Katelynn Kaska

West Middle School

The Waco Tornado of 1953 was a devastating disaster that changed Waco’s surface permanently. It hit Waco at 30 miles per hour with wind speeds reaching over 350 miles per hour.

Many people in the streets fled to nearby businesses in search of a protective shelter away from the storm. Buildings and cars were destroyed. Bricks and other debris filled the street to a depth of approximately six feet. Many people were buried for at least fourteen hours.

One hundred and fourteen lives were lost on this tragic day. What started out as a cloudy day ended as a day no one would forget.

Through all of this loss, the community did move forward and rebuild. For me, this is definitely a story of triumph over tragedy.