50th Anniversary of the 1970 Lubbock Tornado

Destruction and Rebuilding of Lubbock, Texas

Maps

Please use this map to explore how Lubbock used to be, how part of the city was destroyed, and how it was rebuilt.

This map was created by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita.

Intro

On the night of May 11th, 1970, a severe storm turned lethally destructive as two tornadoes ripped through downtown Lubbock, Texas, causing devastation on a level never seen in the city before or since. The damage to both property and human lives was matched only by the goodwill and perseverance of Lubbock’s citizens and those of surrounding communities. Amidst the chaos of hail, rain, thunder, wind, flying debris, unearthly noise, and utter darkness, an entire city held its breath to see what the light of morning would bring.

When dawn broke, the overwhelming annihilation of the storm became all too clear. Homes were disintegrated, and businesses were flattened, causing $200 million ($1.33 billion today) in damages. A staggering 26 people lost their lives, and countless others were injured, hundreds severely. The city’s local government sprang into action with the help of the National Guard and volunteers from the surrounding areas, searching through the rubble for any signs of life as locals helped in any way they could. In the following days, the people of Lubbock proved impossible to defeat.

Through steadfast determination and a communal spirit of mutual aid and support, Lubbock swiftly set itself to the work of healing and rebuilding. In spite of the disaster, the spirit of Lubbock prevailed, producing as much good from the aftermath as possible. That fateful night is an integral part of Lubbock’s history, and as the 50th anniversary of the night of the tornadoes arrives, the City of Lubbock is honored to share the awful yet awe-inspiring tale of a deadly storm, and the incredible people who endured it.

Timeline

Monday, May 11th, 1970

The Calm Before the Storm

10:00am - The Severe Local Storms Unit, (or SELS), a part of the Weather Bureau Office that tracks local weather for the continental U.S., states that thunderstorms are possible throughout the northern West Texas region.

1:50pm - SELS adds to its earlier statement that some of the thunderstorms could possibly be severe.

5:00pm (approximately) - Texas Tech student  Linda Schaffner  arrives at Lubbock airport, intending to begin packing her things to return to her parent’s residence on May 13th for the summer. She calls a friend to request a ride to her place. The friend agrees to pick her up after her shift ends at work, and Linda begins to wait as winds steadily strengthen.

6:00pm - Large cumulus clouds are seen over West Texas, slowly towering into the sky and darkening.

6:30pm - Radar in Amarillo sights the initial formations of thunderstorms in the area.

The Night of the Tornadoes

6:55pm - Lubbock radar catches sight of a “moderate thunderstorm” developing near Woodrow, 5 miles to the south of Lubbock and 15 miles south of the Airport. The Weather Bureau Office measures the diameter of the storm at 10 miles.  

7:00pm -   Mr. Gary Bain , a night manager at the McDonald’s on 19th St. near University Ave. clocks in for his shift.

7:05pm - Alan Johnson of the Weather Bureau calls Civil Defense Director Bill Payne to inform him of an impending Severe Thunderstorm warning. Bill heads to city hall and begins to call city officials regarding the development.

7:45pm – The Emergency Operations Center activates in the basement of City Hall, and the KFYO Radio studio across the street begins to broadcast updates concerning the storm, which had continued northward a further 5 miles, nearing the southern city limits. Heavy rain and scattered hail buffets the city.

Customers dining in at the 19th St.  McDonald’s  begin to trickle out as the weather worsens.

7:50pm - The Weather Bureau Office issues a Severe Thunderstorm Warning Bulletin until 9:00pm for Lubbock, Crosby, eastern Hale, and Floyd counties due to the increasing intensity of the storm. 

7:52pm - Marble-sized hailstones falling near 58th St. and Ave. Q are reported to the Lubbock Weather Bureau Office by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

7:59pm - The KFYO studio broadcasts the Weather Bureau Office’s Thunderstorm Warning, while ceasing to play commercials in order to more efficiently provide updates to the Lubbock community. Commercials would not be aired again until 7:30am three days later, on May 14th.

8:05pm/8:13pm - In subsequent updates, the Weather Bureau reaffirms the thunderstorm warning due to reports of hailstones pouring in from the southern areas within and just outside of the city. The light of the late afternoon has turned an eerie green as cloud tops loom over Lubbock at 55,000 feet.

8:05pm - Golf-ball sized hail is reported 3 miles south of city limits.

8:08pm - Egg-sized hail is reported south of Lubbock.

8:10pm - Grapefruit-sized hail near Lubbock Downs, 5 miles south of the city.

An off-duty police officer reports a funnel cloud seven miles south of the Lubbock Airport, which will become the first tornado. This was the first report out of nearly 14 others that night of funnel clouds forming in total. 

8:13pm - Baseball-sized hail in southeastern Lubbock.

8:15pm - The Weather Bureau issues a Tornado Warning Bulletin for Lubbock, western Crosby, eastern Hale, and Floyd counties valid through 9:00pm, due to the off-duty officer’s visual report and local radar’s detection of a hook echo (a radar phenomenon closely associated with the formation of tornadoes), which was seen 7 miles southeast of the Airport moving to the northeast.

Defense Director Bill Payne is briefed over the phone at the Emergency Operations Center.

8:25/8:30pm (approximately) -  Linda Schaffner’s  friend arrives at the airport and the two begin the drive into town, with heavy rain, hail, and strong gusts of wind buffeting the car. 

Despite the weather, Lubbock resident  Jack Britton Kyle  arrives at a Pancake House on Ave. Q and 8th St. He meets a friend of his there, and they sit down to eat and talk. Weather outside continues to worsen, but the diners don’t seem particularly worried.

8:30pm - The first tornado touches down at the intersection of Broadway and Quirt Ave. (present-day Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.)

8:38pm – The sun sinks below the horizon. The twilight of dusk is darkening quickly due to the numerous storm clouds in the area.

8:42pm - The Weather Bureau makes an update, continuing the Tornado Warning Bulletin and advising of a severe thunderstorm over southeast Lubbock moving northeastward at 25mph alongside numerous reports of hail and possibly a tornado. Meanwhile, two new thunderstorms have erupted 8 miles southwest of the Airport (between Texas Tech and Carlisle) and are rapidly intensifying, also moving northeast at 25 miles per hour.

8:30/8:45pm (approximately) -  Ms. Schaffner  and her friend, making their way down the highway towards Texas Tech University, pull over to take shelter from hail under the Country Club’s awning. After a while, they continue on their way.

8:52pm - The Department of Public Safety reports a funnel cloud over Lubbock Lake Road, 3 miles east of the city. 

8:40pm (approximately) - The  warehouse  is rocked hard by a tornado, shattering glass and sending roof tiles crashing down. The frightened people rush into an interior office and begin to pray together, reciting the Lord’s Prayer in both English and Spanish. The freight-train roar of the tornado lasts for a what seems forever, then moves away.

8:59pm - The Weather Bureau issues a new Tornado Warning Bulletin for Lubbock, western Crosby, southern Hale, and Southern Floyd counties valid through 10:00pm. 

9:15pm – The Lubbock Weather Bureau advises Texas DPS that warning sirens should be sounded in Idalou. The Weather Bureau Office receives constant hail from this point until 10:15pm.

9:30/9:35pm –  Ms. Schaffner  and her friend pull over in an alleyway to try to wait out the weather. After a strange sense of impending danger, Linda and her friend rush into a nearby Ozarka bottled water warehouse, fearing for their safety. They are met by a Spanish-speaking family, who has sought shelter as well, and an English-speaking warehouse employee. 

9:35pm – The Weather Bureau detects a new hook-shaped echo about 7 miles south of the Airport, near 19th St. and Brownfield Highway. The EOC is notified of this report directly by telephone and by two-way radio to the Fire Department.

The EOC also receives a spotter report of a funnel cloud in the same area. Thunderstorms, hail, rain, and funnel clouds seems to be cropping up everywhere. The city is caught in the grip of a terrible system of multiple storms.

Out of the darkness, the evening’s second tornado touches down near the intersection of 19th St. and University Ave. and begins moving north-northeast through the Overton neighborhood. Major power outages occur in various parts of the city. 

 Mr. Gary Bain , a night manager at the McDonald’s on 19th, urges his employees and a single family of customers into the basement as the double-arches of his storefront’s sign is ripped to shreds. The store is hit hard by the tornado, but survives.

9:35pm/9:45pm (approximately) The Weather Bureau Office loses power and communications somewhere within this time.

 Paul Beane , a radio broadcaster, is reporting from under the Broadway overpass on the east side of town, telling residents to “Take cover! Take cover!”, until he is forced to duck for cover himself from debris.

The  Ozarka warehouse  is rocked hard by a tornado, shattering glass and sending roof tiles crashing down. The frightened people rush into an interior office and begin to pray together, reciting the Lord’s Prayer in both English and Spanish. The freight-train roar of the tornado lasts for a what seems forever, then moves away.

 Jack  and his friend, as well as the other customers at the Pancake House take shelter behind counters and in a small boiler-room as all of the glass in the building explodes inwards. Part of the roof is ripped off. Hail, rain, and wind batter the frightened customers and restaurant staff.

9:43pm – KFYO radio announcer Bud Andrews tells residents to take cover. Many residents rush to shelter. Directly after this transmission, the AM broadcasting from KFYO is lost.

9:46pm – The Emergency Operations Center loses power, drastically reducing its ability to manage the crisis. Restoring communications became the emergency worker’s main priority, second only to their safety. A single telephone line remained operational.

9:47pm – The EOC receives its last communication from the Weather Bureau Office (reporting that the tornado hook echo is 5 miles southwest of the Airport in the vicinity of 4th St. and Ave. U.)

9:49pm – The Weather Bureau Office loses all communications capabilities.

9:55pm – Weather Bureau staff stationed at the Airport take cover from the approaching tornado.

9:56pm – The second tornado passes directly over the Weather Bureau Office, according to the wind tower’s lowest recorded barometric air pressure.

10:00pm – The Lubbock Airport reports a peak wind of 77 knots (89 miles per hour).

10:10pm (approximately) – The Weather Bureau Office uses two-way radios to relay tornado warnings to the surrounding cities of Abernathy, New Deal, and Petersburg. The 8:59pm tornado warning is extended until 11:00pm. 

 Mr. Bain  views the damage outside the McDonald’s, seeing trees from the Texas Tech Campus blown all across the intersection of 19th St. and University Ave. Only one building in sight has power, the 7-11 across the street from him. To his east he sees flattened structures and devastation. He doesn’t know it yet, but the tornado had started right outside his workplace.

10:15pm (approximately) -  Linda  and her friend tentatively survey the damage outside. A nearby gas station has been leveled. Broken glass, tree branches, bits of twisted metal, sheetrock, wires; all sorts of debris is scattered everywhere. Two male students from Texas Tech, looking to help, offer them a ride home. Everyone at the warehouse survives.

The  Pancake House  survivors go across the street to an apartment where people are gathering together and praying. People begin to disburse to check on family and friends.

10:30pm – City officials announce the closure of areas of the city that have been most affected, including the Guadalupe neighborhood and downtown.

Torrential rain continues to fall. The Amarillo Highway underpass at Loop 289 begins to fill as it is choked with tornado debris and heavy runoff. When the rains finally end in the early morning hours, more than 3.25” of rain and hail is recorded at the Lubbock Weather Bureau.

11:00pm – It is discovered that two out of three of the city’s main power stations are out of commission, and the city’s water pumping station has lost power as well. KFYO radio regains broadcasting capabilities.

At some point around this time, Bob Nash and Max Mott from KFYO cannibalize one of their mobile units to string a line from the radio station across the street to the Emergency Operations Center in the basement. This line is subsequently used to broadcast interviews with City officials and public announcements and reports for the next several hours.

11:30pm - The Weather Bureau cancels the tornado warnings as the storm fizzles out in the Lorenzo area. Lubbock has been severely damaged.

Tuesday, May 12th, 1970

Aftermath

1:00am - Municipal Coliseum is opened as an emergency shelter, supplies storage, and distribution center by Red Cross and Salvation Army workers and volunteers. Throughout the early morning hours, city council holds emergency sessions on-air of KYFO radio.

9:30am - Federal and state officials begin arriving in Lubbock, as city officials assess damage from helicopters. The true damage that was wrought is finally realized. Much of the city’s northeastern and residential downtown area has been erased.

More Destruction

Use the arrows to view more photos.

26 Victims

Use the arrows to view more photos.

Aftermath

Damages

This is not a comprehensive list, but rather a collection of highlights. Pictures of these damages can be found  here .

·        The Central Fire Station’s roof collapsed on top of fire trucks, pinning them. Massive damage received. A dispatcher on duty when the tornado hit lost an eye to flying glass shards.

·        Light Poles on the east side of Jones Stadium were snapped by intense winds. Jones Stadium received light damage, and was repaired. 

·        University Arms apartments (5th and University) sustained moderately heavy damage, but was repaired.

·        The Overton Area was ravaged, particularly the student housing. Many buildings were demolished, but the area has been rebuilt.

·        The Brookshire Inn received massive damage, but was rebuilt and later became Gardski’s.

·        The Broadway Church of Christ lost many roof tiles and windowpanes, but was relatively unharmed. Debris was dispersed all around the building.

·        The Lubbock Airport lost many hangars, and sported many planes scattered across the tarmac like toys.

·        The residential area around the Country Club and N. Loop 289 was heavily hit, and became a huge debris field. Most buildings were demolished.

·        The Great Plains Life building, which is now the NTS building, took a direct hit from the F5 tornado, which twisted its frame and shutdown three out of four of its elevators. A large and ghostly tornado-shaped ‘stain’ was seen on the building in the following years. The building was repaired and stands to this day.

·        The residential and northwestern downtown area was in the path of the tornado, and received heavy damage. Much of this area was demolished and cleared for the building of the Memorial Civic Center, and the George and Helen Mahon Public Library. Many consider the rebuilding effort to have surpassed the pre-storm area.

·        The First National Bank/Pioneer Natural Gas building, which is now the Wells Fargo building, received superficial damage, especially to the first-floor roof. The building was repaired.

·        Old City Hall, at 10th St. and Texas Ave., was moderately damaged.

·        Cumberland Presbyterian Church received heavy damage, including a collapsed roof. Some of the most famous photos of the aftermath of the Lubbock tornado were of this devastated structure.

·        LP&L Plants One and Two received massive damage. Water pumping was out of commission for a while after the storm, necessitating the need for water to be shipped into the city from outside sources, such as Pearl Brewery, based in San Antonio.

·        4th St. suffered heavy damages along its downtown stretch. Much had to be demolished, but the area was rebuilt.

·        Guadalupe barrio was almost entirely annihilated. Much of the area was rebuilt under the auspices of the Lubbock Urban Renewal Agency, which administered the federal funding received for the recovery effort. 

Lubbock took to the sky to survey the damage that was done to the city via helicopter. The images in the interactive map are from this survey.

This map was used in the EOC to track the destruction of the storm.

Major Players

-James “Jim” H. Granberry, Sr., the mayor, who was 37-years-old at the time, imposed a curfew after the tornado to maintain the peace. Jim allowed Bill Payne to manage disaster efforts without complicating the process, showing wisdom and humility. Jim worked in conjunction with Bill Payne and the EOC to protect and preserve the citizens of Lubbock. U.S. President Nixon wrote a letter of praise to Mayor Granberry following the tornadoes, highlighting the resilience and care of the Lubbock citizens and city government.

-Bill Blackwell was the city manager at the time, and had experience with emergency operations through his experience with hurricanes in Freeport and Galveston. His effective leadership and insight helped Lubbock to be prepared for the emergency before it happened, as well as to adapt to the unforeseen challenges that were presented by the tornadoes.

-Bill Payne was the Civil Defense Director for Lubbock. Bill utilized the Emergency Operations Center, which is still in use during emergency situations, to analyze information and coordinate city personnel and resources before, during, and after the storm. Through Bill’s leadership, the EOC did an exceptional job of serving the community’s needs throughout the disaster and beyond, especially considering the intensive damage that had been received by communications systems. 

-Alan Johnson was a meteorological specialist on duty at the time of the tornadoes, and was the one who gave the initial call to Bill Payne concerning the severe thunderstorm warning. Survived a direct pass from the tornado as it struck the Weather Bureau Office.

-J.T. Alley managed police operations during and following the storm. With a very overburdened force, he maintained law and order to an excellent degree, ensuring the safety of citizens. He cooperated splendidly with the National Guardsmen who had been sent in to assist the police.

- Bud Andrews  was the radio announcer at KFYO, which broadcasted updates about the storm until the radio tower was knocked out by the tornado. Maintained communication with city officials by way of a single operating phone line. Bud was broadcast to Dallas through that phone line, giving the world the first announcement of the disaster that had befallen Lubbock.

-EOC (Emergency Operations Center) was the name given to the group of city employees who worked in a highly organized task force to mitigate the disaster. These folks worked around the clock to analyze what help was required and how to provide it. The operations center was located in the basement of City Hall at the time, which was damaged severely by the tornado. Communications became severely limited due to wind damage, which became a chronic problem facing disaster relief efforts. 

Aid

The Lubbock Municipal Coliseum opened its doors to those who had lost their homes, housing thousands of people temporarily. ER doctors volunteered to help treat the wounded, along with nurses. Those who were more seriously injured were transported via ambulance to Methodist Hospital to receive treatment. The temporary shelter was open until midday Thursday, and became a hub for public services for those who had been caught in the path of the tornado during that time. The Salvation Army served food to many free of charge. Without the help of volunteers and medical aid, the toll of the tornado could have been much higher, and Lubbock owes a debt of gratitude for those individuals who worked, ate, and slept within the Coliseum in order to be of service.

The Coliseum was used as a temporary shelter for those who were hit hardest by the storm.

The National Guard was called in directly after the tornado, who joined residents in the effort to find and rescue survivors who may be trapped under debris. People worked long into the night and into the next day, saving thousands of lives. Ambulance drivers brought survivors to the Coliseum, and brought the deceased to Smylie Wilson Middle School, which had been converted into a makeshift morgue. Police were spread extremely thin, working around the clock to direct traffic and enforce law and order throughout the ordeal. With the help of the National Guard, a perimeter was set up around the affected area, limiting access to those who were residents of the area. For the immediate short-term, orders were given that looters were to be shot on site, though no reports of looting were made.

Local teens and young adults volunteered their time and resources to feeding and helping police and National guardsmen, often riding around in their vehicles to bring foodstuffs to tired and overworked emergency workers. An owner of a local McDonald’s chain returned to Lubbock from Oklahoma and made hundreds of burgers and orders of fries at his 50th St. store, which retained power, and distributed the food to National Guardsmen and police in the early morning hours of Tuesday the 12th. When water began to become scarce due to the damage received by Lubbock’s water pumping stations, a San Antonio-based beer company called Pearl Brewery converted their factory to bottle water instead of beer, and sent the vital liquid to Lubbock by semi-truck. Without the help of ordinary citizens and Texas businesses, the devastation faced could have proved much more severe. The reaction of the community was quick and resourceful, showcasing the strength, compassion, and unity of Lubbock.

Volunteer organizations played a major role in mitigating the disaster. The Red Cross, renowned worldwide for its disaster relief efforts, set up a headquarters at the Broadway Church of Christ, and worked diligently to provide water, food, clothes, and supplies to those who needed them. Workers from the Red Cross operated from headquarters, as well as within the Coliseum. The Salvation Army of Lubbock offered service to survivors, providing food, water, and clothes as well. Their workers drove from residence to residence in the following days, checking on people and attempting to ensure that everyone was cared for and no one was left without aid. 

Over 375,000 cubic yards (about 1/10 the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza) of debris had to be removed.

Rebuilding

After the storm, many people had lost their homes and/or their businesses, with no sure idea of what might come next. Whole areas lay flattened. Debris had drifted up like snow, piled in some places up to seven feet deep. Thousands were injured. Twenty-six were dead. The overwhelmingness of the situation must have been visceral.

Stunned people began to make their way to the Coliseum, which had been converted into an emergency shelter, providing food and medical aid. Those who had more severe injuries were taken by ambulance or fire personnel to hospitals which were quickly filling up. Flying glass and debris caused many lacerations and abrasions, while the larger wind-carried objects could cause crushing injuries similar to those seen in car crash victims. Hospital staff worked to treat people as quickly as possible, giving priority to those most in need. Doctors and nurses worked long shifts, with little pause or rest. The ability of the medical community to promptly and competently treat such an unprecedented influx of patients was truly remarkable.

Meanwhile, back at the Coliseum, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and fellow citizens volunteered to help those in need. Whole families were lodged within the building, some so traumatized that they believed the tornado might somehow return. As the following days progressed, however, a micro-culture of mutual aid and support quickly sprung up amidst the survivors, who shared the emotional weight of the disaster. Stories of folks who had lost everything to the storm going directly from receiving food to serving others are numerous. Nurses and doctors who treated the wounded alongside firemen, who ensured the safety of the victims of the storm, slept in the Coliseum between shifts, many of whom forwent seeing much of their own families in order to help as much as they could. Later, U.S. President Richard Nixon would send a letter to the mayor congratulating and praising the way that the citizens of Lubbock steadfastly helped each other in the wake of the destruction. 

In the following days, Lubbock would be declared a federal disaster area, which helped to start the gears of relief aid turning. Federal government agencies were quick to lend their materials, money, and expertise to the city. Heavy machinery rolled in and began the daunting task of clearing away rubble and debris. The Canyon Lakes parks system was sculpted and landscaped over the debris from the storm, turning the aftermath of tragedy into the beauty and hope of a renewed Lubbock. Walking along the trails at these parks today can show visitors and residents of Lubbock alike the true strength and will that Lubbock’s people have utilized in the rebuilding of their beloved city. 

An enormous effort was undertaken to provide stable housing to the victims of the disaster. Those who had lost their homes were typically given an option between either rebuilding their home or receiving a new one. This saw people who had lived in lower income areas receiving new houses, improving living conditions for many. In a strange twist of fate, areas that had previously held reputations as old and run-down were beautified, leaving many citizens expressing approval. 

Just days after the disaster, on May 15th, the city government began to forge plans for the recovery of Lubbock. A Citizens Advisory Commission was tasked with determining the needs and challenges that the population was facing, as well as coming up with suggestions for how to make Lubbock “a better place to live”. These individuals talked to many who had been affected by the tornadoes, listening to suggestions, complaints, and stories of incredible loss. When the Commission reported back to the City Council on May 28th, it was established that the community needed a sense of renewal, and a way to memorialize those lost. A sense of having survived and thrived in the face of the devastation was in the city’s sights throughout the following years.

The city government held meeting after meeting throughout June and into July. On July 10th, the Council announced to the public that there would be a Tornado Bonds election taking place in August, which would address how best to serve the community going forward. The city government and the public came together on August 8th, approving and allocating 13.6 million dollars in funds for the building of the George and Helen Mahon Public Library, the Memorial Civic Center, the first phase of the Canyon Lakes Project, and general parks improvements throughout the city

Canyon Lakes

The Canyon Lakes parks system was built after the storm, encompassing the Yellow House Canyon. Debris from the storm was used to fill parts of the canyon, and then several dams were made which created the lakes. The purpose of the parks was to provide the public with beautiful local outdoor recreation areas, while rejuvenating their sense of community and city pride. These parks are open for the public to enjoy, and sit near where the tornadoes rampaged through downtown. The lakes provide opportunities for fishing and boating, while the parks offer biking and nature trails. Other parks were renovated as well, ultimately leaving Lubbock with better opportunities for outdoor activities and pursuits. 

The Canyon Lakes were built beauty on the ashes. Here is a timeline from Canyon to fill to construction to Canyon Lakes.

Civic Center and Mahon Library

The Mahon Library would serve the population nearest to the most affected areas. It was named in honor of George and Helen Mahon, a beloved Texan politician who served in the House of Representatives for 22 consecutive terms, and his wife. George had had a hand in the construction of Interstate 27, which linked Lubbock to Amarillo, and was known for his dedication to helping West Texans recover from droughts and tornadoes throughout his career. The library was dedicated in his honor on the 14th of May, 1974.

The Memorial Civic Center was an ambitious project meant to immortalize the 26 people who lost their lives on May 11th. The area chosen to lay the foundations was the previous residential area of downtown, which had been almost totally destroyed. The large structure stands as a symbol of the spirit of co-operation and determination that Lubbock showed throughout the disaster. The 6.9-acre building was opened with a four-day Gala Grand Opening Celebration. 

Fujita Scale and The Institute for Disaster Research

In 1970, the Institute for Disaster Research (IDR) was established in order to study the effects and impacts of the tornado on various types of buildings and structures. The report created by the IDR was the first comprehensive wind engineering report of its kind ( Texas Tech University Storm Research Report 03 ). The wind speed measurements from nearby meteorological stations, pieces of debris and photographs gathered from the Lubbock tornado all aided Tetsuya Theodore Fujita in the development of the Fujita Tornado Damage Scale (F-Scale). The F-Scale was the standard used to rank tornadoes by the amount of damage they cause until the EF scale was developed in 2007 by researchers at Texas Tech’s Wind Science and Engineering Research Center.

The study of damage patterns from the Lubbock tornado also helped Dr. Fujita further his theory that damage patterns were not necessarily related to the distance from the center of the tornado path and that some tornadoes contain multiple vortexes. The IDR later became the Wind Science and Engineering (WiSE) Research Center, which merged with the Texas Wind Energy Institute (TWEI) in December 2012 to form the National Wind Institute.

Memorials

There are 3 memorials in Lubbock to honor the fallen.

This memorial stone - with all the names of the fallen engraved - is located in Gateway Plaza on Avenue Q and Broadway.

A bronze plaque in the courtyard of the Civic Center.

The legacy of the May 11th tornadoes lives on in a community that endured. Lubbock had been hit hard, and had seen so much devastation, but through hard work and willingness to help each other, the city of Lubbock was made a better place to live. That spirit is felt here still today. As the 50th anniversary of that night arrives, we remember those who lost their lives on that fateful night, and commend those who did so much to serve the community they love. 

Learn More

Credits

City of Lubbock. Lubbock Tornado May 11th, 1970. n.d. 16 February 2020. <lubbocktornado1970.com>.

The Lubbock 1970 F5 Tornado Documentary. By Todd Lindley, et al. Perf. Loren Phillips. National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office. 2010. Youtube. February 2020. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDVtXl5eN1k>.

Story map by The City of Lubbock.

Narrative by Motel Fox and Sean Curran.

Post-Tornado imagery mosaic by Michael Boyles.

Edited by Cameron Saffell, Robert G. Weaver, and Sally and Don Abbe.

Cartography by Sarah Fox.

This map was created by Dr. Tetsuya Theodore Fujita.

Lubbock took to the sky to survey the damage that was done to the city via helicopter. The images in the interactive map are from this survey.

This map was used in the EOC to track the destruction of the storm.

The Coliseum was used as a temporary shelter for those who were hit hardest by the storm.

Over 375,000 cubic yards (about 1/10 the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza) of debris had to be removed.

This memorial stone - with all the names of the fallen engraved - is located in Gateway Plaza on Avenue Q and Broadway.

A bronze plaque in the courtyard of the Civic Center.