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It was 30 years ago today on April 10, 1979. My hometown of Wichita Falls, TX was struck by what was - at the time - the most destructive tornado in US history. The storm sat down just west of our city limits and became a mile wide tornado plowing through the town and staying on the ground for over an hour and traveling a distance of 47 miles. Wichita Falls is a town with a population of 100,000. On that day more than 5000 homes were destroyed, 1700 people were injured, nearly 25,000 people lost their homes, and 47 people were killed.
I was 23 years old, attending our local university (Midwestern State), and living at home when it hit. I was away that evening doing a concert a few hours from Wichita Falls, but my parents survived the storm by getting into a storm cellar just 15 seconds before it hit. This tornado was so large that it actually had a calm eye in the center. Many people were injured because they came out from safety during the eye only to be blindsided by the next wave of winds -which were estimated to be about 220-240 miles per hour.
In less than two minutes our home was gone. What was left of it is pictured above. I had traveled with friends so my car was parked in our front car port which was framed with tall hedges. The carport, hedges and most of the house was gone. My car had been tossed into the living room and was pushed into my brand new Yamaha grand piano.
Electricity and phone service was immediately completely shut down due to all the destruction. In those days there were no cell phones - so I had no way of knowing the fate of my family. I arrived home early the next morning to see destruction so devastating that I could not easily find my own street in a neighborhood I grew up in. When I found my house, I also found my parents sifting through the rubble trying to salvage anything they could. One of the greatest joys of my life was seeing them alive.
One of my best friends, Holly, was also a music student at the university and she managed to ride the storm out inside a bedroom closet holding her dog. When the tornado had passed, she pushed open the closet door and saw that nothing, literally nothing, was left of her home except the closet she was in. As she stood up she bumped her head on a 2x4 that was piercing the closet just inches above her head. I'm thankful she was not seriously injured - we are still great friends today.
My parents later had the piano repaired as best was possible and that is the same piano that you have seen in the Christmas concert videos and on the TQS shows when I play. The scars on the piano are a constant reminder of that day. I would say that day, along with April 24, 2000 (the day I had quadruppel heart bypass surgery) are the two most significant days in my life.
So - what would one remember about such a horrible event? We'll for me - more than the memories of physical destruction - and the phenomenal oddities associated with tornado violence - it was the lessons learned; that material things don't matter as much as family - and the love for life and living. In the days that followed, everyone who was connected with this tragedy witnessed how the human spirit rose to it's highest level and began - with sheer determination - not to be beaten down - but to rise again - to be better - stronger. When any tragedy strikes - such as the recent earthquake in Italy - I feel my heart tug in ways it might not if I had not experienced such devastating loss in my own life.
Facebook recently started a group called 1979 Wichita Falls Tornado - Terrible Tuesday. It is a group open to all - but over a hundred personal stories, impressions and memories of that day are posted. If you are on Facebook, I encourage you to join the group and read some of the post. You will be stunned at the stories that unfolded in those brief life changing moments. If you are not on Facebook, do a google search as well as a YouTube search and learn more about Terrible Tuesday in Wichita Falls, TX.
Today, I count my blessings. I'm thankful I was not at home when it happened, but I have always felt I should have been there and have guilt that my family had to survive it directly. Nonetheless, I believe I was meant to be away - for who knows where I might have been - and I might not be here today if by the grace of God I was not away playing a concert. My prayers today are with those who lost loved ones that day.
Here is a short video recently created to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Terrible Tuesday.
What's this??? No, the picture is not distorted! Come back tomorrow as we share fun things found on the web.
.jpg "2019 Sponsor - BERNINA Q 24")
