Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, March 28 to 29, 2007

Name: Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, March 28 to 29, 2007
Start: 2007-03-28T17:50
End: 2007-03-29T03:30
Location: Oklahoma

March 28 to 29, 2007 · NWS AMA · 13 events in 2 counties and zones

damaging winds and hail across the central and eastern Oklahoma panhandle. Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the eastern Oklahoma panhandle during the late night and early morning hours.

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: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $183,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

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 AMA wrote it up.

Severe thunderstorms during the early evening hours produced deadly tornadoes...damaging winds and hail across the central and eastern Oklahoma panhandle. Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the eastern Oklahoma panhandle during the late night and early morning hours. A couple was killed in Beaver County when a tornado struck their home.

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 Amarillo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 28, 12:56 PM CST, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 28, 12:56 PM CST, 4 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
156 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

.DISCUSSION...
DRYLINE IS BEGINNING TO MIX EAST AS SEEN ON KFDX RADAR IMAGERY AND
SURFACE OBS. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE THIS AFTERNOON. 28/12Z
GUIDANCE DEPICTS THE DRYLINE SHARPENING OVER THE WESTERN/CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF THE TX/OK PANHANDLES LATE THIS AFTERNOON...WITH
CONVECTIVE INITIATION BEGINNING AS EARLY AS 20/21Z. THERE WILL BE
ADEQUATE INSTABILITY/SHEAR TO SUPPORT DISCRETE SUPERCELLS AS
INSOLATION ALLOWS THE CAP TO BREAK. LARGE SCALE LIFT WILL BE AIDED BY
THE APPROACHING UPPER-LEVEL TROF AND INCREASING DIFFLUENT PATTERN
ALOFT. EXPECT A WATCH TO BE ISSUED FOR PART/ALL OF THE AREA IN THE
NEXT ONE TO TWO HOURS.  SEE THE HWO AND/OR SPS FOR DETAILS ON THE
SEVERE THREAT THIS EVENING. EXPECT STORMS TO EVOLVE INTO LINEAR MCS
OVERNIGHT...ADDING THE THREAT OF HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE EQUATIONS AS
STORMS TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1-2 INCHES ARE
POSSIBLE EAST OF THE DRYLINE...WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 2-4 INCHES
POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT.

WEAK PACIFIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO OVERTAKE THE DRYLINE LATE IN THE
FIRST PERIOD WHICH WILL HELP SCOUR OUT THE MOISTURE FOR MOST OF THE
AREA. HOWEVER...UPPER-LOW WILL REMAIN CENTERED OVER COLORADO THROUGH
FRIDAY. WITH LIFT ENHANCED BY WEAK IMPULSES ROTATING AROUND THIS
LOW...THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH MOISTURE ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLES
TO WARRANT THE MENTION OF SLIGHT CHANCE POPS THU AND FRI. AT THIS
TIME...IT APPEARS THAT MOISTURE WILL BE TOO LIMITED ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND WESTERN ZONES. I DID LOWER MAX TEMPS A CATEGORY OR SO ON
FRIDAY BUT WE SHOULD STILL SEE MAX TEMPS WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF
CLIMO.

AS UPPER-LOW DEPARTS TO THE EAST ON SATURDAY...QUASI-ZONAL MID/UPPER-
LEVEL FLOW WILL RESULT IN LEE-SIDE TROFFING. THIS WILL BRING A RETURN
TO SOUTH/SOUTHWEST FLOW AND WILL PUSH TEMPS BACK INTO THE MID AND
UPPER 70S BY SUNDAY. FLOW ALOFT WILL QUICKLY BECOME MORE
SOUTHWESTERLY BY MONDAY AS NORTHERN STREAM TROF DIGS INTO THE INTER-
MOUNTAIN WEST. H85 TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO CLIMB TO AROUND 20C ACROSS
THE AREA ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL SUPPORT TEMPS NEAR 80 DEGREES. GFS
DEPICTS A STRONGER COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE PANHANDLES ON
TUESDAY. WILL UNDERCUT THE MEX GUIDANCE BEHIND THIS FRONT AS IT KEEPS
TEMPS ABOVE CLIMO DESPITE PROGGING H85 TEMPS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS.
WILL NOT ADD PRECIP MENTION FOR THE FORECAST FOR TUESDAY BUT WILL
HAVE TO MONITOR THIS POSSIBILITY OVER THE NEXT FEW MODEL RUNS.

JOHNSON

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMARILLO TX                45  69  36  62  38 /  40  10   5  10  10
BEAVER OK                  53  68  40  62  38 /  80  10   5  20  10
BOISE CITY OK              35  63  33  60  33 /  10   5   5  10  10
BORGER TX                  51  69  42  61  42 /  60  10   5  10  10
BOYS RANCH TX              38  70  33  64  37 /  20   5   5  10  10
CANYON TX                  42  69  34  62  37 /  30  10   5  10  10
CLARENDON TX               52  72  43  64  42 /  70  20  10  20  10
DALHART TX                 38  67  32  61  34 /  10   5   5  10  10
GUYMON OK                  45  64  38  61  37 /  50  10   5  10  10
HEREFORD TX                38  68  34  63  37 /  20   5   5  10  10
LIPSCOMB TX                54  70  43  62  40 /  80  20   5  20  10
PAMPA TX                   52  69  41  63  41 /  70  20   5  20  10
SHAMROCK TX                56  73  46  65  42 /  80  20  10  20  10
WELLINGTON TX              57  74  48  65  43 /  80  20  10  20  10

&&

.AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...NONE.
OK...NONE.

&&

24/02

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 28, 2:33 PM CST, 3 hours 17 minutes before

TEXAS/OKLAHOMA PANHANDLES HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
333 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

OKZ001>003-TXZ001>020-291100-
ARMSTRONG-BEAVER-CARSON-CIMARRON-COLLINGSWORTH-DALLAM-DEAF SMITH-
DONLEY-GRAY-HANSFORD-HARTLEY-HEMPHILL-HUTCHINSON-LIPSCOMB-MOORE-
OCHILTREE-OLDHAM-POTTER-RANDALL-ROBERTS-SHERMAN-TEXAS-WHEELER-
333 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TEXAS AND OKLAHOMA
PANHANDLES.

.DAY ONE...

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS
PANHANDLES UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND TONIGHT CROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE OKLAHOMA
AND TEXAS PANHANDLES...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM
GUYMON OKLAHOMA TO AMARILLO TEXAS TO CANYON TEXAS. THERE IS ALSO A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
ACROSS THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. THE
MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES. ANY
TORNADOES THAT FORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE STRONG AND
DAMAGING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE MODERATE RISK AREA. IN ADDITION...
HEAVY RAINFALL WILL LIKELY OCCUR WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS
...WHICH MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING.

WINDY CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE PANHANDLES AS THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS. THUS...CAUTION IS ADVISED ON AREA LAKES
TODAY AND TONIGHT.

ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE WESTERN PANHANDLES AS THE DRYLINE MOVES EAST OF THAT
REGION AND RELATIVE HUMIDITIES DROP TO BELOW 25 PERCENT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER GROUPS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ACROSS ALL OF THE
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY FOR
LIKELY ACTIVATION LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

ANDRADE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:30 PM CST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
630 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0629 PM     HAIL             2 N PANTEX              35.35N 101.58W
03/28/2007  M1.25 INCH       CARSON             TX   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

JMG

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:40 PM CST, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
640 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0637 PM     HAIL             4 SW PANHANDLE          35.31N 101.43W
03/28/2007  E2.00 INCH       CARSON             TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            3 MILES EAST OF ST FRANCIS.

&&

CK

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:46 PM CST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
646 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0645 PM     HAIL             BORGER                  35.66N 101.40W
03/28/2007  M1.00 INCH       HUTCHINSON         TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

JMG

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:48 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
648 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0635 PM     HAIL             3 S BOOKER              36.41N 100.54W
03/28/2007  E0.88 INCH       LIPSCOMB           TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ON HIGHWAY 15 WEST OF DARROUZETT

&&

CK

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:49 PM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
649 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0640 PM     HAIL             PANTEX                  35.32N 101.58W
03/28/2007  E4.50 INCH       CARSON             TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            SOFTBALL SIZE HAIL AT PANTEX

&&

CK

Local storm report, Mar 28, 5:50 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
650 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2007

..TIME..    ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE..    ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0647 PM     HAIL             3 S SANFORD             35.66N 101.53W
03/28/2007  E1.75 INCH       HUTCHINSON         TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

CK

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:51 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 hail, 2 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Beaver

When: March 28, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 8 mi SE of Elmwood
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 36.538, -100.418

Tornado, Beaver

When: March 28, 6:28 PM CST to 6:54 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 10 mi SE of Elmwood to 7 mi E of Elmwood
Rating: EF2
Path length: 16 mi
Path width: 150 yd
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $102,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 36.518, -100.393

The tornado originated in northern Lipscomb County five miles east of Booker at 1816 CST. The tornado moved northward and entered Beaver County at 1828 CST. Damage occurred on a farmstead about one mile into Beaver County severely damaging several outbuildings and a grain bin. Little or no damage occurred to the home. The tornado continued north...briefly became a large multi vortex tornado...and then consolidated into one large funnel...snapping power poles and large trees. The tornado struck and destroyed a single family home at 1850 CST where two fatalities occurred. It appeared that the couple killed in the tornado did seek refuge in their small bathroom...which was destroyed. In addition to the small home...a storage barn was destroyed and two vehicles were moved as much as twenty yards. A horse trailer was destoyed as it bounced and rolled for approximately fifty yards. The tornado continued moving north for approximately another six or seven miles...damaging only power poles...fences...and trees before it lifted.

Hail, Texas

When: March 28, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Texas County, Goodwell
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.600, -101.630

Hail, Beaver

When: March 28, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 9 mi E of Beaver
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 36.820, -100.358

Hail, Beaver

When: March 28, 6:40 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, Elmwood
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 36.620, -100.520

Hail, Texas

When: March 28, 6:42 PM CST
Where: Texas County, Goodwell
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.600, -101.630

Hail, Texas

When: March 28, 6:46 PM CST
Where: Texas County, Guymon
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.680, -101.480

Hail, Texas

When: March 28, 6:46 PM CST
Where: Texas County, 16 mi N of Guymon
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 36.911, -101.480

Reported on State Highway 136 near the state line.

Thunderstorm Wind, Beaver

When: March 28, 6:55 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 6 mi S of Elmwood
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $23,000
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates: 36.533, -100.520

House was damaged with power lines down on State Highway 3.

Tornado, Beaver

When: March 28, 7:04 PM CST to 7:21 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 9 mi SE of Beaver to 8 mi E of Beaver
Rating: EF2
Path length: 6 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $58,000
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 36.728, -100.405

The tornado began just south of the Bar-B Ranch and moved north damaging much of the ranch property...mainly along the western edge. A large horse trailer and several other utility trailers were destroyed as they bounced and rolled and/or became airborne for significant distances. The horse trailer was displaced more than one hundred and fifty yards from its original location. Several power poles and trees were snapped at the base within the path of the tornado. A large grain silo was toppled with parts of the roof of the silo carried over one hundred yards. No injuries were reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Beaver

When: March 28, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 5 mi W of Slapout
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.620, -100.210

No damage or injuries were reported.

Hail, Beaver

When: March 28, 10:30 PM CST
Where: Beaver County, 5 mi W of Slapout
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 36.620, -100.210

Flash Flood, Beaver

When: March 29, 2:00 AM CST to 3:30 AM CST
Where: Beaver County, 15 mi SE of Beaver
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey
Coordinates: 36.667, -100.329

Several rural roads across southeast Beaver County were flooded or washed out...a few roads still had standing water over them.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Beaver	2007-03-28	59	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Beaver	2007-03-28	59	Female	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Oklahoma, 2007 Warnings in Oklahoma, March 2007

Sources

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: 21745, 21744, 21746, 21747, 21748, 21749, 21750, 21751, 21752, 21753, 21754, 21755, 21756.