The town of Woodward, Oklahoma, is nearly wiped off the map by a
powerful tornado on this day in 1947. More than 100 people died
in Woodward, and 80 more lost their lives elsewhere in the
series of twisters that hit the U.S. heartland that day. The
storm occurred when a cold front from Siberia met a warm and
moist stream of air from the Gulf of Mexico. In the late
afternoon, the first tornado struck in White Deer, Texas. In
Glazier, Texas, only a gas station survived the twister. In
Higgins, Texas, 30 people were killed as the tornado grew to
nearly a mile-and-a-half wide. As the tornado traveled on in its
nearly 100-mile-long trip, it got even wider. By the time it
reached Woodward it was reportedly as big as two miles wide.
Fierce lightning and hail preceded the twister and drove the
residents to seek shelter. At about nine in the evening, the
town s gas and electric plants were destroyed and the residents
were left in complete darkness. As the storm moved through
Woodward, 200 residential blocks were compl