Wichita Falls marks 45th anniversary of city’s worst tornado
Wichita Falls’ worst tornado is fading into history, but not in the memories of many Wichitans who were here on April 10, 1979.
The tornado that tore across the southern part of the city just a few minutes after 6 p.m. killed 42 people in the city, 25 of whom were caught in their vehicles and 16 of whom had left their homes to avoid the tornado.
The tornado also injured 1,740 other people and caused about $500 million in property damage. That’s equivalent to $2.2 billion in 2024 dollars.
The Wichita Falls tornado was actually a multivortex phenomenon with one large tornado accompanied by other smaller twisters. Its damage path was 1.5 miles wide and 2.4 miles long across the city and continued to inflict damage toward Petrolia and Byers before it dissipated near Waurika, Okla. Light debris from Wichita Falls, including papers and checks, was found in Waurika.
As many as 5,000 buildings were destroyed or badly damaged, and up to 10,000 Wichita Falls residents were left homeless, with many living for weeks or months in mobile homes brought in by the federal government.
The National Weather Service named the event the “1979 Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak,” which consisted of 60 confirmed tornadoes. The same storm system was responsible for tornadoes that killed 16 other people in
North Texas and southern Oklahoma.
Most of the physical scars from the storm have vanished over the decades. A few foundation slabs have remained in the Faith Village neighborhoods and a subtle change of color in bricks marks the top of the former Dillard’s store at Sikes Senter.
The 1979 tornado was the worst of three recorded major tornado strikes in Wichita Falls, all occurring in April. On April 2, 1958, a twister touched down at Fourth and Lamar streets near downtown, causing significant damage, killing one man, and injuring two people. On April 3, 1964, a maximum-power tornado struck northwestern Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base, killing seven people and destroying about 225 homes in its 6-mile path.
The National Weather Service has recorded 23 tornado strikes in Wichita Falls since 1888. Most caused no fatalities or major damage.