Texas Remembers the 1953 EF5 Tornado 65 Years Later

In 1953, more than 100 people died and more than 600 people were injured after an EF5 tornado traveled through the city of Waco. 

In 2017 the group Waco Walks guided residents on a remembrance walk along the 2.5-mile path of the tornado that began at 4th and Austin. Since then the walk is being considered as an annual event for the city.

A trip back through history shows the Indians who settled in the Waco area thought it impossible for a tornado to strike due to its location among the hills and bluffs of McLennan County. That theory was proven untrue at 4:36 PM on May 11th, 1953.

Time Magazine remembers the EF5 tornado likely packed winds above 300mph which caused the extreme devastation throughout the city. The 1953 Tornado remains tied with the 1902 Goliad twister as the deadliest tornadoes of all time in the state of Texas.