Herb "Cyclone" Jones: Pioneer of Modern Tornado Forecasting
Located in the heart of Tornado Alley, Stillwater, Oklahoma, was the epicenter of early severe weather research. Among the most notable figures in this field is Dr. Herbert "Cyclone" Jones, who was the nation's first civilian tornado researcher and storm chaser. His groundbreaking work on the electrical activity of severe thunderstorms revolutionized tornado prediction and safety. Jones' passion for understanding severe weather led him to Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University), where he conducted pioneering research that formed the basis of tornado prediction and had a lasting impact on modern meteorology.
Early Life and Inspiration
Born in 1904, Herbert L. Jones endured a terrifying tornado experience while growing up on his family’s homestead in Alberta, Canada. This early encounter ignited Jones’ lifelong passion for understanding and predicting thunderstorms and severe weather. After his family later relocated to Oregon, Jones pursued an education in electrical engineering at the University of Oregon.

Academic and Professional Journey
Upon earning his bachelor’s degree, Jones worked for several years as an engineer for Pacific Telephone and Telegraph and Bell Laboratories, then furthered his education with master's and doctoral degrees in physics from Oregon State College. After this he worked as an instructor at the University of New Mexico for ten years, where he helped to establish the school’s Electrical Engineering Department.
Arrival at Oklahoma State University - 1946
In 1946, Jones joined the faculty of Oklahoma State University (then still known as Oklahoma A&M), arriving at a time when many World War II veterans were taking advantage of the GI Bill to further their education in fields like electrical engineering. These students, many of whom had backgrounds in communication, radio, and radar operations, found themselves in the heart of "Tornado Alley,” which turned out to be the perfect place for them to learn some one-of-a-kind lessons about Mother Nature.
Woodward Tornado - April 9, 1947
The deadliest tornado to ever strike within Oklahoma occurred on April 9, 1947 when a 1.8-mile-wide F5 tornado ripped through the town of Woodward, Oklahoma. It struck the town without warning at 8:42 p.m. destroying about 100 city blocks including more than 1,000 homes and businesses. The twister killed at least 107 people in Woodward and injured nearly 1,000 more while also destroying about 60 farms and killing 8 more residents in rural areas outside of Woodward. After this devastating tornado, there was a public outcry for a tornado warning system to help save lives.

Right Place, Right People, Right Time
In the aftermath of the Woodward tornado, severe weather research was still in its infancy, but Dr. Jones realized that with the influx of military vets experienced in the use of radar and other new technologies, he was in the right place with the right people at the right time to make giant leaps in mankind's understanding of tornadoes. This spurred Jones to become the first civilian tornado researcher and storm chaser.

Groundbreaking Research and a New Nickname
Dr. Jones and his team of graduate students gained national notoriety as they chased tornadoes and fine-tuned their methodologies. Their early success in identifying tornadoes in real time earned them coverage in high-profile publications including Time, Newsweek and Popular Mechanics. Oklahoma news stations also began covering his research. WKY-TV in Oklahoma City dubbed him Tornado Jones, but his Stillwater buddies that he played dominoes with nicknamed him Cyclone Jones and that is the moniker that stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Tornado Research Labs
By 1950 Dr. Jones and his team had secured two surplus military hutments and placed them at Searcy Field (now known as Stillwater Regional Airport). At that time, the airport was run by the university and Dr. Jones placed his huts on the highest ground in Payne County with unobstructed views over the landscape. The airport was then the site of the world's first tornado research lab and hosted the tracking and measurement of several tornadoes.

Because the wooden huts were somewhat vulnerable to the severe storms of the area, in 1959 a new concrete bunker was built into the side of a berm on the airport grounds to protect the increasingly sophisticated equipment that Dr. Jones' team was developing. The bunker featured creative elements to help the team observe tornadoes including a submarine periscope mounted on the roof allowing them to peer 360 degrees around the bunker while staying safely inside. The periscope can be seen protruding from the roof inside a casing in the historic photo above.

During this time, Jones and his graduate students developed equipment capable of measuring lightning patterns to measure storm intensities. They began to explore the possibility of launching tornado warning systems. Collaborating with Charles Dunn, director of the Engineering Experiment Station, Jones focused on radar and "sferics" – atmospheric discharges of radio static related to storm clouds. This eventually evolved to incorporate radar technology, laying the foundation for our modern-day approaches to tornado and severe weather forecasting.

Attracting Recognition
Jones' influence extended well beyond Stillwater, as he also worked with Tinker Air Force Base, the state of Texas, and the U.S. Air Weather Service. The innovative research continued to garner increasing national attention for Cyclone Jones and his team at Oklahoma State University. As they chalked up one success after another, the Tulsa World hailed Jones as "The Paul Revere of Tornadoes." Accolades and fascination with his work continued to grow until a moment of truth presented itself.

The Perfect Storm - May 25, 1955
On May 25, 1955, a deadly supercell producing squall lines and several tornadoes barreled across Oklahoma and Kansas, putting Jones’ team’s methodology to the test. Ultimately, the data collected that day validated their methods, and Jones introduced the term "tornado pulse generator" to describe the unique electrical phenomena associated with such tornadic thunderstorms. The methods he and his team had been developing were proven to help predict and track deadly tornadoes so that the public could be forewarned. This groundbreaking research even contributed to the U.S. government’s Cold War efforts to differentiate between the atmospheric effects of thunderstorms and Soviet nuclear tests.

Continuing Impact
During Dr. Jones' time at OSU, he helped to validate early uses of radar for storm tracking, he helped develop meteorological forecasting techniques and he helped educate the public on tornado safety. Through Dr. Jones' programs, Oklahoma State University led the nation in severe weather forecasting and monitoring, and Jones’ pioneering work left a lasting legacy on the contemporary tornado watch and warning systems which have helped to save countless lives in the decades since. Every time a severe thunderstorm or tornado warning alerts citizens across the nation to the danger and saves lives, Stillwater, Oklahoma's legacy as the original home of tornado research shines brightly.
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