1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak
A destructive and deadly tornado outbreak impacted the Red River Valley on April 10, 1979. Several strong to violent tornadoes touched down throughout the region that day. One F4 tornado impacted 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 meteorologists. Additional tornadoes were reported across the Southern Plains as well as in the Mississippi River Valley on April 11–12. Overall, the outbreak killed 58 people and injured 1,927 others.
Destruction in Wichita Falls, Texas, after the tornado | |
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | April 10–12, 1979 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 60 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 38 hours |
| Fatalities | 58 fatalities, 1,927 injuries[1] |
| Damage | unknown |
| Areas affected | Midwestern and Southern United States |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1979 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
Meteorological Synopsis
A deepening low pressure system formed in Colorado as a warm front lifted north pulling warm, moist, unstable air. There was strong upper level dynamics all coming together to produce strong tornado-producing supercells. In the early afternoon hours, three supercell thunderstorms formed. They moved northeastward, and as a trio spawned families of tornadoes. These supercells caused the most damaging tornadoes of the outbreak.
The first tornado formed near Crowell, Texas, at around 3:05 p.m. About 35 minutes later, the first killer one of the outbreak ripped through Vernon and killed 11 people. Then the supercell spawned one that killed three people in Lawton, Oklahoma. The second supercell spawned one that moved 74 miles (119 km).
The third supercell was the one that formed the Seymour and Wichita Falls tornadoes as part of a three-member tornado family. The first tornado formed near Seymour at around 4:53 pm. The storm spawned a second tornado that moved through the south and east sides of Wichita Falls at around 6:00 pm. The third member of the family formed near Waurika, Oklahoma, at around 8:00 p.m.
Confirmed tornadoes
| FU | F0 | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 19 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 60 |
April 10 event
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | S of Crosbyton | Crosby | TX | 33°39′N 101°14′W / 33.65°N 101.23°W | 1908 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | [2] | |
| F0 | E of Plainview | Hale | TX | 34°12′N 101°41′W / 34.20°N 101.68°W | 1938 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | [2] | |
| F2 | SW of Foard City to S of Rayland | Foard | TX | 33°51′N 99°48′W / 33.85°N 99.80°W | 2105 | 22.1 miles (35.6 km) | Homes were unroofed and barns were destroyed.[2] | |
| F4 | SE of Rayland, TX to NE of Davidson, OK | Foard (TX), Wilbarger (TX), Tillman (OK) | TX, OK | 34°02′N 99°28′W / 34.03°N 99.47°W | 2120 | 39.7 miles (63.9 km) | 11 deaths – A large wedge tornado struck the town of Vernon, where numerous homes and businesses were destroyed including a cafe, motel, and truck stop. Seven of the deaths occurred when vehicles were thrown from U.S 287. Tornado crossed into Oklahoma, destroying 3 homes and damaging 5 others. Caused $27,000,000 in damage and injured an additional 67 people.[2] | |
| F0 | SE of Thalia | Foard | TX | 33°59′N 99°32′W / 33.98°N 99.53°W | 2120 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | [2] | |
| F2 | Harrold, TX to Marlow, OK | Wilbarger (TX), Wichita (TX), Tillman (OK), Cotton (OK), Comanche (OK), Stephens (OK) | TX, OK | 34°05′N 99°02′W / 34.08°N 99.03°W | 2155 | 74.1 miles (119.3 km) | 1 death – A large wedge tornado moved through Texas and Oklahoma. Eight planes were destroyed at an airport near Grandfield, and a home in the area lost its exterior walls. A grain elevator was destroyed in the Hulen area, and homes were damaged in Pumpkin Center and near Walters. Fatality occurred when a woman took shelter underneath a semi-truck, which rolled over her when the tornado struck.[2] | |
| F2 | N of Hollister | Tillman | OK | 34°21′N 98°54′W / 34.35°N 98.90°W | 2205 | 9.2 miles (14.8 km) | Three houses were destroyed and several others were damaged.[2] | |
| F1 | N of Faxon | Comanche | OK | 34°28′N 98°37′W / 34.47°N 98.62°W | 2235 | 7.1 miles (11.4 km) | A mobile home was destroyed near Faxson, resulting in two serious injuries. Other homes in the area were damaged. Tornado left suction vortex marks in open fields.[2] | |
| F2 | NE of Seymour | Baylor | TX | 33°37′N 99°18′W / 33.62°N 99.30°W | 2249 | 10.4 miles (16.7 km) | A strong tornado damaged roofs, telephone poles, trees, uprooted shrubs and overturned a truck, but remained over open country while at peak intensity. Tornado was well documented on film and by NSSL storm researchers.[2] | |
| F3 | Southern Lawton | Comanche | OK | 34°34′N 98°25′W / 34.57°N 98.42°W | 2305 | 4.5 miles (7.2 km) | 3 deaths – An intense tornado struck Lawton, destroying over 116 structures, and damaging over 330 others. Unanchored homes were completely swept from their foundations. One of the fatalities occurred when a car was tossed from a road.[2] | |
| F1 | SW of Iowa Park | Wichita | TX | 33°54′N 98°48′W / 33.90°N 98.80°W | 2308 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | [2] | |
| F4 | SW of Wichita Falls, TX to E of Waurika, OK | Archer (TX), Wichita (TX), Clay (OK), Jefferson (OK) | TX, OK | 33°49′N 98°39′W / 33.82°N 98.65°W | 2350 | 46.9 miles (75.5 km) | 42 deaths – See section on this tornado – 1740 people were injured, the most ever by an F4/EF4 tornado in United States history.[2] | |
| F1 | Wichita Falls area | Wichita | TX | 33°54′N 98°30′W / 33.90°N 98.50°W | 0000 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Second, much weaker tornado in the area.[2] | |
| F2 | S of Noble | Cleveland | OK | 35°06′N 97°22′W / 35.10°N 97.37°W | 0040 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Two barns were damaged.[2] | |
| F2 | E of Bellemont | Pottawatomie, Lincoln | OK | 35°25′N 96°45′W / 35.42°N 96.75°W | 0045 | 4.6 miles (7.4 km) | Two trailers were destroyed, and three homes were damaged. One person was injured.[2] | |
| F2 | SW of Noble | Cleveland | OK | 35°06′N 97°24′W / 35.10°N 97.40°W | 0050 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | A mobile home was destroyed.[2] | |
| F1 | Hays area | Ellis | KS | 38°52′N 99°19′W / 38.87°N 99.32°W | 0130 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | 67 yd (61 m) | [2] |
| F3 | W of Pruitt City | Carter | OK | 34°21′N 97°36′W / 34.35°N 97.60°W | 0155 | 12.8 miles (20.6 km) | Severe damage in the Pruitt City area. 44 homes and mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Several vehicles, including a bus, were flipped and tossed.[2] | |
| F0 | W of Oakland | Pottawatomie | OK | 34°07′N 96°48′W / 34.12°N 96.80°W | 0205 | 0.2 miles (320 m) | [2] | |
| F0 | N of Oakland | Pottawatomie | OK | 35°23′N 96°58′W / 35.39°N 96.97°W | 0205 | 0.2 miles (320 m) | ||
| F2 | SW of Novice | Runnels, Coleman | TX | 31°58′N 99°48′W / 31.97°N 99.80°W | 0317 | 9.6 miles (15.4 km) | Large tornado destroyed several barns and scattered debris over a large area.[2] | |
| F3 | SW of Talpa to N of Coleman | Runnels, Coleman | TX | 31°42′N 99°45′W / 31.70°N 99.75°W | 0330 | 25 miles (40 km) | Homes and barns were ripped apart.[2] |
April 11 event
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | SE of Comanche | Comanche | TX | 31°52′N 98°31′W / 31.87°N 98.52°W | 0550 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | [2] | |
| F2 | S of Energy to W of Hico | Comanche, Hamilton | TX | 31°45′N 98°22′W / 31.75°N 98.37°W | 0550 | 24 miles (39 km) | Barns were destroyed and homes sustained roof damage. A woman was injured when her truck rolled into the ditch in which she was taking cover.[2] | |
| F1 | Mineral Wells area | Palo Pinto | TX | 32°48′N 98°07′W / 32.80°N 98.12°W | 0556 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | [2] | |
| F1 | NE of Allen | Pontotoc | OK | 34°54′N 96°24′W / 34.90°N 96.40°W | 0601 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | 50 yards (46 m) | |
| F2 | NW of Kingston | Marshall | OK | 34°02′N 96°45′W / 34.03°N 96.75°W | 0705 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | A trailer and three barns were destroyed. | |
| F1 | NE of Southmayd | Grayson | TX | 33°38′N 96°42′W / 33.64°N 96.70°W | 0806 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | ||
| F0 | W of Beland | Muskogee | OK | 35°42′N 95°36′W / 35.70°N 95.60°W | 1000 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | ||
| F2 | E of Hattieville | Conway | AR | 35°17′N 92°48′W / 35.28°N 92.80°W | 1310 | 5.4 miles (8.7 km) | Six barns and two homes were destroyed. Other homes, barns, and outbuildings were damaged. | |
| F1 | W of Mountain View | Stone | AR | 35°54′N 92°04′W / 35.90°N 92.06°W | 1442 | 8.7 miles (14.0 km) | ||
| F2 | Prairie Grove area | Washington | AR | 35°56′N 94°17′W / 35.93°N 94.29°W | 1602 | 11.1 miles (17.9 km) | ||
| F2 | N of Athens | Henderson, Van Zandt | TX | 32°10′N 95°54′W / 32.16°N 95.90°W | 1610 | 13.3 miles (21.4 km) | ||
| F2 | Sulphur Springs area | Hopkins | TX | 33°08′N 95°37′W / 33.14°N 95.61°W | 1612 | 8.3 miles (13.4 km) | ||
| F1 | NW of Hainesville | Wood | TX | 32°43′N 95°22′W / 32.72°N 95.37°W | 1702 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | ||
| F2 | SW of Eagletown, OK to W of Big Fork, AR | McCurtain (OK), Sevier (AR), Polk (AR) | OK, AR | 33°59′N 94°35′W / 33.99°N 94.59°W | 1715 | 42 miles (68 km) | Three people were injured in a mobile home near the beginning of the path. Major damage in the Grannis area. Six homes, 19 trailers, and an elementary school were destroyed, where four students were injured. Two homes were also destroyed near Wickes. Tornado injured a total of 20 people and caused $1,750,000 in damage. | |
| F0 | W of Hurley | Stone | MO | 36°55′N 93°27′W / 36.92°N 93.45°W | 1730 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | ||
| F2 | NE of Bodcaw | Nevada | AR | 33°35′N 93°22′W / 33.58°N 93.37°W | 2010 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | Three homes were destroyed and others were damaged. | |
| F2 | SW of Guy | Faulkner | AR | 35°19′N 92°21′W / 35.31°N 92.35°W | 2015 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Several buildings were torn apart and a cemetery was damaged. Caused $190,000 in damage. | |
| F1 | SW of Homer | Claiborne | LA | 32°44′N 93°08′W / 32.74°N 93.13°W | 2100 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | ||
| F3 | SE of Sargent to E of Licking | Douglas, Texas | MO | 37°03′N 92°04′W / 37.05°N 92.07°W | 2100 | 35.4 miles (57.0 km) | ||
| F2 | E of East End to NE of Lonoke | Saline, Pulaski, Lonoke | AR | 34°44′N 92°19′W / 34.74°N 92.32°W | 2100 | 30.81 miles (49.58 km) | Several trailers were destroyed. Damage also occurred to machinery, homes, and outbuildings. | |
| F0 | SW of Bakersfield | Ozark | MO | 36°31′N 92°11′W / 36.51°N 92.18°W | 2115 | 2.7 miles (4.3 km) | ||
| F1 | NE of Fryatt | Fulton | AR | 36°28′N 91°38′W / 36.47°N 91.64°W | 2145 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
| F1 | W of Beebe | White | AR | 35°04′N 91°57′W / 35.06°N 91.95°W | 2150 | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) | ||
| F2 | NE of Crossett to NE of Hamburg | Ashley | AR | 33°09′N 91°55′W / 33.15°N 91.92°W | 2210 | 10.4 miles (16.7 km) | Tornado caused $3,500,000 to the downtown business district in Hamburg. Second tornado to strike Hamburg in three days. | |
| F2 | NW of Black Rock | Lawrence | AR | 36°06′N 91°06′W / 36.10°N 91.10°W | 2235 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Caused over $300,000 in damage to homes, barns, and a rock crushing plant. | |
| F1 | N of Topeka | Shawnee | KS | 39°07′N 95°44′W / 39.11°N 95.74°W | 2300 | 4.1 miles (6.6 km) | ||
| F2 | E of McGehee | Desha | AR | 33°37′N 91°23′W / 33.62°N 91.38°W | 2315 | 3.6 miles (5.8 km) | Homes and businesses were torn apart in the McGehee area. Caused a total of $449,000 in damage. | |
| F1 | NW of Phillipsburg | Phillips | KS | 39°49′N 99°25′W / 39.82°N 99.41°W | 2315 | 0.1 miles (160 m) | 33 yards (30 m) | No significant damage was reported.[3] |
| F1 | NE of Libertyville | St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve | MO | 37°43′N 90°16′W / 37.71°N 90.27°W | 2330 | 8.5 miles (13.7 km) | A concrete block building was destroyed, and another was partially destroyed. A home was badly damaged, losing a large portion of its front side. Two barns were also destroyed and scattered across a field. | |
| F1 | E of Long Island | Phillips | KS | 39°57′N 99°28′W / 39.95°N 99.46°W | 0000 | 4 miles (6,400 m) | 200 yards (180 m) | A farm building and fences were damaged.[3] |
| F0 | S of Sweetwater | Buffalo | NE | 41°01′N 98°59′W / 41.01°N 98.99°W | 0000 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
| F1 | NW of Roundaway | Coahoma | MS | 33°59′N 90°38′W / 33.99°N 90.64°W | 0005 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | ||
| F2 | Liberty to SE of Barnesville | Clay, Clinton | MO | 39°14′N 94°25′W / 39.24°N 94.41°W | 0100 | 20.1 miles (32.3 km) | Several homes and businesses, a mobile home park, a church, and a school were damaged. Three barns were destroyed as well. Five bus passengers were injured when they took shelter in a ditch, only to have the bus roll onto them. | |
| F2 | S of Dycusburg to W of Bellville | Crittenden, Webster, Henderson | KY | 37°08′N 88°11′W / 37.14°N 88.18°W | 0150 | 36 miles (58 km) | Tornado tore a large section of roof from an elementary school near Robards. Five people were injured when trailers were overturned. | |
| F2 | E of Evansville to N of Boonville | Vanderburgh, Warrick | IN | 37°59′N 87°30′W / 37.98°N 87.50°W | 0200 | 16.98 miles (27.33 km) | 1 death – Moved from the east side of Evansville to north of Boonville. A shopping center and a lumber yard were damaged. One person was killed and two others were injured when the tornado struck a mobile home park. |
April 12 event
| F# | Location | County / Parish | State | Start Coord. | Time (UTC) | Path length | Max width | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F0 | Dickson area | Dickson | TN | 36°04′N 87°22′W / 36.07°N 87.37°W | 0500 | 0.3 miles (480 m) | 33 yards (30 m) | |
| F1 | Florence area | Lauderdale | AL | 34°48′N 87°40′W / 34.80°N 87.67°W | 0530 | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) | 20 yards (18 m) | One more more brief tornadoes occurred within a larger area of straight-line wind damage in Lauderdale County. Three people were injured. |
| F2 | NE of Columbus | Lowndes | MS | 33°32′N 88°24′W / 33.53°N 88.40°W | 0900 | 7.7 miles (12.4 km) | 880 yards (800 m) | [4] |
Wichita Falls, Texas
| F4 tornado | |
|---|---|
| More destruction from the Wichita Falls tornado | |
| Max. rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Fatalities | 42 fatalities, 1,740 injuries |
| Damage | $400 million (1979 USD) |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Fujita scale | |
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. 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 6:07 p.m., damaging both structures severely. Hail the size of golf balls preceded the touchdown and continued for approximately 15 minutes. It then became calm before the winds began to pick up.
Continuing at F4 intensity, the now massive wedge tornado, which was at its maximum 1.5 miles (2.4 km) wide, cut a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) swath of destruction through the south side of town. It first destroyed an apartment complex, where the first fatalities took place, as it moved along Southwest Parkway. Continuing east-northeastward, the violent tornado destroyed a large portion of a residential neighborhood before heavily damaging a commercial building along Southwest Parkway. The Southwest National Bank Building was completely obliterated, leaving nothing behind except for its vault. 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. The tornado then crossed over Kemp Boulevard and destroyed several commercial businesses, including a restaurant, resulting in several additional fatalities. 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. Still at F4 intensity as it moved east-northeastward, the tornado moved over a greenbelt area, passing just barely south of Midwestern State University as it severely damaged several more housing additions. (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. The tornado blew many of those vehicles off those roadways, inflicting numerous fatalities. 25 of the 42 fatalities from the tornado were vehicle related, 16 of which were of people who left their homes to evade the massive tornado. Only 5 of the homes that were left actually incurred damage.
The tornado then weakened slightly, but remained at F3 intensity, destroying the Sun Valley housing area, the Sunnyside Heights Mobile Home Park, and several large commercial businesses, including the Levi Strauss Plant, before exiting the east side of town. It then moved into Clay County and changed its appearance to display a multiple-vortex structure. There were at times five separate vortices visible within the tornado. It inflicted additional F0-F2 damage south of Dean and Byers, but no more fatalities occurred. Crossing into Oklahoma, the tornado inflicted additional damage near Waurika before dissipating.
The injury count for this tornado was 1,740, the most injuries ever recorded for an F4/EF4 tornado. It is believed that many more minor injuries were never recorded.[5][6][7]
Aftermath
| State | Total | County | County total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 1 | Warrick | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | Comanche | 3 |
| Texas | 54 | Wichita | 42 |
| Wilbarger | 12 | ||
| Totals | 58 | ||
| All deaths were tornado-related, | |||
At the end of the outbreak, 54 people lost their lives in Texas, three were killed in Oklahoma and one was killed in Indiana. The Wichita Falls tornado alone killed 42 people and caused $400 million in damage ($1.93 billion in today's dollars).[8] The tornado cut a path 8 miles (13 km) through the city, with significant devastation.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c All dates are based on the local time zone where the tornado touched down; however, all times are in Coordinated Universal Time for consistency.
References
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (January 2014) |
- ^ Lietz, Joshua. . Tornado History Project. Archived from the original on 2019-12-04. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x Grazulis (1979) (Report). Thomas P. Grazulis.
- ^ a b "Kansas Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ "Mississippi Event Report: F1 Tornado". National Climatic Data Center. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- ^ "Wichita Falls, TX Tornadoes (1900-Present)". Norman, OK Weather Forecast Office. National Weather Service. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "F4 Tornado". Facts Just for Kids. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
- ^ "The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 10 April 1979". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
- ^ Brooks, Harold E.; Charles A. Doswell III (February 2001). "Normalized Damage from Major Tornadoes in the United States: 1890–1999" (abstract). Weather and Forecasting. American Meteorological Society. 16 (1): 168–76. Bibcode:2001WtFor..16..168B. doi:10.1175/1520-0434(2001)016<0168:NDFMTI>2.0.CO;2.[permanent dead link]
- Fujita, T.T., and Wakimoto, R.M. (1979). "Red River Valley tornado outbreak of April 10, 1979", University of Chicago.
External links and sources
- The April 10, 1979 Severe Weather Outbreak by Don Burgess
- The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of April 10, 1979 (NWS Norman, Oklahoma)
- Full map of the 1979 Red River Valley tornado outbreak Tornado History Project
- A survivor's story (Joel Manes)
- 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
- The short film "Terrible Tuesday" is available for free download at the Internet Archive.