Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, April 30, 1999

This tornado formed from a very young cell that became a small classic supercell very quickly. The cell was on the southern end of a small cluster of cells. The tornado formed near the Pecos River in extreme eastern Reeves County and crossed into western Loving County. As the tornado crossed the river the largest vegetation in the area, lines of Salt Cedar trees were snapped or uprooted. Many of these trees were well established and approximately 25-30 feet tall. The funnel exhibited a condensation funnel to the ground for much of its life.

The Reeves County tornado crossed the Pecos River and headed north across open country. Soon after it crossed the river, the tornado hit some oil field supplies and caused some damage. The only oil pumpjack in the path was overturned. Engineers at a pumpjack manufacturer estimated winds in the range of 110-130 mph to knock over this large piece of equipment. Vegetation mainly consisted of brush less than 4 feet tall with disturbances ranging from snapped or flattened to bent more than 45 degrees. The small foliage on these plants was generally still present, but wind-torn.

This storm was the strongest cell in a cluster that formed to the west of the tornadic cell. This report came from the shore of Red Bluff Reservoir. The previously tornadic cell merged with this cluster in southern Eddy County, NM.

Hail fell on the New Mexico state line.

A multicell cluster of severe storms that crossed into New Mexico from Reeves and Loving Counties, TX just before 1pm CDT emerged from Lea County, NM at around 6pm. The city of Seminole was pounded by large hail, high winds and flooding rains.

Thunderstorm outflow winds blew down signs in town and blew one roof off a house just east of town.

A cell that formed on the south flank of the previous storm. This cell was the second of numerous training cells that passed over Seminole and points northeast and east.

Training of numerous cells over Seminole and areas to the east and northeast caused widespread and extensive flooding. The KMAF 88D Storm Total Precipitation measured a strip of 20 by 8 miles that received in excess of 5 inches of rain. Readings from within the swath confirmed this estimation. Residences were flooded in Seminole and cars on FM 1429 east of Seminole were stranded in high water. One new mobile home east of the city became flooded and started to float in the water, only to break apart shortly thereafter. Several people were rescued from vehicles standing in 4-5 feet of water. Numerous animals died in the event, including five horses on a farm that died from hypothermia after being stranded for hours in deep, hail-chilled waters.

Storms were forming into an MCS.

By the time the storms moved into Dawson County the large hail and high winds had diminish and heavy rains flooded the countryside. Several vehicles were stranded on State Highway 137 between Lamesa and Welch. A few rural roads were closed in various parts of the county.