1953 — March 13, Tornado, northwest Haskell County to southern Knox County, TX– 17

lornajarrettblanchard March 13, 1953

–17 Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 966.
— 5 Jud area (mother and four children)
— 5 Knox City (three separate homes)
— 4 Rochester area home
–17 NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. All Texas Counties, tornadoes, 3-13-1953.
–12 Haskell County, F4, 14:00
— 5 Knox County, F4, 14:15

Narrative Information

Grazulis: “TX MAR 13, 1953 1415 17k 60inj 500y 18m F4. HASKELL/KNOX—lm SW of Jud to the east edge of O’Brien and through Knox City. This tornado swept away many rural homes, and eventually leveled an eight-block area of Knox City. A mother and four children were killed in one home near Jud. Four people were killed in another home 3m W of Rochester, and five were killed in three separate homes at Knox City. About 170 homes were damaged or destroyed, and about 139 of these were at Knox City. Twenty-five of the 60 injuries were serious. $600,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 966.)

Newspapers

March 14, Abilene Reporter-News: “Thirteen persons were killed and at least 23 were hospitalized Friday afternoon as a vicious tornado cut a swath across northwestern Haskell County and the southern tip of Knox County. The boisterous, brutal cloud dipped at least six times during its course from Jud (eight miles west of Rochester) northeasterly just to the west of Rochester, through the ease side of O’Brien and through the east side of Knox City in southern Knox County.

“There its furious pace apparently exterminated itself. But in its wake it left four members of one family dad and three others in the same family injured at Jud; four persons in a trailer house on a farm between Rochester and O’Brien, including three members of one family dead; one fatally injured man in O’Brien; and four dead in Knox City.

“The Knox County Hospital was directly in the path of the first major tornado in West Texas since the Olney tornado two years ago. Between $75,000 and $100,000 damage was estimated to that structure, and its 27 patients were evacuated to other hospitals in West Texas after the storm passed on. Burt none of the patients were hurt except Mrs. B. E. Karr, 81, of Rochester, who suffered only a slight bruise.

“With the tornado came hard showers that totaled as much as four inches at Knox City. The rain covered most of Haskell and Knox Counties and hail fell at Knox City with gusto just before the tornado struck.

“Knox City (population 1,488) was the largest town hit. And the damage there was terrific. Fifty to 75 homes were damaged over a 20 to 25 block area extending from south of the hospital in southeastern Knox City to the northeastern tip of the city near the high school football field.

“It was in northeastern Knox City were three of the victims died. W. W. Hyde, 70, retired mail carrier and Reporter-News mail subscription salesman, was sitting in his chair in the front room of his new home near the northeastern edge of Knox City when the wind smashed the front room wall down. The wall struck Hyde, killing him instantly. Mrs. Hyde was in the adjoining bedroom but escaped serious injury as only the living room wall collapsed. The north and east sides of the house were not seriously damaged. Also in northeastern Knox City, Mrs. Martina Avolas, about 65, and her daughter, Mrs. John Escobar, about 45, of O’Brien, was visiting Mrs. Avolas, were killed as their home was destroyed….” (Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “Sky’s Black Fury Leaves 13 Dead, 23 Hurt in 2 Counties.” 3-14-1953, p. 1.)

March 14, Abilene Reporter-News, TX: “The Dead [We put in alphabetical order.]

Carlton Richard Ashley, 11, son of Mrs. I. B. Ashley.
Glenda Sue Ashley, 3, daughter of Mrs. I. B. Ashley.
Mrs. I. B. Ashley, 49, Jud.
[Ruth Ashley, 15, of Jud. Died 15th in hospital. (Abilene Reporter-News. “Knox…” 3-16-1953, p1.)]
Velma Ruth Ashley, 5, her daughter.
Mrs. Martina Avolas, about 65, mother of Mrs. John Escobar.
J. T. Darr, 76, Route 2, Knox City.
Mrs. John Escobar, about 45, of O’Brien.
W. W. Hyde, about 76, of Knox City.
Mrs. Joe Klutts, about 40, of near O’Brien.
Daughter of Mrs. Joe Klutts, about 16.
Son of Mrs. Joe Klutts, about 12.
A woman who lived with the Klutts family in their trailer home, whose nave was not
known. She was about 20.
Qualis, Fred, about 65, of O’Brien…” (Abilene Reporter-News. “Storm Dead…” 3-14-1953, 1.)
Qualis, Mrs. Fred, 63, 14th in hospital. (Abilene Reporter-News. “…Toll…14.” 3-14-1953, 1.)

Sources

Abilene Reporter-News. “Knox City Cleanup Begins; 2 Still Critically Injured.” 3-16-1953, p. 1. Accessed 5-22-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-mar-16-1953-p-1/

Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “Sky’s Black Fury Leaves 13 Dead, 23 Hurt in 2 Counties.” 3-14-1953, p. 1. Accessed 5-22-2023: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-mar-14-1953-p-1/

Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “Storm Dead And Injured.” 3-14-1953, p. 1. Accessed 5-22-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-mar-14-1953-p-1/

Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “Tornado’s Toll Mounts to 14.” 3-15-1953, p. 1. Accessed 5-22-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-mar-15-1953-p-1/

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

NCDC (National Climatic Data Center), NOAA. Storm Events Database. All Texas Counties, tornadoes, 3-13-1953. Accessed 5-22-2023 at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/listevents.jsp?eventType=%28C%29+Tornado&beginDate_mm=03&beginDate_dd=13&beginDate_yyyy=1953&endDate_mm=03&endDate_dd=13&endDate_yyyy=1953&county=ALL&hailfilter=0.00&tornfilter=0&windfilter=000&sort=DT&submitbutton=Search&statefips=48%2CTEXAS