April 2, 1957: This was among the most photographed and studied tornadoes in history. Touching down 2 SE of Red Bird Airport, the funnel passed 2.5 W of downtown Dallas. It lifted 3/4 mile west of the Weather Bureau station at Love Field. The path width varied from 50-200 yards. The late afternoon hour provided good angle for lighting and a lack of rain made for good visibility. The fairly slow movement (30 M.PH.) and long path gave people time to reach for a camera. The analysis of these photographs made significant advancements in the understanding of tornado wind speeds and he tornado life cycle. Photos were taken at least 125 people and included over 2000 feet of movie film. Some of the 16mm film shot by NBC news photographer Maurice Levy is unequalled in closeup quality. About 131 homes were completely destroyed, 111 had major damage, and 287 had minor damage. Over 500 homes were hit, and some were leveled to the ground. The construction of many of these homes was so poor, however, that a F4 rating seems inappropriate. 8 of the 10 deaths were in two clusters of homes. 1 was a mile south of the Trinity River, and one was a mile north of the river. Most of the dead were elderly or children. Losses totaled .5 million. Tornadoes don't have their 'thirst quenched' by taking a 'tremendous gulp of water' from a lake. They may spray water around and occasionally fish might get entrained into the circulation and be carried aloft.
Keywords: The, Dallas, Tornado, of, 1957
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