 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | April 3, 1964, 3:45 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Dissipated | April 3, 1964, 5:40 p.m. CDT (UTC–05:00) |
| Duration | 2 hours, 35 minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >261 mph |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 7 |
| Injuries | 111 |
| Areas affected | Wichita Falls, Texas and Sheppard Air Force Base |
Part of the Tornadoes of 1964 | |
On April 3, 1964, a violent tornado struck the city of Wichita Falls, located in northern Texas. The tornado killed 7 and injured a further 111, and causing an estimated $15 million in damages.[1] The tornado heavily damaged downtown Wichita Falls and destroyed much of Sheppard Air Force Base.[1][2] It is also known as the "Black Friday tornado".[3]
The tornado was the first-ever live broadcast tornado, and is the highest-rated tornado to ever hit Wichita Falls.[4][1]
Tornado summary
editThe tornado first touched down at around 3:45, at an intersection that connects Farm Road 369 and the Seymour Highway.[1] It began to immediately track northeastward, crossing U.S. Highway 287 and entering into the Sunset Terrace subdivision of Wichita Falls.[1] It tracked briefly through the area before crossing the Red River Expressway into the Lincoln Heights Subdivision. It ran almost parallel to 14th Street, causing damage to buildings located on adjacent roads.[5]
It then crossed Travis Street before tracking through Kell Boulevard, causing an unknown amount of damage. Although the exact path at this moment is unknown, it was believed to have curved sharply upward, running almost parallel to Ohio Avenue and Redwood Street.[5]
It caused heavy damage to the area near or adjacent to Lincoln Park, before tracking through Duncan Street and River Road. It is believed to have curved slightly to the left from here, aligning with Horton Lane. It began to track through relatively unpopulated areas, before crossing FM 1470 and narrowly missing Old Friburg Church Road.[5] It is believed to have then curved leftward, tracking through East McKinley Drive and Armstrong Drive before hitting the tarmac at Sheppard Air Force Base.[5][6]
The tornado is estimated to have continued moving left, grazing the Tennis Court subdivision and tracking through Avenue K. It then curved sharply rightward, tracking directly back at the Air Force Base's northern portions. It then tracked through the 3 other runways located at the Base, causing an estimated $10 million in damages. The tornado then hit Emmert Road and Napier Road before dissipating near the outskirts of Cashion Community. In all, the tornado tracked 5.6 miles at a maximum width of ~500 yards.[1][7][8]
Aftermath
editDamage
editThe tornado caused extensive damage to portions of Wichita Falls.[1] 225 homes were destroyed, largely in the Lincoln Heights subdivision, and 50 homes suffered major damage to varying degrees.[1] 200 homes were inflicted with minor damage, and 16 other non-residential buildings received major damage or were completely destroyed.[1] Sheppard Air Force Base was heavily damaged, with debris strewn on all four runways, rendering them unusable.[1][4] Other buildings near or adjacent to the base were either damaged or destroyed, and losses at Sheppard Air Force Base totaled ~$15 million.[1] ~10 million in losses were recorded in downtown Wichita Falls, giving the tornado a cost estimate of around ~$15 million.[1][8]
Fatalities
editSeven people were killed by the tornado. Six died when the Lincoln Heights subdivision took a direct hit, all were sheltering in five different houses that were completely obliterated at F5 intensity. One other person was killed when the vehicle that they were driving in was thrown.[1][8]
Bibliography
edit- "Wichita Falls, TX Tornadoes (1900-Present)". National Weather Service. Norman, Oklahoma. July 7, 2024.
- Weidman, Larry; Ted, Shaw; Fletcher, Dee (July 7, 2024) [April 3, 1964]. "Tornado Alley: Wichita Falls (1964)". Wichita Falls, Texas.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "Wichita Falls, TX Tornadoes (1900-Present)". www.weather.gov. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ "#FlashbackFriday: A Tale of Two Tornadoes and Sheppard Air Force Base". The Exchange Post. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ The WKY KTVY KFOR Archives brought to you by the Oklahoma Historical Society (2013-11-25). Black Friday: The Story of the Witchita Falls Tornado. 1964/04/04. Retrieved 2024-07-08 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b texasarchive.org. Tornado Alley: Wichita Falls (1964). Retrieved 2024-07-08 – via texasarchive.org.
- ^ a b c d "Tornado Archive Data Explorer - Tornado Archive". tornadoarchive.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Davis, Nick; Forester, Samantha (2019-04-03). "55 years later: Remembering the 1964 tornado". www.newschannel6now.com. Retrieved 2024-07-08.
- ^ Jeansonne, Eric (April 3, 2016). "Remembering the F5 Wichita Falls Tornado of April 3, 1964". Texoma's Homepage. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c Walker, Lynn. "Wichita Falls' tornado history shows April to be a perilous month". Times Record News. Retrieved 2024-07-08.