The 1973 Tornado Changed Weather Science. It Didn't Change How Water Moves Through a Farmhouse Wall.
On May 24, 1973, an F4 tornado struck Union City. Two people died. It was the first tornado ever tracked through its full lifecycle by Doppler radar — and it led to the Tornadic Vortex Signature that saves lives to this day. I'm Phil Sheridan. I own 4D Restoration. IICRC-certified, veteran-owned, and when your farmhouse takes water, I bring the same equipment to Union City that I bring to a half-million dollar subdivision. Your address doesn't change the protocol.
IICRC Certified · Veteran-Owned · We Drive Dirt Roads · Tiger Territory
I Know the Difference Between a Farmhouse Foundation and a Subdivision Slab. Both Leak. They Just Leak Differently.
Union City started as a railroad stop in 1890 when the Chicago, Kansas & Nebraska Railway came through. Grain elevators went up. Farmhouses followed. The Richardson Building on Main Street was a bank in 1910 — it's on the National Register now. The Dairy Mart is the town's restaurant. Love's at the highway junction is where you get coffee in the morning. The Tigers play basketball and baseball, and FFA kids show animals at the county fair.
I know the century-old farmhouses with original plumbing and no modern waterproofing. I know the ranch-style homes from the 1970s with composition roofs that have been catching Oklahoma hail for fifty years. And I know the newer builds on the outskirts — modern systems on the same clay soil that's been shifting since before the railroad arrived.
When homeowners out here have water damage, they try to handle it first. Shop vac. Box fans. Bleach on the mold. That's not wrong — it's just incomplete. The shop vac gets the standing water, but moisture inside the wall reads 38% when it should be 12%. That's the gap I fill. Not judgment — equipment.
The Storm That Changed Everything. And the Storms That Keep Coming.
May 24, 1973. An F4 tornado tracked directly through Union City. Two people were killed. This storm was the first tornado ever tracked through its entire lifecycle by Doppler radar at the National Severe Storms Laboratory. The data from Union City led to the Tornadic Vortex Signature — the radar pattern that identifies tornadoes before they touch down. A roadside marker traces the path. Weather researchers still reference "the Union City storm."
That was fifty years ago. The science improved. The weather didn't. Hail hammers composition roofs every spring. The South Canadian River borders town to the south — flooding low-lying properties during heavy rain. Summer humidity at 60-70% turns unresolved moisture into mold. Winter freezes drop to the mid-20s, bursting pipes in homes where insulation was never added.
Century-Old Farmhouses. 1970s Ranch. New Construction on Acreage. Every One Breaks Differently.
Heritage Farmhouses (Pre-1940s): Multi-generation homes. Wood frames, original wiring, well water, septic, root cellars, storm cellars. No modern waterproofing on the foundation. Your grandfather built those plaster walls. I'm not tearing them out if controlled drying can save them.
Mid-Century Ranch (1950s-1980s): Brick or frame on acreage. Composition roofs with decades of hail damage. Cast iron or galvanized plumbing. Barns, shops, and outbuildings storing equipment worth more than some people's cars. When a barn roof leaks, the hay absorbs moisture and contaminates feed.
New Growth (2000s-Present): Builds on multi-acre lots along the highways. Modern systems, slab foundations, same clay soil. Some accessed by dirt roads not designed for heavy equipment — I bring my trailer down them regardless.
What I Restore in Union City
> Water Damage Restoration
Canadian River flooding in low-lying areas. Burst pipes from February freezes in uninsulated farmhouses. Well pump failures flooding utility rooms. Dishwasher supply line failures in newer kitchens. The standing water is what you see — the moisture inside the walls is what I measure.
> Mold Remediation
Storm cellar colonies growing in standing water. Crawlspace mold under farmhouses with no vapor barrier. Bathroom mold where exhaust vents terminate in attics. Barn mold contaminating stored hay and feed. Union City's summer humidity accelerates every spore.
> Fire & Smoke Cleanup
Brush fires that jumped the burn line and reached the barn. Kitchen fires from wood-burning stoves in older homes. Lightning-strike attic fires during spring storms. HEPA filtration, soot cleaning, thermal fogging, odor removal in agricultural structures.
> Storm Damage Restoration
Union City has lived in Tornado Alley since before it had a name. The 1973 F4 changed weather science. Hail, straight-line winds, flash flooding, tornado aftermath. Equipment running in your house within an hour of my arrival regardless of road surface.
I'm 35 minutes from Union City. That's a longer drive than some service areas — I won't pretend otherwise. But I keep equipment loaded and trailer hitched. When you call, I'm moving before the conversation ends. The dirt road adds ten minutes. The work is the same.
405-896-9088Based in Edmond — dirt roads don't slow us down.
24/7 emergency response · Phil answers · Owner-operated
Questions Union City Homeowners Ask Me
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=01 "We're on a dirt road 5 miles outside town. Will you actually drive out here?" ▶ ENTER
Yes. I keep my equipment trailer loaded and hitched. The dirt road adds about ten minutes to the drive — it doesn't change the equipment I bring or the service I deliver. I work on rural properties regularly. Some of my best work has been in farmhouses that require a left turn off the pavement.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=02 "I tried to dry the flood damage with a shop vac and box fans. It's been three weeks and now it smells worse. What happened?" ▶ ENTER
Your shop vac removed the standing water — that was the right first step. But it can't extract moisture already absorbed into drywall, subflooring, and insulation. Box fans circulate air but don't remove humidity — they move wet air around the room. Without commercial dehumidifiers pulling moisture from materials, the water migrated deeper into the wall cavity. The smell is mold. It's not a failed effort — it's an equipment gap.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=03 "The 1973 tornado killed two people here. Is our house more vulnerable because it's old?" ▶ ENTER
Older homes without modern framing connections are more vulnerable to wind damage — that's true. But no residential structure survives a direct hit from an F4. The variable is your storm shelter, not your house. My job begins after the storm passes: water extraction, structural drying, debris removal, and documenting the damage for insurance. The 1973 storm taught scientists how to warn you. I'm the response when the warning isn't enough.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=04 "Our well water tastes different after the Canadian River flooded. Is that connected to the water in our house?" ▶ ENTER
It can be. When the Canadian River floods, surface water carries sediment, agricultural runoff, and contaminants across low-lying properties. If your well seal isn't airtight, that surface water can infiltrate the casing. I handle interior restoration — extraction, drying, mold prevention. I'll coordinate with your well specialist and recommend testing before you drink from the tap.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=05 "We burn brush on our property and a fire got out of hand. The barn has smoke damage but the house is fine. Do you handle barns?" ▶ ENTER
Yes. Barns and outbuildings store equipment, feed, vehicles, and tools that have real value. Soot deposits on metal corrode over time. Smoke particles embed in insulation, wood, and any porous material. If you store hay or livestock feed, smoke contamination can make it unsafe. I bring HEPA filtration, soot cleaning, and thermal fogging to agricultural structures the same way I'd bring them to a house.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=06 "Our storm cellar has standing water and green stuff on the walls. Is it safe to use during a tornado?" ▶ ENTER
No. Standing water plus visible mold in a sealed underground structure means you'd breathe concentrated spores for 30+ minutes during a tornado warning. That's a respiratory hazard, especially for children. The cellar needs drainage correction, waterproofing, and mold remediation before tornado season. Don't wait until the sirens go off to find out.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=07 "This farmhouse has been in my family for 70 years. Can you restore it without tearing it apart?" ▶ ENTER
That's the goal. I use targeted demolition — removing only what can't be saved. Plaster walls, original hardwood under layers of linoleum, hand-milled trim, built-in cabinets — these are what make your family's house different from every other house. Controlled drying with precise monitoring lets me save materials that a gut-and-replace job would destroy.
admin@4d : ~/faq $ query --id=08 "How long until you can get to Union City? We're about 35 minutes from Edmond." ▶ ENTER
About 35 minutes — I-40 to US-81 or NW Expressway to OK-152, depending on your location. I keep my equipment loaded. When you call with an emergency, I'm on the road before we hang up. The 35 minutes is drive time — the equipment prep is already done.
The Dairy Mart Is the Only Restaurant in Town. I'm the Only Restoration Company That Knows That.
405-896-9088. I own 4D Restoration. I'm a veteran, I'm IICRC-certified, and I restore homes in Union City — from the farmhouses that have been in families for generations to the new builds on the outskirts. I drive dirt roads. I bring generators when I need to. I don't cut corners because your house is past the highway. Call me when you're ready. No judgment about what you tried first.
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