A potent upper level system moved across Texas beginning in the late morning and continued into the afternoon. This produced a Quasilinear Convective System or Line Echo Wave Pattern (LEWP) that produced widespread damaging winds and a few isolated tornadoes.
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 SJT wrote it up.
A potent upper level system moved across Texas beginning in the late morning and continued into the afternoon. This produced a Quasilinear Convective System or Line Echo Wave Pattern (LEWP) that produced widespread damaging winds and a few isolated tornadoes. South of the line, more classic supercell structure was noted with thunderstorms across the Edwards Plateau and the Northwest Hill County, however no tornadoes were reported with these thunderstorms as the storms moved over very sparsely populated areas.
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 San Angelo, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 2, 8:29 AM CST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 929 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 .UPDATE... HAVE GONE WITH A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH THIS EVENING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. MCS OVER SOUTHEAST NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS MOVING EAST TOWARD THE CWFA. ALSO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #208 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM FOR WESTERN CONCHO VALLEY AND NORTHERN EDWARDS PLATEAU. 21 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 614 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007/ AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE AREA THIS MORNING WITH ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM BRINGING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER ALL OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS BEGINNING EARLY AFTERNOON AND THROUGH TONIGHT. EXPECT IFR TO MVFR CIGS AND VIS OVER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS UNTIL MIDMORNING WITH VFR CONDITIONS AT THE I10 TERMINALS. VFR CONDITIONS WILL RETURN TO ALL TERMINALS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 415 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007/ && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ABILENE 80 61 83 65 / 40 70 20 10 SAN ANGELO 83 63 86 65 / 50 70 20 10 JUNCTION 83 64 85 65 / 40 70 30 10 && .SJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR BROWN-CALLAHAN-COKE- COLEMAN-CONCHO-CROCKETT-FISHER-IRION-JONES-KIMBLE-MASON- MCCULLOCH-MENARD-NOLAN-RUNNELS-SAN SABA-SCHLEICHER-SHACKELFORD- STERLING-SUTTON-TAYLOR-TOM GREEN. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 417 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 TXZ049-054-064>066-071>073-076>078-098-099-113-114-127-128-139- 140-154-155-168>170-030930- FISHER-NOLAN-STERLING-COKE-RUNNELS-IRION-TOM GREEN-CONCHO- CROCKETT-SCHLEICHER-SUTTON-HASKELL-THROCKMORTON-JONES-SHACKELFORD- TAYLOR-CALLAHAN-COLEMAN-BROWN-MCCULLOCH-SAN SABA-MENARD-KIMBLE- MASON- 417 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT AS YET ANOTHER IN A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVES INTO THE REGION. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF REACHING SEVERE LEVELS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. IN ADDITION...FLASH FLOODING IS A POSSIBILITY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL AFFECT WEST CENTRAL TEXAS THIS WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST OF THE COMING WEEK. STRONG STORMS MAY ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP SATURDAY AS AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE LOCAL WEATHER PICTURE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. GIVEN THE SATURATED SOILS OVER VIRTUALLY ALL OF WEST CENTRAL TEXAS...FLASH FLOODING IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE NIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 1109 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 TXZ064-021715- STERLING TX- 1109 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 PM CDT FOR STERLING COUNTY... AT 1104 AM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR OVER SOUTHEASTERN MIDLAND COUNTY...OR ABOUT 21 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MIDLAND...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. IF THIS THUNDERSTORM HOLDS SEVERE INTENSITY...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING WILL BE NEEDED FOR PORTIONS OF STERLING COUNTY BY NOON. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF... WESTERN STERLING COUNTY AROUND NOON.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX 1129 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 TXZ064-071-072-021730- STERLING TX-TOM GREEN TX-IRION TX- 1129 AM CDT WED MAY 2 2007 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1230 PM CDT FOR STERLING...TOM GREEN AND IRION COUNTIES... AT 1125 AM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS INDICATED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 52 MILES WEST OF STERLING CITY...OR ABOUT 26 MILES NORTH OF RANKIN...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. IF THE THUNDERSTORMS HOLD TOGTHER...WARNINGS WILL LIKELY BE ISSUED BY NOON. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF... NORTHWESTERN IRION...NORTHWESTERN TOM GREEN AND WESTERN STERLING COUNTIES.
The San Angelo radar (KSJT), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:22 UTC.
17 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A commercial truck driver witnessed a tornado over open country in western Sterling County. The tornado was on the ground for a few minutes and produced no noticeable damage.
Severe wind gusts were measured at 70 MPH in Sterling City. The winds caused tree damage and some minor building damage.
The intense thunderstorm winds knocked trees down, destroyed pole barns, and blew off roof shingles on several homes in Water Valley.
A tornado developed just to the west northwest of the community of Orient in northern Tom Green County. The tornado moved across open country and produced only tree damage.
Severe thunderstorm winds lasted for several minutes.
This is a continuation of the tornado that developed in northern Tom Green county. The tornado dissipated near the community of Tennyson and remained in open country with only damage to trees.
Winds peaked out at close to 75 MPH. The high winds peeled back part of the roof at Grape Creek Middle school.|
A tornado briefly touched down and destroyed a barn. No other damage was noted.
Five telephone poles were knocked down during strong thunderstorm winds.
A tornado started about three miles to the west of Rockwood and moved across the south side of Rockwood where it damaged a few buildings including the new Post Office. The tornado then continued to the east of Rockwood for an additional three to four miles damaging barns and trees. Shortly after the tornado passed, winds of 65 to 75 mph ripped through the area causing additional damage.
Damaging winds with a squall line moved through the community of Rockwood in the wake of a tornado that passed through the community just prior to the strong winds and heavy rains.
These winds were embedded in the large squall line that moved through the Heartland, and the winds produced a large swath of damage across the region. Minor roof damage and broken tree limbs were reported in the small town of Valera.
This is a continuation of the strong downburst winds associated with an intense squall line that produced additional damage in the wake of a tornado that moved through the area just prior to the onset of the strong winds.
Strong winds moved through the community of Brookesmith in association with the squall line moving through the Heartland in the afternoon. The meso cyclone associated with the tornado earlier near Rockwood in Coleman county also passed very close to the Brookesmith communitym, however the storm survey team could not find torndao damage in Brookesmith.
A survey team found a tornado track that started just to the northeast of Brookesmith, crossing highway 377 where tree damage was observed. The tornado just missed a residence just to the east of highway 377. The tornado continued for about another 4 miles to the east of 377 causing significant tree damage. This tornado was associated with the same mesocyclone associated with the tornado near Rockwood. In addition, strong winds of 65 to 75 mph also followed this tornado. This tornado is likely associated with the funnel cloud that was observed from the City of Brownwood.
A wind gust of 87 MPH was measured by a Davis weather station before the anemometer broke. The survey team observed damage to several buildings and they saw numerous downed trees. An apartment wall collapsed and several mobile homes were severely damaged. The winds were part of a squall line that was moving through the area. A funnel cloud was sighted to the south of Brownwood shortly before the winds hit, and was likely associated with the tornado to the east of Brookesmith.
A mobile home was overturned and damged.
The AWOS measured a 58 MPH gust before the power to the system was disrupted by downed power lines. Thus the gust is likely underestimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Texas in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Texas, 2007Warnings in Texas, May 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: 33479, 33483, 33486, 33487, 33502, 34243, 33503, 34244, 34245, 34246, 34247, 34248, 34249, 34250, 34251, 34414, 34415, 34417, 34416, 34418, 34419, 34420, 34422, 34421, 34423.