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Tornadoes Strike
Dallas
50 Years Ago…
Classic
Severe Weather Scenario…
Tuesday,
April 2, 1957 was a warm spring day across
North Texas
. Temperatures climbed into the lower 70s in
Dallas
during the afternoon, with dewpoints in the upper 60s
to near 70 degrees. A strong 100-115 m.p.h. upper
level jet split over the region, with the southern
portion darting from west to east across North Texas,
and the northern branch moving over southwest
Oklahoma
. At mid levels, a trough centered over the
southwestern
United States
provided ample mid level wind shear across the
Southern Plains.
Many of the supercell thunderstorms on April 2,
including the parent storm of the
Dallas
tornadoes, developed near a warm front extending from
just north of Mineral Wells east to
Dallas
to
Monroe
,
Louisiana
. A surface cold front extended along an inverted
surface trough from near
Del Rio
northward to Childress.
Twisters
Touch Down…
At
3 p.m., the first tornado touched down along
present-day I-20 in southern
Dallas
County
. The twister moved north along
Polk Street
past the current location of I-30. Continuing north,
the tornado moved one mile east of
Hampton Street
, down a hill and into a neighborhood destroying many
homes. The tornado moved northwest of downtown
Dallas
, going across the
Trinity River
levee and into an industrial complex. The initial
tornado finally entered the rope, or dying, stage in
the parking lot of Love Field, and fully dissipated
after crossing
Bachman
Lake
.
A
second tornado developed just one mile east of the
rope tornado. This tornado moved from northwest
Dallas
into
Collin
County
, destroying farm homes. It is unknown where the
second tornado dissipated.
The
initial
Dallas
tornado killed 10 people and injured 200 during its
45-minute life span. It also resulted in $4 million in
damages, which equates to over $28.6 million in 2006
dollars. The tornado was rated F3 on the Fujita scale.
Status of the Science…
Today,
forecasters at your National Weather Service in
Fort Worth
analyze data from weather observations and study
weather patterns to forecast severe weather episodes
days in advance. Technology such as weather radar and
satellite imagery, as well as storm spotters in the
field, help forecasters pinpoint the severe weather
threat area when the skies darken.
However,
in the 1950s severe weather forecasting was very
different. A series of devastating tornadoes ripped
through
America
’s heartland during the decade causing significant
loss of life and millions of dollars in property
damage.
North Texas
was no exception to these outbreaks. On May 11, 1953
an F5 tornado ripped through downtown
Waco
killing 114. That tornado was part of a larger
outbreak of severe weather from May 9 through May 11
across the Central Plains. The
Waco
tornado ranks as one of the top 10 deadliest tornadoes
in written American history.
The
science of severe weather meteorology was in its
infancy in the ‘50s, and unforecasted tornado
outbreaks were resulting in public outrage. The SEvere
Local Storms unit (SELS), the predecessor to the
Storm
Prediction
Center
, was developed in the 1950s through demand for better
prediction and understanding of severe weather.
The Future…
If
the
Dallas
tornadoes of 1957 were to occur today, more
significant damage would likely occur, with the
possibility of catastrophic loss of life. These
tornadoes are a reminder that major metropolitan areas
are not immune their destructive forces. The May 3,
1999 tornado outbreak cut a swath of destruction
through central
Oklahoma
, including the
Oklahoma City
metro area. The storms resulted in over 40 deaths, 675
injuries, and $1.2 billion in damages.
A deadly tornado can strike anywhere in North
Texas, including the
Dallas
/
Fort Worth
metroplex. The best defense to protect your family is
to stay updated with forecasts, watches, and warnings
via NOAA All-Hazards radio or commercial television
and radio outlets. Have a severe weather plan in place
at your home, office, and school, and practice it
regularly. |
www.srh.noaa.gov 
