Tornadoes and Hail in Texas, May 30, 2012

Law enforcement reported thunderstorm wind damage in and near the community of Plaska. Reports consisted of damage to barns, downed power lines, a few trailers blown over, and a roof removed from a home. A NWS storm survey was unable to reach this area to determine the full extent of damage, however a storm chaser in the area did report frequent inflow wind gusts to at least 60 mph into a nearby supercell thunderstorm. It is unclear if the damage was the result of inflow or outflow winds, or a combination thereof. Property damage was estimated to be around $15 thousand.

A storm chaser estimated hen egg size hail 5NNW Estelline. No damage was reported.

An NWS employee estimated nickel size hail 6SW Childress falling from a supercell in northwest Cottle County. No damage occurred.

Law enforcement estimated golfball size hail on US Highway 287 near the Hall and Childress County line. No damage was reported.

A hailswath occurred from 8N Paducah to about 6NE Paducah. Large and even giant hail to the size of softballs was witnessed by Paducah fire department personnel and an off-duty NWS employee. These giant hailstones fell about 50 feet apart from each thereby limiting the extent of damage. However, one motorist, while stopping to change a flat tire north of Paducah, reported damage after a hailstone of at least tennis ball size cracked their windshield.

The Childress Emergency Manager relayed a report of quarter size hail at the prison 3SW of Childress. No damage was reported.

Destructive straight-line winds spread south-southwest in the rear flank downdraft of a supercell creating scattered to widespread damage in and around the city of Paducah. These winds caused a swath of damage to trees, power lines, homes, vehicles, and other buildings from about 4NE Paducah southwest to the south side of the city. An NWS storm survey indicated winds up to 100 mph partially swept away a multi-car garage and overturned one car in the process. Three other vehicles inside suffered various degrees of damage. Sheet metal from the garage was found to be blown southwest nearly 300 yards from its origin. On the north side of Paducah, a portion of a large warehouse collapsed from straight line winds of similar intensity. Several vehicles in Paducah had windows blown out by airborne gravel and other small debris. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as residents received ample warning to seek shelter.

An off-duty NWS employee observed a non-mesocyclonic tornado attached to the flanking line of a supercell. The tornado was a cylindrical column of dirt and moved slowly SSW over an open field causing no damage.

An off-duty NWS employee observed a second non-mesocyclonic tornado under the flanking line of a supercell. The tornado was a cylindrical column of dirt and moved slowly SSW over an open field causing no damage.

An off-duty NWS employee observed a third non-mesocyclonic tornado attached to the flanking line of a supercell. The tornado was a cylindrical column of dirt and moved slowly south over an open field causing no damage.

Multiple storm chasers including two off-duty NWS employees observed a non-mesocyclonic rope tornado about four miles south-southeast of Paducah. The tornado remained over open land and caused no known damage.

An off-duty NWS employee documented a partially rain-wrapped tornado move south-southeast over US Highway 70 about 9W Paducah. The initially large cone tornado was largely obscured in rain curtains before later emerging and shrinking in girth. Aside from crossing the highway, the tornado remained over open land. A NWS storm survey the following day revealed no damage.

A Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet station located 10SW Paducah measured periodic severe wind gusts throughout a 20-minute period as a supercell storm moved over the site. The following observations indicate severe winds initially in the inflow sector of the supercell before transitioning to rear flank downdraft winds:

615 PM: East at 40 MPH, Gust to 59 MPH / |620 PM: East at 43 MPH, Gust to 59 MPH / |630 PM: Northwest at 39 MPH, Gust to 75 MPH / |635 PM: North-Northwest at 51 MPH, Gust to 70 MPH.

The Paducah Fire Department estimated a swath of baseball to softball size hail from 5W Paducah to 10S Paducah. No reports of damage were received.

A right-moving supercell produced a swath of large hail at times as large as baseballs from Grow southeast to 15E Guthrie along US Highway 82. The largest hail was estimated by a NWS Cooperative Observer in Grow; however, no reports of damage were received with this hailswath.

Storm chasers in Guthrie documented large hail that grew to baseball size over the course of about two minutes as a mesocyclone tracked just north and east of the city. Although some of this hail did damage building roofs and vehicles, the majority of the damage in the city was caused by destructive straight-line winds that developed shortly after the hail ended.

Multiple storm chasers reported scattered to widespread wind damage in the city of Guthrie from intense rear flank downdraft winds estimated near 90 mph. Several roofs in the city suffered various degrees of damage, with at least one roof partially blown off. A large equipment garage had several bay doors blown out. The intense winds developed shortly after large hail up to baseball size ceased falling. Many large tree limbs were broken in and around the city. Conservative property damage estimates may exceed $350 thousand.