1999 Salt Lake City tornado
 The Salt Lake City Tornado of 1999 as it rips through downtown; the orange fireball is a power substation exploding upon contact with the tornado. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 12:41 p.m. MDT August 11, 1999 |
| Dissipated | 12:55 p.m. MDT August 11, 1999 |
| Duration | 14 minutes[1] |
| F2 tornado | |
| on the Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | >115 mph (185 km/h)[1] |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 100+ |
| Damage | US$172 million[2] |
| Areas affected | Downtown Salt Lake City |
Part of the Tornadoes of 1999 | |
The 1999 Salt Lake City tornado was a rare tornado that struck downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, on August 11, 1999. It was among the most notable tornadoes to hit west of the Great Plains in the 20th century and the second tornado to hit in Utah that resulted in a fatality (the other occurring in 1884).[3] This was the sixth significant tornado in Utah since June 1963,[4] and one of only two F2 tornadoes to have hit Salt Lake County since 1950 (the other occurring on February 9, 1965, in Magna).[5][6]
Meteorological synopsis
In
Damage
The tornado damaged or destroyed approximately 800–1,000 trees[7][8][9] and destroyed temporary tents set up for the Outdoor Retailers Association convention, claiming the life of one booth set-up supervisor, Allen Crandy, 38, of Las Vegas. In The Avenues, over 154 homes were severely damaged, about 120 of which had roofs blown off. Over 100 people were reported injured and a dozen critically. In total, 300 buildings were damaged or destroyed.[8]
At the
This was the first major tornado to occur in a large urban area's downtown district and strike buildings of nearly 500 ft (150 m) tall, according to Bill Alder of the National Weather Service. It happened in an area of the U.S. where tornadoes of this strength are relatively rare. The tornado caused approximately $170 million in damage.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Geisel, Hunter (August 11, 2019). "On this day in Utah's history: the Salt Lake City tornado of 1999". KUTV. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ Lindsey, Daryl (August 11, 2016). "Throwback Thursday: A huge tornado ripped through SLC 17 years ago". kutv.com. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ "Salt Lake City Tornado – August 11, 1999". weather.gov. National Weather Service Office in Salt Lake City, Utah. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Clayton Brough; Dan Brown; David James; Dan Pope; Steve Summy (June 26, 2007). "Utah's Tornadoes & Waterspouts – 1847 to the present". National Weather Service. Archived from the original on August 19, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2007.
- ^ "Tornado History Project: 19650209.49.1". Archived from the original on August 29, 2014.
- ^ Arave, Lynn (September 11, 2002). "Tornadoes in Utah aren't all that rare". Deseret News. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Bauman, Joe (August 27, 1999). "Tornado was too fast for warning, Alder says Deadly twister suddenly 'blew up right over valley'". Deseret News. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Edwards, Ashton (August 11, 2014). "Photos: 15 years since F2 tornado tore through downtown Salt Lake City". Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "National Weather Service – NWS Salt Lake City". Wrh.noaa.gov. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ Hanson, Janelle. "Deadly tornado hit downtown Salt Lake 15 years ago". ksl.com. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
- ^ Wirth, Craig (August 13, 2018). "That time a tornado tore through Salt Lake City". abc4.com. Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
External links
