1947-04-09 Woodward, Oklahoma

[Paul Knightley]

Great work.

It's interesting that you mentioned Greensburg earlier in the thread, as there may be similarities regarding the low-level wind field as evening drew in. As we know, the low-level jet can often crank up in the evening as surface cooling causes the boundary layer to start to decouple. Usually this means the storms start to become more elevated as they draw air in from atop the boundary layer, but in some synoptic set-ups, where plentiful low-level moisture and instability is within the warm sector, low-level parcels can still remain buoyant, or at least buoyant enough for an established supercell to continue to feed on them. The strengthening low-level jet causes an rapid increase in low-level SREH, and hence the risk for strong-violent tornadoes across the Plains states *can* go up through the mid-evening hours in these set-ups.

For discussion on the Greensburg storm, with reference to low-level flow see https://ams.confex.com/ams/pdfpapers/141811.pdf?q=vortex-storm-chaser

 

[James Gustina]

Great account of this storm. The Glazier/Higgins/Woodward tornado has always fascinated me, mainly because of how ingrained it is in the memories of a lot of people out there still. One of my good friends is from Laverne and there are still people up there that talk about this storm after all these years because of how catastrophic it was for the region. It's also interesting to note the eerie similarities between this and the Greensburg storm. Two cyclic supercells that kept going well into the night producing multiple large tornadoes over a long track due to the enhanced low-level shear and a very saturated boundary layer in place.

 

[Jonathan Finch]

Here is my research work on the Woodward tornado that has resided on my web page since around 2005. The tornado occurred as a dryline storm crossed a warm front.

http://bangladeshtornadoes.org/UScases/040947/woodward2.html

 

[Jeshua Everett]

I had the opportunity to head out to the TX panhandle a few years back and interview a survivor of this tornado in Higgins TX. I first stopped at Glazier and visited the old jailhouse (pictured below) which was one of the two structures left standing and the only one left from the original Glazier. I've read about people taking shelter in there and as I peered through the window, I imagined in my head people huddled down as that monster was just outside tearing apart that poor community. I then headed into Higgins and found a police officer who welcomed me into his house, made calls around town to find what survivors of the tornado were still living, and escorted me around town to find them! Finally, we found Leroy Koch (pictured above) who welcomed me in and talked to me for about an hour and a half about the tornado and his life in general. He said, "It blew like hell and then it got quiet, then it was on top of us." His father had a vice bolted onto a table in the garage. The tornado ripped the vice off but left the table. It lifted their Model A Ford up and set it upside down. He talked of the aftermath and how the town never fully recovered. He pointed out how the buildings in town had bricks from before the tornado and bricks from after. He told me of his military service and shed some tears. He talked of his love for his family. As he did, a storm brewed outside out of no where and a little whirlwind formed just outside his window. Chills down my spine thinking of it! He passed away in 2015. On a chase in the TX panhandle this spring, I visited his grave in a secluded cemetery and laid flowers on it. Rain drops started falling on his headstone. A storm I had been following started coming together and moved directly overhead and there was a rumble of thunder. Chills down my spine again .

 

[Seth Price]

I appreciate this thread. I was in Woodward chasing during the April 14-15, 2012 tornado. That town has an interesting history.