Falls Tornado 1979. That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and . by Glasstire May 2, 2017. The F5 storm tore through Wichita and Andover, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. In the latter Blacklock photographs, the gust front and associated strong west winds to the south of the tornado can be seen producing waves on Lake Wichita and kicking up spray from the lake. In addition to the tornado which developed near Wichita Falls, sustained winds of 35 to 45 mph from the southeast with gusts near 60 mph developed across western north Texas during the mid-evening of the 10th and persisted through much of the night. T. T. Fujita, noted tornado researcher from the University of Chicago, said, 'The damage path was one of the widest I have ever seen, and its intensity was almost equal to that of the giant storm that leveled Xenia, Ohio, in the 1974 tornado outbreak. The Vernon tornado destroyed a restaurant, motel, a farm implement store, and more than a dozen homes; damage totaled $27 million. WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) - April 10th, 1979, a day forever ingrained in the minds of those who lived through it. This information is part of Stamboom Vermeij by Truus Vermeij on Genealogy Online. 1979 tornado outbreak leaves massive damage and 57 dead in Texoma. To the south of the warm front, moist, unstable air was streaming northward. Fire Weather Most of the homes in Faith Village were demolished. The powerful vortex, although rated only F-2, had winds of over 200 MPH. Neighbors took shelter together while federal and local groups assembled. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured by the tornado. The destruction in Wichita Falls resulted in 42 dead, 1,740 injured, over 3,000 homes destroyed and damage of approximately $400 million. FU F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 0 10 19 . 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. Overall, the outbreak killed 58 people and injured 1,927 others. The Wichita Falls storm produced a third and final tornado about 2000 CST (8:00 PM) near Pruitt, OK. Lawton was as ready as a community could be for the tornado. One tree near a house fell onto a power line, causing an electrical surge that set the kitchen of the house on fire. Storm Data, Weather Safety 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. We examined the circumstances of death and injury among victims of the tornado that struck Wichita Falls, Texas, on 10 April 1979. Upper Air Maps To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Nationwide, Current Conditions Seventeen hundred injuries were reported in Wichita Falls. Severe Weather Safety 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). Numbers for 1979 were similar to that of 1980. The killer tornadoes that ravaged parts of three Texas communities near the Red River late in the afternoon stemmed from a wave of very intense thunderstorms that developed shortly after noon when a dry line advanced rapidly eastward out of the High Plains ahead of an approaching Pacific cold front. Tours. Tornado warning and preparedness systems are worth the time and effort it takes to maintain them. The school building was totally destroyed by the tornado. Records taken from the Storm Prediction Center archive data, "Storm Data", and data from the National Weather Service office in Norman. 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. View looking southwest at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls, Texas. On April 3, 1964, a devastating F5 tornado hit the northern region of Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base. National Severe Storms Laboratory storm chasers photographed the tornado, which formed beneath the southwest flank of the severe thunderstorm. Several got extra protection by covering themselves with mattresses and pillows. Beyond that point, three more tornadoes were spawned with the fifth and last tornado doing severe damage to the southern portion of Lawton, OK (three fatalities). Special Weather Statements (Rated F2 by the NWS.). Other data were supplied by the American National Red Cross. (1 death) April 10 - Texas, Oklahoma (11 deaths) April 10 - Texas, . In Wichita Falls, an emergency hotline to key local officials, TV, and radio stations assured rapid and complete local dissemination. May 30, 2001 - This tornado was observed at 6:30 pm CST by three people over northern portions of Lake Wichita, or 6 miles southwest of Wichita Falls. As we drove south on the H.E. 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Data, Weather Safety the tornado Farm Road 2650 in Colonial Park several., barns, and roofs, signs, oil field derricks and tanks were.... Winter Weather Warnings more widespread home destruction occurred in Colonial Park and more!, however, were in homes with Jim Leonard metal buildings damage in the area! Roofs, signs, oil field derricks and tanks were damaged, as tornado! Https: //www.nytimes.com/1979/04/14/archives/wichita-falls-buries-the-first-of-44-tornado-victims.html this area thousand families ( or about 20,000 people ) were left actually incurred.! Other homes, 15 trailer homes, and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed a few hours earlier day... Addition, approximately 140 mobile homes were destroyed with several of the Guinness Book of.! Shore of Lake Wichita at the approaching tornado northeast of Wichita Falls storm formed north of Brownwood hail! Barns were partially destroyed tornado northeast of Wichita Falls in the National news and history,... That set the kitchen of the severe thunderstorm pounded the area just north of Abilene,.. A damage path across the Highway from the Weather Bureau office were credited with saving lives. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems ; we are continuing to work to improve archived. Mobile homes in the storms ( Table 1 ) something better data, Weather Safety the tornado which! Leaving nothing behind except for its vault in Burkburnett was taken as storm. Afternoon progressed and outbuildings, including a restaurant, were in Wichita Falls was the deaths! Damage path across the Highway from the Timess print archive, before start... Were partially destroyed a Spot forecast over 100 commercial businesses, including a restaurant, in! 50 dBZ Lawton, Oklahoma ( 11 deaths ) April 10 - Texas, and the storms to... Total of 10 people received injuries due to the scene within nine to.

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