Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fifty years ago today in the Omaha area was a
tornado that many considered the Westgate Tornado, it's what they
call it. And joining us on the phone line to
talk about this in a commemoration that's taking place today
is Terry Anderson from the Westgate Neighborhood Association, and Terry,
thank you so much for being on our show today.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Okay, So let's go ahead, and first of all, let's
talk about Westgate in general, and you know, taking a
snapshot fifty years after this horrific F four tornado that
ran through and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage,
cost people their lives, injured many others, damaged businesses and homes.
Can you give me kind of a snapshot of what
(00:42):
this neighborhood looks like now and how this is being
remembered fifty years later.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, certainly it's a family neighborhood. There's a few apartments
of buildings around the edges, and there's some retail and
offices around the edges. But it's basically about eleven hundred households,
much the same as it was.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Then.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Because it was a new neighborhood in the late fifties.
The I would guess in seventy five it was more
of a younger to middle aged families. Now it's a
mixture of retirees, empty nesters, young families, a great mixture
(01:30):
of Omaha, I think. And for tonight we're gathering at
Pipple Park about six point thirty for a program. I've
got some of the people who lived here experienced to
live through the tornado in basements wherever they could find shelter,
(01:52):
can tell their experiences. The Kelly kids who were kids
in are now fifty years older. We're planning to be
there and we'll have some great memories. A few others
I've divided. I think most of them will be there
(02:12):
telling the tales experience to what it was like. And
they can tell I wasn't living in Westgate, I wasn't
even in Omaha fifty years ago. But but it'll be
their chance to say what a better chance to say
what it was like fifty years ago living in Westgate
compared to now. It's it's still a family neighborhood. It's
(02:36):
still a lot of middle class, just welcoming type of community.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah, and it's just one of those things that it
doesn't you don't really think about it until it happens
to you, right, And we had the tornado outbreak in
late April last year, in fact that I was sitting
in this chair doing the live severe weather coverage and
it was crazy to see some of the damage in
some of the photos and videos of the tornado, and
(03:04):
as damaging as it was to places like Mendon on
the Iowa side, or you know, just you know what
we saw in Gretna and Elkhorn, this is so damaging,
Like if you read about this, and of course I
wasn't around fifty years ago, but when you read about this,
this was the costliest tornado in American history at the
(03:25):
time that had happened, and it devastated what was like
You've talked about Terry a neighborhood, so you mentioned all
the stories that are going to be told. Here is
this open for anyone? And can you tell people about
where Pipple Park is if they're not familiar?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
The bit an open meetings. Who I want when you
can call it a meeting, it's a gathering of people
just to remember whether they lived in Westgate or lived
up farther north on seventy second in the Ben's an
area where the tornado dissipated, or even some of us
in the Ralston area where grandmothers and the Rolston Bank
(04:02):
were torn apart. Uh, it's it's for anyone interested in
my history. It's a it's a great uh great afternoon
with no wind. Yeah years fifty years ago there was
it was. It was similar, very beautiful day with blue
sky and and about it was about fifty years ago
(04:25):
this hour when it hit. Uh So it was uh,
it was. It was horrendous, absolutely horrendous. And and the
homes that were rebuilt, some of them have took advantage
of the situation and added another bedroom on the back.
Uh during reconstruction, or once in a while you get
(04:46):
a strange room off of a kitchen that probably wouldn't
be there. But uh, you know, it changed the neighborhood,
but it's still the neighborhood. Tonight's program at Purple Park
will be right around the the playground area. Piple Park
was the first barrier free playground in Omaha when it
was built more than fifty years ago. Obviously, they've just
(05:10):
the city has just replaced much of the playground equipment.
Not quite done with some of there and the rest
of the park is still waiting for Phase two and three,
and the Park will Department will be present tonight to
explain some of those things. The park itself is at
about seventy seventh and West Center Road, on the south
side of West Center. You can access it from Center
(05:35):
going eastbound. Westbound, you got to go around and it's
hard to explain but what streets the way they are,
But you can also access it from Haskell Street and
turn just on the east side of Westgate School and
work your way back to the park, which is just
(05:55):
north and northeast of the school, and by going by
that way you will also see the progress that's been
made on the new Westgate School. The original was built
in fifty seven, rebuilt in seventy five, updated in the
late nineties, and now is being totally replaced by a
brand new school, part of the sixty six renovations that
(06:20):
we've approved. The orders approved five ten years ago, So
seventy eighth and West Center Road is generally the best
way to describe it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Awesome Pipple Park tonight six point thirty kind of commemorating
and remembering fifty years ago today, that crazy tornado that
came through and wiped out the Westgate neighborhood. And I
mean some of the photos that you see of this
thing around Omaha and from the old Exarbon Racetrack, which
just kind of haunting seeing what that thing looked like
(06:51):
as it was coming through town. But Terry Anderson from
the West Gate Neighborhood Association with the commemoration for that
Westgate neighborhood that was damaged so greatly back fifty years ago,
I really appreciate the infhone. Hopefully we get a good
turnout for you today, Terry.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
We got a beautiful day for it, so I hope
we get a good crowd too. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Absolutely, no problem. All right, let's this is something we're
talking about. Are there are a lot of people listening.
I'm already getting emails from people that have their own memories.
Let's talk about it fifty years ago today in Omaha,
one of the most devastating tornadoes in American history. You
can call us if you have memories that you'd like
to share with us. Four oh two five five eight
eleven ten. Four h two five five eight eleven ten.
(07:30):
We'll chat about this with you on news Radio eleven
ten kfab and raised on there. It's May sixth, it
is the fiftieth anniversary of the nineteen seventy five tornado.
And uh yeah, I'm really interested in hearing some stories
for people if they remember it. The phone lines are
open at four h two five five eight eleven ten
four h two five five eight eleven ten and we'll
(07:50):
start with Bruce. Bruce, welcome to the show today. What
do you remember?
Speaker 5 (07:53):
First Mephodist church at many very fine class windows, staying
glass windows. They lost all but one of them, which
was the depiction of two Protestant churches joining hands. The
(08:13):
frost on the on the top of the church got bent.
But that was basically anything or basically what happened there.
And then I had a business in Florence and we
had a place where we to go for forms and
(08:37):
it was on the northwest corner of the building. The
building was all bricks. If the if the tornado had hit,
we'd have been under more more bricks than they had
in the city of Omahawks. I stood out and watched
the storm, but it didn't I didn't see anything. On
(08:58):
the thirtieth and eighty four after just popped over us. Yeah,
memory out there watching it.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, and some of the photos that you can see
are just insane of what they were able to see
at the time.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I know we don't have as like high def photography
then as we do now, but it's still crazy how
large this tornado ended up being. H Bruce, I'm appreciative
that you called in and shared your experience with us.
Really appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
All right, thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Let's go to Vince. Vince, welcome to the show today.
You're on news radio eleven ten KFAB what's going on?
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Hey, So I was just a youngster and I remember this.
This started quite early in the uh, just after schools
were getting out, and I remember I got in trouble
for talking our our trouble for staying after school was
taking the erasers outside and beating them against the building.
(09:53):
You know that you'll remember those days. But anyway, I
just remember, like the lightning and the and this just
weird feeling out there, and then the teacher says, you
better get home. I remember running home, and then while
this was happening, I believe my dad was still at
the He was got off work and was at the
racetrack and was of course we didn't have cell phones,
(10:15):
couldn't call in and say hey, you know, so he
had got home. My mom was gathering some picture books
and stuff, and we were ready to head down into
the cellar, which we lived off the thirtieth and my
grandma and grandpa's farm was right there, and they says, oh,
we're going to the potato cellar. So it was actual sellar.
And so anyway, as this was going on, I remember
(10:37):
we were listening to KFAB and the power went out.
We had our lantern down there, and we had our
transistor radio. Everybody to members those and I remember one
of your broadcasters who was out on eighty fourth and
by HJA Chevrolet and Grandmother's restaurant, and he says, oh,
my god, the roofs are flying off the apartment buildings
(11:00):
there behind on the south side. I remember, I mean,
I just just remember hearing all this that and then
the stories you know that my parents shared with us
over the years when we talked about it. But yeah, so,
but you guys were on top of it back then,
even then, you know, giving us, you know, because we
didn't have all that technology, and so you know, juiced
(11:21):
to KFAV still back then but yeah, if you ever
watched the movie Twister, the very first that that beginning
the movie where her dad is holding the cellar door
and he gets swept away tears the door off. Well,
the winds came up and I remember my dad and
my grandpa holding the door because there was no latch,
because the door started to shape. But we never did
(11:44):
get a touchdown in our area, but he had jumped
over and had did a lot of tree and roof
damage in the farm in the area.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, it's interesting, Vincent. I'm glad that you have such
a vivid memories you can share with us. Really appreciate
it today. Thanks so much for on in yup.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
All right, ral Fron Dave, everybody that's holding I want
to hear all of your stories. Fifty years ago today,
the giant F four tornado that wiped out the Westgate neighborhood,
not all of it, but enough to where it was
one of the costliest tornadoes in American history. It was
the costliest then four h two five five eight eleven ten.
If you'd like to call and share that information four
(12:23):
two five five eight to eleven ten, News Radio eleven
ten KFAB the tornado that came through Omaha and at
the time was the costliest tornado in American history, and
fifty years to the day, In fact, this hour, actually
the first confirmations of the tornado touching down, of the
specific tornado that we were talking about, was back at
(12:46):
four to twenty nine PM, fifty years ago today. So
I felt like this was probably the best time to
chat about this. And our phone lines are full, so
let's go ahead and get to some of these calls
of stories and things that you were remembering of the
specific tornado and that day, especially in the devastation and
just the unbelievable size of this storm. And we're gonna
(13:09):
start with Dave. Dave, we appreciate you for being a
part of the show today. What's on your mind?
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Yeah, this is Dave.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Hey, Dave, what are you thinking about today on this anniversary.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Well, I was only four and a half years old
at the time, so my personal memory isn't a lot.
I remember being ushered down in the basement. Everybody was scared.
We lived right across the street from Hanscombe Park and
we were down there for a while and we finally
came up. There were dozens and dozens of trees down
in Hanscomb Park and in our front yard, just everything
(13:39):
just devastated. But the thing, I sent a message to
my brothers and sisters because I come from a large
South Omaha family, and asked them what they remember. My
sister d was in high school at the time. She
went to Paul the sixth, and she remembers getting the
next couple of days off school and so they could
help with the cleanup. They were supposed to bring gloves
and boots and show up at school and a bus
(14:01):
took him over by prep in that neighborhood, right down
seventy second Street, and for the next couple of days
they would walk behind trucks and pick up shingles and
glass and broke some branches and everything else. And I
just thought that was really cool that the school in
the city were able to work that out together.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
It's really like a true community aspect there. That's really
really something there, Dave, and I appreciate you calling in
and thank you so much for sharing those memories with us.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
No problem, Hey, one last thing, can you imagine the
logistics of that? I mean, nowadays I work at a
high school and my principal can get a hold of
everybody in the school in like five seconds through text.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Imagine he is in a rotary dial phone to call
hundreds and thousands of kids and getting that all worked out.
That's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It's hard to imagine people even living in a time
like that these days. It's really hard to know.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Joe.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, it's crazy. Hey, Dave, appreciate it. Thank you so
much for calling in.
Speaker 8 (14:50):
Man, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yep, you too. We'll go to Ralph, Ralph on the
phone line today. Ralph, we appreciate you for holding what's
on your mind.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Hey.
Speaker 7 (14:57):
I was sixteen when that happened. I was at my
first job, which was at Red Lobster, just on seventy
second Street, just south at Dodge, and I was supposed
we were at the fork. I started work that day
at four o'clock, got in there and I worked in
the back of the kitchen as a backup cook, And
(15:20):
all of a sudden, I started seeing regular customers from
the dining rooms come back into the kitchen, and we
didn't even know what was going on. And then of
course my manager goes, well, there's tornadoes. A siren going off,
right now, we have to take shelter. Anyway, a couple
of us ran to the back door just to see
what the heck was going on outside, And when we
(15:43):
finally saw the tornado, it was hitting a post office
which was just south of Nebraska Furniture Mart. It was
right next to where Nebraska Furniture Mart is just south
and that building exploded, and then by the time it
started going over Nebraska Furniture Mark, of course, our managers
(16:04):
at the Red Lobster pulled us all in and we
all got into the walk in coolers and freezers. So
to make long story short, it was the most terrifying
thing that a sixteen year old at the time as
I was to go through because I really thought we
were going to die when we saw the destruction it
was doing just in front of our eyes.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I couldn't. I mean, especially you know, being a child,
even you being a teenager. I went through a tornado
warning when I was five or six. I was like
kindergarten aged, and that was the first memory that I've
had of one, and it made me like I didn't
even see a tornado. I mean I really didn't even
see it, but just like the sheer fear that I
(16:44):
felt in that moment because I just didn't understand what
was happening. I was afraid anytime it would get dark outside,
like with clouds, until I was like in the fourth
or fifth grade, I was deathly afraid of like a
storm's because it just scarred me. I couldn't imagine what
would have happened if I actually would have seen a
tornado at that age. I just couldn't imagine. Ralph, great
(17:04):
stuff there. Thank you so much for sharing with us today.
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Yep, you bet.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Let's go ahead and go to Ron on the phone line.
Ron is joining us on news radio Elevnton kfab Ron.
What memories do you have?
Speaker 8 (17:15):
Well, it was a very exciting time. My sister in
law lived right right by the funeral home up there
on Center Street between eighty fourth and seventy second, and
it came within a block of her house and she
was had. She was in the basement of all her
kids and everything. And when she came up after the
(17:37):
tornado was gone and stuff there was, you know, there
was trash all over the place. But she found a postcard,
I mean a kind of a card that said Jesus
loves you on it, and she was really struck by that,
but it went right down seventy second Street, and if
you can imagine that, it destroyed Nebraska Furniture Mart. It destroyed,
you know, a post office and a school and all
(17:57):
those type of things. But on kind of a little
bit of a humorous note, I remember seeing a series
of photographs it went right past the exab and racetrack.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, I've seen the photo of that from that spot
like on like like where the stands are, and then
just like looking to the north, I believe of where
it like where the track was, and just it's right there.
It's just sitting right there.
Speaker 8 (18:22):
Right, it was right there. And if I think this
was a series of three photographs, and it shows the
thing going by, but it shows everybody's standing by the rail.
They're just watching it go by, and they don't leave.
You know, they're not leaving. They got their spot there
by the rail for the race. So it shows the
tornado going by and nobody's gonna leave. It's just they're
just watching it as it goes by.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I mean, it's just stunning stuff.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Though.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Man, that photo kind of gives it some perspective of
just how large that thing was. I really appreciate it. Ron,
thank you so much for being on the show. Okay,
let's do Keith. Keith is on our phone line here
at eleven tin KFA B Keith, Welcome to the show today.
What's on your mind?
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Well, this is the first time I've heard it referred
to as the Westgate Tornado. It's always just been the
seventy five Omaha tornado because it went from Ralston. It
was on the ground from Ralston all the way up
and it finally come off the ground in the Benson
golf course. But man, it was I was nineteen at
(19:25):
the time, at eighteen, but I was about ten minutes
ahead of it. I never did see it, but I
saw the aftermath of it. And you know, there was
a billboard on seventy second and Blondo. It had like
an eighteen inch I beam, you know, the whole you know,
a couple of I beams to hold it up, and
(19:48):
it just took that I beam and just twisted it down.
And then there was a I ironically there was a
mercury cyclone that was wrapped around the tree, a tree
up on sixty ninth and and seward, and I mean
it was it just wrapped that car in half around
(20:09):
that tree and just amazing. Yeah, I just can you imagine?
And fortunately you know that tornado bounced off of the
Berg and Mercy Hospital. Could you imagine that?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
No?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And I mean there were already over one hundred people
that were injured and you had, you know, hundreds of
houses destroyed. Three people lost their lives in just this
singular tornado. I know, I couldn't imagine what kind of
destruction if it would have been able to like if
it were to come on more direct route to the hospital, Keith.
But I mean, it's wild stuff. I appreciate you sharing
the members.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Okay, it was a miracle that it was a miracle
that Moore hadn't lost their lives in that. Yeah, it
was devastated.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I couldn't imagine. Man, I appreciate the call, Keith.
Thanks so much for listening to us.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
All Right, we got Elaine, Chris, James, and Michael on
the line and we are going to get to them.
Phone line continue to stay full, so if you can't
get through, stick with it. You might be able to
get through as we get through some of these calls,
but we are approaching within the next fifteen minutes or so,
exactly fifty years ago to the minute of the Omaha tornado,
back fifty years ago and just the sheer devastation that
(21:17):
it had, and we're sharing memories of that here. So
if you would like to call, four h two, five, five, eight,
eleven ten. More calls being taken on news radio eleven
ten KFAB
Fifty years ago today in the Omaha area was a
tornado that many considered the Westgate Tornado, it's what they
call it. And joining us on the phone line to
talk about this in a commemoration that's taking place today
is Terry Anderson from the Westgate Neighborhood Association, and Terry,
thank you so much for being on our show today.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Okay, So let's go ahead, and first of all, let's
talk about Westgate in general, and you know, taking a
snapshot fifty years after this horrific F four tornado that
ran through and caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage,
cost people their lives, injured many others, damaged businesses and homes.
Can you give me kind of a snapshot of what
(00:42):
this neighborhood looks like now and how this is being
remembered fifty years later.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Well, certainly it's a family neighborhood. There's a few apartments
of buildings around the edges, and there's some retail and
offices around the edges. But it's basically about eleven hundred households,
much the same as it was.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Then.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Because it was a new neighborhood in the late fifties.
The I would guess in seventy five it was more
of a younger to middle aged families. Now it's a
mixture of retirees, empty nesters, young families, a great mixture
(01:30):
of Omaha, I think. And for tonight we're gathering at
Pipple Park about six point thirty for a program. I've
got some of the people who lived here experienced to
live through the tornado in basements wherever they could find shelter,
(01:52):
can tell their experiences. The Kelly kids who were kids
in are now fifty years older. We're planning to be
there and we'll have some great memories. A few others
I've divided. I think most of them will be there
(02:12):
telling the tales experience to what it was like. And
they can tell I wasn't living in Westgate, I wasn't
even in Omaha fifty years ago. But but it'll be
their chance to say what a better chance to say
what it was like fifty years ago living in Westgate
compared to now. It's it's still a family neighborhood. It's
(02:36):
still a lot of middle class, just welcoming type of community.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Yeah, and it's just one of those things that it
doesn't you don't really think about it until it happens
to you, right, And we had the tornado outbreak in
late April last year, in fact that I was sitting
in this chair doing the live severe weather coverage and
it was crazy to see some of the damage in
some of the photos and videos of the tornado, and
(03:04):
as damaging as it was to places like Mendon on
the Iowa side, or you know, just you know what
we saw in Gretna and Elkhorn, this is so damaging,
Like if you read about this, and of course I
wasn't around fifty years ago, but when you read about this,
this was the costliest tornado in American history at the
(03:25):
time that had happened, and it devastated what was like
You've talked about Terry a neighborhood, so you mentioned all
the stories that are going to be told. Here is
this open for anyone? And can you tell people about
where Pipple Park is if they're not familiar?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
The bit an open meetings. Who I want when you
can call it a meeting, it's a gathering of people
just to remember whether they lived in Westgate or lived
up farther north on seventy second in the Ben's an
area where the tornado dissipated, or even some of us
in the Ralston area where grandmothers and the Rolston Bank
(04:02):
were torn apart. Uh, it's it's for anyone interested in
my history. It's a it's a great uh great afternoon
with no wind. Yeah years fifty years ago there was
it was. It was similar, very beautiful day with blue
sky and and about it was about fifty years ago
(04:25):
this hour when it hit. Uh So it was uh,
it was. It was horrendous, absolutely horrendous. And and the
homes that were rebuilt, some of them have took advantage
of the situation and added another bedroom on the back.
Uh during reconstruction, or once in a while you get
(04:46):
a strange room off of a kitchen that probably wouldn't
be there. But uh, you know, it changed the neighborhood,
but it's still the neighborhood. Tonight's program at Purple Park
will be right around the the playground area. Piple Park
was the first barrier free playground in Omaha when it
was built more than fifty years ago. Obviously, they've just
(05:10):
the city has just replaced much of the playground equipment.
Not quite done with some of there and the rest
of the park is still waiting for Phase two and three,
and the Park will Department will be present tonight to
explain some of those things. The park itself is at
about seventy seventh and West Center Road, on the south
side of West Center. You can access it from Center
(05:35):
going eastbound. Westbound, you got to go around and it's
hard to explain but what streets the way they are,
But you can also access it from Haskell Street and
turn just on the east side of Westgate School and
work your way back to the park, which is just
(05:55):
north and northeast of the school, and by going by
that way you will also see the progress that's been
made on the new Westgate School. The original was built
in fifty seven, rebuilt in seventy five, updated in the
late nineties, and now is being totally replaced by a
brand new school, part of the sixty six renovations that
(06:20):
we've approved. The orders approved five ten years ago, So
seventy eighth and West Center Road is generally the best
way to describe it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Awesome Pipple Park tonight six point thirty kind of commemorating
and remembering fifty years ago today, that crazy tornado that
came through and wiped out the Westgate neighborhood. And I
mean some of the photos that you see of this
thing around Omaha and from the old Exarbon Racetrack, which
just kind of haunting seeing what that thing looked like
(06:51):
as it was coming through town. But Terry Anderson from
the West Gate Neighborhood Association with the commemoration for that
Westgate neighborhood that was damaged so greatly back fifty years ago,
I really appreciate the infhone. Hopefully we get a good
turnout for you today, Terry.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
We got a beautiful day for it, so I hope
we get a good crowd too. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Absolutely, no problem. All right, let's this is something we're
talking about. Are there are a lot of people listening.
I'm already getting emails from people that have their own memories.
Let's talk about it fifty years ago today in Omaha,
one of the most devastating tornadoes in American history. You
can call us if you have memories that you'd like
to share with us. Four oh two five five eight
eleven ten. Four h two five five eight eleven ten.
(07:30):
We'll chat about this with you on news Radio eleven
ten kfab and raised on there. It's May sixth, it
is the fiftieth anniversary of the nineteen seventy five tornado.
And uh yeah, I'm really interested in hearing some stories
for people if they remember it. The phone lines are
open at four h two five five eight eleven ten
four h two five five eight eleven ten and we'll
(07:50):
start with Bruce. Bruce, welcome to the show today. What
do you remember?
Speaker 5 (07:53):
First Mephodist church at many very fine class windows, staying
glass windows. They lost all but one of them, which
was the depiction of two Protestant churches joining hands. The
(08:13):
frost on the on the top of the church got bent.
But that was basically anything or basically what happened there.
And then I had a business in Florence and we
had a place where we to go for forms and
(08:37):
it was on the northwest corner of the building. The
building was all bricks. If the if the tornado had hit,
we'd have been under more more bricks than they had
in the city of Omahawks. I stood out and watched
the storm, but it didn't I didn't see anything. On
(08:58):
the thirtieth and eighty four after just popped over us. Yeah,
memory out there watching it.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
Yeah, and some of the photos that you can see
are just insane of what they were able to see
at the time.
Speaker 3 (09:13):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
I know we don't have as like high def photography
then as we do now, but it's still crazy how
large this tornado ended up being. H Bruce, I'm appreciative
that you called in and shared your experience with us.
Really appreciate it.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
All right, thank you.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Let's go to Vince. Vince, welcome to the show today.
You're on news radio eleven ten KFAB what's going on?
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Hey, So I was just a youngster and I remember this.
This started quite early in the uh, just after schools
were getting out, and I remember I got in trouble
for talking our our trouble for staying after school was
taking the erasers outside and beating them against the building.
(09:53):
You know that you'll remember those days. But anyway, I
just remember, like the lightning and the and this just
weird feeling out there, and then the teacher says, you
better get home. I remember running home, and then while
this was happening, I believe my dad was still at
the He was got off work and was at the
racetrack and was of course we didn't have cell phones,
(10:15):
couldn't call in and say hey, you know, so he
had got home. My mom was gathering some picture books
and stuff, and we were ready to head down into
the cellar, which we lived off the thirtieth and my
grandma and grandpa's farm was right there, and they says, oh,
we're going to the potato cellar. So it was actual sellar.
And so anyway, as this was going on, I remember
(10:37):
we were listening to KFAB and the power went out.
We had our lantern down there, and we had our
transistor radio. Everybody to members those and I remember one
of your broadcasters who was out on eighty fourth and
by HJA Chevrolet and Grandmother's restaurant, and he says, oh,
my god, the roofs are flying off the apartment buildings
(11:00):
there behind on the south side. I remember, I mean,
I just just remember hearing all this that and then
the stories you know that my parents shared with us
over the years when we talked about it. But yeah, so,
but you guys were on top of it back then,
even then, you know, giving us, you know, because we
didn't have all that technology, and so you know, juiced
(11:21):
to KFAV still back then but yeah, if you ever
watched the movie Twister, the very first that that beginning
the movie where her dad is holding the cellar door
and he gets swept away tears the door off. Well,
the winds came up and I remember my dad and
my grandpa holding the door because there was no latch,
because the door started to shape. But we never did
(11:44):
get a touchdown in our area, but he had jumped
over and had did a lot of tree and roof
damage in the farm in the area.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Well, it's interesting, Vincent. I'm glad that you have such
a vivid memories you can share with us. Really appreciate
it today. Thanks so much for on in yup.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
You're welcome.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
All right, ral Fron Dave, everybody that's holding I want
to hear all of your stories. Fifty years ago today,
the giant F four tornado that wiped out the Westgate neighborhood,
not all of it, but enough to where it was
one of the costliest tornadoes in American history. It was
the costliest then four h two five five eight eleven ten.
If you'd like to call and share that information four
(12:23):
two five five eight to eleven ten, News Radio eleven
ten KFAB the tornado that came through Omaha and at
the time was the costliest tornado in American history, and
fifty years to the day, In fact, this hour, actually
the first confirmations of the tornado touching down, of the
specific tornado that we were talking about, was back at
(12:46):
four to twenty nine PM, fifty years ago today. So
I felt like this was probably the best time to
chat about this. And our phone lines are full, so
let's go ahead and get to some of these calls
of stories and things that you were remembering of the
specific tornado and that day, especially in the devastation and
just the unbelievable size of this storm. And we're gonna
(13:09):
start with Dave. Dave, we appreciate you for being a
part of the show today. What's on your mind?
Speaker 7 (13:14):
Yeah, this is Dave.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Hey, Dave, what are you thinking about today on this anniversary.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Well, I was only four and a half years old
at the time, so my personal memory isn't a lot.
I remember being ushered down in the basement. Everybody was scared.
We lived right across the street from Hanscombe Park and
we were down there for a while and we finally
came up. There were dozens and dozens of trees down
in Hanscomb Park and in our front yard, just everything
(13:39):
just devastated. But the thing, I sent a message to
my brothers and sisters because I come from a large
South Omaha family, and asked them what they remember. My
sister d was in high school at the time. She
went to Paul the sixth, and she remembers getting the
next couple of days off school and so they could
help with the cleanup. They were supposed to bring gloves
and boots and show up at school and a bus
(14:01):
took him over by prep in that neighborhood, right down
seventy second Street, and for the next couple of days
they would walk behind trucks and pick up shingles and
glass and broke some branches and everything else. And I
just thought that was really cool that the school in
the city were able to work that out together.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
It's really like a true community aspect there. That's really
really something there, Dave, and I appreciate you calling in
and thank you so much for sharing those memories with us.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
No problem, Hey, one last thing, can you imagine the
logistics of that? I mean, nowadays I work at a
high school and my principal can get a hold of
everybody in the school in like five seconds through text.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Imagine he is in a rotary dial phone to call
hundreds and thousands of kids and getting that all worked out.
That's just amazing.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
It's hard to imagine people even living in a time
like that these days. It's really hard to know.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Joe.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yeah, it's crazy. Hey, Dave, appreciate it. Thank you so
much for calling in.
Speaker 8 (14:50):
Man, have a good one.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Yep, you too. We'll go to Ralph, Ralph on the
phone line today. Ralph, we appreciate you for holding what's
on your mind.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
Hey.
Speaker 7 (14:57):
I was sixteen when that happened. I was at my
first job, which was at Red Lobster, just on seventy
second Street, just south at Dodge, and I was supposed
we were at the fork. I started work that day
at four o'clock, got in there and I worked in
the back of the kitchen as a backup cook, And
(15:20):
all of a sudden, I started seeing regular customers from
the dining rooms come back into the kitchen, and we
didn't even know what was going on. And then of
course my manager goes, well, there's tornadoes. A siren going off,
right now, we have to take shelter. Anyway, a couple
of us ran to the back door just to see
what the heck was going on outside, And when we
(15:43):
finally saw the tornado, it was hitting a post office
which was just south of Nebraska Furniture Mart. It was
right next to where Nebraska Furniture Mart is just south
and that building exploded, and then by the time it
started going over Nebraska Furniture Mark, of course, our managers
(16:04):
at the Red Lobster pulled us all in and we
all got into the walk in coolers and freezers. So
to make long story short, it was the most terrifying
thing that a sixteen year old at the time as
I was to go through because I really thought we
were going to die when we saw the destruction it
was doing just in front of our eyes.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I couldn't. I mean, especially you know, being a child,
even you being a teenager. I went through a tornado
warning when I was five or six. I was like
kindergarten aged, and that was the first memory that I've
had of one, and it made me like I didn't
even see a tornado. I mean I really didn't even
see it, but just like the sheer fear that I
(16:44):
felt in that moment because I just didn't understand what
was happening. I was afraid anytime it would get dark outside,
like with clouds, until I was like in the fourth
or fifth grade, I was deathly afraid of like a
storm's because it just scarred me. I couldn't imagine what
would have happened if I actually would have seen a
tornado at that age. I just couldn't imagine. Ralph, great
(17:04):
stuff there. Thank you so much for sharing with us today.
Speaker 8 (17:06):
Yep, you bet.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
Let's go ahead and go to Ron on the phone line.
Ron is joining us on news radio Elevnton kfab Ron.
What memories do you have?
Speaker 8 (17:15):
Well, it was a very exciting time. My sister in
law lived right right by the funeral home up there
on Center Street between eighty fourth and seventy second, and
it came within a block of her house and she
was had. She was in the basement of all her
kids and everything. And when she came up after the
(17:37):
tornado was gone and stuff there was, you know, there
was trash all over the place. But she found a postcard,
I mean a kind of a card that said Jesus
loves you on it, and she was really struck by that,
but it went right down seventy second Street, and if
you can imagine that, it destroyed Nebraska Furniture Mart. It destroyed,
you know, a post office and a school and all
(17:57):
those type of things. But on kind of a little
bit of a humorous note, I remember seeing a series
of photographs it went right past the exab and racetrack.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, I've seen the photo of that from that spot
like on like like where the stands are, and then
just like looking to the north, I believe of where
it like where the track was, and just it's right there.
It's just sitting right there.
Speaker 8 (18:22):
Right, it was right there. And if I think this
was a series of three photographs, and it shows the
thing going by, but it shows everybody's standing by the rail.
They're just watching it go by, and they don't leave.
You know, they're not leaving. They got their spot there
by the rail for the race. So it shows the
tornado going by and nobody's gonna leave. It's just they're
just watching it as it goes by.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
I mean, it's just stunning stuff.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
Though.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
Man, that photo kind of gives it some perspective of
just how large that thing was. I really appreciate it. Ron,
thank you so much for being on the show. Okay,
let's do Keith. Keith is on our phone line here
at eleven tin KFA B Keith, Welcome to the show today.
What's on your mind?
Speaker 4 (19:03):
Well, this is the first time I've heard it referred
to as the Westgate Tornado. It's always just been the
seventy five Omaha tornado because it went from Ralston. It
was on the ground from Ralston all the way up
and it finally come off the ground in the Benson
golf course. But man, it was I was nineteen at
(19:25):
the time, at eighteen, but I was about ten minutes
ahead of it. I never did see it, but I
saw the aftermath of it. And you know, there was
a billboard on seventy second and Blondo. It had like
an eighteen inch I beam, you know, the whole you know,
a couple of I beams to hold it up, and
(19:48):
it just took that I beam and just twisted it down.
And then there was a I ironically there was a
mercury cyclone that was wrapped around the tree, a tree
up on sixty ninth and and seward, and I mean
it was it just wrapped that car in half around
(20:09):
that tree and just amazing. Yeah, I just can you imagine?
And fortunately you know that tornado bounced off of the
Berg and Mercy Hospital. Could you imagine that?
Speaker 3 (20:23):
No?
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And I mean there were already over one hundred people
that were injured and you had, you know, hundreds of
houses destroyed. Three people lost their lives in just this
singular tornado. I know, I couldn't imagine what kind of
destruction if it would have been able to like if
it were to come on more direct route to the hospital, Keith.
But I mean, it's wild stuff. I appreciate you sharing
the members.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Okay, it was a miracle that it was a miracle
that Moore hadn't lost their lives in that. Yeah, it
was devastated.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yeah, I couldn't imagine. Man, I appreciate the call, Keith.
Thanks so much for listening to us.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
All Right, we got Elaine, Chris, James, and Michael on
the line and we are going to get to them.
Phone line continue to stay full, so if you can't
get through, stick with it. You might be able to
get through as we get through some of these calls,
but we are approaching within the next fifteen minutes or so,
exactly fifty years ago to the minute of the Omaha tornado,
back fifty years ago and just the sheer devastation that
(21:17):
it had, and we're sharing memories of that here. So
if you would like to call, four h two, five, five, eight,
eleven ten. More calls being taken on news radio eleven
ten KFAB
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