Episode 88: 1947 Woodward Tornado

April 9^th, 1947, evening – a tornado touches down in the White Deer area of the Texas panhandle. As the storm picks up speed, more tornadoes form, and begin to move into Oklahoma. After destroying 60 farms and ranches and killing 8, the cyclone hits Woodward, unleashing its worst destruction yet. Once it finishes carving its deadly path through the city, the resulting wreckage is staggering. Over 100 city blocks gone, 1000 homes and businesses destroyed, and 107 people killed. The twister was the 6^th deadliest in U.S. history, and its impact touched the lives of a vast number of people.

This month, we’re listening to residents recall their memories of the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history, as well as the warning systems that have since been developed. We’ll also hear from Dr. Steve Stadler about current climate monitoring systems in Oklahoma