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The tallest building in Lubbock is the 20 story (274 ft) Metro Tower office building, which was completed in 1955. Not much to look at, but it has an interesting history.




On May 11, 1970, an F5 tornado touched down near the campus of Texas Tech University then began to track northeast, carving a path of destruction that at its peak reached almost two miles in width right through the heart of the city. The tornado tore through several densely populated residential areas before moving through downtown. The tornado killed 26 people and injured more than 1500 along its 8.5 mile track, while covering about 15 square miles of Lubbock.

The building was left with a visible twist in its superstructure, leaving many to fear it was in danger of collapse. A foot of permanent deformation damage occurred at the steel frame on the south side, and three of the building's four elevators were damaged, with the support rails bent. In spite of the severity of the damage and public pressure to tesr it down, the owners chose to repair it and it reopened in 1975.

This tornado was studied and mapped in detail by Professor Fujita, and was an important key in the development of his Fujita Scale. It was rated F5 on this scale. It was thought to be the second tallest building to survive an F5 tornado, but a damage survey indicated that the building experienced F3 winds, with the F5 damage contour further to the North.