Should Wichita Falls Upgrade Their Tornado Memorial for the 50th Anniversary?

Looks like a Wichita County Commissioner wants to do an updated tribute to the lives lost on April 10, 1979.

The Red River Valley Tornado Outbreak of 1979 was a scary day for those living in North Texas and Southern Oklahoma. 22 tornadoes were confirmed on April 10th that year. Two of those were F4 tornadoes. Three of the tornadoes actually took several lives that day.

Lives Lost on April 10, 1979 in Texoma

An F4 tornado in Vernon claimed 11 lives, an F3 tornado in Lawton killed three people, and the most famous F4 started in Holiday and worked it's way through Wichita Falls. That F4 killed 45 people and left 1,800 people injured. About 20% of Wichita Falls was homeless due to the devastation.

Tornado Memorial Currently Sitting in Wood Memorial Park in Wichita Falls

The lives lost in the Wichita Falls tornado are displayed in Wood Memorial Park at 4401 Maplewood Avenue. Looks like Wichita County Commissioner for Prescient 1 Mark Beauchamp thinks this needs an upgrade for the 50th anniversary coming in 2029.

Proposed Upgraded Tornado Memorial for Wichita Falls

Mark shared his thoughts with the public a few weeks ago and it appears to be gaining some traction. Wichita Falls Mayor Tim Short even commented on the post saying, "I'm in." We will have to wait and see if people want to support Mark's project. If you are interested in helping or being a part of the project, you can contact Beauchamp at (940) 631-8838 or mark.beauchamp@co.wichita.tx.us.

I won't lie, I was completely unaware of the original tornado memorial. Taking a look at it in its current condition, I think Mark is right that an upgrade for the 50th anniversary would be a nice way to honor those that lost their lives on that day.