A strong squall associated with a frontal boundary and weak upper level disturbance moved into the forecast area causing widespread severe weather and isolated flooding. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued at 6:10 PM CDT and remained in effect until 1 AM CDT and was then extended until 5 AM as the line continued to push south.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MAF wrote it up.
A strong squall associated with a frontal boundary and weak upper level disturbance moved into the forecast area causing widespread severe weather and isolated flooding. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued at 6:10 PM CDT and remained in effect until 1 AM CDT and was then extended until 5 AM as the line continued to push south. Damage reports began reaching the office around 9:30 PM CDT (8:30 MDT) as the line entered the northwestern portion of the forecast area and continued until 3:30 AM CDT when the line exited the forecast area.
As the storm entered Lea County New Mexico, reports of wind speeds in excess of 70 mph began coming into the office. These high winds continued as the line surged forward into West Texas. In Seminole, 98 mph (measured) wind speeds toppled several radio towers including a 320 foot tower that fell on a church and bus damaging both. In addition, the roof of Beall's Department store was destroyed and two mobile homes were rolled and destroyed injuring four people.
As the line continued its southward progression, so did the damaging winds. Many locations began experiencing power outages including two of the three television stations in the Midland/Odessa area, and Midland International Airport. WFO Midland and the Gaines County Emergency Operation Center continued working on back up generator power until commercial power was restored to the area. A 93 mph wind gust was measured at Midland International Airport just prior to the power loss, which rendered it inoperable for the remainder of the night.
The event continued into the early morning hours on Wednesday, where Dryden reported a 63 mph wind gust prior to thunderstorms exiting the area.
Post storm damage surveys indicated that damage across the area was caused by a derecho. A derecho is a widespread and long-lived wind storm associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.
While straight-line winds are common across West Texas especially during the late spring and early summer the magnitude of the wind speeds for this event is quite rare. As an example, the 93 mph wind reported in Midland eclipsed the old record of 86 mph set in February 1960, and was the strongest wind ever recorded in Midland since the NWS began official record keeping in 1930.
During this long-lived weather episode, all but two of the 26 counties within WFO Midland’s CWA experienced severe weather. The majority of these locations experienced high wind events, which resulted in power outages across the area. Because of backup power capability, WFO Midland was able to maintain warning operations throughout the entire severe weather event.
Summary of measured wind reports:
Dryden (K6R6) - 55 kts (63 mph) |Big Spring (KBPG) - 51 kts (59 mph) |Fort Stockton (KFST) - 57 kts (66 mph) |Guadalupe Pass (KGDP) - 62 kts (71 mph) |Wink (KINK) - 58 kts (67 mph) |Midland (KMAF) - 81 kts (93 mph)* |Odessa (KODO) - 55 kts (63 mph) |Seagraves 1 SW (KSGV) - 66 kts (76 mph) |Andrews 2 E (KANS) - 51 kts (59 mph)* |Seminole 2 NNE (KSMS) - 85 kts (98 mph)* |Lamesa 2 SE (KLES) - 45 kts (52 mph)* |Gail 2 ESE (KGGS) - 43 kts (50 mph)* |Pecos (KPEQ) - 56 kts (64 mph) |McDonald Observatory - 61 kts (70 mph) |Tatum, NM Co-op Observer - 68 kts (78 mph)
*These sites lost power shortly after observations, it may be assumed that peak wind gusts were somewhat higher than observed.
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 Midland/Odessa, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 26, 12:52 PM MST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 252 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 2007 .SHORT TERM... DESPITE PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL FEATURES...MEANING A SHEAR AXIS TO THE EAST AND AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TO THE WEST...THE FORECAST REMAINS DIFFICULT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A NORTHWEST/SOUTHEAST ORIENTED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY LYING JUST NORTHEAST OF THE CWA FROM CONVECTION OVER THE BIG COUNTRY LAST NIGHT AND THE RED RIVER TODAY. A SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NEW MEXICO AND A TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG THE RIO GRANDE. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALED A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH...OR MCV...TRANSLATING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE NORTHEASTERN CWA AND ANOTHER THROUGH THE TEXAS PANHANDLE...WHILE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS TOPPING THE UPPER RIDGE OVER COLORADO. THINK WE WILL SEE ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE EXIST OVER THESE AREAS...BUT THE UPPER RIDGE HAS STRENGTHENED THERE SINCE YESTERDAY. OTHERWISE...WOULD HAVE GONE WITH HIGHER POPS. MAY ALSO SEE ISOLATED CONVECTION OVER THE WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS THAT DEVELOP FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. LAPSE RATES ARE ONLY MOIST ADIABATIC THERE THOUGH...AND NOT SURE WE/LL SEE MUCH MORE THAN ISOLATED STORMS THERE THROUGH 27/00Z WITHOUT SOME MID LEVEL SUPPORT DUE TO THE UPPER RIDGE ALSO STRENGTHENING THERE. STILL WILL MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW SEVERE STORMS IN BOTH AREAS FROM LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. LATER TONIGHT...EXPECT CONVECTION TO DEVELOP ALONG AND BEHIND A COLD FRONT OVER SOUTHEASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON. DESTABILIZATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE...AND THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROUNDING THE UPPER RIDGE...SHOULD AID DEVELOPMENT THERE. THINK AN MCS WILL FORM BY EVENING...THEN MOVE SOUTH INTO THE CWA OVERNIGHT. HAVE GONE WITH A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE FASTER NAM AND SLOWER GFS ON THE TIMING OF THIS EVENTUAL MCS...WHICH CONSTITUTED RAISING POPS OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OR SO OF THE CWA. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG/AHEAD OF THIS MCS...AND TO A LESSER EXTENT HAIL WITHIN THE EXPECTED AREA OF CONVECTION. WILL INCLUDE A MENTION OF THIS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...IN THE HWO. THINK THE FRONT WILL MAKE IT INTO THE CWA BY MORNING...SO COOLED MINIMUM TEMPERATURES A LITTLE THERE...IN ADDITION TO A FEW LOCATIONS OVER THE WESTERN CWA WHERE SLIGHTLY LOWER DEWPOINTS SHOULD AID COOLING. .LONG TERM... THE ABOVE MENTIONED COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO AID IN DEVELOPING CONVECTION ACROSS WEST TEXAS AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO ON WEDNESDAY. THE HIGHER RAIN CHANCES WILL INITIALLY BE FAVORED ACROSS THE PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS WITH THE FRONT MOVING INTO THIS REGION WEDNESDAY MORNING. RAIN CHANCES WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION DURING THE AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH. MID-LEVEL SUPPORT APPEARS TO BE STRONGEST OVER THE EASTERN PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS AS THE SHORT RANGE MODELS DEPICT A SERIES OF WEAK DISTURBANCES MOVING SOUTH ALONG THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW. FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION WILL MOVE SOUTH INTO THE TRANS PECOS REGION AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTH WHILE WEAKENING. MID-LEVEL SUPPORT REMAINS ACROSS THE EASTERN AREAS...AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS POSSIBLE OVER THE PLAINS OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO AS SHORTWAVE ENERGY TOPS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST RIDGE AND MOVES SOUTH. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH HIGHER POPS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN. CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS FOR THURSDAY INTO THE WEEKEND REMAINS LOW. HOWEVER...IT DOES APPEAR THE DESERT SOUTHWEST RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL LIKELY WEAKEN OR DISLODGE THE LOW CURRENTLY OVER WESTERN OKLAHOMA. A REMNANT SHEAR AXIS MAY REMAIN ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND POSSIBLY INTO PORTIONS OF WEST TEXAS. AGAIN...CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS THIS FAR OUT IS LOW AND FOR NOW...WE WILL GO WITH THE CURRENT FORECAST...WHICH CALLS FOR GRADUALLY DECREASING RAIN CHANCES FOR THE END OF THE WORK WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. IF THE CURRENT OPERATIONAL RUNS OF THE GFS AND ECMWF VERIFY IN DEPICTING AN UPPER LOW DEVELOPING ACROSS NORTHERN COAHUILA MEXICO EARLY NEXT WEEK...RAIN CHANCES WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... BIG SPRING TX 71 84 67 85 / 40 40 30 30 CARLSBAD NM 68 93 70 91 / 30 30 40 20 DRYDEN TX 75 91 72 89 / 20 30 50 30 FORT STOCKTON TX 73 90 70 89 / 20 30 40 30 GUADALUPE PASS TX 66 86 66 85 / 20 30 40 30 HOBBS NM 68 92 68 91 / 30 30 30 20 MARFA TX 60 87 63 83 / 20 30 50 40 MIDLAND INTL AIRPORT TX 72 88 68 88 / 30 30 30 30 ODESSA TX 73 88 69 86 / 30 30 30 30 WINK TX 75 94 71 93 / 30 30 40 20 && .MAF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NM...NONE. TX...NONE. && 67/06
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 235 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 2007 NMZ027>029-033-034-TXZ045>048-050>053-057>063-067>070-074-075- 079>082-258-271945- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS OF EDDY COUNTY-EDDY COUNTY PLAINS- NORTHERN LEA COUNTY-CENTRAL LEA COUNTY-SOUTHERN LEA COUNTY-GAINES- DAWSON-BORDEN-SCURRY-ANDREWS-MARTIN-HOWARD-MITCHELL- VAN HORN AND HIGHWAY 54 CORRIDOR- REEVES COUNTY AND UPPER TRANS PECOS-LOVING-WINKLER-ECTOR-MIDLAND- GLASSCOCK-WARD-CRANE-UPTON-REAGAN-DAVIS/APACHE MOUNTAINS AREA- PECOS-PRESIDIO VALLEY-MARFA PLATEAU-BIG BEND AREA-TERRELL- GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS- 235 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 2007 /135 PM MDT TUE JUN 26 2007/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO...SOUTHWEST TEXAS AND WEST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AND WEST TEXAS INTO THIS EVENING. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...A FEW OF THEM COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. OVERNIGHT...ONE OR MORE CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH INTO SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO...THE UPPER TRANS PECOS...PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS ALONG AND BEHIND A COLD FRONT. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THIS BOUNDARY. SEVERE STORMS DO NOT APPEAR LIKELY...HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO PLAINS...PERMIAN BASIN AND WESTERN LOW ROLLING PLAINS...AND FROM THE GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS...TO THE BIG BEND REGION AND EASTWARD ACROSS THE STOCKTON PLATEAU AND LOWER TRANS PECOS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WATCHES...WARNINGS...ADVISORIES... AND STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN MIDLAND CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT /LOWER CASE/ HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/MIDLAND
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MIDLAND/ODESSA TX 538 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 2007 TXZ081-262300- BIG BEND AREA- 538 PM CDT TUE JUN 26 2007 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT... THIS SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT IS FOR NORTHERN BREWSTER COUNTY. AT 535 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 118 ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH OF ALPINE. THIS STORM IS MOVING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WIND GUSTS NEAR 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. SEEK SAFE SHELTER INDOORS IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
The Lubbock radar (KLBB), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:30 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter measured sustained winds of 59 mph and at least one wind gust of 78 mph. Also reported power outages in Tatum due to the strong wind gusts. No other damage was reported. Another trained spotter reported 60 to 70 mph winds in Gladiola, east of Tatum on U.S. 380.
Trained spotters measured wind gusts up to 73 mph in Lovington. Power outages occurred throughout Hobbs and Lovington as a result of these high winds.
Spotters in Artesia reported winds gusting to 60 mph. These winds blew around lawn furniture and damaged a residential porch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in New Mexico in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in New Mexico, June 2007
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 36461, 36463, 36459.