Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 11 to 14, 2001

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, April 11 to 14, 2001
Start: 2001-04-11T00:10
End: 2001-04-14T02:15
Location: Texas

April 11 to 14, 2001 · NWS FWD · 31 events in 20 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $89,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 31

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FWD wrote it up.

April 11th, Episode NarrativeAn upper level low pressure system over West Texas helped initiate thunderstorm development which then moved across North Texas overnight. A squall line with a few embedded supercells moved over the region. The primary severe weather events were wind and hail damage. Supercells along the Red River produced tornadoes in Cooke County before moving north of the Red River into Oklahoma. Numerous reports of damage from strong winds were also received across North Texas.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fort Worth, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 10, 8:40 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 8:40 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
940 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

EVENING ANALYSES AND OBSERVATIONS FORCE US TO RAISE POPS...MAINLY
WESTERN...CENTRAL...NORTHERN...AND NORTHEASTERN ZONES FOR TONIGHT
AND EARLY WEDNESDAY.  CONVECTION HAS BROKEN OUT IN SOUTHWEST TEXAS...
EAST TO NEAR DEL RIO.  THERE IS A BIT OF A SPLIT...AND A DIFLUENT
ZONE IN THE 250 MB JET MAX COMING ACROSS THIS AREA.  FURTHERMORE...
1200Z MODELS SHOWED GOOD DIV Q SUPPORT IN THIS AREA THIS EVENING...
AND THE 00Z RUN IS EVEN STRONGER WITH THE DIVERGENCE OF Q (FORCING
FOR VERTICAL MOTION) TO OUR WEST AND SOUTHEAST.  FURTHERMORE....MOST
OF THE MESOSCALE MODELS...INCLUDING THE NEW MESOETA...SHOW
CONVECTIVE PRECIP MOVING ACROSS N TX.  THE HIGHEST RISK OF SEVERE
STORMS SHOULD REMAIN JUST WEST AND NORTHWEST OF DFW...BUT ONLY TIME
WILL TELL.

THE BEST INSTABILITIES ARE IN WEST TEXAS...BUT SOME OF THE
STRONGEST STORM-RELATIVE HELICITIES RESIDE FROM THE RED RIVER NNW OF
DFW WEST TO NEAR CDS.  0-6 KM SHEARS OF 50 KT OR GREATER EXTEND TO
EAST OF THE DFW AREA (SUPPORT FOR SUPERCELL STORMS).  AND...A FEW
SUPERCELLS WITH GOLF BALL HAIL HAVE FORMED IN THE SJT-ABI-SPS
CORRIDOR.  THUS...WE WILL SHIFT THE SLIGHT RISK A BIT FURTHER EAST
TO INCLUDE THE DFW AREA.  WILL RAISE POPS IN EASTERN ZONES FOR
TUESDAY MORNING.

.FWD...WIND ADVISORY TONIGHT ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT

26

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 10, 9:30 PM CST, 2 hours 40 minutes before

TXZ091>093-100>104-115>120-129>134-141>145-156>160-174-110900-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTH TEXAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1030 PM CDT TUE APR 10 2001

...THUNDERSTORMS...
THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REMAINDER
OF TONIGHT...NORTH AND WEST OF A BOWIE...GRAHAM...BRECKENRIDGE LINE.
LINE. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT...
ADJACENT TO THIS AREA...AND NORTHWEST OF A SHERMAN...ROCKWALL...
WAXAHACHIE...CAMERON LINE. THE SLIGHT RISK INCLUDES THE DALLAS FORT
WORTH AREA...GAINESVILLE...WEATHERFORD...STEPHENVILLE...WACO...
TEMPLE...COMANCHE...AND LAMPASAS.

THE MAIN THREATS FROM TONIGHT'S STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE...MAINLY WEST OF A
BOWIE...WEATHERFORD...MERIDIAN LINE.

STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION...MAINLY
FROM 1100 PM TO 3 AM WEST OF A BOWIE...MERIDIAN...KILLEEN LINE.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER MIDNIGHT...EAST OF THIS LINE.

...WIND...
A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF NORTH TEXAS THROUGH TONIGHT
FOR SOUTH WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT TO SUDDEN GUSTSz OF WIND WHICH MAY CAUSE YOU
TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Eastland

When: April 11, 12:10 AM CST
Where: Eastland County, Carbon
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.267, -98.833

Tree limbs were blown down by high winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Palo Pinto

When: April 11, 12:12 AM CST
Where: Palo Pinto County, Strawn
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.550, -98.500

Trees and powerlines were blown down by high winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Stephens

When: April 11, 12:40 AM CST
Where: Stephens County, Caddo
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.717, -98.667

Reported by law enforcement.

Hail, Palo Pinto

When: April 11, 1:30 AM CST
Where: Palo Pinto County, 1 mi S of Possum Kingdom Lake
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.883, -98.500

Occurred one mile south of the Possum Kingdom State Park.

Thunderstorm Wind, Mills

When: April 11, 1:40 AM CST
Where: Mills County, Mullin
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 31.550, -98.667

Reported by the general public.

Tornado, Cooke

When: April 11, 1:47 AM CST to 1:55 AM CST
Where: Cooke County, 1 mi S of Era
Rating: F1
Path length: 5.5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.483, -97.300

The first of three tornadoes touched down 1 mile south of Era, moved northeast and dissipated approximately 4.5 miles northeast of Era. This tornado occurred in a thunderstorm ahead of a line of thunderstorms that produced the other two tornadoes. There was roof damage south of Era and signs and trees limbs blown down northeast of Era.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cooke

When: April 11, 2:00 AM CST
Where: Cooke County, 8 mi W of Gainesville
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.633, -97.283

Power lines were blown down by high winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montague

When: April 11, 2:05 AM CST
Where: Montague County, Sunset
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 33.450, -97.767

Reported by the general public.

Hail, Palo Pinto

When: April 11, 2:10 AM CST
Where: Palo Pinto County, 3 mi S of Mineral Wells
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 32.750, -98.100

Hail, Comanche

When: April 11, 2:23 AM CST
Where: Comanche County, Comanche
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.900, -98.617

Thunderstorm Wind, Wise

When: April 11, 2:30 AM CST
Where: Wise County, Alvord
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.367, -97.683

Power lines were blown down by high thunderstorm winds.

Tornado, Cooke

When: April 11, 2:34 AM CST to 2:46 AM CST
Where: Cooke County, 7 mi SW of Muenster
Rating: F1
Path length: 7.8 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.583, -97.467

The second tornado touched down 6.8 miles southwest of Muenster. It then moved northeast and dissipated 3.8 miles east of Muenster. Tree limbs were blown down southwest of Myra and roofs were damaged in Myra.

Thunderstorm Wind, Parker

When: April 11, 2:40 AM CST
Where: Parker County, 13 mi S of Weatherford
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.583, -97.800

Trees were blown down by high winds in Tree Top.

Hail, Mills

When: April 11, 2:40 AM CST
Where: Mills County, Goldthwaite
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 31.450, -98.567

Thunderstorm Wind, Erath

When: April 11, 2:50 AM CST
Where: Erath County, 3 mi E of Dublin
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 32.083, -98.283

Reported by the general public.

Tornado, Cooke

When: April 11, 2:55 AM CST to 2:58 AM CST
Where: Cooke County, 4 mi NW of Gainesville
Rating: F1
Path length: 2.6 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.667, -97.200

Tornado number three touched down 4 miles northwest of Gainesville. It then moved into Oklahoma, 6 miles north-northwest of Gainesville (5S Thackerville, OK). A mobile home and a storage shed were heavily damaged northwest of Gainesville.

Tornado, Cooke

When: April 11, 3:04 AM CST to 3:15 AM CST
Where: Cooke County, 7 mi NW of Callisburg
Rating: F1
Path length: 11.4 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 33.767, -97.100

Tornado number three moved back into Cooke County approximately 6.8 miles northwest of Callisburg(3 ESE Thackerville,Ok) moved northeast and dissipated on the Texas-Oklahoma state line approximately 12 miles North of Callisburg (10 ESE Marietta, Ok) at 0315C. Damage along this part of the track was confined to trees and power lines. See national weather service Norman, Oklahoma storm data for information on the Oklahoma portion of the damage.

Thunderstorm Wind, Denton

When: April 11, 3:13 AM CST
Where: Denton County, Ponder
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 33.183, -97.300

Reported by R.A.C.E.S.

Thunderstorm Wind, Denton

When: April 11, 3:20 AM CST
Where: Denton County, Pilot Pt
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 33.400, -96.967

Reported by law enforcement.

Thunderstorm Wind, Somervell

When: April 11, 3:20 AM CST
Where: Somervell County, Nemo
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 32.267, -97.667

Large tree limbs were blown down by high thunderstorm winds.