Terrible Tuesday – Southwest Texoma’s Worst Tornado Outbreak

It's only natural that when we think about tornadoes in Oklahoma, we focus on the most memorable twisters.

The devastating 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore F5. The 2011 El Reno EF5. 2013 Piedmont and Moore EF5's. The 2013 El Reno "Largest Tornado in History" EF3. They were horrifying and left a lasting impact, but today is the anniversary of Terrible Tuesday.

It was a typical spring day in 1979 as the jet stream came sweeping down the plains. What nobody expected, especially in those days, was the onslaught of twisters that came to be known as the Red River Tornado Outbreak.

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On April 10th, 1979, the clouds unleashed 25 tornadoes in a 24-hour period including an F3 twister in Lawton, Oklahoma, and 2 F4 tornadoes across the Red River in Vernon and Wichita Falls, Texas.

By all accounts, given the technology of 1979, it caught everyone off-guard and struck fear into everyone in the surrounding areas.

The first big twister of the day.

While the storm system had been producing small F0-F1 twisters as it came across West Texas, things didn't take a turn for the worst until everything neared the Red River.

Vernon, Texas - a small agriculture community just across the state line South of Altus, Oklahoma - was the first community to get a glimpse of what was to happen.

It actually started as twin tornadoes Southwest of Vernon near the town of Thalia. As the news of the storm slowly traveled, by the time the mesocyclone reached Vernon, it grew in intensity as it completely destroyed many buildings in the town including the exhibition building at the county fairgrounds.

The twister killed many people as it picked up cars on the highway and flung them through the air. This was also the first documented twister to pick up cattle and fly them as if it were something out of a Hollywood movie.

The Lawton F3.

Right after 5 PM that day, a funnel stretched to the ground just North of the Lawton Airport down 11th Street. It was a very populated area in 1979 and quickly grew to F3 classification.

The damage path went from a half mile North of the airport across to 2nd and Lee before hopping the interstate and dissipating in the fields to the East.

If you've spent any time driving around the described area, it's noticeably sparsely populated these days. Open lots where houses could be, or rather used to be. That's because the twister damaged 449 total structures, but completely destroyed 116 homes and buildings in the path. Of the hundred or so people hurt, three people lost their lives.

This photo was taken later. It's at 2nd and Lee where you can see the old Salas Restaurant, now Tu Familia.

Wichita Falls devastating F4.

By far the largest tornado of the day swept right through the heart of Wichita Falls.

At some points during the event, the damage path left by the twister was up to 1.5 miles wide. A behemoth for the time in 1979, and what was worse, it swept through neighborhoods and business districts right up the middle of town.

Imagine looking out the window to see this. The actual tornado that destroyed WF.

As it moved along on its path, it left plenty of destruction in its wake. 1700 people were injured. 42 people were killed, 3 more had heart attacks after the experience.

Aside from the businesses affected, 2095 single-family homes, over 1000 apartments, and 93 mobile homes were destroyed. In an instant, 5000 families were left homeless.

This was the most devastating and costliest tornado on record in its time. When adjusted for inflation, the damage was estimated at around $1.14 billion.

A terrible Tuesday indeed.

As the storm system lifted off to the Northeast, it still produced storms and tornadoes through the following few days, but none to the effect of the Big 3 in Texoma that day.

If you ever find yourself at the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton, Oklahoma, they have a spectacular exhibit on this storm. Particularly the Wichita Falls tornado. It's a very immersive experience that takes place in a small theater made to resemble a storm shelter. It's a very neat experience.