114 people died, 597 injured, over 1000 buildings were severely damaged. It is tied with the 1902 Goliad tornado as the deadliest in Texas history. Looking through the video, there were some gorgeous buildings and churches that were demolished.

The Waco Tornado killed downtown for decades. It might have given another reason for people in the 70's and 80's to migrate to the suburbs further delaying a rebound. When I came to Baylor in 1988, downtown was boarded up and there was no reason to go there except for Schmaltz's or church.



I just wonder how something like that plays on the psyche of the people in the town.

Many have suggested, and I agree, that the tornado set the city back 25-30 years. It destroyed countless beautiful buildings and killed downtown.

I remember watching this back in 2001. Did you know Waco was larger than Austin at the time this hit.

The long term impacts of this event are effectively immeasurable and Waco would likely be a very very different place now.

BUmoneymaker said:

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Did you know Waco was larger than Austin at the time this hit.

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I don't believe that is accurate.

Waco had 84,706 people in 1950 and 97,808 in 1960
Austin had 132,459 people in 1950 and 186,545 in 1960

I heard they got young men from Baylor ROTC (or whatever it was called then) and other volunteers and lined them up to the river and just started handing rubble, bricks, boards, etc down the line and pitching it in the Brazos, until heavy equipment could get there to push it down the streets to the river banks.

Chibears2 said:

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I heard they got young men from Baylor ROTC (or whatever it was called then) and other volunteers and lined them up to the river and just started handing rubble, bricks, boards, etc down the line and pitching it in the Brazos, until heavy equipment could get there to push it down the streets to the river banks.

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I know it's a different time, but that seems like an incredibly short sighted and stupid thing they did.