Tornado!: The F5 Walcott Tornado, 1955

A tornado struck near Walcott, North Dakota, on this date, July 2, 1955. Although rated an F4 on the Fujita scale, the National Weather Service claims that the tornado probably reached the wind speed and size of an F5 several times before it dissipated. If true, it would be one of only three F5 tornadoes to hit the state. Two people lost their lives in the storm and many rural families lost their homes and farms. Those who lived through the storm still remember the tornado’s fury.
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The tornado on the cover struck Colorado in August 20, 2006.
No photo exists of the Walcott tornado.
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My memory of this storm, though with me daily, escalates a bit as the anniversary date approaches, and escalates even more upon hearing of such devastations as the recent storm in Moore, Oklahoma. I think especially of the children, and the fear I know they felt—and will continue to feel—I know, because I have been there.