1976 Spiro tornado
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|
 The wreckage of a home after the tornado in Spiro | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 26, 1976 |
| Formed | 3:28 PM CST |
| Dissipated | 3:45 PM CST |
| Duration | 17 Minutes |
| F5 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Max width | 440 yards (0.25 mi; 0.40 km) [1] |
| Path length | 11.9 miles (19.2 km) [1] |
| Highest winds | >261 mph (420 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 [1] |
| Injuries | 64 [1] |
| Areas affected | Spiro, Oklahoma |
Part of the Tornadoes of 1976 | |
In the afternoon hours of March 26, 1976, a violent F5 tornado devastated the town of Spiro, in LeFlore County, Oklahoma. During its 11.9 mile-long path, it killed 2 people and injured 64 others. The tornado was the highest-rated of a major tornado outbreak that occurred the same day.[2][3][1]
Tornado summary
[edit]The tornado touched down 4 miles east of Bokoshe, 0.75 miles north of Oklahoma State Highway 31 in Leflore County at 3:28 pm CST.[3][1]
It moved northeast, crossing State Highway 59 about 2 miles south of the intersection of Highway 9. A local business structure and a mobile home were destroyed in this area. The tornado then entered the southeastern part of Spiro, obliterating trailer homes, businesses, and railroad cars.[1][3] The tornado crosses State Highway 9, the tornado intensified and reached F5-intensity in the Murray Spur area east of Spiro. One man was killed, seven homes were destroyed, and a mobile home was destroyed in the Murray Spur area. The tornado then turned east after crossing the Lock and Dam/Fort Coffey Road, completely destroying three mobile homes.[1] The tornado crossed highway 9 a second time before dissipating.[1] Eyewitness claimed that 2 separate funnels occasionally traveled in close proximity to each other along the path.[3]
Aftermath
[edit]After the tornado, 64 people were injured and sadly two lost their lives. The destruction of businesses, trailer homes, railroads, and trucks was beyond imagination..[1] In total 28 homes and 2 business buildings were destroyed.[1] In addition, 63 homes and a vo-tech center was heavily damaged.[1] After the tornado dissipated, many people came to help the injured and trapped people in destruction of their homes due to them being hit with violent F5 tornado damage.[4][5] In the weeks and months that followed, the community of Spiro worked together to clean up the wreckage. Many families chose to rebuild their lives and homes on the exact same foundations where they had stood before.[6]
Fatalities
[edit]| Name | Age | Location | Additional notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Trout | 30 | Spiro | Marvin Trout, 30, of Spiro. After hearing a tornado warning, he left his home with his pregnant wife and young daughter to seek shelter at his parents' house across the street. The building collapsed during the tornado, killing Trout, critically injuring his wife, and causing a concussion to his daughter. | [1] |
| Ray Dean Philips | 35 | Spiro | Died during the tornado as it hit Spiro | [1] |
Rating change
[edit]The tornado was initially rated F4 by meteorologist Thomas P. Grazulis, though he later upgraded the tornado to an F5.[7]
See also
[edit]- 1976 Brownwood tornado - The 2nd F5 of 1976
- 1976 Jordan tornado - The 3rd F5 of 1976
- 1976 Lemont tornado - Another violent tornado from 1976
- List of F5 and EF5 tornadoes
- List of Oklahoma tornadoes
- Multi-vortex tornado
Notes
[edit]- Grazulis has the tornado at 400 yards width even though all other sources have it at 440
- The tornado marked the end of a 16-year drought of F5s of Oklahoma, with the one before being the 1960 Prague-Sapulpa tornado
- It is one of only four tornadoes officially rated F5/EF5 to occur in the United States during the month of March since records began in 1950
- It is the strongest tornado ever recorded in LeFlore County and remains the region's only F5 tornado to date.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Sprio. OK F5 1976". Associated Press. March 26, 1976.
- ↑ "March 1976: The most tornadoes on record in March". March 26, 1976.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - 1 2 3 4 "violent OK tornadoes (1950 - Present)". March 26, 1976. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Storms and tornadoes spiro. march 26 1976 OKHA". Associated Press. March 26, 1976.
- ↑ "Storms and tornadoes spiro. march 26 1976 OKHA". Associated Press. March 26, 1976.
- ↑ "Women shares f5 tornado". Associated Press. March 26, 1976.
- ↑ Multiple sources:
- Grazulis 1993, p. 1182
- Grazulis 2001, p. 27
Sources
[edit]- Grazulis, Thomas P. (July 1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. ISBN 1-879362-03-1.
- Grazulis, Thomas P. (2001). F5-F6 Tornadoes. St. Johnsbury, Vermont: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films.