Lubbock moves 51st tornado memorial inside with inclement weather in forecast
Lubbockites will again come together again to remember those whose lives were lost or forever changed 51 years ago on Tuesday, May 11.
But, instead of gathering at a newly unveiled memorial dedicated to the 26 people killed in the 1970 tornado, inclement weather again has the city changing plans.
Instead, the ceremony set for 10 a.m. Tuesday morning will be in the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center - coincidentally also a memorial to the victims of the tornado.
There s a significant chance for thunderstorms and rain through much of Tuesday morning, with temperatures expected to hover in the lower 50s during ceremony time in Lubbock, according to the National Weather Service.
Lubbock s new tornado memorial, and the first large gateway project to downtown, is finished, and a dedication ceremony will take place at the site on Tuesday.
The memorial pays tribute to the 26 victims of the May 11, 1970, tornado, while also recognizing community efforts to rebuild the city after an F5 tornado ripped through Lubbock.
The new memorial has been in the works for about three years about $4.4 million has been raised for the project. It is located at Glenna Goodacre and Avenue Q, on a four-acre site with trees and green space. The memorial features a brick plaza replicating the grid of Lubbock’s streets, and large granite walls built along the paths of the tornado. The walls are covered with quotes from people who witnessed the event. The names of the people who died in the tornado are featured at the memorial.