MAY 11, 1953
WACO / SAN ANGELO, TEXAS
Tornado Strength: F4
Width:
Path: 20 miles
Time of Day: 2:30 p.m.
Deaths: 13
Injuries: 153
Width:
Path: 20 miles
Time of Day: 2:30 p.m.
Deaths: 13
Injuries: 153
 | |  | |  |
Modern day radar coverage of severe weather and networks of storm spotters
have their roots in the May 11, 1953 Waco tornado, the deadliest tornado in
Texas since 1900*. The heart of downtown Waco was badly damaged, and 114
people died. It’s impact on weather coverage can still be felt today.
In fact, 1953 would mark a turning point in tornado history. It would be the last
year a single twister claimed 100 lives or more. The year 1953 was the third
deadliest for the United States, killing a total of 519**. Most of those deaths came
from three monster tornadoes: Waco, TX - 114 dead, Flint, Mich - 116 dead, and
Worcester, Mass - 94 dead. It was the Waco twister, however, that prompted
various government and civil entities to make changes in how the public was
protected from severe weather.
Early morning storms in Texas created outflow boundaries of rain-cooled air.
These boundaries would mix with storms later that afternoon, helping to create
wind sheer and rotating super cell thunderstorms.
Afternoon storms formed along the dryline. An F4 tornado struck the town of
San Angelo at 2:30 p.m., killing 13 and injuring 153. It damaged or destroyed 519
homes and 19 business along a 20 mile path.
Another thunderstorm produced a tornado southwest of Waco shortly after 4
pm. Once again, outflow boundaries may have helped the storm become violent.
(A surface analysis map can be found here.)
The tornado hit the city at 4:10 p.m.. It was a third of a mile wide as it tore through
the crowded downtown area.
There was little or no warning. At the time, no organized network of radars or
storm spotters existed. An hour earlier, a researcher at Texas A&M began
picking up echoes on his radar. Not realizing there were weather bulletins for the
area, he paid it no special attention. Eyewitness accounts of this storm speak of
heavy rains, leading to the conclusion that the tornado may have been hard for
the public to see.
Along its 23 mile path, a jaw dropping 114 people were killed, 597 injured. The
twister destroyed 600 homes and businesses and damaged 1000 more. Damage
was estimated at $41 million ($310 million in 2006 dollars).
The extent of the death and destruction led to immediate changes.
Texas A&M and the Weather Bureau organized the Texas Tornado Warning
Conference in June of 1953. Also attending were representatives of the Texas
Department of Civil Defense and Public Safety, the US Air Force and Navy, the
University of Texas, Oklahoma A&M, and other officials from the private sector.
The conference decided to dispatch patrol cars to investigate storms.
Communication between the Weather Bureau and the Texas department of
public safety improved. Programs to educate the public in weather safety were
formed.
Most significant, however, was the creation of the Texas Radar Project. The
Weather Bureau had surplus radars pulled from airplanes which could be
modified to track storms. Federal, state and local government entities pooled
their resources to build the nations first weather radar network. The Weather
Bureau supplied the radars. Texas A&M modified the radars and raised funds to
complete the project. Two years later, 19 radars kept watch on parts of Texas
and Louisiana for severe storms.
It was the first close-nit network of radars used for the purpose of monitoring
severe weather. Three years later, Congress approved funding help establish
radar networks across the country.
More on the conference can be found here:
*(The Golida, Texas tornado of May 8, 1902 also killed 114 people and is rated
second because it injured 250 people compared to 597 injured in Waco. In
addition to being the deadliest twister in Texas history, it is currently ranked the
tenth deadliest in the United States.)
** - First deadliest year - 805 in 1925, 555 in 1936.
Source NOAA web articles
have their roots in the May 11, 1953 Waco tornado, the deadliest tornado in
Texas since 1900*. The heart of downtown Waco was badly damaged, and 114
people died. It’s impact on weather coverage can still be felt today.
In fact, 1953 would mark a turning point in tornado history. It would be the last
year a single twister claimed 100 lives or more. The year 1953 was the third
deadliest for the United States, killing a total of 519**. Most of those deaths came
from three monster tornadoes: Waco, TX - 114 dead, Flint, Mich - 116 dead, and
Worcester, Mass - 94 dead. It was the Waco twister, however, that prompted
various government and civil entities to make changes in how the public was
protected from severe weather.
Early morning storms in Texas created outflow boundaries of rain-cooled air.
These boundaries would mix with storms later that afternoon, helping to create
wind sheer and rotating super cell thunderstorms.
Afternoon storms formed along the dryline. An F4 tornado struck the town of
San Angelo at 2:30 p.m., killing 13 and injuring 153. It damaged or destroyed 519
homes and 19 business along a 20 mile path.
Another thunderstorm produced a tornado southwest of Waco shortly after 4
pm. Once again, outflow boundaries may have helped the storm become violent.
(A surface analysis map can be found here.)
The tornado hit the city at 4:10 p.m.. It was a third of a mile wide as it tore through
the crowded downtown area.
There was little or no warning. At the time, no organized network of radars or
storm spotters existed. An hour earlier, a researcher at Texas A&M began
picking up echoes on his radar. Not realizing there were weather bulletins for the
area, he paid it no special attention. Eyewitness accounts of this storm speak of
heavy rains, leading to the conclusion that the tornado may have been hard for
the public to see.
Along its 23 mile path, a jaw dropping 114 people were killed, 597 injured. The
twister destroyed 600 homes and businesses and damaged 1000 more. Damage
was estimated at $41 million ($310 million in 2006 dollars).
The extent of the death and destruction led to immediate changes.
Texas A&M and the Weather Bureau organized the Texas Tornado Warning
Conference in June of 1953. Also attending were representatives of the Texas
Department of Civil Defense and Public Safety, the US Air Force and Navy, the
University of Texas, Oklahoma A&M, and other officials from the private sector.
The conference decided to dispatch patrol cars to investigate storms.
Communication between the Weather Bureau and the Texas department of
public safety improved. Programs to educate the public in weather safety were
formed.
Most significant, however, was the creation of the Texas Radar Project. The
Weather Bureau had surplus radars pulled from airplanes which could be
modified to track storms. Federal, state and local government entities pooled
their resources to build the nations first weather radar network. The Weather
Bureau supplied the radars. Texas A&M modified the radars and raised funds to
complete the project. Two years later, 19 radars kept watch on parts of Texas
and Louisiana for severe storms.
It was the first close-nit network of radars used for the purpose of monitoring
severe weather. Three years later, Congress approved funding help establish
radar networks across the country.
More on the conference can be found here:
*(The Golida, Texas tornado of May 8, 1902 also killed 114 people and is rated
second because it injured 250 people compared to 597 injured in Waco. In
addition to being the deadliest twister in Texas history, it is currently ranked the
tenth deadliest in the United States.)
** - First deadliest year - 805 in 1925, 555 in 1936.
Source NOAA web articles
San Angelo
Tornado Strength: F5
Width: one-third mile
Path: 23 miles
Time of Day: 4:10 p.m.
Deaths: 114
Injuries: 597
Significance: Prompted
the Texas Tornado
Warning Conference in
June of 1953 which in turn
led to the first close-nit
radar network set up for
the purpose of monitoring
severe weather.
Width: one-third mile
Path: 23 miles
Time of Day: 4:10 p.m.
Deaths: 114
Injuries: 597
Significance: Prompted
the Texas Tornado
Warning Conference in
June of 1953 which in turn
led to the first close-nit
radar network set up for
the purpose of monitoring
severe weather.
Waco