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On This Day in 1953: Deadly Waco, Texas Tornado
May 10, 2023 at 12:20 PM EDT
By WeatherBug Meteorologist, Matt Mehallow
On May 11, 1953, one of the most disastrous tornadoes in modern history sliced its way through the heart of Waco, Texas, leaving in its wake a spectacle of devastation.
It was a muggy spring morning across much of central Texas on May 11. Temperatures were in the mid-70s in Waco, and breezy southeast winds led to dewpoints in the lower 70s. Early morning storms across the Big Country area left outflow boundaries in their wake, which acted as a spark for tornadic development across Texas later in the day.
During the afternoon hours, scattered thunderstorms developed along a dryline extending from the eastern Texas Panhandle to Midland to west of Del Rio, Texas. One supercell that developed in southwest McLennan County was responsible for the Waco tornado.
The tornado first touched down around 4:10 p.m. southwest of Waco, near the town of Lorena, Texas. After destroying a home north of Lorena, the tornado moved north-northeast toward Waco, arriving with little warning. The tornado was rain-wrapped and approximately one-third of a mile wide as it inflicted mayhem throughout the downtown area.
The twister continued plowing northeast of Waco, finally dissipating near Axtell, Texas, after a 23-mile-long path of destruction. The tornado injured 600 people, took 114 lives and damaged hundreds of businesses. The tornado, with winds of up to 260 mph, was rated an F5 of the Fujita Scale. In today’s currency, the damage cost up to a staggering $463 million.
In the years that followed the destruction, there was significant advancement in forecasting and communicating severe weather. The tornados of 1953 led to the development of a national network of weather radars and reporting system across America. To this day, these improvements continue to provide better detection and earlier warnings of approaching thunderstorms to protect property and save lives.
Source: weather.gov
Image: Waco, Texas after an F5 tornado hit the city, May 11, 1953. John Dominis/Life Pictures/Shutterstock
It was a muggy spring morning across much of central Texas on May 11. Temperatures were in the mid-70s in Waco, and breezy southeast winds led to dewpoints in the lower 70s. Early morning storms across the Big Country area left outflow boundaries in their wake, which acted as a spark for tornadic development across Texas later in the day.
During the afternoon hours, scattered thunderstorms developed along a dryline extending from the eastern Texas Panhandle to Midland to west of Del Rio, Texas. One supercell that developed in southwest McLennan County was responsible for the Waco tornado.
The tornado first touched down around 4:10 p.m. southwest of Waco, near the town of Lorena, Texas. After destroying a home north of Lorena, the tornado moved north-northeast toward Waco, arriving with little warning. The tornado was rain-wrapped and approximately one-third of a mile wide as it inflicted mayhem throughout the downtown area.
The twister continued plowing northeast of Waco, finally dissipating near Axtell, Texas, after a 23-mile-long path of destruction. The tornado injured 600 people, took 114 lives and damaged hundreds of businesses. The tornado, with winds of up to 260 mph, was rated an F5 of the Fujita Scale. In today’s currency, the damage cost up to a staggering $463 million.
In the years that followed the destruction, there was significant advancement in forecasting and communicating severe weather. The tornados of 1953 led to the development of a national network of weather radars and reporting system across America. To this day, these improvements continue to provide better detection and earlier warnings of approaching thunderstorms to protect property and save lives.
Source: weather.gov
Image: Waco, Texas after an F5 tornado hit the city, May 11, 1953. John Dominis/Life Pictures/Shutterstock