Remembering the May 27th, 1997 Tornado Outbreak (credit: This Day in Weather History)

DISCUSSION: As we look back to just over 20 years ago today, we arrive at a fairly historic and frightening day in Texas state weather history.  On May 27th, 1997, there was a substantial severe weather outbreak across several parts of central Texas.  As quoted by the original storm summary (courtesy of the Austin/San Antonio National Weather Service forecast office located in New Braunfels, Texas):

"A deadly severe weather episode unfolded across portions of Central Texas during the afternoon and evening hours on Tuesday, May 27th, 1997.  This event was made infamous by one of the most powerful tornadoes on record: an F5 which tore through a subdivision of Jarrell called Double Creek Estates in extreme northern Williamson County during the mid-afternoon. Some of the most extreme damage on record occurred with this tornado, and one account states that “the earth was scoured bare, pavement was ripped from roadways, [and] homes and other buildings were completely pulverized” (Lon Curtis, Weather Bulletin).  Two tornadoes also touched down in the Austin Metro area: an F3-rated tornado in Cedar Park and an F4-rated tornado near Lakeway."

To learn more details and specifics pertaining to this historic central Texas severe weather outbreak, click on the following link!

To learn more about other past historic weather events from around the world, be sure to click here!

©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz