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Wichita Falls Tornado of 1979 Taught Hard Lessons That Help Save Lives
Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 04-11-03 | AP

Posted on 04/11/2004 12:22:00 PM PDT by Theodore R.

Wichita Falls tornado taught hard lessons that help save lives

WICHITA FALLS (AP) — Walking through tornado-ravaged neighborhoods after a deadly storm 25 years ago, architect Charles F. Harper saw something strange: small closets or bathrooms that seemed to be rising from piles of debris.

In many cases, the center room of a house or business — even a bank vault — was the only thing standing after a tornado up to a mile-and-a-half wide churned through town, hitting 5,000 houses and several apartments. Some 20,000 people — nearly one-fourth of the city's population — were homeless, while 42 were killed and 1,700 were injured.

Harper, who had developed disaster response plans for nearly 10 years for the American Institute of Architects, started studying his town's damage with researchers at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

Deadly tornados Here are the 11 worst tornadoes ever to hit Texas, based on number of deaths and injuries:

1. May 11, 1953 — 114 killed, 597 injured in Waco

2. May 18, 1902 — 114 killed, 250 injured in Goliad

3. April 12, 1927 — 74 killed, 205 injured in Rocksprings

4. April 9, 1947 — 68 killed, 272 injured in Texas in tornado that that struck the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas

5. April 10, 1979 — 42 killed, 1,700 injured in Wichita Falls

6. May 6, 1930 — 41 killed, 200 injured in Frost

7. May 6, 1930 — 36 killed, 60 injured in Karnes and Dewitt counties

8. May 30, 1909 — 34 killed, 70 injured in Zephyr

9. May 22, 1987 — 30 killed, 121 injured in Saragosa

10. May 11, 1970 — 28 killed, 500 injured in Lubbock

11. May 27, 1997 — 27 killed and 12 injured in Jarrell

Source: National Weather Service.

What they learned from Wichita Falls sped up the development of "safe rooms" — center rooms with reinforced walls designed to protect people during storms. Building plans and information about safe rooms are now included in brochures distributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"That event was unequivocal proof that you could build an aboveground structure that could withstand tornado winds," said Chad Morris, associate director of what is now the Wind Science and Engineering Research Center at Texas Tech.

The April 10, 1979, tornado that hit Wichita Falls is the state's fifth-deadliest and one of the largest in U.S. history.

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.

The Wichita Falls tornado stayed on the ground an hour and traveled 47 miles as it wiped out a fifth of the city and damaged even more areas before dissipating in Oklahoma. It is rated an F4, with winds from 207-260 mph.

"I don't know if any tornado in Texas has affected so many people," said Alan Moller, a Fort Worth-based National Weather Service meteorologist who spent a week in Wichita Falls after the tornado. "And we really learned a lot in terms of safety."

Tornado sirens sounded in Wichita Falls about 30 minutes before the storm, and television and radio stations aired warnings until power went out just as the twister moved through town about 6 p.m. Thousands of people crouched in storm cellars or basements; some bank employees huddled in a vault.

Although the mall was heavily damaged, no shoppers died inside. Several who ran to their cars were killed or severely injured.

More than half of those killed, including the girlfriend of Harper's son and her sister, were in cars trying to flee — believing that buildings were more dangerous — or were passing through town and had not heard the warnings.

"The big lesson learned was that if you're in a reinforced structure, you need to stay there when a tornado's approaching," Moller said. "Automobiles are a steel death trap in a tornado."

Since the tornado, some builders say the demand has increased for safe rooms.

"I hear more about safe rooms now than I did 20 years ago," said owner Jay Buchanan of Buchanan Construction Co. said.

Today, the town has few reminders of the storm. Near downtown, a memorial park features large sculptures representing crape myrtle trees that bloomed after the storm and became a symbol of the town's resolve. Another park has a plaque with the names of 45 victims, including three who died of heart attacks right after the storm, and a tree planted for each one.

Even now, the tornado still haunts many.

Dale Sanders, now 56, survived by huddling in her neighbor's cellar with three dozen other people and two dogs. Several men struggled to keep the door closed by clutching the rope.

When Sanders emerged, she didn't recognize her surroundings because houses, street signs, power poles and trees were gone. She saw a dazed man, his arm severed, walking down the street.

"I don't want to remember it," Sanders said. "The only thing I do really is watch for storms, and I do a lot of praying."


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 1979; alanmoller; chadmorris; charlesharper; dalesanders; disasterplanning; fema1925; lessons; saferooms; tornado; twister; tx; wichitafalls

1 posted on 04/11/2004 12:22:01 PM PDT by Theodore R.
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To: Theodore R.
Tornado alley bump
2 posted on 04/11/2004 12:27:42 PM PDT by centexan
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To: Theodore R.

This post brings back memories of that Apr. 10, 1979, the Tuesday before Easter that year. Our neighboring town, Vernon, Texas, was hit at 3:30 that afternoon just as my 10- year-old son and I were getting out of school. We were fortunate to make it home, but the funnel passed a half-mile from our house. The sirens went off after the storm had touched ground, so there was little time to take cover. Three people of our church were killed and several more severely injured. Many of the injured arrived at Witchita Falls hospitals just as the huge tornado hit there. The spirit of Christian love and helpfulness was strongly evident as strangers helped each other in every way imaginable. One thing we learned that everyone should know is that immediately after a disaster, call one person in your family and have them contact the other family members informing them of your status. This is important, because within 30 min. the phone lines become choked with calls and also the emergency agencies take over the lines for rescue efforts.
3 posted on 04/11/2004 12:44:38 PM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: kittymyrib
Thanks for sharing your memories of 25 years ago in regard to the tornadoes in Vernon and Wichita Falls. I passed through both cities while en route to UT in August, just four months after the storms. I recall the devastation in Vernon somewhat better than I do that in Wichita Falls.
4 posted on 04/11/2004 12:48:49 PM PDT by Theodore R. (When will they ever learn?)
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To: Theodore R.; kittymyrib
We drove through the night that night to try to find out how kin,including a child, had fared...we had been away from home and had not heard of the tornado til late evening.Driving in the heavily damaged side of town,no light except for our headlights,no sane person was driving over debris at that time of night,we found two heavily damaged dwellings and no kin folk.

Panic until every hospital,shelter had been visited and finally reunion at mid morning.In some areas only concrete foundations ,no debris.It was a very traumatic night..happy ending for us as only things were lost.
5 posted on 04/11/2004 1:24:57 PM PDT by MEG33 (John Kerry's been AWOL for two decades on issues of National Security!)
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To: kittymyrib
I was eight at the time, and living east of Wichita Falls down 82. I remember my great grandmother and I watching as funnel clouds passed overhead.

I went to school with a girl who got caught at a mechanic's garage with her family when the tornado ripped through W.F. Her and the others took refuge in the oil pit, and she said it still nearly sucked her out. If it hadn't been for her father and another man holding onto her for dear life, she'd have been a goner.
6 posted on 04/11/2004 1:55:08 PM PDT by TheLurkerX ("When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro..." Hunter S. Thompson)
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To: Theodore R.

worldWorldDisasters

U.S. Tornadoes



1840
May 6, Natchez, Miss.: tornado struck heart of the city, killing 317 and injuring over 1,000.
1880
April 18, Marshfield, Mo.: series of 24 tornadoes demolished city, killing 99 people.
1884
Feb. 19, Miss., Ala., N.C., S.C., Tenn., Ky., Ind.: series of 60 tornadoes caused estimated 800 deaths.
1890
March 27, Louisville, Ky.: twister hit community and caused 76 deaths.
1896
May 27, eastern Mo. and southern Ill.: series of 18 tornadoes; 1 tornado destroyed large section of St. Louis, Mo., killing 255.
1899
June 12, New Richmond, Wis.: tornado struck while circus was in town, causing 117 deaths.
1902
May 18, Goliad, Tex.: tornado killed 114.
1903
June 1, Gainesville, Holland, Ga.: twister caused 98 deaths.
1905
May 10, Snyder, Okla.: tornado killed 97.
1908
April 24–25, La., Miss., Ala., Ga.: 18 tornadoes resulted in 310 deaths (143 of these caused by 1 tornado that moved from Amite, La., to Purvis, Miss.).
    
April 24, Natchez, Miss.: twister struck, causing 91 deaths.
1913
March 23, eastern Nebr. and western Iowa: Easter Sunday, 8 tornadoes resulted in 181 deaths (94 in Omaha, Nebr.).
1917
May 26, Mattoon, Ill.: tornado smashed area, causing 101 deaths.
1920
April 20, Starkville, Miss.; Waco, Ala.: tornado killed 88.
1924
June 28, Lorain, Sandusky, Ohio: tornado swept through cities, causing 85 deaths.
1925
March 18, Mo., Ill., Ind.: the “Tri-State Tornado” was the most violent single twister in U.S. history. It caused the deaths of 689 people and injured over 2,000. Property damage was estimated at $16.5 million.
1927
May 9, Poplar Bluff, Mo.: twister killed 98.
    
Sept. 29, St. Louis, Mo.: a five-minute tornado ripped through the city and caused 79 deaths.
1932
March 21–22, Ala., Miss., Ga., Tenn.: outbreak of 33 tornadoes killed 334 (268 in Ala.).
1936
April 5–6, Deep South: series of 17 tornadoes; 216 killed in Tupelo, Miss., and 203 killed in Gainesville, Ga., a small mill town that was obliterated.
1944
June 23, W.Va., Pa., Md.: 4 tornadoes caused 153 deaths.
1947
April 9, Woodward, Okla.: tornado demolished town, killing 181.
1952
March 21–22, Ark. and Tenn.: 28 tornadoes caused 204 deaths.
1953
May 11, Waco, Tex.: a single tornado killed 114.
    
June 8, Flint, Mich.: tornado killed 116.
    
June 9, Worcester, Mass.: tornado hit town, causing 90 deaths.
1955
May 25, Udall, Kans.: tornado killed 80.
1965
April 11–12, Midwest–Great Lakes region: tornadoes in Iowa, Ill., Ind., Ohio, Mich., and Wis. caused 256 deaths.
1967
April 21, northern Ill., also Mo., Iowa, lower Mich.: series of 52 tornadoes caused 58 deaths.
1971
Feb. 21, Miss., La., Ark., Tenn.: series of 10 tornadoes resulted in 121 deaths.
1974
April 3–4: a series of 148 twisters within 16 hours comprised the deadly “Super Tornado Outbreak” that struck 13 states in the East, South, and Midwest. Before it was over, 330 died and 5,484 were injured in a damage path covering more than 2,500 mi.
1979
April 10, northern Tex. and southern Okla.: 11 tornadoes caused 59 deaths.
1984
March 28, N.C. and S.C.: 22 tornadoes caused 57 deaths.
1985
May 31, Pa. and Ohio: 27 tornadoes resulted in 756 deaths. Estimated damages were $450 million.
1990
Aug. 28, northern Ill.: fast-moving tornado struck the southwest suburbs of Chicago, killing 29 and injuring more than 300.
1992
Nov. 21–23, southeast Tex. to Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley: total of 94 tornadoes caused 26 deaths and $291 million in damage.
1994
March 27, Ala., Ga., and N.C.: Palm Sunday tornado outbreak resulted in 42 deaths, 320 injuries, and $107 million in property damage. Twenty people died and 90 were injured when a tornado caused the roof of a church near Piedmont, Ala., to collapse.
1997
May 27, central Tex.: multiple tornadoes, including one particularly strong twister that devastated the town of Jarrell, caused 29 deaths and an estimated $20 million in damage.
1999
Jan. 17–22, Tenn. and Ark.: a series of tornadoes left 17 dead. Damages were estimated at $1.3 billion.
May 3, Okla. and Kans.: unusually large twister, thought to have been a mile wide at times, killed 44 people and injured at least 748 others in Okla. A separate tornado killed another 5 and injured about 150 in Kans. Damages totaled at least $1 billion.
2000
Feb. 14, southwest Ga.: at least 5 tornadoes struck southwest Ga., killing 19 people and injuring over 100.
2002
Nov. 9–11, central and southeast U.S.: series of more than 70 tornadoes across 9 states from Miss. to Pa. killed 36 people.
2003
May 1–10: southern and midwestern U.S.: a record-breaking number of more than 400 tornadoes in the first 10 days of May killed 42.


7 posted on 04/11/2004 3:58:13 PM PDT by archy (The darkness will come. It will find you,and it will scare you like you've never been scared before.)
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To: Theodore R.
I was just north of Wichita at the time, got caught in the tornado while driving. It was like being on a roller coaster next to a jet engine in total darkness. Worse actually, but I can't describe it any better. I swear (though I can't know for certain) that my big old Buick station wagon went up in the air for a while, I was way off the road when it was over. I immediately headed into Wichita after it was over. It was the worst destruction I have ever seen. There was almost nothing for what seemed like miles except sidewalks, concrete pads and streets where a housing division used to be. There was some kind of big discount store (a Walmart type of thing, it was gone and I don't know what it had been) that had a gigantic sign in front supported by three I-beams that must have been 36 inches across. The sign was gone and those steel I-beams had been twisted and laid over like they were made from soft plastic. I can't imagine anything more destructive, except maybe an atom bomb, than this tornado was.
8 posted on 04/11/2004 4:10:59 PM PDT by templar
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To: kittymyrib
My mother was at Wichita General working as a nurse. They had been warned that patients were coming from Vernon that had been injured by a tornado. She looked out the window and patients were coming in the back of pickup trucks and she thought surely, they didn't travel all the way from Vernon like that!. That is when they were told that a tornado was on the ground on the south part of Wichita Falls. My sister was at the Burger King at Callfield and Kemp right across from Sikes Center. She was the manager and when it was obvious that the tornado was going to make a direct hit on them she put everyone into the food refrigerator. The building was damaged significantly but all in the fridge were ok. She spent the next three hours as a traffic cop at the intersection of Callfield and Kemp until relieved by the Wichita Police. On the eleven o'clock news in Knoxville, Tennessee, the news showed that corner of Wichita, Callfield and Kemp, her Burger King and Sikes Center (what was left of it) and I knew my sister was at work when the twister hit. It took three days to find out that my sister and mother were ok. What you say about the telephone is so true. My sister just lost her job and car, my mother lost the roof of her house in Wichita. They moved to Burkburnett only to lose their roof two more times in the last 25 years while living there in Burkburnett.
9 posted on 04/11/2004 6:54:17 PM PDT by vetvetdoug (Vampire bats are little Democrats looking to suck your blood and give you diseases.)
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To: archy
This list does not include tornadoes that wiped out much of the small TX town of Sweetwater in either 1985 or 1986.
10 posted on 04/12/2004 8:33:53 AM PDT by Theodore R. (When will they ever learn?)
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To: archy
Why is Saragosa left out of this list? Some others seem to be missing too.
11 posted on 04/12/2004 8:47:23 AM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Theodore R.
The US gets 75% of the total number of tornados in the world.
12 posted on 04/12/2004 8:48:48 AM PDT by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch is der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Doctor Stochastic
The US gets 75% of the total number of tornados in the world.

I think that North America is the only continent with the correct geography: a large plain bounded on the north by an arctic climate and on the south by a semitropical climate.

13 posted on 04/12/2004 8:51:29 AM PDT by Poohbah (Darkdrake Lives!)
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To: archy
I was living at Fort Knox at the time of the the 1974 tornadoes. Brandenburg, KY, was a nearby town hard-hit in that outbreak. Our quarters backed up to some BOQs, and beyond them was Ireland Army Hospital. I remember lots of Medevac flights in and out. My wife was in nearby Elizabethtown, and both her parents worked at the hospital (nurse and lab manager). She didn't see them much for a couple of days.

We hunker down in bad weather.
14 posted on 04/12/2004 8:59:15 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (This space intentionally blank)
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To: Theodore R.
You're nuts if you build in tornado country and don't do a safe room. So much more accessable than a basement for older folks, and no worry of damping or leaks.

The research at Texas Tech actually started just after the 4/11/70 tornado hit Lubbock, but interest and funding for the safe rooms really picked up after the Vernon-WF event, and since the F5-with-Kung-Fu-Grip hit OKC in '99, safe rooms in central OK have boomed (as have drop-in shelters).
Dr. Ernst Kiesling and his team have saved many lives already.

One man survived both the 5/3/99 and the 5/8/03 storms in the safe room he built in his Moore, OK, home...where he'd moved after losing everything but his closet in a 6/11/98 twister that went through north OKC. (And no, his name is NOT Joe Btfsplk...)
15 posted on 04/13/2004 5:37:16 AM PDT by WestTexasWend (Any fraidy-hole looks like the TajMahal when you put a wall-cloud behind behind it.)
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