A lot of media implies that man-made global warming is responsible for tornadoes and hurricanes we see today when they’ve always been here and even documented, though our records don’t go back that far in human history. But an interesting tornado happened back in 1953 which was responsible for utilization of old surplus war radar systems to try and track storms and improve warnings so such tragic consequences could be avoided.
Killing 114 and injuring 597, the Waco tornado holds the somber title of the deadliest tornado in Texas history since 1900. Striking the heart of the downtown area at the end of the work day, many people were caught unaware of the impending severe weather. 30 people were killed when a 6-story furniture store collapsed, while 5 others were killed in their cars. The destruction was so massive, survivors waited up to 14 hours to be rescued and some bodies could not be recovered for several days following the disaster.
Texas Tornado Warning Conference
As a result of the deadly Waco twister, Texas A&M University and the United States Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) organized the Texas Tornado Warning Conference in June 1953 to discuss tornado warning procedures and weather radar. The purpose of the conference was to use all available resources from the federal government, academic communities, and the private sector to devise an efficient tornado warning system for severe weather. The future goal was to prevent death tolls like that of the Waco tornado.The conference led to improved communications between numerous agencies, an early development of the SKYWARN storm spotter program, and a national radar network.
Present Day
Today there are 158 weather radars operated by the National Weather Service, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Defense. Furthermore, all National Weather Service offices offer yearly storm spotter training, and work closely with local law enforcement and public safety agencies, academic communities, and private sector partners to effectively communicate tornado warnings in a timely manner.