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The Jarell, Texas Tornado is the F5 tornado that occurred in Jarrell, Texas on May 27, 1997. It killed 27 people. It was also the second deadliest tornado of the 1990s. The tornado was nearly a mile wide. It was the most notable of six that hit that afternoon in central Texas.
The Double Creek estates, which is located in Jarrell, was the home to many people, was literally wiped off the map. Besides this, the Jarrell tornado did some downright startling phenomena.
Analysis
Later analysis of the tornado indicated that it was a definite F5. It is believed that in the field where the Jarrell tornado developed that it ripped the corn husks out of the ground by the millions and then impaled the cows in the next field. The tornado lifted the the cows and dropped them on the ground multiple times so the animals had broken legs.
The grass and dirt was ripped up out of the ground to a depth of 18 in (50 cm). The asphalt was sucked up off the road.
Where's my roof?
At one of the early houses the tornado ripped off the roof of a monolithic concrete shelter (approximately 6 inches thick, weighing well over a ton). The owner of the shelter was asked if he could find the roof to his storm shelter, he said he could not find it. The owner was asked a week later did he ever find the top to his storm shelter.
Apparently it caught into the wind, ripped off the top of the shelter, and flew off like a Frisbee, never to be seen again.
The tornado was only at F2 strength at the time!
This would be the last F5 tornado to hit the United States until April 7, 1998 when a tornado hit in Birmingham, Alabama.
Also see: List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
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