The 20th Anniversary of the Jarrell, TX EF-5 Tornado
This Saturday will mark the 20th Anniversary of the 1997 Jarrell, Tx EF-5 Tornado that took the lives of 27 Texans and destroyed the town's Double Creek Estates subdivision.
The storm was given the nickname the "Dead Man Walking" tornado after this image was captured during the developing stages of the twister. During the peak of the storm the tornado swelled to over 3/4 of a mile wide and had stayed on the ground for over 7 miles.
All 38 of the homes in the Double Creek Estates subdivision where destroyed. Nothing remained but the concrete foundations. The power of the tornado was such that it even lifted all the asphalt off the area roadways before moving off into east Texas.
The storm that moved through Jarrell resulted in one F-5 twister, one F-4 tornado, 3 F-3 tornadoes, and 15 tornadoes classified as an F-2 or weaker.
If you pass through the town of Jerrell today, you'll find Jarrell Memorial Park built in memory of the events 20 years ago. A plaque reminds visitors of that sad day in 1997, and 27 trees have been planted in a circle around the park. One for each one of the Jerrell residents who lost their lives that tragic day.
For more on the events that took place in May of 1997, we recommend visiting this site built by Stormstalker. Click the link to see a ton of photos, meteorological studies about the storm, and some images from Jarrell Memorial Park.