As the residents of Lubbock’s Guadalupe Barrio prepared for bed on the night of May 11, 1970, it seemed that stormy weather they were experiencing posed little threat. But the tornado warning issued at 8:15 p.m. was not unusual for the area, but a sighting of funnel clouds a few miles from the city limits prompted the activation of tornado sirens. Unfortunately for the residents of Lubbock’s eastern neighborhoods, these sirens failed to sound, as the fire station that housed their controls was hit early on by the tornado.
In its wake, the tornado left shattered lives which killed 26 residents and injured between 1,500 and 2,000 others. The storm impacted several areas of East Lubbock, including the downtown area and the Lubbock Country Club, but it was the Guadalupe Barrio which bore the brunt of the destruction.
On the night of the storm, Sister Regina Foppe, Director of Social Action for the Archdiocese of Amarillo, was working in her office when the storm hit. Returning to the convent where she lived she found shelter in its basement. It soon became crowded with over 250 area resident who took shelter there, some of whom were badly hurt. Police officers arrived about 10 minutes after the storm passed and began directing ambulances to the area…