Adjunct Professor of English Barbara Perkins

Shattered Spring 1927 Adjunct Professor of English Barbara Perkins

April 12, 1927, a low-pressure system was moving across the Edwards Plateau of Texas. A blustery, gritty wind had been blowing all day and the townspeople were expecting rain. Three miles northwest of town, a monster tornado descended from the clouds. It took direct aim at Rocksprings, population 800. The first warning the townspeople had was the thunderous hail, breaking windows and crashing through rooftops. Moments later, at 7:50 p.m., the F5 tornado, now a mile wide, unleashed its fury with winds of over 260 miles per hour, destroying nearly everything in its path. In less than ten minutes, it was all over. The town was in ruins, lit only by a fierce lightning storm and the buildings that were burning. Almost 80 people were dead, dying or missing. Some were never found. Over 150 were injured. The torrential rain rendered many roads almost impassable. Yet rescuers came from all over to help. Over the next several days, the severely injured and dying were transported to San Antonio, 140 miles away, by cars, trucks, ambulances, and trains. Gathered from personal accounts and historical records, this is the first book to tell the story of the tornado and the people who suffered through the Rocksprings tornado and those who came to their aid. The F5 tornado still ranks as the third deadliest in Texas since 1900.