Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2012
EF0 tornado, Suniland to Nell, Texas, May 10, 2012
From Suniland to Nell, this EF0 tornado ran 0.8 miles across Live Oak County on May 10, 2012, touching down at 2:04 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $50,000 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.
EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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
- May 10, 2012
- Touchdown
- 2:04 PM CDT (19:04 UTC)
- Lifted
- 2:06 PM CDT (19:06 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 0.8 miles (1.3 km)
- Path width
- 50 yards (46 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- County
- Live Oak County
- Touchdown point
- 28.628, -98.278
- Lift-off point
- 28.631, -98.266
- Record number
- 1205101304-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A strongly unstable air mass developed over South Texas in advance of a stalled frontal boundary over south-central Texas on May 10th. As a strong upper level low pressure system over northern Mexico approached the region providing strong shear in the atmosphere, an outbreak of supercell thunderstorms occurred across South Texas producing an unprecedented 16 tornadoes. The number of tornadoes is a record for a single day for a non-tropical event in South Texas. All of the tornadoes were weak with the strongest tornado collapsing a grain elevator west of Taft and damaging several homes in a subdivision north of Taft in the evening.||Severe storms started early in the morning in the western Brush Country. Several long track supercell storms moved across the Brush Country and portions of the Coastal Bend during the day. Most of the tornadoes occurred with these storms in the afternoon and early evening. The storms evolved into a large squall line that moved across the Coastal Plains during the evening hours. The squall line produced winds of 70 to 90 mph causing extensive tree damage and localized property damage. The episode of severe weather ended over the Gulf of Mexico after midnight. Damage estimates from the severe weather episode were in the millions of dollars for South Texas.||Several storms moved across the same area for hours during the event. Very heavy rainfall produced flash flooding near Cotulla and in the cities of Kingsville, Beeville, and Freer.
Spotters reported a tornado briefly touched down to the south-southeast of Whitsett.
Storm chasers observed a brief tornado just south of Whitsett. The tornado damaged large trees and a mobile home and uprooted a hay shed. This damage was observed just east of Highway 281 about a half of a mile southeast of Whitsett.
Storm Chasers observed a brief rope tornado on the ground for about 1 minute in an open field. No damage was observed.
Spotters reported a tornado briefly touched down south of Nell.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
19 minutes of warning. NWS CRP issued a tornado warning for this county at 18:45 UTC, 19 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 19:30 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 16:43 UTC and running to 00:52 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:47 UTC | 16:43 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | CRP |
| 16:43 UTC | 00:52 UTC | Tornado Watch | CRP |
| 17:23 UTC | 17:35 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP |
| 18:19 UTC | 19:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 18:45 UTC | 19:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 19:28 UTC | 20:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 19:40 UTC | 20:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 20:04 UTC | 23:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | CRP |
| 20:05 UTC | 15:07 UTC | Flash Flood Watch | CRP |
| 20:18 UTC | 21:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 20:47 UTC | 21:30 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP |
| 20:59 UTC | 21:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 21:01 UTC | 21:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 21:45 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP |
| 22:23 UTC | 22:40 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 22:25 UTC | 22:42 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 22:30 UTC | 23:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CRP |
| 23:15 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 23:24 UTC | 01:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | CRP |
| 00:05 UTC | 00:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 00:43 UTC | 01:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 00:52 UTC | 06:58 UTC | Tornado Watch | CRP |
| 00:53 UTC | 01:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
| 00:59 UTC | 03:00 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | CRP |
| 01:13 UTC | 03:15 UTC | Flash Flood Warning | CRP |
| 01:16 UTC | 02:15 UTC | Tornado Warning | CRP |
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 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:27 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.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Corpus Christi, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at May 10, 12:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 10, 12:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 1228 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012 .DISCUSSION...TORNADO WATCH 271 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF S TX AND THE ADJACENT NEARSHORE WATERS UNTIL 8 PM. THE AIRMASS IS BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE FOR SVR/TOR THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO INCREASED INSTABILITY/SHEAR AND APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH 1 TO 2 INCH AMOUNTS ON AVERAGE AND ISOLATED AMOUNTS UP TO 3 TO 4 INCHES. LOCALIZED FLOODING CAN BE EXPECTED...HOWEVER WIDESPREAD FLOODING IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME DUE TO STORMS MOVING AT A FAST PACE. ALSO SEE AVIATION SECTION BELOW. && .AVIATION...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR ALL OF S TX. CONDITIONS WILL BE A MIX OF VFR TO IFR DUE TO ONGOING TSRA'S. TSRA'S WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT AND INTO FRI AS THE MAIN UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER BIG BEND CONTINUES TO MOVE E AND EMBEDDED SHORT WAVES ROTATING AROUND THE LOW...TRACK ACROSS S TX. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1010 AM CDT THU MAY 10 2012/ DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 270 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM. CURRENT SVR/TOR REMAINS ISOLD OVER THE W CWA AND IS MOVG NE AND E. BASED ON WV SATELLITE IMAGERY...THE AREA IS BEING TAKEN OVER BY A BROAD AREA OF MID/UPPER LEVEL DRYING...WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO DESTABILIZE FURTHER AHEAD OF THE NEXT ROUND OF SVR WX. A N TO S ORIENTED LINE OF ENHANCED CU EXTENDS FROM ANNAROSE TO ALICE AND PREMONT...AND IS MOVG INTO A MORE UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. MAY BEGIN TO SEE CONVECTION FIRING ALONG THIS LINE IN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. BASED ON BOTH WV AND VISIBLE SATELLITE...THE NEXT SHORT WAVE THAT IS ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE MAIN UPPER LOW...IS LOCATED NEAR THE BIG BEND WITH CONVECTION JUST E OF BIG BEND. AM EXPECTING THIS NEXT WAVE TO APPROACH THE W CWA BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON AND THE EASTERN CWA BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. WILL LIKELY SHIFT THE 60-80 POPS FARTHER E FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND KEEP THE CATEGORICAL POPS AS IS FOR THIS EVENING. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 652 AM CDT THU MAY 10 2012/ DISCUSSION...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 270 IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR MOST OF SOUTH TEXAS. UPDATED PRODUCTS. AVIATION...FOR THE 12Z TAFS...CONVECTION FIRING UP THIS MORNING OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH TEXAS DUE TO AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. EXPECTING A CONTINUATION OF THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS MORNING...WITH A SECOND ROUND BY EARLY AFTERNOON CONTINUING ON THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. WITH SCATTERED CONVECTION RIGHT NOW AND EXPECTING COVERAGE TO INCREASE THROUGH THE EVENING...WILL CONTINUE MENTION OF THUNDER THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD...WITH A LATE START FOR VCT. WITH A SEVERE WATCH IN PLACE...THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAJOR THREAT. CEILINGS WILL VARY FROM MVFR/VFR WITH ANY APPROACHING STORMS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 541 AM CDT THU MAY 10 2012/ SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY)...A POTENT UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY SITUATED OVER FAR WEST TEXAS IS FIRING UP CONVECTION ACROSS WEST TEXAS. THIS SYSTEM COMBINED WITH THE SURFACE LOW ALONG THE SOUTHERN COAST WILL AIDE IN THE EXPECTED CONVECTION FOR TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A STRENGTHENING SOUTHEASTERLY LOW LEVEL JET WILL FUEL THE SYSTEM PUMPING IN GULF MOISTURE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. CURRENT GOES SOUNDING IMAGERY IS SHOWING ROUGHLY 1.5 INCH PWATS OVER THE AREA...WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS FURTHER WEST AND SOUTH WHICH SHOULD ENTER THE AREA AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. CURRENTLY...A S/W DISTURBANCE ROUNDING THE BOTTOM OF THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS ENTERING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN TIP OF TEXAS...AIDING IN MORNING CONVECTION...AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST THROUGH THE MORNING. THE BIGGER FOCUS COMES IN TO PLAY WITH THE UPPER LOW THAT WILL SHIFT FARTHER INTO TEXAS...BEFORE BEING PULLED NORTHEASTWARD LATE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY. A COUPLE OF THINGS HAVE BEEN MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY WITH THE TRACKING OF THE PROGRESSION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER LOW...ONE BEING THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER AND THE SECOND BEING THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT. AS FOR THE SEVERE WEATHER...MULTIPLE WEATHER INGREDIENTS CONTINUE TO COME TOGETHER FOR TODAY...ESPECIALLY FOR THIS LATE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS. MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SPLIT FLOW ALOFT...WITH PRESSURE HEIGHT FALLS AND COOLING TEMPERATURES. THE STRENGTHENING UPPER LEVEL JET OVER THE AREA WILL ALSO AIDE IN THE INCREASED SHEARING FROM 0-6KM TO 45-50KTS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA. WITH ENOUGH LIFT AND SHEARING... THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE REMAINS OVER SOUTH TEXAS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL BEING THE MAJOR THREATS. CAN NOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO...PARTICULARLY OVER THE COASTAL LOCATIONS WHERE HIGHER HELICITY VALUES REMAIN. AS FOR THE HEAVY RAINFALL... WITH ABUNDANT MOISTURE OVER THE AREA...STRONG SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY PRODUCE A STORM WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1-2 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. HOWEVER...STORM MOTION IS SHOWING AN INCREASE IN SPEED EASTWARDLY AS TIME PROGRESSES THIS EVENING... WHICH MAY HELP REDUCE THE TIMING A STRONG STORM WOULD BE OVER THE AREA. AREAS ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR ABUNDANT RAINFALL. EXPECTING THE EVENTS TO OCCUR ESPECIALLY OVER THE WEST DURING THE MORNING TO LATE MORNING HOURS...EXPANDING EAST AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WITH THE MAIN EVENT OCCURRING BY THIS LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CONTINUED INFLUENCE FROM THE UPPER LOW WILL ALLOW FOR STORMS TO REMAIN A POSSIBILITY THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO FRIDAY. LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...DETERMINING HOW LONG TO KEEP RAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE EXTENDED IS MAIN CONCERN. PERIOD WILL BEGIN WITH THE UPPER LOW OVER NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS AT 00Z SATURDAY. MOISTURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE VICTORIA AREA WITH PWATS AROUND 1.5 INCHES. WILL KEEP THE HIGHEST POPS IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE CWA TAPERING OFF TO 20 POPS OVER THE WESTERN CWA. CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BE WINDING DOWN BY SATURDAY AS UPPER TROUGH PASSES TO THE EAST. WILL KEEP SOME LOW END POPS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA...ROUGHLY ALONG AND EAST OF A HIGHWAY 281 LINE. LATEST NAM GENERATES SOME MORE QPF AS SHORTWAVE ROTATES THROUGH THE AREA. NOT CONFIDENT ON THIS SCENARIO AND HAVE CONTINUED TREND OF PUSHING CONVECTION OFF THE COAST. AT OR BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED OVER SOUTH TEXAS THIS WEEKEND...WITH 80S IN MOST LOCATIONS BOTH SAT/SUN. MODELS INDICATE THE NEXT UPPER DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OUT OF EASTERN NEW MEXICO/WEST TEXAS ON TUESDAY. THE GFS REMAINS MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WHILE THE EUROPEAN IS WEAKER WITH UPPER TROUGH. FOR NOW...HELD ON TO THE LOW END POPS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MODELS BEFORE INCLUDING ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CORPUS CHRISTI 85 72 83 68 84 / 70 90 60 20 20 VICTORIA 83 69 79 64 81 / 70 90 60 40 30 LAREDO 85 72 88 69 89 / 90 70 30 20 10 ALICE 82 70 85 66 86 / 80 90 50 20 20 ROCKPORT 82 74 82 71 81 / 70 90 70 30 20 COTULLA 80 67 83 65 86 / 90 80 30 20 10 KINGSVILLE 85 71 84 67 85 / 70 90 60 20 20 NAVY CORPUS 83 74 82 70 82 / 60 90 60 30 20 && .CRP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... TX...NONE. GM...NONE. && TE/81...SHORT TERM GW/86...LONG TERM
Hazardous weather outlook, May 10, 12:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX 1207 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012 TXZ229>234-239>247-111715- LA SALLE-MCMULLEN-LIVE OAK-BEE-GOLIAD-VICTORIA-WEBB-DUVAL- JIM WELLS-KLEBERG-NUECES-SAN PATRICIO-ARANSAS-REFUGIO-CALHOUN- 1207 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT MOST OF SOUTH TEXAS UNTIL 8 PM FOR SOUTH TEXAS AND THE ADJACENT NEARSHORE WATERS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES WILL BE MAIN THREATS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG ON FRIDAY WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TODAY ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS. GMZ230-235-250-255-270-275-111715- BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS- BAYS AND WATERWAYS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO PORT O'CONNOR- COASTAL WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS OUT 20 NM- COASTAL WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL OUT 20 NM-WATERS FROM BAFFIN BAY TO PORT ARANSAS FROM 20 TO 60 NM- WATERS FROM PORT ARANSAS TO MATAGORDA SHIP CHANNEL FROM 20 TO 60 NM- 1207 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE BAYS AND NEAR SHORE WATERS UNTIL 8 PM. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS. THE THREAT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TODAY ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS. TE
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 10, 1:43 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
143 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1252 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 SE BISHOP 27.49N 97.67W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX NWS EMPLOYEE
ROTATING STORM...STILL NO CONFIRMATION IF FUNNEL HAS
REACHED THE GROUND
&&
DVOGELSALocal storm report, May 10, 1:44 PM CDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
144 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0520 AM HAIL 3 WNW ORVIL 27.65N 99.54W
05/10/2012 E0.75 INCH WEBB TX COCORAHS
0615 AM HAIL 14 SSE ENCINAL 27.86N 99.26W
05/10/2012 E0.75 INCH WEBB TX COCORAHS
HAIL FELL FOR 10 MINUTES AT CALLAHAN RANCH
1034 AM TSTM WND DMG SE WOODWARD 28.53N 99.29W
05/10/2012 LA SALLE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
MOBILE HOME FLIPPED NEAR WOODWARD ON RANCH RD 469.
POSSIBLE PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE.
1045 AM FLASH FLOOD 5 NW COTULLA 28.49N 99.29W
05/10/2012 LA SALLE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
ALONG FM468 NEAR THE WOODWARD AREA...TWO FEET DEEP WATER
OVER THE ROAD. ROAD IS NOW CLOSED.
1240 PM TORNADO RICARDO 27.42N 97.91W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORT OF TORNADO NEAR RICARDO. MAGNITUDE UNKNOWN AT THIS
TIME.
1242 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
6TH AND KING STREET
1245 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL AT KINGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
1252 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 ESE KINGSVILLE 27.45N 97.71W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX NWS EMPLOYEE
1252 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 12 S TILDEN 28.28N 98.54W
05/10/2012 MCMULLEN TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
DEPUTIES REPORTING FUNNEL CLOUD AND MONITORING
1252 PM FLASH FLOOD KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
SOME INTERSECTIONS IN KINGSVILLE BECOMING IMPASSABLE.
WATER COMING UP OVER AREAS OF KING STREET.
0135 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 SE BISHOP 27.49N 97.67W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX NWS EMPLOYEE
ROTATING STORM...STILL NO CONFIRMATION IF FUNNEL HAS
REACHED THE GROUND
&&
DVOGELSALocal storm report, May 10, 1:48 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
148 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX BROADCAST MEDIA
WEST SIDE OF KINGSVILLE
&&
DVOGELSALocal storm report, May 10, 1:52 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
152 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0148 PM TORNADO 5 SE WHITSETT 28.58N 98.20W
05/10/2012 LIVE OAK TX TRAINED SPOTTER
REPORT OF TORNADO...UNCONFIRMED...MAGNITUDE UNKNOWN.
&&
DVOGELSALocal storm report, May 10, 1:54 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
154 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0520 AM HAIL 3 WNW ORVIL 27.65N 99.54W
05/10/2012 E0.75 INCH WEBB TX COCORAHS
0615 AM HAIL 14 SSE ENCINAL 27.86N 99.26W
05/10/2012 E0.75 INCH WEBB TX COCORAHS
HAIL FELL FOR 10 MINUTES AT CALLAHAN RANCH
1034 AM TSTM WND DMG SE WOODWARD 28.53N 99.29W
05/10/2012 LA SALLE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
MOBILE HOME FLIPPED NEAR WOODWARD ON RANCH RD 469.
POSSIBLE PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE.
1045 AM FLASH FLOOD 5 NW COTULLA 28.49N 99.29W
05/10/2012 LA SALLE TX EMERGENCY MNGR
ALONG FM468 NEAR THE WOODWARD AREA...TWO FEET DEEP WATER
OVER THE ROAD. ROAD IS NOW CLOSED.
1240 PM TORNADO RICARDO 27.42N 97.91W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORT OF TORNADO NEAR RICARDO. MAGNITUDE UNKNOWN AT THIS
TIME.
1242 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
6TH AND KING STREET
1245 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL AT KINGSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
1245 PM HAIL KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 E1.00 INCH KLEBERG TX BROADCAST MEDIA
WEST SIDE OF KINGSVILLE
1252 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 ESE KINGSVILLE 27.45N 97.71W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX NWS EMPLOYEE
1252 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 12 S TILDEN 28.28N 98.54W
05/10/2012 MCMULLEN TX LAW ENFORCEMENT
DEPUTIES REPORTING FUNNEL CLOUD AND MONITORING
1252 PM FLASH FLOOD KINGSVILLE 27.51N 97.86W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX TRAINED SPOTTER
SOME INTERSECTIONS IN KINGSVILLE BECOMING IMPASSABLE.
WATER COMING UP OVER AREAS OF KING STREET.
0135 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 10 SE BISHOP 27.49N 97.67W
05/10/2012 KLEBERG TX NWS EMPLOYEE
ROTATING STORM...STILL NO CONFIRMATION IF FUNNEL HAS
REACHED THE GROUND
0148 PM TORNADO 5 SE WHITSETT 28.58N 98.20W
05/10/2012 LIVE OAK TX TRAINED SPOTTER
REPORT OF TORNADO...UNCONFIRMED...MAGNITUDE UNKNOWN.
0152 PM TSTM WND GST 5 W CHAPMAN RANCH 27.58N 97.53W
05/10/2012 E60.00 MPH NUECES TX TRAINED SPOTTER
0152 PM HAIL 5 W CHAPMAN RANCH 27.58N 97.53W
05/10/2012 E0.50 INCH NUECES TX TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DVOGELSALocal storm report, May 10, 2:03 PM CDT, 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CORPUS CHRISTI TX
203 PM CDT THU MAY 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0151 PM TORNADO 8 NNW RAY POINT 28.58N 98.13W
05/10/2012 LIVE OAK TX TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL ROPE TORNADO WAS DOWN FOR ABOUT A MINUTE...HAS
LIFTED
&&
DVOGELSAThe 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.
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), 12:00Z
7.1 hours before the tornado, 135 km from the path. May 10, 2012.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1593 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -4 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2596 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 779 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 31 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 13 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 122 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.1
- Supercell composite
- 0.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.7 K/km
Corpus Christi, TX (KCRP), 00:00Z
4.9 hours after it, 135 km from the path. May 11, 2012.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2214 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2442 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 636 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 204 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 274 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 3.4
- Supercell composite
- 14.5
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.7 K/km
The surface observations
Pleasanton (PEZ), 43 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:15 UTC | 67.28 | 65 | 70° 13 kt | 22 | 1010.8 | TSRA |
| 17:35 UTC | 66.2 | 63.68 | 40° 14 kt | 19 | 1010.8 | +TSRA |
| 17:55 UTC | 66.56 | 64.76 | 40° 14 kt | 23 | 1010.2 | TSRA |
| 18:15 UTC | 66.56 | 64.58 | 40° 15 kt | 1010.2 | +TSRA | |
| 18:35 UTC | 67 | 64.76 | 20° 5 kt | 17 | 1010.2 | +TSRA |
| 18:55 UTC | 60° 9 kt | 1009.8 | TS | |||
| 19:15 UTC | 67.46 | 65.66 | 50° 10 kt | 16 | 1009.1 | -VCTSRA |
| 19:35 UTC | 68 | 65.84 | 50° 10 kt | 17 | 1009.1 | -RA |
| 19:55 UTC | 69 | 66 | 60° 10 kt | 15 | 1008.8 | |
| 20:15 UTC | 69 | 65.66 | 60° 10 kt | 14 | 1008.8 | -VCTSRA |
| 20:35 UTC | 69.8 | 66.74 | 60° 10 kt | 1008.1 | -VCTSRA | |
| 20:55 UTC | 72 | 67.64 | 50° 10 kt | 16 | 1007.8 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Corpus Christi radar (KCRP), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:04 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) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 6 W Falls City | Wilson, TX | EXTENSIVE CROP DAMAGE IN WILSON COUNTY |
| 17:52 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 12 S Tilden | Mcmullen, TX | DEPUTIES REPORTING FUNNEL CLOUD AND MONITORING |
| 18:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 W Kosciusko | Wilson, TX | |
| 18:25 UTC | HAIL 1 | 3 W Kosciusko | Wilson, TX | |
| 18:25 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 3 W Kosciusko | Wilson, TX | |
| 18:30 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 10 Nnw Three Rivers | Live Oak, TX | LARGE RAPIDLY ROTATING WALL CLOUD...BETWEEN 130 AND 145 PM CDT |
| 18:48 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Se Whitsett | Live Oak, TX | REPORT OF TORNADO...UNCONFIRMED...MAGNITUDE UNKNOWN. |
| 18:51 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Nnw Ray Point | Live Oak, TX | SMALL ROPE TORNADO WAS DOWN FOR ABOUT A MINUTE...HAS LIFTED |
| 18:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Whitsett | Live Oak, TX | SHED BLOWN DOWN AND LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN AS WELL. |
| 19:15 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Poth | Wilson, TX | THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED 5 INCHES OF RAIN NEAR POTH PROMPTING THE NEED FOR HIGH WATER RESCUES |
| 19:23 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 1 N Tilden | Mcmullen, TX | GOLF BALL HAIL NEAR HIGHWAY 16. |
| 19:30 UTC | HEAVY RAIN 2.46 | Jourdanton | Atascosa, TX | |
| 19:32 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ssw Nell | Live Oak, TX | BREIFLY ON GROUND |
| 19:55 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 8 N Pleasanton | Atascosa, TX | DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INDICATES FM 536 NORTH OF PLEASANTON IS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODED LOW WATER CROSSINGS |
| 20:05 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | 8 Nne Pleasanton | Atascosa, TX | DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INDICATES HEAVY RAIN HAS CAUSED LOW WATER CROSSINGS TO FLOOD ALONG FM 1784 |
| 21:25 UTC | FLASH FLOOD | Poth | Wilson, TX | SMALL ROADS CLOSED COUNTY WIDE IN WILSON COUNTY DUE TO FLOODING |
| 21:50 UTC | HAIL 2.75 | 10 Sw George West | Live Oak, TX | ISOLATED BASEBALL...MOSTLY GOLF BALL TO HEN EGG SIZE. |
| 21:58 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | 2 Ssw George West | Live Oak, TX |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2012 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 10, 2012
18 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10 | 9:46 AM CDT | EF0 | La Salle, TX | 10.3 | 75 | 2 | $50,000 | |
| May 10 | 12:40 PM CDT | EF0 | Kleberg, TX | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 1:25 PM CDT | EF0 | Wilson, TX | 0.3 | 10 | |||
| May 10 | 1:46 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 0.0 | 10 | |||
| May 10 | 2:08 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 2:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 0.0 | 20 | |||
| May 10 | 3:56 PM CDT | EF0 | Bee, TX | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 3:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Bee, TX | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 4:02 PM CDT | EF0 | Bee, TX | 0.9 | 75 | |||
| May 10 | 4:10 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 5:30 PM CDT | EF2 | Colorado, TX | 0.6 | 150 | 8 | $500,000 | |
| May 10 | 7:14 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 4.9 | 100 | |||
| May 10 | 8:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Live Oak, TX | 0.4 | 50 | |||
| May 10 | 10:20 PM CDT | EF0 | Nueces, TX | 1.7 | 75 | $100,000 | ||
| May 10 | 10:30 PM CDT | EF1 | San Patricio, TX | 7.5 | 150 | $500,000 | ||
| May 10 | 10:52 PM CDT | EF0 | Refugio, TX | 3.7 | 150 | $30,000 | ||
| May 10 | 11:17 PM CDT | EF0 | Aransas, TX | 1.1 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| May 10 | 11:59 PM CDT | EF0 | Jim Hogg, TX | 0.1 | 10 |
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.