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Post by Legion Etrangere on Apr 8, 2009 10:40:35 GMT -5
This is way off topic, but while setting up website directions for our June 12-14 2009 "Groupe Mobile" event, I noticed that the town were holding our event next to [ Zephry, TX ] had an F5 tornado kill 33 people in the city back in 1909. Just odd info I found on the internet... However, it brought back memories of the now famous Jarrell, Texas tornado that killed 30 people in 1997. Here is some video of the twister: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLL8o-urKZ0Here is some raw footage of the "wedge": www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGSVMlqvx9o&feature=relatedA week after the tornado struck, I was coming back from the Arlington Highland Games with a friend [ who back then, did British reenacting with us ] and we drove through what was left of Jarrell, Texas ... which was absolutely nothing. Total devastation. We stopped at a feed store on IH 35 and spoke with a local farmer who told us that he lost 1/3 of his cattle and four of his fully restored vintage '58 Chevy's. The tornado picked up all four of his vehicles and deposited them three counties to the east. His ranch house, oddly, was not even touched... /martini/ |
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Post by lt13demi on Apr 8, 2009 11:03:21 GMT -5
I can reflect to you some real horror storied from that event. My old district was activated for emergency operations in the aftermath of that storm. Our office was onl;y about 40 miles south of the little town. I retired from the Texas Dept. of Transportation last July, but that day is still very fresh in my mind. (There were actually two strikes of the same storm. The second hit was in western Travis county out by lake Travis. A good 60 miles SW from Jarrell).
But Jarrell was total devestation on the SW side of the little town. They had experienced another tonado in 1994, that wasn't near as bad.
But the 97 storm was rather unpresidented. Our Public Information Officer actually won an award for a story he did on the storm. There was a gentleman and his family of 5 totally wiped out. He restored old Cadillacs. The storm blew all his old hulk vehicles awaiting restoration away!!!! I think he had about 20!
There were nothing left of houses but concrete slabs ! It even sucked the tile off the slabs. An old friend of mine who was living in Jarrell at the time (he was at work) lost everything. He did find a diesel motor in his front yard! Just a motor!!!!!!!! He lived with his girlfriend. She did loose her pregnant daughter and son in law!!!!! I know of one poor man that was killed by a 2" piece of 3/8" rope!!!!!!!!
Like I said it was a really bad scene!!!!! For those of you that have never had to deal with such storms, they are truly unbelieveable!
Renault
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Post by Legion Etrangere on Apr 8, 2009 21:35:11 GMT -5
Bob,
That storm was horrific.
I drove down the main street in Jarrell and there was nothing left of that subdivision where the main wedge of the storm came through.
I'll never forget seeing a peice of tin stuck in a tree.
Bob, whatever happened to Cedar Park? Wasn't it hit also with a smaller F2/F3 before Jarrell? Or was it a spin off tornado?
/martini/
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Post by lt13demi on Apr 9, 2009 11:42:53 GMT -5
Yes it was the same storm. It hit a large supermarket. The staff got all customers into the refridgerator box as it was the safest and strongest place. Little damage done to the store. But houses in the area were hit. Funny, we have a maintenance yard in Cedar Park. And one of the guys took a photo from outside the supervisors window looking back. You can see the supervisor coordinating efforts at his desk, with the tornado flying over the top of the building in the background above the roof! It was a cool pic!!!!!!It went from there to the Pedernales Valley out by Lake Travis.
Where the storm crossed State Hwy 71 there was a path of distruction about 300 yards wide that looked like pics from no mans land in WWI! It was a really weird sight. Trees just fine on one side of the line, and in the path it looked like things had been surgically removed!!!!! A true corridor of distruction!!!!
Renault
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Post by Legion Etrangere on Apr 9, 2009 16:58:13 GMT -5
I remember the news carrying some info about that supermarket in Cedar Park and an Austin TV news crew in a helicopter after it hit. Nice big whole in the roof...  We've been lucky down here in Houston and only get F1, maybe an F2 but nothing above that. In fact the winds gale faster on the coast than those two! /martini/ |
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