Lubbock Tornado
Encyclopedia
The 1970 Lubbock tornado was a tornado
event that occurred in Lubbock, Texas
, on May 11, 1970. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas
history, and occurred exactly 17 years to the day after the deadly Waco Tornado. It is also the most recent F5 tornado to have struck a central business district
of a large or mid-sized city.
. Less than half an hour later, Lubbock radar indicated the first thunderstorm activity in the immediate Lubbock vicinity: a moderate storm just south of the city near the small farming community of Woodrow
.
Conditions continued to deteriorate through the early evening, and at 7:30 the local weather bureau issued a forecast which included the developing thunderstorm activity. By 7:45 the thunderstorm south of the city was indicated by radar to be increasing in intensity, and at 7:50 the National Weather Service
issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Lubbock, Crosby and Floyd counties. Shortly afterward, reports of rapidly deteriorating conditions on the south side of the city of Lubbock began to come in to the weather bureau and by 8:05, citizens south of the city were reporting golf ball-sized hail
to the bureau.
on the east side of the city, and grapefruit-size hail was reported. At 8:15, local radar indicated a hook echo
and a tornado warning
was issued for Lubbock and Crosby counties, and the first tornado to strike the city touched down seven miles south of Lubbock Municipal Airport
, near the intersection of Quirt Avenue and Broadway. Since it was in a relatively sparsely populated area of the city, this first tornado caused little significant damage; however, reports of damaging hail continued to come in from around the city. At 9:15, tornado sirens in Idalou
were sounded, and by 9:30 baseball-sized hail was falling in the northeastern sector of Lubbock.
At about 9:35PM, a second and much more significant tornado touched down near the campus of Texas Tech University
, and began to track northeast, carving a path of destruction that at its peak reached almost two miles in width right through the heart of the city. The devastating twister tore through several densely populated residential areas before slicing through downtown, dealing a direct blow to the First National Bank building and the Great Plains Life building. The tornado then moved north toward the airport, where at 10:00PM, anemometer
s were already reading winds of 77 knots (approximately 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s). At 9:46, power failed at the Lubbock Civil Defense headquarters, and three minutes later, the local weather bureau lost power and its personnel abandoned their posts to take shelter from the tornado, which was now bearing down on the area and passed over the Weather Bureau building at 10:03PM.
The tornado continued north-northeast toward the communities of Abernathy
and New Deal
, where local authorities had begun sounding tornado sirens due to alerts passed along to them via two-way radio by the officials at the crippled Lubbock Weather Bureau office. The tornado finally dissipated at about 10:10PM near the community of Petersburg
.
Since the tornado hit the downtown area, over 250 businesses were also severely damaged or destroyed, including 20 city and county offices. Every motel along 4th Street and Avenue Q north of 10th Street sustained major damage, and several motels and other businesses along Avenue Q, which is a major artery through the city, were destroyed. Several banks and warehouses were severely damaged, and one nightclub lost its entire top floor. Eight elementary schools were damaged, as well as Lubbock and Estacado High Schools, the latter losing a large portion of the roof over the gym.
The 271 feet (82.6 m) tall Great Plains Life Building
was actually twisted by the tornado, and was damaged so badly, many thought it would collapse; several radio towers on the roof were twisted or broken off. Much of the plaster in the stairwell walls between the 4th and 16th floors had cracked, and 60% of the building's windows were shattered. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and amid cries to demolish, the owners chose to repair it instead, and it still stands; this building is believed to be the tallest building to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado.
In addition to damage to buildings, there was damage to other property. Over 10,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and at Lubbock Municipal Airport, one hundred private aircraft and 19 military planes were destroyed. Many utilities were damaged or destroyed and 220 light poles were toppled, leaving the city's two utility companies scrambling to restore power in the days immediately following the storm. The Southwestern Bell
Company reported that 25,000 telephones were knocked out of service and 600 long distance lines were ruined. There was extensive ecological damages as well; many trees were damaged or destroyed, including the city’s aged Chinese elm trees. Mackenzie State Park, Pioneer Park, Guadalupe Park and the Texas Tech campus lost almost all of their trees. Damage totaled $250 million, ($1,411,900,000 in 2008 dollars), making it the costliest U.S. tornado until it was surpassed by the Omaha Tornado of 1975
.
The storm's final death toll was 26; victims ranged in age from 9 months to 88 years of age. Many of the victims were found in their homes, where they had been killed by flying debris or structural collapse. One boy lost his life when he was sucked out of the car he was riding in, and an entire family of five died when their house was lifted from its foundation, hurled over 200 yards, and slammed into a field. Another five hundred people were injured.
After the storm, Mayor
Jim Granberry imposed a curfew
, and Police Chief J.T. Alley issued orders that looters
would be shot on sight. No looting was reported throughout the ordeal. The city council was directed to lead the rebuilding process, which continued under Granberry's successor, Morris W. Turner
. The Lubbock Tornado also served as a model for the development of the Fujita scale
, developed a year later. Bud Andrews
, a Lubbock radio
broadcaster, was given a Presidential Citation from then U.S. President Richard M. Nixon for his coverage of the disaster.
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
event that occurred in Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
, on May 11, 1970. It was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
history, and occurred exactly 17 years to the day after the deadly Waco Tornado. It is also the most recent F5 tornado to have struck a central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of a large or mid-sized city.
Development
At 10AM on 11 May 1970, the SELS (Severe Local Storms unit) issued an outlook that stated that isolated thunderstorms were possible in the High Plains region of West Texas, and amended the outlook at 1:25 PM to include the possibility that some of the storms may become severe. Warm and dry conditions dominated the area throughout the afternoon; the temperature peaked at a high of 90°F (32°C) with moderate humidity. At 6PM, large cumulus clouds began to appear in the area, and at 6:30 the first echoes indicating thunderstorms began to appear on radar scopes in nearby AmarilloAmarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. Less than half an hour later, Lubbock radar indicated the first thunderstorm activity in the immediate Lubbock vicinity: a moderate storm just south of the city near the small farming community of Woodrow
Woodrow, Texas
Woodrow is an unincorporated community in southern Lubbock County, Texas, United States. It lies on U.S. Route 87, ten miles south of Lubbock, and has an estimated population of 85. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
Conditions continued to deteriorate through the early evening, and at 7:30 the local weather bureau issued a forecast which included the developing thunderstorm activity. By 7:45 the thunderstorm south of the city was indicated by radar to be increasing in intensity, and at 7:50 the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Lubbock, Crosby and Floyd counties. Shortly afterward, reports of rapidly deteriorating conditions on the south side of the city of Lubbock began to come in to the weather bureau and by 8:05, citizens south of the city were reporting golf ball-sized hail
Hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is referred to as a hail stone. Hail stones on Earth consist mostly of water ice and measure between and in diameter, with the larger stones coming from severe thunderstorms...
to the bureau.
Tornado Activity Begins
At 8:10PM, an off-duty Lubbock police officer spotted a funnel cloudFunnel cloud
A funnel cloud is a funnel-shaped cloud of condensed water droplets, associated with a rotating column of wind and extending from the base of a cloud but not reaching the ground or a water surface. A funnel cloud is usually visible as a cone-shaped or needle like protuberance from the main cloud...
on the east side of the city, and grapefruit-size hail was reported. At 8:15, local radar indicated a hook echo
Hook echo
The hook echo is one of the classical hallmarks of tornado-producing supercell thunderstorms as seen on a weather radar. The echo is produced by rain, hail, or even debris being wrapped around the supercell...
and a tornado warning
Tornado warning
A tornado warning is an alert issued by government weather services to warn that severe thunderstorms with tornadoes may be imminent. It can be issued after a tornado or funnel cloud has been spotted by eye, or more commonly if there are radar indications of tornado formation...
was issued for Lubbock and Crosby counties, and the first tornado to strike the city touched down seven miles south of Lubbock Municipal Airport
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport
Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport is an airport located just north of Lubbock, Texas. Originally known as Lubbock International Airport, it was renamed in 2004 to honor former Texas governor Preston E. Smith, an alumnus of Texas Tech University...
, near the intersection of Quirt Avenue and Broadway. Since it was in a relatively sparsely populated area of the city, this first tornado caused little significant damage; however, reports of damaging hail continued to come in from around the city. At 9:15, tornado sirens in Idalou
Idalou, Texas
Idalou is a city in Lubbock County, Texas, United States. It is located 7 miles northeast of Lubbock near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 400 and US 62/US 82/SH 114. The population was 2,157 at the 2000 census...
were sounded, and by 9:30 baseball-sized hail was falling in the northeastern sector of Lubbock.
At about 9:35PM, a second and much more significant tornado touched down near the campus of Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
, and began to track northeast, carving a path of destruction that at its peak reached almost two miles in width right through the heart of the city. The devastating twister tore through several densely populated residential areas before slicing through downtown, dealing a direct blow to the First National Bank building and the Great Plains Life building. The tornado then moved north toward the airport, where at 10:00PM, anemometer
Anemometer
An anemometer is a device for measuring wind speed, and is a common weather station instrument. The term is derived from the Greek word anemos, meaning wind, and is used to describe any airspeed measurement instrument used in meteorology or aerodynamics...
s were already reading winds of 77 knots (approximately 90 miles per hour (40.2 m/s). At 9:46, power failed at the Lubbock Civil Defense headquarters, and three minutes later, the local weather bureau lost power and its personnel abandoned their posts to take shelter from the tornado, which was now bearing down on the area and passed over the Weather Bureau building at 10:03PM.
The tornado continued north-northeast toward the communities of Abernathy
Abernathy, Texas
Abernathy is a city in Hale and Lubbock counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 2,839 at the 2000 census, but had dropped to 2,764 according to a 2009 estimate....
and New Deal
New Deal, Texas
New Deal is a town in Lubbock County, Texas, United States.The population was 708 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lubbock Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, where local authorities had begun sounding tornado sirens due to alerts passed along to them via two-way radio by the officials at the crippled Lubbock Weather Bureau office. The tornado finally dissipated at about 10:10PM near the community of Petersburg
Petersburg, Texas
Petersburg is a city in Hale County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,262 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Petersburg is located at ....
.
Aftermath
The second tornado was devastating, affecting a 25 square miles (64.7 km²) area or roughly a quarter of Lubbock. Hardest hit were the inner city commercial and residential areas, the light industrial area south of Loop 289, and the residential area north of Loop 289 and the Lubbock Municipal Airport. A total of 430 homes were destroyed, 519 sustained major damage, and 7,851 more sustained minor damage. Another 600 apartments were destroyed and 549 damaged, and one hundred mobile homes were severely damaged or destroyed. The Guadalupe Neighborhood, consisting of mostly old wood frame or stucco homes, and parts of the Mesa Road area near the Lubbock Country Club, were almost completely leveled.Since the tornado hit the downtown area, over 250 businesses were also severely damaged or destroyed, including 20 city and county offices. Every motel along 4th Street and Avenue Q north of 10th Street sustained major damage, and several motels and other businesses along Avenue Q, which is a major artery through the city, were destroyed. Several banks and warehouses were severely damaged, and one nightclub lost its entire top floor. Eight elementary schools were damaged, as well as Lubbock and Estacado High Schools, the latter losing a large portion of the roof over the gym.
The 271 feet (82.6 m) tall Great Plains Life Building
Metro Tower (Lubbock)
The Metro Tower, also known as the NTS Tower, is an office skyscraper located in Lubbock, Texas. Completed in 1955, it is the tallest building in Lubbock at 274 feet . The 20-story skyscraper was originally known as the Great Plains Life Building after an insurance company that served as its first...
was actually twisted by the tornado, and was damaged so badly, many thought it would collapse; several radio towers on the roof were twisted or broken off. Much of the plaster in the stairwell walls between the 4th and 16th floors had cracked, and 60% of the building's windows were shattered. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and amid cries to demolish, the owners chose to repair it instead, and it still stands; this building is believed to be the tallest building to survive a direct hit from an F5 tornado.
In addition to damage to buildings, there was damage to other property. Over 10,000 vehicles were damaged or destroyed, and at Lubbock Municipal Airport, one hundred private aircraft and 19 military planes were destroyed. Many utilities were damaged or destroyed and 220 light poles were toppled, leaving the city's two utility companies scrambling to restore power in the days immediately following the storm. The Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell
Southwestern Bell Telephone Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of AT&T. It does business as AT&T Southwest and other d/b/a names in its operating region.The company is currently headquartered in Dallas, Texas at One AT&T Plaza.-History:...
Company reported that 25,000 telephones were knocked out of service and 600 long distance lines were ruined. There was extensive ecological damages as well; many trees were damaged or destroyed, including the city’s aged Chinese elm trees. Mackenzie State Park, Pioneer Park, Guadalupe Park and the Texas Tech campus lost almost all of their trees. Damage totaled $250 million, ($1,411,900,000 in 2008 dollars), making it the costliest U.S. tornado until it was surpassed by the Omaha Tornado of 1975
Omaha Tornado of 1975
The 1975 Omaha tornado is a violent tornado that hit the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area. It was part of a two-day outbreak that struck the Midwest and Southern United States on May 6–7, 1975, ending in the very early hours of May 8 across Louisiana. South Dakota, Iowa, Texas and Mississippi were...
.
The storm's final death toll was 26; victims ranged in age from 9 months to 88 years of age. Many of the victims were found in their homes, where they had been killed by flying debris or structural collapse. One boy lost his life when he was sucked out of the car he was riding in, and an entire family of five died when their house was lifted from its foundation, hurled over 200 yards, and slammed into a field. Another five hundred people were injured.
After the storm, Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Jim Granberry imposed a curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
, and Police Chief J.T. Alley issued orders that looters
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
would be shot on sight. No looting was reported throughout the ordeal. The city council was directed to lead the rebuilding process, which continued under Granberry's successor, Morris W. Turner
Morris W. Turner
Morris Wayne Turner, also known as Moe Turner was a businessman who served in the nonpartisan position of mayor of Lubbock, Texas, from 1972-1974. He was also a member of the Lubbock City Council from 1968 until the time of his election as mayor.Turner was one of four children born to Clay Turner ...
. The Lubbock Tornado also served as a model for the development of the Fujita scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
, developed a year later. Bud Andrews
Bud Andrews
Curcy Hendricks Andrews, Jr., known as Bud Andrews , is a retired deejay at Radio KDAV in Lubbock, Texas, who in 1970 is said to have "discovered" the Mississippi-based humorist Jerry Clower.-Early career:...
, a Lubbock radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster, was given a Presidential Citation from then U.S. President Richard M. Nixon for his coverage of the disaster.
See also
External links
- http://www.lubbocktornado1970.com/ - Official City of Lubbock Tornado Anniversary website
- Lubbock Tornado - Tornado History Project
- http://www.lubbockonline.com/tornado/stories/20Years/022.shtml
- http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/0512_morn.shtml
- http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/May13/003.shtml
- http://www.lubbockonline.com/lubbock_tornado/stories/20Years/001.shtml
- http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub/events/1970/19700511/
- http://www3.gendisasters.com/texas/5698/lubbock-tx-devestating-tornado-rips-city-may-1970