Neatorama readers may recall the 2017 feature article concerning the Tri-State Tornado, wherein it was stated that the nickname of that storm was The Forgotten Storm, for the simple reason that it has largely disappeared into history, obscured by the passage of annual killer tornadoes. Case in point – today marks the 40th anniversary of the Red River Outbreak, a weather event in which 13 tornadoes were spawned in and around the Red River Valley between Texas and Oklahoma on April 10, 1979. And these weren’t just ordinary tornadoes; one was the Seymour Tornado, which was the first tornado ever successfully chased and analyzed by the NSSL. It was a symmetrical funnel/cylindrical tornado, with measured top wind speed of ‘only’ 205 mph, but what else sets it apart from others occurring that day was the ear-piercing shriek it emitted that could be heard for miles.
However, the tornado by which everyone remembers this date is the 1979 Wichita Falls Tornado (pictured above), which at the time was the largest tornado ever observed, being at one point over two miles in diameter. It was also a strong F4 wedge tornado, with winds estimated at 230-250 mph. Whereas the Seymour Tornado caused little damage, being mostly confined to open farmland, the Wichita Falls Tornado took dead aim at its namesake city, and besides causing 45 deaths, its damage was incredible, making it at that time the costliest tornado in US history.
This site documents the Red River Outbreak in exquisite detail, with many photographs and running commentary. There is also a YouTube video concerning the Red River Outbreak, and it is embedded below. April is now well upon us, which means Tornado Alley has again become active for 2019, so you may wish to brush up on the subject before the thunder begins rolling in your own neighborhood.