Rare Twister Hits Downtown Salt Lake City

August 17, 1999

Bob Pier experienced first hand the force of the tornado.

On August 11, 1999 at about 12:45 p.m. a tornado hit downtown Salt Lake City, injuring nearly 100 people with one fatality. The class F2 twister cut a 5-mile path one-half mile wide through the commercial center of the city, past the State Capitol, across Memory Grove and through the city’s avenue section. An F2 tornado has winds between 113 – 157 miles per hour.

Utah is one of the states that almost never sees a tornado, much less one that strikes the heart of the state’s population center. The tornado caused damage to the Delta Center, home of the Utah Jazz, the Wyndham Hotel, Outdoor Retailers Convention, State Capital grounds, Memory Grove and the upper avenues. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or damaged. Three hundred homes received some damage, with 40 receiving severe damage. The estimated cost of damage is $150 million.  The one fatality occurred at the temporary tent site of the convention on South Temple.

Utah State Capitol grounds felt the force of the tornado.

The Department of Public Utilities was only slightly affected by the incident. Power outages at a number of sewer lift stations, a high avenues water pumping plant and the City Creek Water Treatment Plant were the extent of disruption. Back-up generators kept these facilities in service until normal electrical power was restored.

However, Bob Pier, Electronics System Program Supervisor, was caught in the path of the tornado while working on the North Bench Pumping Station on the top of the avenues. From this high visual point, Bob first noticed that the western sky was darkening at around 12 noon. He was installing a power transformer inside the station, but walked outside occasionally to watch the building storm.  Around 12:30 his interest increased.  The clouds were getting darker and appeared to be swirling. He at first discounted a tornado, because "we don’t have tornadoes in Utah." Then he observed clouds of dust and debris kicking up into the sky. He was now in the station watching through a window. Bob remembers that he “wasn’t really scared,” but as the dust and debris approached him, “I got worried about what was happening.” Then "All of a sudden the winds struck the pumping station.  I decided that it was dangerous standing by the window, so I ducked behind the pumps,” exclaimed Bob. He continued, “The building was pelted with stuff for about 30 to 60 seconds.”

After the twister passed, Pier left the pump station and found that a telephone pole had sheared off, blocking his truck. He called the Department’s dispatch for help. 

He noticed a pile of debris close by which turned out to be the roof of a house located nearby on 18th Avenue. Another person who was watching from the trailhead nearby was also prevented from leaving the site because of the downed pole.  Pier walked down 18th Avenue to ascertain the extent of the damage. He was struck by the selectivity of the winds.  The house just west of the pumping plant on 18th Avenue had lost its roof, while those nearby were only slightly damaged. “There were lots of trees down along the street,” he recalled.

Later he was picked up and taken back to his workstation.  The telephone pole had to be moved before he could retrieve his truck.

He must have been in the right spot. The pumping station in which he shielded himself was not damaged at all.  The event did not shake him, but he admits that he

Damage to the outdoor convention tent.

got a little scared when the station was being pelted with blowing debris.

In the aftermath of the incident, the clean up began. Within the next 24 hours all of the streets were open except on South Temple between West Temple and 300 West where the convention's temporary tents and Wyndham Hotel were.

Not many people in Utah have ever experienced a tornado. It’s a rare event and not supposed to happen.  Like most who were caught in the now termed "Salt Lake City ’99 Tornado” Bob Pier will not forget what he was doing on August 11, 1999.