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Woodward, Oklahoma tornado and Studebakers 1947 - 2012

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  • Woodward, Oklahoma tornado and Studebakers 1947 - 2012



    I noted on the news that a tornado struck Woodward, Oklahoma yesterday and that5 were killed. This jogged my memory re an old real photo post card I had in my collection showing a tornado in the same town in 1947. A few minutes of looking turned up the image attached. I purchased the card probably 30 years ago because it had an M Series truck as well as a 1942 Studebaker Champion 4 door sedan in the background. The car in front is a c1927 Chevrolet. That tornado occurred on April 9, 1947 and killed 169 and injured 890. Lightening does strike twice in the same place. Kind of makes you wonder how many lives may have been saved in 1947 if we had the technology and the early warning system then as we have now.
    Last edited by Studebaker Wheel; 04-15-2012, 07:26 PM.
    Richard Quinn
    Editor emeritus: Antique Studebaker Review

  • #2
    Originally posted by Studebaker Wheel View Post
    Kind of makes you wonder how many lives may have been saved in 1947 if we had the technology and the early warning system then as we have now.
    Nobody can give an exact estimate, but, without question, many lives were saved last night in Woodward due to current technology.

    But, there is still work to do.

    Most (siren) warning systems are electric powered, and electric power was lost early on in last night's event... meaning the sirens were not as effective as they could have been.

    NOAA radios, with battery back-up are very effective.

    The biggest job folks in Emergency Management have, however, is to simply get folks to understand that they must seek shelter early on, and not wait for sirens to warn them. Tornado WARNINGS are not generally issued until a spotter confirms what might be suspected through radar images.

    By the time that happens, it is often too late to jump in the car and head to some public shelter. Once the sirens sound, the best thing to do is shelter in place... which never works out well for those living in mobile homes.

    This week-end provided the most dangerous storm event(s) since I retired. I experienced mixed emotions... I felt rather guilty, not being out there in action, and missed it, in a strange sort of way. OTOH, it didn't feel so bad, being at home with the wife, ready to take her to safety, as opposed to hoping she knew when to seek shelter on her own.
    sigpic
    Dave Lester

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    • #3
      Interesting, Dick. I know you've posted that photo/card previously, but can't remember in what context.

      'Must've had a good Studebaker dealer in the vicinity.

      Dave: How close to Woodward are you? BP
      We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.

      G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.

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      • #4
        My dad's sister and her family lived in Gage, just a few miles from Woodward back then. When driving from Amarillo to Gage, we passed through both Pampa and Canadian, Texas and one of those towns had a big Studebaker dealer which probably did a lot of business in far western Oklahoma. The name of the dealership was Glasscock Studebaker, but I never learned what the family connection was. I remember when I was a child there was still a lot of talk around Woodward and Gage about the '47 tornado, but it was a little before my time.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
          Interesting, Dick. I know you've posted that photo/card previously, but can't remember in what context.
          Yep: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...highlight=1925

          Craig

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          • #6
            Sad to see the destruction, but material things can be repaired or replaced, human lives can not. I am sorry to hear of the loss for all of the surviving family and friends of those people.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by BobPalma View Post
              Dave: How close to Woodward are you? BP
              160 miles.
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              Dave Lester

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