Tornado and Flash Flooding in Texas, September 7 to 8, 2003

Reported on State Route 176.

At least five power poles were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds along State Route 176 near the intersection of Farm to Market Road 1788.The first of four supercell thunderstorms to affect the northern Permian Basin during the evening of the 7th and the early morning hours of the 8th developed over Andrews County. This storm resulted in large hail and damaging thunderstorm winds. The storm then propagated southeast across unpopulated areas of southwest Martin County, and eventually across Midland (including the city of Midland proper) and northern Upton Counties.

Severe thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 MPH affected the Midland vicinity. Multiple reports of similar winds were received. These winds destroyed a storage shed along Highway 158 southeast of the city.

Multiple reports of penny to quarter size hail were received from the Midland vicinity.

Reports indicated several cars stalled in flash flood waters on Loop 250 at Fairgrounds Road. No injuries were reported.

Local officials reported flash flooding that resulted in high water covering city streets in Greenwood.

Thunderstorm winds blew large trees and power lines down in the city of Midkiff.

The second supercell thunderstorm to affect the Permian Basin this day resulted in a swath of large hail that damaged property and destroyed cotton and sorghum crops across northeast Dawson County. Hailstones ranging in size from pennies to golfballs fell along U.S. Highway 87 north-northeast of Lamesa. Large hail covered the ground northeast and east of Arvana, also ranging in size from pennies to golfballs. NWS meteorologists interviewed local residents the following day. Several residents indicated the hail fell at their locations for up to twenty minutes. The combination of damage surveys and interviews with local agricultural officials indicated over 3.7 million dollars worth of damage to cotton and surghum crops. In addition, house roofs, vehicles, and windows were damaged by the hail.

Baseball size hail was reported along Farm to Market Road 2411 east of Arvana. This very large hail was observed in association with the destructive hail swath listed above. Damage estimates indicated in the previous listing reflect those associated with this report in addition to the numerous reports of relatively smaller hail along entire the damage path.

High water resulting from flash flooding was widespread across eastern Dawson County late on the 7th and into the early morning hours of the 8th. As the supercell storm tracked southeast across the area, vehicles were stalled in high water on U.S. Highway 87 twelve miles north of Lamesa. Farm to Market Road 178 was also impassable three miles north of Key.

The evening's third supercell to affect the northern Permian Basin (the second supercell in Dawson County) resulted in up to golfball size hail that broke windows, caused roof damage, and damaged vehicles at rural residences in the vicinity of Sand. This storm also resulted in the destruction of local cotton and surgham crops. Post storm surveys and interviews suggest an additional 1.9 million dollars worth of agricultural damage occurred. Several area residents reported the duration of large hail at their locations to range from twenty-five to thirty minutes.

The supercell thunderstorm over western Dawson County resulted in flash flooding. U.S. Highway 180 was closed west of Lamesa due to flowing high water. In addition, many rural roads near Sand were impassable. No injuries were reported.

As the evening's third supercell storm propagated south-southeast out of Dawson County and into northern Martin County, large hail up to the size of golfballs covered Highway 349. The Texas Department of Transportation temporarily closed a section of the highway due to drifted hail.

The fourth supercell thunderstorm to develop over the northern Permian Basin this evening initiated over eastern Gaines County. This storm resulted in penny size hail over rural parts of the county southeast of Seminole before moving into Andrews County.

Severe thunderstorm winds blew down at least 15 power poles along Highway 176 east of Andrews to near the Martin County line as the supercell storm moved across eastern Andrews County.

Large hailstones ranging in size from dimes to quarters covered the ground and stripped the leaves from trees at a rural residence on the Andrews/Martin County line just off of Highway 176.

Large hailstones ranging in size from dimes to quarters covered the ground and stripped the leaves from trees at a rural residence on the Andrews/Martin County line just off of Highway 176.

As the supercell storm moved from eastern Andrews County into western Martin County a local television meteorologist who was in the field storm spotting, and a WFO Midland staff meteorologist who was looking north from the office, observed a tornado. The tornado was located in rural areas of southwest Martin County, approximately three miles west of Highway 349 and eight miles south-southwest of the intersection of Highways 349 and 176.

Hail to the size of golfballs accumulated three feet deep on Highway 349. The Texas Department of Transportation in Martin County was called out for the second time this night to close parts of that highway due to hail. Parts of Highway 349 remained closed due to high hail drifts for at least nine hours.

The storm which produced the tornado quickly evolved from a classic supercell structure to a high precipition supercell as the occlusion process occured. This transition resulted in a broad swath of very strong and damaging southwest to west winds which crossed Highway 349. The most intense damage occurred along the stretch of Highway 349 from the intersection with 176 to about 6 miles south of that intersection. This damage correlated with a strong low level divergent pattern in radar velocity products, indicative of an intense downburst in the forward flank downdraft of the storm. These winds blew down numerous power poles (up to twenty-five) from the intersection of Highways 349 and 176, south to ten miles south of that intersection. One metal light pole, which was snapped at the base, was rated to withstand 80 MPH winds.