Seventy years ago today downtown Waco was devastated by an F5 tornado that tore through the middle of the central business district at about 4:30 in the afternoon. I had relatives who barely survived that storm and who knew many who were killed in it. They said the downtown area looked like cities in Europe after World War II bombings:
Historically, the worst Texas tornadoes have occurred between April 9th and May 27th. While several Texas cities have been affected, as we saw in Jarrell in 1997, the extent of destruction in these smaller towns like Goliad, Rocksprings, etc. must have been hard to grasp:
1. Waco Tornado - May 11, 1953 – 114 fatalities
2. Goliad Tornado - May 18, 1902 – 114 fatalities
3. Rocksprings Tornado - April 12, 1927 – 74 fatalities
4. Glazier-Higgins-Woodward Tornado(es) - April 09, 1947 – 68 fatalities
5. Wichita Falls Tornado - April 10, 1979 – 42 fatalities
6. Frost Tornado - 25 fatalities / Karnes-DeWitt Tornado – 36 fatalites, May 6, 1930
7. Zephyr Tornado - May 30, 1909 – 34 fatalities
8. Saragosa Tornado - May 22, 1987 – 30 fatalities
9. Jarrell Tornado - May 27, 1997 – 27 fatalities
10. Lubbock Tornado - May 11, 1970 – 26 fatalities
Historically, the worst Texas tornadoes have occurred between April 9th and May 27th. While several Texas cities have been affected, as we saw in Jarrell in 1997, the extent of destruction in these smaller towns like Goliad, Rocksprings, etc. must have been hard to grasp:
1. Waco Tornado - May 11, 1953 – 114 fatalities
2. Goliad Tornado - May 18, 1902 – 114 fatalities
3. Rocksprings Tornado - April 12, 1927 – 74 fatalities
4. Glazier-Higgins-Woodward Tornado(es) - April 09, 1947 – 68 fatalities
5. Wichita Falls Tornado - April 10, 1979 – 42 fatalities
6. Frost Tornado - 25 fatalities / Karnes-DeWitt Tornado – 36 fatalites, May 6, 1930
7. Zephyr Tornado - May 30, 1909 – 34 fatalities
8. Saragosa Tornado - May 22, 1987 – 30 fatalities
9. Jarrell Tornado - May 27, 1997 – 27 fatalities
10. Lubbock Tornado - May 11, 1970 – 26 fatalities
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