1997 — May 27, Tornadoes, Jarrell (Williamson Co.); Lakeway (Travis Co.) TX –28-29

–~30  History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, May 27, 1997. “Tornado Levels TX Subdiv.

—  29  CDC. “Tornado Disaster – Texas, May 1997. MMWR Weekly, 46/45, 14 Nov 1997, 1069.

—  28  NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for All Counties in TX, May 27.

—  27  Tornado Project Online (Grazulis). “The Most ‘Important’ US Tornadoes by State.”

 

Travis County           (  1)

— 1  Lakeway.[1]  Male, 25, mobile home. NCDC. Storm Events Database. F4, 5.6 Miles, TX.

 

Williamson County   (27)

— 27  Jarrell. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F5, 5.1 Miles, Texas, Williamson.

  1. Female, 10. (All deaths noted below were in permanent homes).
  2. Female, 13.
  3. Female, 13.
  4. Female, 15.
  5. Female, 17.
  6. Female, 34.
  7. Female, 36.
  8. Female, 36.
  9. Female, 37.
  10. Female, 40.
  11. Female, 40.
  12. Female, 44.
  13. Female, 45.
  14. Female, 50.
  15. Male, 5.
  16. Male, 11.
  17. Male, 14.
  18. Male, 15.
  19. Male, 15.
  20. Male, 15.
  21. Male, 15.
  22. Male, 16.
  23. Male, 16.
  24. Male, 22.
  25. Male, 40.
  26. Male, 41.
  27. Male, 46.

 

 

Narrative Information

 

CDC: “On May 27, 1997, multiple tornadoes swept through Williamson and Travis counties in central Texas. The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. This report summarizes the injuries and deaths associated with these tornadoes based on information from emergency department and hospital records and death certificates.

 

“Three tornadoes swept through the towns of Jarrell, Cedar Park, and Pedernales Valley at approximately 3:40 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 4:50 p.m., respectively… The first tornado, a slow-moving multi-vortex F-5 (Fujita Tornado Intensity Scale)…swept a path 7.6 miles long and approximately 1320 yards wide through a residential subdivision of Jarrell, a predominantly rural town in Williamson County, destroying 30 permanent homes, eight mobile homes, and three businesses… The second tornado (F-3) touched down in Cedar Park in Williamson County and swept a path 9.2 miles long and 250 yards wide, destroying 11 permanent homes and three businesses… The third tornado (F-4) swept a path 5.6 miles long and 440 yards wide through Pedernales Valley, a heavily wooded area in western Travis County, destroying 15 permanent homes, three mobile homes, and two businesses…

 

“A total of 33 persons presented to six area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained directly or indirectly by the three tornadoes. Of these 33 persons, 13 (39%) had multiple diagnoses. The categories of injuries included lacerations (18 {55%}), contusions (15 {46%}), abrasions (10 {30%}), strains/sprains/muscle spasms (six {18%}), fractures (two {6%}), penetrating wound (one {3%}), and closed-head injury (one {3%}). The median age of the injured persons was 38 years (range: 1-75 years). Twenty-seven persons were treated and released from area hospitals, and five were admitted; one person died in an emergency department. Among patients admitted to the hospital, the median length of stay was 21 days (range: 1-31 days). Four persons were discharged, and one person was transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility.

 

“Of the 29 tornado-related deaths, 27 (93%) occurred in Jarrell. Decedents’ ages ranged from 5 to 69 years (median: 22 years), and 14 (48%) were aged less than 18 years; most (16 {55%}) were males. All but one death occurred at the site of the tornado. The immediate cause of death for 26 (90%) of the victims was multiple traumatic injuries; other causes of death included myocardial infarction, head injury, and asphyxia. At the time the tornadoes struck, none of the decedents were in structures with basements. In nine families, there were two or more deaths, and five members of one family were killed.

 

“Tornado watches were issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for Williamson County at 12:54 p.m. and Travis County at 3:31 p.m. Tornado warnings were issued for Williamson County at 3:30 p.m. and Travis County at 4:09 p.m…. None of the three areas had tornado shelters or warning sirens. The Jarrell volunteer fire department siren was sounded when the tornado was spotted; however, this siren is not used as a tornado warning but to summon volunteers to the firehouse….” (CDC. “Tornado Disaster – Texas, May 1997. MMWR Weekly, 46/45, 14 Nov 1997, 1069.)

 

History.com: “A tornado in Jarrell, Texas, destroys the town and kills nearly 30 people on this day in 1997. This F5 tornado–a rating indicating it had winds of more than 260 miles per hour–was unusual in that it traveled south along the ground; nearly all tornadoes in North America move northeast.

 

“The storm formed just north of the capital city of Austin, Texas, in the afternoon. A cold front from the northwest collided with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico, creating a supercell, a large storm cloud formation, and towering cumulus clouds. These conditions produced 22 recorded tornadoes, beginning with one in Waco at 1:37 p.m. The Waco tornado then moved south to Lake Belton, where it demolished the marina and sank many boats.

 

“Moving through rural Texas, the Jarrell tornado hit at 3:50 p.m., just as many students were heading home from school. The twister, almost 800 feet wide, picked up so much soil that it caused a powerful mud storm. Roofs were torn off storm shelters and water was sucked out of deep wells. There were even reports of shafts of wheat impaling cattle, and other cows being picked up, their hides stripped by the winds, before being slammed to the ground.

 

“The tornado then slowed, becoming nearly stationary as it hit the Double Creek home development. Cars in the subdivision were reduced to rubble and homes were picked up right off their foundations. The twister simply obliterated everything in its direct path, leaving no recognizable remains. The only structure to survive was a family’s homemade shelter under their house’s foundation. One item from the neighborhood was found 100 miles away. About three quarters of the residents of Double Creek were killed. One survivor reported that she had been carried off with her house as she lay in the bathtub.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, May 27, 1997. “Tornado Levels Texas Subdivision.”)

 

NCDC: “Several eyewitnesses reported that the Jarrell tornado was preceded for a period of 8 to 10 minutes by a series of short-lived very small tornadoes that formed from the same supercell thunderstorm. These touched down, then dissipated in order. The first tornado in Williamson County formed near 2:25 pm CST and built rapidly to F2 strength. It survived for approximately 8 minutes, often returning briefly to a roped and tilted feature before it died. This tornado was followed by a second that formed near 2:35 pm CST. It built quickly into a multi-vortex tornado that appeared to be near F2 strength as well. This dissipated after only 4 minutes.

 

“The final tornado from this same supercell, the Jarrell Tornado, developed as a small…rope-shaped tornado, touching down around 2:40 pm CST inside the Williamson County line northwest of Jarrell. From film and eyewitness accounts, it expanded quickly into a very large vortex nearly 1/2 mile in width. Observations recounted by eyewitnesses indicated that the damage path may not have been made strictly by one tornado. A number of eyewitnesses reported seeing several small, rope-like funnels before the character of the tornado changed drastically into the killer tornado. Ground damage patterns in the Double Creek Subdivision also suggested this possibility.

 

“The tornado crossed CR 308, CR 305, and then CR 307. Where the tornado crossed each of these county roads, approximately 525 feet of asphalt was ripped off each of the roadways. This particular destruction was believed to be very close to the centerline of the tornado circulation. As the tornado crossed the intersection of CR 305 and 307, a business on the corner was destroyed. The tornado moved into the Double Creek area at this point with total destruction. F5 destruction continued from shortly after its formation until very close to the end of the damage path.

 

“The tornado began a brief turn toward the southeast as it entered the Double Creek subdivision and the surrounding area, moving very slowly. It reached the subdivision at 3:48 pm. This time is based on a clock found at a destroyed residence in the extreme northwest corner of the subdivision and the home believed to be the first struck by the tornado. Here, it widened to it maximum width of three-quarters of a mile. From the air, the ground appearance changed abruptly in the vicinity of CR 308 and continued until very near the end of the path. No definitive circulation patterns or suction spots were evident, but there was the noted obvious change in the appearance of the ground. In the Double Creek area, approximately 40 structures were totally destroyed. One of the most striking signs in approaching this area was the distinct lack of debris of any size. Closer inspection showed lots of little debris but no sign of large items. It was estimated that several dozen vehicles had been in the subdivision and removed by the tornado. Nearly 300 cattle grazing in a pasture near the subdivision were also killed, with many of them tossed and blown for over 1/4 mile. At least half a dozen cars were identified from the air lying in the open areas, most of them flattened and encrusted with mud and grass. Trees in the subdivision were completely stripped of bark. Later ground survey revealed that most of the debris that was left in the area was extremely small indicating the power of the tornadic wind. All 27 deaths associated with the Jarrell tornado occurred in the Double Creek area. Eyewitnesses reported that it appeared to have slowed down as it entered the subdivision, and that may account for the nearly total destruction that took place.

 

“After passing through the Double Creek area, the tornado shifted its track again slightly, moving toward the south-southwest across CR 309 and into a heavily wooded area of cedar trees. The total destruction of the tornado ends abruptly shortly after entering the wooded area. However, a small swath of tree damage on the north side of the main damage path suggested the possibility of a multiple vortex pattern. No other evidence of multiple vortices was observed.

 

“The sequence of weather phenomenon reported with this tornado was exactly opposite of that often reported- the tornado first appeared, followed by nearly calm conditions, then hail, followed by rain and finally brief, gusty winds. This is attributed to the fact that the parent supercell was moving toward the southwest for most of its life. The storm essentially “backed into” the area as it moved.” (NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F5, 5.1 Miles, Texas, Williamson (Jarrell), May 27, 1997.)

 

Tornado Project Online (Grazulis): “A devastating tornado touched down in Jarrell and killed 27 people in this small central Texas town. Although television stations scrolled tornado warnings 30 minutes in advance, and sirens went off, there were few places to go for safety. Most, if not all, homes were on slabs, with no basements to shelter in. Whole families died. Some meteorologists who have seen photos of the damage have said that they have never seen house foundations that were swept as clean. The death total was delayed several days because of the condition of the bodies, which were difficult to identify. This was one of the worst tornadoes in Texas in many, many years. A $20,000,000 damage total was estimated. (Tornado Project Online. Tornadoes in the Past.)

 

Sources

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Tornado Disaster – Texas, May 1997. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 46, No. 45, 11-14-1997, pp. 1069-1073. Accessed at:  http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00049839.htm

 

History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, May 27, 1997. “Tornado Levels Texas Subdivision.”  Accessed 12/7/2008 at: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&displayDate=05/27&categoryId=disaster

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado. Search Results for All Counties in Texas, May 27, 1997. Accessed 1-27-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=05&beginDate_dd=26&beginDate_yyyy=1997&endDate_mm=05&endDate_dd=30&endDate_yyyy=1997&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=48%2CTEXAS

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F4, 5.6 Miles, Texas, Travis, May 27, 1997. Accessed 1-27-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5598918

 

National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Tornado, F5, 5.1 Miles, Texas, Williamson (Jarrell), May 27, 1997. Accessed 1-27-2016 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=5598913

 

Tornado Project Online (Grazulis). “The Most ‘Important’ US Tornadoes by State.” Accessed 1-27-2016 at: http://www.tornadoproject.com/alltorns/worstts.htm

 

 

[1] Lakeway is about 50 miles southwest of Jarrell. (Google Maps)