Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2009

EF0 tornado, Roanoke to Lewisville, Texas, June 10, 2009

From Roanoke to Lewisville, this EF0 tornado ran 2.3 miles across Denton County on June 10, 2009, touching down at 6:40 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $5,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF0
Date
June 10, 2009
Touchdown
6:40 PM CDT (23:40 UTC)
Lifted
6:44 PM CDT (23:44 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
2.3 miles (3.8 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5,000
County
Denton County
Touchdown point
33.000, -97.230
Lift-off point
32.999, -97.190
Record number
0906101740-01

What the Weather Service recorded

An MCS moved through north Texas causing significant damage to areas generally along and north of Interstate 20. Significant and widespread tree, fence and power line damage was reported along the path of the MCS. In addition, three tornadoes touched down in the northern portions of the DFW Metroplex. Approximately 250,000 people were left without power in the Metroplex and hundreds of flights were grounded or cancelled at DFW and DAL.

An EF-0 tornado traveled from Roanoke to Trophy Club. Storm spotters reported rotation and debris on the ground.

A retired NWS employee reported a brief touchdown on FM 1171 3 miles west of FM 2499.

The Villas at Waterchase apartment complex in Lewisville was hit by an EF-1 tornado. Sixteen units sustained some type of structural damage. Four chimneys were snapped off roofs on various buildings, a brick wall crumpled on one building and the roof of the same building was peeled back exposing the apartment homes.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

36 minutes of warning. NWS FWD issued a tornado warning for this county at 23:04 UTC, 36 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:45 UTC.

The county was under a severe thunderstorm watch, issued at 19:15 UTC and running to 02:47 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
19:15 UTC02:47 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WatchFWD
22:32 UTC23:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWD
23:04 UTC23:45 UTCTornado WarningFWD
23:08 UTC00:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWD
23:43 UTC00:15 UTCTornado WarningFWD
23:49 UTC02:45 UTCFlood AdvisoryFWD
23:59 UTC01:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFWD

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:01 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), 12:00Z

11.7 hours before the tornado, 20 km from the path. June 10, 2009.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2009-06-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2431 joules per kilogram, CIN -193, lifted condensation level 1090 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Fort Worth, TX at 12:00Z on 2009-06-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 119 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 23 knots.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2431 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-193 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1648 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1090 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
119 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
174 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Fort Worth, TX (KFWD), 00:00Z

0.3 hours after it, 20 km from the path. June 11, 2009.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2009-06-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 22 joules per kilogram, CIN -617, lifted condensation level 792 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Fort Worth, TX at 00:00Z on 2009-06-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -263 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 66 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
22 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-617 J/kg
Surface CAPE
910 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
792 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-263 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
364 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.7
0-3 km lapse rate
6.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Dallas/Ft Worth radar (KFWS), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:40 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
23:02 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sw SpringtownParker, TX6 INCH LIMBS DOWN
23:05 UTCTSTM WND DMGSpringtownParker, TXSEVERAL TREES DOWN OR TOPS RIPPED OFF. SMALL STADIUM TICKET BOOTH BLOWN AWAY. ESTIMATED TIME FROM RADAR.
23:20 UTCHAIL 0.884 Nw KrumDenton, TXHAMS REPORT NICKEL HAIL IN SLIDELL
23:23 UTCHAIL 1SangerDenton, TXHAMS REPORTED QUARTER HAIL IN SANGER
23:25 UTCTSTM WND DMGAzleTarrant, TXHAMS MEASURED 75 MPH WINDS IN AZLE
23:37 UTCTSTM WND GST 75Lake WorthTarrant, TXMEASURED 75 MPH ON BOAT CLUB ROAD
23:38 UTCTSTM WND DMGWillow ParkParker, TX10 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN
23:40 UTCTORNADORoanokeTarrant, TXDEBRIS AND ROTATION SEEN BY HAM SPOTTERS
23:41 UTCTSTM WND DMGSouthlakeTarrant, TX70 MPH WINDS IN SOUTHLAKE...MULTIPLE LIMBS DOWN
23:41 UTCTSTM WND GST 59Fort WorthTarrant, TXMEASURED 59 MPH AT NWS OFFICE
23:50 UTCTSTM WND DMGFlower MoundDenton, TX3 FT DIAMETER TREE FELL ONTO A HOUSE AT COLLINS AND KILPATRICK IN FLOWER MOUND
23:50 UTCTSTM WND DMGNorth Richland HillsTarrant, TXESTIMATED 60 TO 65 MPH WINDS. FENCE POSTS SNAPPED AND A FEW LIMBS DOWN. N. TARRANT PKWY AND DAVIS BLVD.
23:50 UTCTORNADOFlower MoundDenton, TXRETIRED NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED BRIEF TOUCHDOWN 3 MILES WEST OF 2499 ON 1171 IN FLOWER MOUND
23:53 UTCTSTM WND DMGFlower MoundDenton, TXTHE ROOF IS OFF AND THERE IS WALL DAMAGE TO AN APARTMENT BUILDING ON MAIN STREET IN FLOWER MOUND.
23:54 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Se Trophy ClubTarrant, TXTRAFFIC LIGHT POLE TWISTED 90 DEGREES ALONG HWY 114 ONE MILE NW OF WESTLAKE IN DENTON COUNTY. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
23:55 UTCTSTM WND GST 64Fort WorthTarrant, TX64 MPH ON KFWS ASOS
00:00 UTCTSTM WND DMGArlingtonTarrant, TXLARGE BRADFORD PEAR TREE SNAPPED AT A RESIDENCE ON SUBLETT RD S OF I-20.
00:00 UTCTSTM WND GST 75DentonDenton, TXSPOTTER REPORTED 75 MPH WIND GUST NEAR STATE SCHOOL RD AND I-35 IN DENTON
00:05 UTCTSTM WND GST 58Grand PrairieDallas, TX58 MPH GUSTS AT KGPM ASOS
00:09 UTCTSTM WND GST 64DallasDallas, TX64 MPH GUST AT KDFW ASOS
00:10 UTCTSTM WND GST 63MansfieldTarrant, TXSPOTTER MEASURED A 63 MPH WIND GUST IN THE WALNUT CREEK AREA OF MANSFIELD.
00:10 UTCTSTM WND GST 70RichardsonDallas, TXLARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING.
00:14 UTCTSTM WND GST 72FriscoCollin, TX72 MPH GUST AT FRISCO FIRE DEPT
00:15 UTCTSTM WND DMGFriscoCollin, TXLARGE TREES SPLIT IN TWO AND POWER LINES DOWN IN FRISCO. TIME ESTIMATED.
00:17 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 S MckinneyCollin, TXLARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN WITH WALL CLOUD LOWERING AT STACY RD/SH 121. SOME POWER FLASHES WERE NOTED.
00:18 UTCFLASH FLOODDentonDenton, TXSERVICE ROADS ON I-35 IMPASSABLE AND BEING CLOSED
00:19 UTCTSTM WND GST 78PlanoCollin, TX78 MPH GUST AT PLANO SCHOOL NET
00:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGPlanoCollin, TXTWO TREES LIMBS 5 IN DIAMETER AND 4-7 FEET LONG WERE KNOCKED DOWN NEAR PARKER ROAD AND CUSTER RD IN PLANO.
00:20 UTCTSTM WND GST 71DallasDallas, TX71 MPH GUST AT KRBD ASOS
00:23 UTCFLASH FLOODFort WorthTarrant, TXTHREE FEET OF WATER OVER ROAD AT BRYANT IRVING AND I-20 IN SOUTEHRN FORT WORTH
00:35 UTCTSTM WND DMG 70CelinaCollin, TXNUMEROUS 6-10 TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN ACROSS SALINA.
00:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGCelinaCollin, TXNUMEROUS 6-10 INCH TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN ACROSS CELINA.
00:35 UTCTSTM WND GST 70CelinaCollin, TX
02:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGLewisvilleDenton, TXTREE LIMBS 3 TO 6 INCHES PLUS DIAMETER BROKEN OFF - BORDER OF LEWISVILLE & FLOWER MOUND

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2009 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 10, 2009

17 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 1012:59 PM MDTEF0Scotts Bluff, NE0.140
June 101:55 PM MDTEF0Goshen, WY0.130
June 102:30 PM MDTEF0Weld, CO0.050
June 102:38 PM MDTEF0Morrill, NE3.730$10,000
June 104:05 PM MDTEF0Weld, CO0.150
June 106:20 PM EDTEF0Glades, FL0.510$50,000
June 105:41 PM CDTEF0Vernon, MO1.450
June 106:00 PM CDTEF0Haskell, OK0.130
June 106:11 PM CDTEF0Haskell, OK0.450$30,000
June 106:50 PM CDTEF0Denton, TX0.150
June 106:53 PM CDTEF1Denton, TX0.250$200,000
June 107:05 PM CDTEF0Denton, TX0.650
June 108:05 PM CDTEF1Miller, MO0.6200$50,000
June 108:28 PM CDTEF0Seward, KS0.350
June 109:22 PM CDTEF0Red River, TX2.5100
June 109:25 PM CDTEF0Titus, TX2.6100
June 1010:15 PM CDTEF0Cass, TX0.575

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.