From the time I first watched “The Wizard of Oz” at age 4, I’ve been fascinated (and terrified) by tornadoes.
Here in the Northwest Arkansas portion of the Ozarks, it’s relatively rare for a tornado of any real significance to blast through — that’s because of a phenom that scientists refer to as the “Bella Vista Split” — as bad weather makes its way toward the area from Tulsa (whether it’s an ice storm, thunderstorm, or tornadic activity), once the system hits the mountains of Bella Vista Arkansas, it “splits” – driving the worst of the weather to the northeast and southeast, where the the worst outcomes occur.
But such was not the case in April of 1947, when the Brightwater community of Rogers, AR, Garfield AR and Seligman, MO were hit with a massive tornado that claimed 21 lives.
And one family in Northwest Arkansas actually experienced an “Oz” moment and lived to tell the tale.
Path of Destruction
It was 8:00 p.m., on an early spring evening. The air was still, lightning appeared in the distance. Within minutes, all hell broke loose.
The 1947 storm began at Brightwater Crossing, a small community that built up around the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad — that town was virtually wiped out — the General Store was destroyed and those who were inside were all killed. Several buildings simply blew away.
Remnants of the Bright Water tornado — the community was never rebuilt
After desecrating Brighwater, the tornado headed toward a farming community close to Garfield, AR — the home of Vallis and Sylvia Ford was directly in the path of the storm — their daughter, Charlene recalls the horror of the experience:
“I remember hearing thunder and lightning, and then a loud noise, the sound of a freight train. My Dad asked [her older brother] Clinton to open the curtain to see what the noise was from. Just as he did that, the glass imploded all over him.
I was sitting on my mother’s lap and we were knocked over and a dresser fell on top of us — it fell on my legs, but directly on top of my mother — only her arm was sticking out from underneath.
I looked up and saw the wallpaper in our dining area start peeling off, from top to bottom — then I saw my dad literally fly across the room — later, he would say that what saved him from [certain death] was that he grabbed onto my mother’s arm — she had a deep bruise for months after the storm.”
They Weren’t in Kansas, but it Seemed Like They Were
“My Dad built that house himself, and it was made of solid oak — I think that’s why we weren’t killed.” But, in a true Dorothy moment, they realized the house had been picked up off of it’s foundation, and was laid down 6 feet to the west.
Next Post: Tending to their Neighbors