Texas Spring 2013

[horselattitudesfarm]

Much needed reprieve from tornadoes at this hour for North Texas as all tornado warnings have expired. Heavy rain threat (good thing) for many areas as clusters of storms have approached from the NW. Prayers to those hit hard today.

We finally got in on the 'blob' action here in South Collin County. It took awhile and I felt like I was the last one to get rain, but we finally tallied up close to an inch when all was said and done. If I hadn't been watching the weather I would have had no idea there was any severe weather anywhere around us. Its like living in a cave weatherwise most of the time around here. We just had gentle steady rain with some cloud-to-cloud lightning occasionally so my dream of a springtime MCS with the cloud-to-cloud lightning did come to fruition. I'm sorry for the people who got pounded last night.

[Texas Snowman]

Extremely heavy rains this morning in northern Grayson County as storms back build and train over the same area. Two inches last night and two inches plus according to KXII TV met Steve LaNore. He says Lake Texoma will rise over a foot in next 24 hours or so thanks to this rain event and precip upstream.

[CrazyC83]

At least EF-4 so far...could it have been an EF-5?

[Texas Snowman]

@NWSFortWorth: House completely destroyed with only the slab left - #Granbury, Tx pic.twitter.com/UFIR0qBLzE

https://mobile.twitter.com/NWSFortWorth ... 72/photo/1

[Ntxw]

Sobering images to see. From a people's perspective ef4 or ef5 is no different, total destruction. Wake up call for the metroplex, the storm was only one row of counties below millions.

[Texas Snowman]

Cleburne tornado given preliminary rating of EF-3 with heaviest damage near eastern side of Lake Pat Cleburne. Would have expected more from a mile-wide wedge.

Millsap tornado in Parker County given an EF-1 rating so far.

No word yet on the Sunset tornado in Montague County. I've seen video of it described as "sporadic multi-vortex".

[Texas Snowman]

@wfaachannel8: Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain: 600 homes damaged or destroyed by 3 EF-3 tornadoes. No fatalities or major injuries; nine minor injuries. #TXwx

[Texas Snowman]

@THESarahD29: NEW #Tornado warning for Harrison, Panola, De Soto, & Caddo Co. LA til 3pm CDT. Sheds destroyed w/ debris in trees but no conf. of tornado.

@weatherchannel: Media report of structural #damage off I-20 near exit 628 E of Marshall, TX. "Sheds destroyed, debris in trees".

[Texas Snowman]

@CBS11Larry: NWS now says 12 tornadoes hit yesterday in North Texas. #txwx

[Texas Snowman]

@ConvectiveWX: RT @NWSFortWorth An EF-1 tornado has been confirmed in Ennis. That makes Tor #13 for the event. Ennis tornado was approx 6 miles long. #txwx

[horselattitudesfarm]

Extremely heavy rains this morning in northern Grayson County as storms back build and train over the same area. Two inches last night and two inches plus according to KXII TV met Steve LaNore. He says Lake Texoma will rise over a foot in next 24 hours or so thanks to this rain event and precip upstream.

I guess they'll get to pump some of that water down Dallas way this summer now that they are about done with the water treatment plant.

[Dave]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
844 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2013

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEYS FOR 05/15/2013 TORNADO EVENT...

...16 TORNADOES HAVE NOW BEEN CONFIRMED. ALL SURVEY CREWS HAVE
RETURNED FOR THE DAY AND SOME OF THEIR INFORMATION HAS BEEN
INCLUDED IN THIS UPDATE...

SO FAR 16 TORNADOES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED. THE FIRST TORNADO
OCCURRED IN MONTAGUE COUNTY AT 538 PM CDT. THE LAST REPORTED
TORNADO WAS AROUND 1210 AM IN ENNIS.

THIS INFORMATION IS CONSIDERED PRELIMINARY. SURVEY TEAMS WERE
SENT TO JOHNSON COUNTY...HOOD COUNTY...PARKER COUNTY...ELLIS
COUNTY AND MONTAGUE COUNTY. OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WE WILL
CONTINUE TO COLLECT DATA...TALK WITH EMERGENCY OFFICIALS AND
RESPONDERS...AND EYE WITNESSES...REVIEW RADAR DATA...PICTURES AND
VIDEOS. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT IS SUBJECT TO AND
LIKELY WILL CHANGE.

AN ADDITIONAL SURVEY TEAM WILL BE SENT TO SURVEY DAMAGE NORTHWEST
OF CRESSON IN SOUTHERN PARKER COUNTY ON FRIDAY.

.TORNADO #1 - BELCHERVILLE/MONTAGUE COUNTY...

THIS TORNADO WAS REPORTED ONE MILE WEST OF BELCHERVILLE BY STORM
SPOTTERS. NO ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS TORNADO ARE AVAILABLE AT
THIS TIME. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO
LATER.

.TORNADO #2 - LAKE AMON G. CARTER/MONTAGUE COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
INJURIES: 1

SURVEY CREWS FOUND FIVE HOMES DAMAGED BY THIS TORNADO SOUTH OF LAKE
AMON G. CARTER. FOUR OF THE HOMES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED AND ONE
HOME WAS DESTROYED. IN ADDITION...SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE WAS
REPORTED. ONE MINOR INJURY WAS REPORTED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL
BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #3 - ALVORD/WISE COUNTY...

THIS TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC AND STORM SPOTTERS. NO
ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS TORNADO ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #4 - MILLSAP/PARKER COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH

SURVEY CREWS FOUND FIVE HOMES SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED BY THIS TORNADO.
IN ADDITION...SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #5 - GRANBURY/HOOD COUNTY...

RATING: EF-4
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.75 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 880 YARDS/0.5 MILES
FATALITIES: 6
INJURIES: DOZENS

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED WITH THIS TORNADO INCLUDING HOMES WIPED
CLEAR OFF THE FOUNDATION. TWO HOMES SUFFERED EF-4 MAGNITUDE DAMAGE
AND SEVERAL MORE SUFFERED EF-3 MAGNITUDE DAMAGE. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THIS TORNADO WILL BE PROVIDED LATER.

.TORNADO #6 - PECAN PLANTATION/HOOD COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 90-100 MPH

SURVEY CREWS FOUND AN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE PATH SEPARATE FROM TORNADO
#5 THAT AFFECTED GRANBURY. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TORNADO
WILL BE PROVIDED LATER.

.TORNADO #7 - WEST OF ANNETTA SOUTH/PARKER COUNTY...

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS REPORTED ALONG TIN TOP ROAD BY EMERGENCY
OFFICIALS. A SURVEY CREW WILL BE SENT TO THE DAMAGED AREA ON
FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TORNADO WILL BE PROVIDED
LATER.

.TORNADO #8 - CLEBURNE/JOHNSON COUNTY...

RATING: EF-3
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 140 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 8.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1060 YARDS/0.6 MILES

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED WITH THIS STRONG TORNADO. DOZENS OF
HOMES WERE DAMAGED AND AT LEAST 3 OR 4 HOMES SUFFERED EF-3
MAGNITUDE DAMAGE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS
TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #9 - 6 ESE CLEBURNE/JOHNSON COUNTY...

RATING: EF-0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 85 MPH

SURVEY CREWS FOUND AN ADDITIONAL DAMAGE PATH SEPARATE FROM TORNADO
#8. DAMAGE WITH THIS TORNADO WAS MOSTLY TO TREES BUT 5
MANUFACTURED HOMES ALSO SUFFERED ROOF DAMAGE. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #10 - MILLS COUNTY...

THIS BRIEF TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTERS. NO ADDITIONAL
DETAILS ON THIS TORNADO ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADOES #11 AND #12- NORTH OF EVANT/HAMILTON COUNTY...

VIDEO FOOTAGE SHOWED 2 BRIEF TORNADOES OCCURRED SIMULTANEOUSLY
APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF EVANT. NO ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON
THESE TORNADOES ARE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
WILL BE PROVIDED LATER.

.TORNADO #13 - ENNIS/ELLIS COUNTY...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 90 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUE/: APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OCCURRED IN ENNIS WITH THIS TORNADO. THE TORNADO
BEGAN NEAR CLAY STREET AND ENNIS AVENUE. THE TORNADO TRAVELED EAST
FROM THERE AND CROSSED INTERSTATE 45 SOUTH OF ENNIS AVENUE.
ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY INFORMATION FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS...17
HOMES WERE DAMAGED WITH 4 HOMES LEFT INHABITABLE. A TOTAL OF 55
COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WERE DAMAGED WITH 20 OF THOSE PROPERTIES
SUFFERING SEVERE DAMAGE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED
ON THIS TORNADO LATER.

.TORNADO #14 - SE OF MINERAL WELLS/PALO PINTO COUNTY...

RATING: EF-0

START DATE: 05/15/2013
START TIME: 6:41 PM CDT
START LOCATION: APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MINERAL WELLS

END DATE: 05/15/2013
END TIME: 6:42 PM CDT
END LOCATION: APPROXIMATELY 3.5 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MINERAL WELLS

OFF DUTY NWS METEOROLOGISTS PHOTOGRAPHED A TORNADO APPROXIMATELY
3.5 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF MINERAL WELLS OR 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF
MILLSAP. THIS TORNADO IS SEPARATE FROM THE MILLSAP TORNADO. SO FAR
NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THIS BRIEF TORNADO.

.TORNADO #15 - E OF MILLSAP/PARKER COUNTY...

RATING: EF-0

START DATE: 05/15/2013
START TIME: 7:22 PM CDT
START LOCATION: APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES EAST OF MILLSAP

END DATE: 05/15/2013
END TIME: 7:25 PM CDT
END LOCATION: APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES EAST OF MILLSAP

OFF DUTY NWS METEOROLOGISTS PHOTOGRAPHED A TORNADO APPROXIMATELY
3 MILES EAST OF MILLSAP. THIS TORNADO IS SEPARATE FROM THE MILLSAP
TORNADO. SO FAR NO DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED FROM THIS TORNADO.

.TORNADO #16 - NOCONA LAKE/MONTAGUE COUNTY...

THIS TORNADO WAS REPORTED NEAR NOCONA LAKE BY STORM SPOTTERS.
PICTURES OF THIS TORNADO WERE ALSO OBTAINED. SOME DAMAGE HAS BEEN
REPORTED WITH THIS TORNADO BUT NO ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE
AT THIS TIME. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS TORNADO WILL BE
PROVIDED LATER.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT AND PUBLICATION IN
NWS STORM DATA.

$$

JLDUNN

[horselattitudesfarm]

Sobering images to see. From a people's perspective ef4 or ef5 is no different, total destruction. Wake up call for the metroplex, the storm was only one row of counties below millions.

Makes me wonder why there are so many tornadoes on the South side of town. First the Lancaster tornado of '93 (I believe thats the correct year), then more tornadoes a few years back in Lancaster again, then the Arlington tornadoes last year, then these now. I guess that means times up for us up here in Collin and northern Dallas County.

[Ntxw]

Makes me wonder why there are so many tornadoes on the South side of town. First the Lancaster tornado of '93 (I believe thats the correct year), then more tornadoes a few years back in Lancaster again, then the Arlington tornadoes last year, then these now. I guess that means times up for us up here in Collin and northern Dallas County.

There's been some over the years I think but mostly low end EF1's or less we get them just about every year or every other, so they get very litte media attention. I know Westminster had a deadly one in 2006 for Collin county. It does seem the south side is prone to the violent ones of late. It's only a matter of time likely within the next 10-30 years, southern Oklahoma and adjacent North Texas climo wise is the most active tornado region in the world.

[weatherdude1108]

Makes me wonder why there are so many tornadoes on the South side of town. First the Lancaster tornado of '93 (I believe thats the correct year), then more tornadoes a few years back in Lancaster again, then the Arlington tornadoes last year, then these now. I guess that means times up for us up here in Collin and northern Dallas County.

There's been some over the years I think but mostly low end EF1's or less we get them just about every year or every other, so they get very litte media attention. I know Westminster had a deadly one in 2006 for Collin county. It does seem the south side is prone to the violent ones of late. It's only a matter of time likely within the next 10-30 years, southern Oklahoma and adjacent North Texas climo wise is the most active tornado region in the world.

So. Ok and N. Tx will likely be more tornadically active in next 10-30 years?

[somethingfunny]

Makes me wonder why there are so many tornadoes on the South side of town. First the Lancaster tornado of '93 (I believe thats the correct year), then more tornadoes a few years back in Lancaster again, then the Arlington tornadoes last year, then these now. I guess that means times up for us up here in Collin and northern Dallas County.

There's been some over the years I think but mostly low end EF1's or less we get them just about every year or every other, so they get very litte media attention. I know Westminster had a deadly one in 2006 for Collin county. It does seem the south side is prone to the violent ones of late. It's only a matter of time likely within the next 10-30 years, southern Oklahoma and adjacent North Texas climo wise is the most active tornado region in the world.

So. Ok and N. Tx will likely be more tornadically active in next 10-30 years?

It's not a time-sensitive prediction. What he's saying is that on average, DFW northward to the Red River gets lots of tornadoes, so just because they haven't had many recently doesn't mean the next system (or the one after that, or one years from now) won't hit that area hard.... it is eventually coming, but we just don't know when.

[somethingfunny]

Here's my "trip report" from Wednesday night's storms:

Well, they were quite a surprise. The main reason why those storms were so much more intense than the forecasts anticipated even just 24 hours earlier was because a large area of rain and weak storms was expected to move into DFW from southwest Texas on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, which would have left us drizzly and overcast all day and stabilized the atmosphere. Without low-level instability, the upper level system passing through Wednesday night wouldn't have enough fuel to produce intense storms. It's a good idea to follow local TV meteorologists on social media, or read the twice-daily Forecast Discussions that the local NWS offices produce, because oftentimes they will discuss possibilities that don't make it into the simplified forecast that goes out for public consumption. Starting Tuesday I saw discussion that *if* the rain didn't materialize Wednesday morning, then Wednesday evening could potentially be quite a severe outbreak. I was completely taken aback though, by the strength of last night's tornadoes and by how widespread they were.

I had the option to take the night off from work since I'd pulled a double shift on Mother's Day (usually my day off) but decided there wouldn't be much worth chasing (and by Wednesday morning it was too late to request the night off from work) so I was out delivering pizzas in Mesquite in all that garbage last night. Two hours of driving in freaking monsoon rains before the main event even arrived. I paid out all my tickets to my boss before taking my last delivery to a big trucking company on Military Parkway, right in the extrapolated path of the tornado-warned storm that was in Oak Cliff at the time. Pulled into their facility with tornado sirens blaring and an eerie lack of wind or rain but tons of lightning. The satellite TV there went out of course, but it seemed like the storm had weakened when I checked the radar on my phone. Still, I didn't want to go drive out into that storm, so I ***hunkered down*** for half an hour with the truck drivers in their driver's lounge, a concrete structure I felt pretty confident in. I'm really glad that the storm in Dallas County did weaken, because the velocity signature had been bee-lining for exactly where I was.

I enjoy chasing storms, not being chased by storms! Especially not at night.

[Ntxw]

It's not a time-sensitive prediction. What he's saying is that on average, DFW northward to the Red River gets lots of tornadoes, so just because they haven't had many recently doesn't mean the next system (or the one after that, or one years from now) won't hit that area hard.... it is eventually coming, but we just don't know when.

Well said and explained couldn't have said it better.

[gboudx]

Extremely heavy rains this morning in northern Grayson County as storms back build and train over the same area. Two inches last night and two inches plus according to KXII TV met Steve LaNore. He says Lake Texoma will rise over a foot in next 24 hours or so thanks to this rain event and precip upstream.

I guess they'll get to pump some of that water down Dallas way this summer now that they are about done with the water treatment plant.

Where's the water treatment plant, and where are they pumping it? Dallas proper gets its water from Ray Hubbard which is very near its conservation pool level.

[weatherdude1108]

It's not a time-sensitive prediction. What he's saying is that on average, DFW northward to the Red River gets lots of tornadoes, so just because they haven't had many recently doesn't mean the next system (or the one after that, or one years from now) won't hit that area hard.... it is eventually coming, but we just don't know when.

Well said and explained couldn't have said it better.

Thanks guys!