Step Inside A Storm Cellar And Relive Terrible Tuesday

Friday, April 10, will mark 46 years since Terrible Tuesday. Many residents in Lawton and along the Red River will never forget that infamous day when 12 tornadoes touched down across the country, including a deadly F-3 in Lawton and F-4 in Wichita Falls.

To recognize that day in Texoma history, the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton has a full exhibit about Terrible Tuesday including a tornado simulator that recreates what it was like to be in a storm cellar during the tornado while telling true stories of survivors of that fateful day.

Many residents in Lawton were surprised by the storm on Terrible Tuesday.

I remember what it was like in Lawton on April 12, 1979. It started out as a normal spring day, until it wasn't. So when I first visited the Terrible Tuesday exhibit at the Museum of the Great Plains, it definitely brought back some terrifying memories. And I have to admit, the simulator is so realistic that for a moment, I thought it was Terrible Tuesday all over again.

At the time, I was working at an insurance company in Lawton, and my employers saw the storm coming in and sent us home. But little did they know, they were sending us right out into the storm. Luckily, I lived on the west side of Lawton at the time, and the storm didn't impact that area, but it was definitely a scary time!

But seeing the aftermath in Lawton, and especially in Wichita Falls, is something I will never forget.

READ MORE: Ever Heard Of The 'Dead Man Walking' Tornado?

Tourists and residents visit the Museum of the Great Plains for the Terrible Tuesday simulator.

Residents from Lawton and Texoma have visited the Museum of the Great Plains just for the simulator, including tourists. And if you've ever been in an old fashion storm cellar, you'll feel, somewhat, at home in the simulator. The room is built to look like an old storm cellar. It has concrete walls, steep stairs, a small window, and storage of household items, like gardening tools.

A small radio and TV play recordings from that day to tell the story. And as the storm rolls in and the tornado approaches, the sky turns dark, it begins to rain, and the cellar door slams shut. If you've ever been through a tornado before, it sounds and feels all too familiar.

The Terrible Tuesday simulator is available to view when the Museum of the Great Plains is open.

The Terrible Tuesday exhibit is one of the many exhibit about the history of Texoma at the Museum of the Great Plains. The simulator is available whenever the museum is open. The Museum of the Great Plains will be open this Friday on the 46th anniversary of Terrible Tuesday.

For more information about the Museum of the Great Plains, visit the museum's official website.