Our Stories - National Weather Service Heritage
Content with tag tornado .
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ESSA to NOAA and Environmental Focus (1965-1980)1970 Lubbock Tornado Kills 26; Injures Over 1,500
A violent F5 tornado struck Lubbock, Texas at night on May 11, 1970. It became a watershed event for the city and the field of severe weather research. Read More »
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Early Growth (1912-1941)The Tri-State Tornado of 1925
The deadliest tornado in U.S. history struck 3 states on March 18, 1925, with southern Illinois hardest hit. Read More »
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Revolutionizing Observations, Forecasts & Dissemination (1990-Today)"Of Historic Proportions": The Superstorm of 1993
In March of 1993, a superstorm of unprecedented severity pelted the eastern United States. Remembered for its devastating tornadoes, shocking snowfall totals, destructive winds, and extreme flooding, this was a deadly storm of historic proportions. Read More »
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Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation (Today and Beyond), Revolutionizing Observations, Forecasts & Dissemination (1990-Today)Wireless Emergency Alerts: How Your Mobile Device Could Save Your Life!
A mid-2000s Congressional Act inspired a revolutionary development in emergency notification technology: Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). Thanks to Wireless WEAs, countless lives have been saved when they otherwise wouldn't have been. Read More »
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Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation (Today and Beyond)Winds of Change: The 2011 Tornado Outbreak and the Birth of a Weather-Ready Nation
Over the course of our 150-year history, tragic storm events have driven monumental change within the organization. In April of 2011, a tornado outbreak changed the National Weather Service forever. Read More »
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Becoming a Weather-Ready Nation (Today and Beyond)
StormReady: Connecting with Communities to Save Lives
A tragic storm leads to an inspired idea to connect directly with communities. Read More »
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Signal Service Years (1870-1891)John P. Finley's Rules for Tornado Forecasting
Signal Corps Sgt. John P. Finley extensively studies tornadoes in the 1870's and 1880's, coming up with 15 rules for tornado forecasting. Read More »
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Post-War Expansion (1945-1960)The Start of Tornado Forecasts
After Lt. John Finley of the Army Signal Corps began issuing routine tornado forecasts, the practice was discontinued until after World War II. Work by two meteorologists in the U.S. Air Force eventually led to the creation of what is now the Storm Prediction Center. Read More »
