75th Anniversary of the "Woodward" Tornado

The worst tornado in the history of the Great Plains occurred 75 years ago today. It is called the Woodward Tornado, even though even though later research showed it was likely a series of tornadoes that developed northeast of Amarillo and didn't completely end until it reached St. Joe, Kansas -- a path of 221 miles.

The damage from this F-5 was horrific and it took 181 lives. As the photo below demonstrates, the tornado was so strong that is scoured the ground.

I tell the entire story of this terrible storm here. There were no forecasts or warnings of any kind.

Seventy-five years later, the death toll would be smaller because of the tornado watch and warning system. The weather warning system is one of America's very best investments.