1999 Loyal Valley tornado

During the afternoon of May 11, 1999, a violent, multiple-vortex tornado struck areas around the community of Loyal Valley in Texas, killing one person. The tornado, rated a high-end F4 on the Fujita scale,[1][2] caused extreme damage along its relatively short path. Meteorologist Bill Hecke of KNCT-FM stated the tornado's intensity rivaled the Bridge Creek–Moore F5 tornado, which had struck Oklahoma a week prior, and the 1997 Jarrell F5 tornado.

1999 Loyal Valley tornado
A house that was obliterated by the tornado. The car shown is where six people took shelter during the tornado.
Meteorological history
Duration40 minutes
FormedMay 11, 1999, 5:05 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
DissipatedMay 11, 1999, 5:45 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00)
F4 tornado
on the Fujita scale
Highest winds207 to 260 mph (333 to 418 km/h)
Overall effects
Fatalities1[1]
Injuries6[1]
Damage$1 million (1999 USD)[1]
Areas affectedMason County, Texas near Loyal Valley
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 1999

Tornado summary
A pickup truck destroyed by the tornado. This photograph was used as the cover of the May 1999 Storm Data publication from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The tornado touched down 9 miles (14 km) northwest of Loyal Valley near the Llano River. The National Weather Service (NWS) office in San Angelo noted that this was an extremely slow-moving tornado, which tracked approximately 7 miles (11 km).[1] Along the path, two homes were obliterated, with debris being scattered "great distances".[1][3] At one of the destroyed homes, a person was killed and five others were injured after they took shelter in a car, which was located in a stone garage. As the tornado destroyed the house, the car was smashed, resulting in the casualties.[1] Parts of a pickup truck at one of these homes was thrown 0.75 miles (1.21 km) from the house.[1] At times, the tornado's width grew to 0.75 miles (1.21 km) wide. Sixteen other homes sustained damage, along with the complete destruction of several barns and outbuildings.[1] As the tornado crossed Farm-to-Market Road 152, a 720 feet (220 m) stretch of asphalt was ripped off the road surface.[1] In total, the tornado killed one person, injured six others, and caused $1 million (1999 USD) in damage as it traveled at an average forward speed of 10 miles per hour (16 km/h).[1][4][5]

A reporter said: "I hadn't seen anything like that. I couldn't believe what it did to animals. This was wiped clean, too, but the cattle – their hides had been ripped right off of them. Some of them were missing heads, and some were caught up and entwined in barbed wire." Meteorologist Bill Hecke opined that the tornado was capable of devastation comparable to that suffered by Oklahoma City in the Bridge Creek–Moore tornado or by Jarrell in the 1997 tornado.[6]

In 2023, the NWS office in San Angelo stated this was the strongest tornado ever recorded in their forecasting area and that "considerations were made for an F5 rating". However, the survey found that the structures impacted were not built well enough to ultimately warrant the F5 rating.[2]

See also

References
  1. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; National Climatic Data Center. Greco, Stephen Del (ed.). "Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena". Storm Data. United States Department of Commerce. 45 (5): 283. ISSN 0039-1972.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "May 11, 1999 Loyal Valley Tornado (Mason County)". National Weather Service San Angelo, Texas. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  3. National Climatic Data Center; National Centers for Environmental Information (May 2013). "Texas Event Report: F4 Tornado". Storm Event Database. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  4. "Speed Distance Time Calculator". Calculator Soup. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  5. Texas A&M University College of Geosciences. "Severe Weather in Texas: 1999". Texas A&M University. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  6. Richards, Charles (May 14, 1999). "Oklahoma-size tornado hits unpopulated Hill Country". Amarillo Globe-News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
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