Q: 1958 Wichita Falls, TX tornado

[Thomas Loades]

I often read in more general reference books as well as a handful of weather books that a tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, on April 2, 1958 had a wind gust recorded at 280 mph. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records.) That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and other weather books just don't mention it at all. Significant Tornadoes lists the tornado as an F3, and doesn't mention the wind gust either. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

[Jason_Politte]

I often read in more general reference books as well as a handful of weather books that a tornado at Wichita Falls, TX, on April 2, 1958 had a wind gust recorded at 280 mph. (For instance, this was in a 1964 edition of The Guinness Book of Records.) That said, it's never mentioned just how that wind gust was recorded, and other weather books just don't mention it at all. Significant Tornadoes lists the tornado as an F3, and doesn't mention the wind gust either. Does anyone know anything about this?

That's the first I've heard regarding a wind gust being measured with the tornado. At one time, I worked with a guy whose father, Eldon Manes, photographed the tornado as it tore through Wichita Falls. He allowed me to place this largely unseen photo on the web a few years ago.



Jason

 

[Craig Maire II]

Wichita tornado-April 2nd 1958

Awsome picture Jason!

 

[Morgan Palmer]

The only way I can think of measuring wind speed like that from years ago would be photogrammetry.

I don't know if there are any films of that event or if they've been studied.

mp

 

[John Cameron]

That's the first I've heard regarding a wind gust being measured with the tornado. At one time, I worked with a guy whose father, Eldon Manes, photographed the tornado as it tore through Wichita Falls. He allowed me to place this largely unseen photo on the web a few years ago.



Jason

wow...a color pic none the less!!
I've heard through some reliable sources that a local TV station (KAUZ) covered the '58 tornado live on the air, claiming a TV first. I've seen the footage of their live coverage of the '64 tornado(F5). Incredible!

Anyonen know the damage path of the '58 tornado?

 

[Andy Wehrle]

I've heard through some reliable sources that a local TV station (KAUZ) covered the '58 tornado live on the air, claiming a TV first. I've seen the footage of their live coverage of the '64 tornado(F5). Incredible! Anyone know the damage path of the '58 tornado?

That's a '58 tornado, and a '64 tornado. Wasn't Wichita Falls also hit during the Red River Valley Outbreak in April, 1979? Is it the second-most tornado-prone city behind OKC?

 

[John Cameron]

I've heard through some reliable sources that a local TV station (KAUZ) covered the '58 tornado live on the air, claiming a TV first. I've seen the footage of their live coverage of the '64 tornado(F5). Incredible! Anyone know the damage path of the '58 tornado?

That's a '58 tornado, and a '64 tornado. Wasn't Wichita Falls also hit during the Red River Valley Outbreak in April, 1979? Is it the second-most tornado-prone city behind OKC?

Yep, the 4/10/79 is definately the most devastating tornado in the city's history(still 2nd costliest in nation). As prone as OKC ? Dont know. That's a tough comparison. Wichita Falls has just a fraction of the footprint the metro has. When it comes to significant tornadoes the Lawton/Wichita Falls area has been quiet over the last 2 decades. Although the parent storm of the '99 OKC tornado was spawned over Lawton/Comanche County.

 

[KMcCallister]

Anybody have any thoughts where we might find more info on this tornado other than mentioned?

So far, I can't find any websites or journal articles that deal with it at all. (Other than the repetitive "record wind speed" references)

 

[Thomas Loades]

I'm thinking there might be more information in contemporary issues of Monthly Weather Review or the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. That said, I don't know whether city or state libraries would keep them, so you'd probably have to try university libraries or get local libraries to loan them from NOAA (who would possibly have relevant issues of the former, at least, in their libraries).

 

[John Cameron]

I may get with our local emergency manager and see if he has any tangible info.

 

[Jason_Politte]

Awsome picture Jason!

wow...a color pic none the less!!
I've heard through some reliable sources that a local TV station (KAUZ) covered the '58 tornado live on the air, claiming a TV first. I've seen the footage of their live coverage of the '64 tornado(F5). Incredible!

Anyonen know the damage path of the '58 tornado?

Anybody have any thoughts where we might find more info on this tornado other than mentioned?

So far, I can't find any websites or journal articles that deal with it at all. (Other than the repetitive "record wind speed" references)

I've always enjoyed the photo for its uniqueness, and I'm happy to hear that others are as well. The only reliable information I've found concerning this tornado is from Storm Data:

Event: Tornado
Begin Date: 02 Apr 1958, 1755 CST
Begin Location: Not Known
Begin LAT/LON: 33°54'N / 98°30'W
End Location: Not Known
End LAT/LON: 33°54'N / 98°26'W
Length: 4 Miles
Width: 333 Yards
Magnitude: F3
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 14
Property Damage: $ 250.0K
Crop Damage: $ 0.0

Also, since the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado has been mentioned, some might be interested in this story that Joel Manes sent to Tom Grazulis several years ago about the craziness that ensued on the streets of Wichita Falls as residents tried to flee the tornado.

http://www.tornadoproject.com/safety/manes.htm

Jason

 

[Thomas Loades]

I just did a Google search on this and found some interesting stuff.

I know that there may be more photos of this tornado because there's a different color set of three that appears in Clouds Of The World (among other books) — the one that gets reprinted most often shows the tornado looking just like in the photo Jason posted, but from a different angle; the tornado appears a lighter gray-blue, and there are houses and power lines in the foreground.

I don't know if they're the same as these photos, mentioned on the "History of AP photos" page on the Associated Press site:

As the network grew, the cooperative spirit of the AP was put into action, bringing more and more member-originated photos onto the wire. One series of successful photos came from the Wichita Falls (Texas) Tribune. In 1958, the paper's photographers stood on the roof of their office building and bravely photographed a tornado bearing down on their town just a block away. The pictures played in newspapers across the country.