Hard to believe tomorrow will be 24 years since this happened. This tornado is still considered one of the strongest F5 tornadoes ever, with 260-300mph winds. Survival was at 0% unless you were underground. It was on the ground less than 15 minutes and covered 5-6 miles. This tornado was an anomaly in that it traveled directly South/Southwest.
Sadly, 27 people lost their lives. Entire families were lost and never found. Well built homes that were bolted to foundations were completely gone leaving only the slabs. It started out as a small pencil like tornado and quickly grew to 3/4 mile wide. This tornado scoured the earth up to 18” deep and tore the asphalt off roads, anything in its path was reduced to small debris.
The storms that spawned the Jarrell tornado ended up spawning 19 other tornadoes across central Texas, including a F3 that hit Cedar Park, and a F4 that hit Lake Travis.
Personally I remember this day well, because my neighbor’s house was struck by lightning and caught fire. Thankfully, we were able to save it from burning to the ground.
This was only the third F5 tornado recorded in Texas, and there hasn’t been one since.
Sadly, 27 people lost their lives. Entire families were lost and never found. Well built homes that were bolted to foundations were completely gone leaving only the slabs. It started out as a small pencil like tornado and quickly grew to 3/4 mile wide. This tornado scoured the earth up to 18” deep and tore the asphalt off roads, anything in its path was reduced to small debris.
The storms that spawned the Jarrell tornado ended up spawning 19 other tornadoes across central Texas, including a F3 that hit Cedar Park, and a F4 that hit Lake Travis.
Personally I remember this day well, because my neighbor’s house was struck by lightning and caught fire. Thankfully, we were able to save it from burning to the ground.
This was only the third F5 tornado recorded in Texas, and there hasn’t been one since.
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