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Waco hit by tornado
On this day in 1953, Waco was ravaged by a tornado that tore through the heart of the city. The storm killed 114 people and seriously injured another 145; 196 business buildings were completely destroyed, and 396 were damaged so badly that they had to be torn down. After the storm, many shoppers began to frequent suburban shopping centers, thus hastening the decline of the downtown business district. "White flight" also contributed to urban decay, especially after the city's schools were integrated in the late 1960s. Connally Air Force Base was closed in 1966, dealing a blow to the city. The Waco Urban Renewal Project was begun in 1958 to deal with the problem of inner-city blight, and in 1967 the city was chosen for the federal government's "Model Cities" program. By 1978 the Urban Renewal Project had helped to channel more than $125 million into renovating the city's urban core. Slums were cleared and a number of new buildings were constructed, including new apartment complexes, a shopping center near Baylor University, and a convention center. The Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, a city zoo, and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame have also contributed to Waco's urban revival.
- Links to Related Handbook of Texas Online Articles
- WACO, TX
- TEXAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME
- TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
- TORNADOES
- URBANIZATION
- JAMES CONNALLY AIR FORCE BASE
- Other Texas Day by Day Articles for This Date
- Army officer charged with murders at Franciscan mission (1752)
- Construction begins at Toledo Bend Reservoir (1964)
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