1970 — May 11, F5 Tornado, Lubbock, TX — 26

–28  Grazulis, Thomas. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 1113.[1]

–28  Levine, Mark. F5. 2007, pp. 97-98.

–28  NWS Lubbock, TX, WFO. “The Lubbock Tornado May 11, 1970.” 5-3-2010.

–26  Sifford, David. “May 11, 1970 Lubbock Tornado Victims. 26 memorials.” Find A Grave.

–26  Ludlum, David. The American Weather Book. 1982, p. 92.

–26  Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “HUD…Tornado Death Toll Up To 26.” 5-21-1970, p. 1.

–26  Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Tornado casualties.” 2-3-2012.

–26  NWS Lubbock, TX, WFO. NWS Lubbock, TX Local Weather Events: The 1970…Tornado.[2]

–26  Press-Telegram. “Tornado Devastates City, 26 Killed, 300 Hurt in Disaster, 5-12-1970.

–26  TornadoProject.com (Thomas Grazulis). “Texas Tornadoes 1950-2012.”

 

Narrative Information

 

Grazulis: “TX  May 11, 1970, 1035, 28k [killed], 500 inj., 1500y, 8m, F5. Lubbock – This historic tornado developed over the SW section of Lubbock, and dipped to earth just south of the downtown section. Skirting just east of the Texas Tech campus, it plowed through the downtown area, destroying and damaging apartment houses and other buildings. It moved NE, generally along US-87, and stayed on the ground for eight miles before lifting. The area of tornado damage covered 15 square miles. Within this area, 600 apartment units were destroyed, 430 houses were destroyed, and 250 businesses were damaged or destroyed. Added to this was damage to 10,000 automobiles, 119 aircraft, and the breaking of 80% of the windows in the downtown area. Expensive homes near a country club were turned into shambles. A conservative damage estimate was $135,000,000. The tornado had some  historic significance in that subsequent studies of the event began a new era in the understanding and analysis of tornado damage, deaths, wind speeds and multiple vortices….” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes… 1993, p. 1113.)

 

“Lubbock damage became the standard for the six levels of the Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity….”  (Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes… 1993, p. 1116.)

 

“The Lubbock Tornado deformed the Great Plains Life Building, causing it to be temporarily abandoned for a few years. During that time it was called “The Largest Pigeon Roost in the Panhandle.” Any building can be moved in unusual ways if it is built asymmetrically. A building will appear to twist when one section fails earlier than other parts, even if the wind was perfectly straight. This building is asymmetrical in that it has an exterior addition for shafts at only one end. That design may have given the structure varying degrees of “stiffizess,” causing it to “deform” in the extreme winds. The word “twist” was not used in published reports. Repairs were made and the building is back ill use today.”  (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes… 1993, p. 1113.)

 

NWS Lubbock TX WFO 2010 Press Release: “ May 11, 2010, marks the 40th anniversary of the most tragic event in our city’s history, the 1970 Lubbock tornado. The F5 tornado that struck the “Hub City” 40 years ago, the most violent on a scale of 0 to 5, killed 28 people and injured thousands of Lubbock residents….” (National Weather Service, Lubbock, TX, Weather Forecast Office. “The Lubbock Tornado May 11, 1970…40th Anniversary.” 5-3-2010.)

 

NWS Lubbock TX WFO Webpage (2019): “Saturday, May 11th 2019 will mark the 49th anniversary of the devastating tornado that struck Lubbock….

 

“On May 11th, 1970, a devastating tornado struck Lubbock. The tornado, actually the second of two that struck the city that night, touched down around 9:30 in the evening southwest of downtown and moved northeast, causing terrible damage along its path, until it lifted around the Lubbock Municipal Airport shortly after 10:00 pm.

 

“The tornado killed 26 people and injured more than 1500 along its 8.5 mile track, while covering about 15 square miles of Lubbock. Dr. Theodore “Ted” Fujita later determined that all but one of the deaths (96%) occurred along the path of suction spots (also know as suction swaths and suction marks). These suction spots, which create localized areas of increased damage, are created when smaller-scale vortices develop and rotate around the larger parent tornado forming a multiple-vortex tornado….

 

“The tornado caused extensive damage to the northeast side of Lubbock and resulted in approximately 250 million dollars worth of damage (in 1970 dollars), equivalent to about 1.25 billion dollars in 2005. The tornado was rated an F5 on the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale, which is the highest a tornado can be rated….” (National Weather Service, Lubbock, TX, Weather Forecast Office. NWS Lubbock, TX Local Weather Events: The 1970 Lubbock Tornado. May 2019.)

 

Newspapers

 

May 12: “Lubbock, Tex.. (UPI) — A tornado, spawned without warning from the blackness of a rain and hail storm, tore an eight-mile gash through Lubbock last night, causing death and destruction that’ “defies the imagination” and injuring as many as 1,000 persons. The twister which roared up the “tornado alley” of Texas killed at least 20 persons…. Skyscrapers — the tallest 20 stories — stood pocked and battered. At least one building was in danger of collapsing.”  (Fresno Bee Republican (CA). “Tornado Kills 20 In Lubbock; 1,000 Hurt.” May 12, 1970.)

 

May 12: “The spring dawn over this west Texas city of 161,000 showed damage over 2,500 square blocks from the tornado and the main storm that spewed rain and hail the size of lemons.  Wind gusts after the twister lifted were measured at 100 miles an hour. Damage was estimated into the millions….The tornado touched down at 9:27 p.m….near the Texas Tech campus, headed northeasterly through the downtown section and moved out of town by the airport….

 

“The tornado was the worst in Texas since a twister reeled through Waco 17 years ago on the same day. On May 11, 1953, 14 persons were killed by the Waco tornado.

 

“Water stood a foot  deep on some Lubbock streets. Complete blocks of homes and businesses were blown away. All electricity in the city was knocked out and hospitals went on auxiliary power. The only lights in the streets came from automobiles and the spinning red flashes atop police cars.”  (San Mateo Times, CA.  “Death Toll Is High in Texas Tornado,” May 12, 1970.)

 

May 12: “Lubbock, Tex. (AP) – A tornado so powerful it ripped great chunks of concrete from buildings has turned this city of 170,000 into a disaster area, with death estimates today ranging from 20-26. State authorities counted 20 bodies, while newspaper and radio surveys reached a total of 26. Texas Safety Department officers said some dead may still be under debris.

 

“Authorities said 300 or more suffered injuries in the Monday night disaster.  Property damage was unofficially calculated in the millions…

 

“All persons except rescue workers were kept out of the downtown area. The National Guard called out 300 men, including a medical unit. The state Safety Department sent 45 units. The Red Cross dispatched six disaster teams with 10 mobile vans.

 

“Cars lay flattened to within two or three feet of the pavement. A bus was slammed broadside into a building. The ground floor of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal was awash from a cloudburst which came with the twister….The storm left a path of destruction eight miles long…“Damage centered in the downtown area, where virtually all store fronts were blown out and a policeman said, ‘Looting started before the wind died down.’  Police patrolled the streets to curb further thefts….

 

“Hospitals were quickly jammed with the injured and two of the city’s largest had to turn patients away after filling corridors with beds and cots for those who arrived earlier.

 

“Near 19,000-student Texas Technological College two apartment buildings were shattered….

 

“Damage was heavy and injuries numerous in the Mexican-American section of the city, where buildings generally were of flimsy construction….

 

“Braniff International said it had canceled flights into tile Lubbock airport because the control tower was destroyed.

 

“The Smiley Elementary School was turned into a temporary morgue….” (Press-Telegram.  “Tornado Devastates City, 26 Killed, 300 Hurt in Disaster,” May 12, 1970, pp. 1 and 6.)

 

May 14: “Lubbock’s business heart began beating again today, and residents of its shattered Guadalupe area continued to dig through the tattered remains of all they owned as assistance coordinators intensified efforts to help them….Meanwhile, the death toll from the Monday night storm rose to 21 with the death Wednesday [13th] of Mrs. Ola Belle Hatch, 77… Dozens of victims remained hospitalized

 

“Nearly 200 homeless families already were moving into vacant FHA homes, where they can live rent free for up to 90 days except for payment of utility charges….” (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Business District Reopens.” 5-14-1970, p. 1.)

 

May 17: After noting the deaths of two injured victims, notes names of 20 other fatalities. (Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Two Die. City Storm Death Toll Reaches 23.” 5-17-1970, 14A.)

 

Named Fatalities[3]

 

  1. Aguilar, Jose, 75. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  2. Alafa, Helen Valdez, 30 (26th death). Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 21.
  3. Butts, Mrs. Johnnie, 54. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  4. Canales, Frank Moreno Jr., 33.                         City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  5. Cook, Thomas Andrew, 29.                         Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  6. Cox, John Stephen, 26. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  7. Garret, Joseph Glen, 29. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  8. Glenn, Shelbey Curtis, 52. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  9. Gonzales, Olita, 44 (or 46, City of Lubbock). Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  10. Graves, Mrs. Dora Bertie, 49.                         City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  11. Hatch, Mrs. Ola Belle, 77. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  12. Knight, Mrs. Ruth., 63.                         Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  13. Leyva, Jose Luz, 13. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  14. Lopez, Pedro, 56 (or 57, City of Lubbock). Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  15. Lopez, Salvadore Jack, 57.                         City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  16. McClintock, Dale, 37 (or 39, City of Lubbock). Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  17. Medlin, Kenneth Raye, 23, husband of Mary. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  18. Medlin, Mary Jane,[4] 22, wife of Kenneth. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  19. Medlin, Alan Raye, 3, son of Kenneth & Mary. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  20. Medlin, Dustin, 9 months, son of Kenneth & Mary. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  21. Mora, Angela Marie, 9 (24th death) City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  22. Paez, Estefana Guajardo, 65. City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  23. Rogers, Mrs. Frances, 88 (26th death) Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 21.
  24. Salazar, Aurora, 68.                         Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.
  25. Short, Mrs. Lillie Amanda, 72. City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado…1970.
  26. Zarazua, Mrs. Pauline, 38 (or 39, City of Lubbock). Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. May 17.

 

Sources

 

City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado, May 11, 1970. “Victims.” Accessed 5-30-2019 at: http://www.lubbocktornado1970.com/victims.aspx

 

Fresno Bee, CA. “Tornado Kills 20 In Lubbock; 1,000 Hurt.”  May 12, 1970. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=44666689

 

Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

 

Levine, Mark. F5: Devastation, Survival, and the Most Violent Tornado Outbreak of the Twentieth Century. New York: Miramax Books, 2007.

 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Business District Reopens.” 5-14-1970, p. 1. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-avalanche-journal-may-14-1970-p-51/

 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “HUD To Assign Adviser. Tornado Death Toll Up To 26.” 5-21-1970, p. 1. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/avalanche-journal-may-21-1970-p-75/

 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Marie Mora. Rites Set For Victim of Tornado.” 5-20-1970, B11. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-avalanche-journal-may-20-1970-p-63/

 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Tornado casualties.” 2-3-2012. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://www.lubbockonline.com/article/20120203/NEWS/302039873

 

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX. “Two Die. City Storm Death Toll Reaches 23.” 5-17-1970, 14A. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lubbock-avalanche-journal-may-17-1970-p-14/

 

Ludlum, David M. The American Weather Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1982.

 

National Weather Service, Lubbock, TX, Weather Forecast Office. NWS Lubbock, TX Local Weather Events: The 1970 Lubbock Tornado. May 2019. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://www.weather.gov/lub/events-1970-19700511

 

National Weather Service, Lubbock, TX, Weather Forecast Office. “The Lubbock Tornado May 11, 1970…40th Anniversary.” 5-3-2010. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://www.weather.gov/lub/events-1970-19700511

 

Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA. “Tornado Devastates City, 26 Killed, 300 Hurt in Disaster,” 5-12-1970, A1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=50176192

 

San Mateo Times, CA. “Death Toll Is High in Texas Tornado,” May 12, 1970. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=48442431

 

Sifford, David. “May 11, 1970 Lubbock Tornado Victims. 26 memorials.” Find A Grave. Accessed 5-30-2019 at: https://www.findagrave.com/virtual-cemetery/231634?page=1#sr-74498162

 

TornadoProject.com (Thomas Grazulis). “Texas Tornadoes 1950-2012.” Accessed 5-30-2019 at: http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/txtorn1.htm

[1] We do not use twenty-eight as the death toll. The Tornado Project online page (which Grazulis founded) on Lubbock County tornadoes, notes 26 deaths. We view this as a correction of the Significant Tornadoes notation of 28 deaths (which was probably either a typographical error or mistaken and later corrected). We speculate that Levine followed the Grazulis book, rather than the Tornado Project online website. The Lubbock TX NWS WFO notes both 28 and 26 deaths. We speculate the author of the page noting twenty-eight deaths followed the Grazulis book. The newspapers at the time and retrospectives and memorials since then, all identify 26 named individuals.

[2] Cites, however, a National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office, Lubbock, press release that notes 28 deaths.

[3] The City of Lubbock tornado “Victims” page provides locational information as well as names and ages.

[4] The City of Lubbock website