Jarrell Tornado
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The Jarell Tornado was the F5 tornado that struck the town of Jarrell, Texas, on May 27, 1997. It killed 27 people, making it the second deadliest tornado of the 1990s. The tornado was 3/4 of a mile (1.2 km) wide and tracked across the ground for 7.6 miles (12.2 km). It was the most notable of six that formed that afternoon in central Texas.
Double Creek Estates, a subdivision of Jarrell, was literally wiped off the map with 20 homes demolished.
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Track
The tornado first touched down in Bell County, about a mile west of I-35. It then tracked south-southwest into Williamson County, Texas, where it grazed the northwestern portion of Jarrell, striking Double Creek Estates.
Later analysis of the damage indicated the tornado was a definite F5. It is believed that in the field where the tornado developed, it ripped the corn husks out of the ground by the millions and then impaled the cows in the next field. The tornado lifted the cows and dropped them on the ground multiple times, breaking their legs.
The grass and dirt was ripped up out of the ground to a depth of 18 in (50 cm). When the tornado crossed county roads outside Jarrell, it ripped 500 feet (150m) of asphalt off the roads.
After passing through Double Creek Estates, the tornado headed toward a heavily wooded area where the damage abruptly stopped.
Where's my roof?
At one of the early houses struck, the tornado ripped off the roof of a monolithic concrete shelter (approximately 6 inches thick, weighing well over a ton). The shelter's owner looked for his missing roof for a week without success.
Apparently it caught into the wind, ripped off the top of the shelter, and flew off like a Frisbee, never to be seen again. The tornado was only at F2 strength at the time.
This would be the last F5 tornado to hit the United States until April 8, 1998, when a tornado hit in Birmingham, Alabama. (see the Birmingham Tornado)
Related damage
The Jarrell Tornado was the worst in a line of tornadoes associated with a single severe thunderstorm system.
As the storm travelled south, it generated another tornado near Cedar Park, which destroyed an Albertsons grocery store. A National Weather Service report credits the store manager with saving numerous lives by evacuating those in the store into a steel meat locker. No lives were lost in Cedar Park, although there was significant property damage. Hail with a diameter of 4 in. (10 cm) was reported in association with this tornado.
Further tornadoes hit northwestern Austin, causing property damage and injuries. An F4 tornado struck in western Travis County, killing one person and destroying 15 homes.
The storm continued to produce minor tornadoes and funnel clouds as far south as Frio County. Hail was reported all the way to the Mexican border at Del Rio at 8:55pm (CDT).
See also
Sources
- Summary of Weather Event of May 27, 1997 (http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx/html/wxevent/1997to1999/may27event.htm) - National Weather Service
- Aerial Damage Survey of the Central Texas Tornadoes of May 27, 1997 (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/data/pdfs/ctrltx.pdf) (PDF) - National Weather Service, includes discussion and map of the tornado's track.