Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2013
EF1 tornado, Plainview to East Mayfield, Texas, February 21, 2013
From Plainview to East Mayfield, this EF1 tornado ran 4.5 miles across Sabine County on February 21, 2013, touching down at 1:10 PM CST and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed 1 person and injured 2, and did $250,000 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 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
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
- EF1
- Date
- February 21, 2013
- Touchdown
- 1:10 PM CST (19:10 UTC)
- Lifted
- 1:19 PM CST (19:19 UTC)
- On the ground
- 9 minutes
- Path length
- 4.5 miles (7.2 km)
- Path width
- 150 yards (137 m)
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- $250,000
- County
- Sabine County
- Touchdown point
- 31.316, -93.975
- Lift-off point
- 31.344, -93.907
- Record number
- 1302211310-01
The damage survey
4 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS SHV, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 104 mph.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
A deep upper level trough ejected out of the Four Corners region of the country and into the plains during the afternoon hours of February 21st. During the morning of the 21st...elevated convection became rather widespread across the region and most of these storms produced hail. A warm front was located across the Southeast Texas and Southern Louisiana coast during the early morning hours of the 21st but as the day progressed...the warm front came north to near the Interstate 20 corridor of Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana. This lead to a very warm and unstable airmass infiltrating the region from the south. Low level shear was very strong both in speed and direction along the vicinity of this warm front and as as result...a few tornadoes developed across the region. Otherwise...the storms continued to produce hail and some wind damage from straight line winds.
The National Weather Service conducted a storm survey across Sabine County Texas and determined that an EF1 tornado touched down north of Pineland, Texas. The tornado first touched down along Charlie Forse Road...snapping large branches along the road. The tornado then crossed FM. 1 at Strickland Crossing West...snapping and uprooting numerous trees and rolling a mobile home on its side. Other trees fell onto several homes as the tornado continued east along Strickland Crossing West...where a 74 year old female was killed as a result of severe head injuries when a tree fell onto her while she was sleeping in her mobile home. The tornado continued northeast crossing Plainview Road/FM 2024...and over a heavily wooded area while snapping additional trees...before lifting along Bennet Road.
The deaths
1 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.
| Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 74 | F | Mobile/Trailer Home | Direct |
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
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 Shreveport, LA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Feb 21, 10:28 AM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 10:28 AM CST, 2 hours 42 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 12:00 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA 1200 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 LAZ001>006-010>014-017>022-TXZ136>138-149>153-165>167-221800- CADDO-BOSSIER-WEBSTER-CLAIBORNE-LINCOLN-UNION LA-DE SOTO- RED RIVER-BIENVILLE-JACKSON-OUACHITA-SABINE LA-NATCHITOCHES-WINN- GRANT-CALDWELL-LA SALLE-SMITH-GREGG-HARRISON-CHEROKEE-RUSK-PANOLA- NACOGDOCHES-SHELBY-ANGELINA-SAN AUGUSTINE-SABINE TX- 1200 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...NORTHWEST LOUISIANA...EAST TEXAS AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD AND STABLE AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE IN THE LOWEST LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THIS MAY LIMIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. HOWEVER...A WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHWARD TO NEAR THE INTERSTATE 20 CORRIDOR...BEFORE THESE STORMS MOVE EAST OF MOST OF THE AREA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY IN EVENING. SOUTH OF THIS WARM FRONT...CONDITIONS MAY BECOME MORE CONDUCIVE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL SUPPORT A THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WILL GENERALLY BE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20 UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING. THE SEVERE THREAT WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EASTWARDS THIS EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE FRONT PASSES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN LATE SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY AS YET ANOTHER STRONG UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PLAINS AND DRIVES A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE RETURN MAY BE LIMITED. THEREFORE...NO ORGANIZED HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY POSSIBLY BE NEEDED FROM MID AFTERNOON UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING. ARZ050-051-059>061-070>073-OKZ077-TXZ096-097-108>112-124>126- 221800- SEVIER-HOWARD-LITTLE RIVER-HEMPSTEAD-NEVADA-MILLER-LAFAYETTE- COLUMBIA-UNION AR-MCCURTAIN-RED RIVER-BOWIE-FRANKLIN-TITUS-CAMP- MORRIS-CASS-WOOD-UPSHUR-MARION- 1200 PM CST THU FEB 21 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL ARKANSAS...SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHEAST TEXAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY LATER THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO BE ELEVATED IN NATURE DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A COLD AND STABLE AIRMASS IN THE LOW LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. VERTICAL WIND PROFILES ARE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT ROTATING UPDRAFTS. THEREFORE...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH LARGE HAIL BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN LATE SUNDAY AND INTO MONDAY AS YET ANOTHER STRONG UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PLAINS AND DRIVES A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER...INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE RETURN MAY BE LIMITED. THEREFORE...NO ORGANIZED HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF ANY SEVERE HAILSTORMS...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY NOT BE NEEDED TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. VII
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 7:35 AM CST, 5 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
735 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
ARZ059-OKZ077-TXZ096-097-109-111-112-211400-
BOWIE-CASS-LITTLE RIVER-MCCURTAIN-MORRIS-RED RIVER-TITUS-
735 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SHREVEPORT HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY...EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 AM CST...FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...
IN SOUTHWEST ARKANSAS...
LITTLE RIVER...
IN SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA...
MCCURTAIN...
IN NORTHEAST TEXAS...
MORRIS...RED RIVER...TITUS...CASS AND BOWIE...
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
DALBY SPRINGS...DE KALB...HOOKS...NAPLES...NEW BOSTON...OMAHA...
SIMMS AND US 259 AND I 30 INTERSECTION...
AT 735 AM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
DETECTING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR OMAHA...OR 13 MILES EAST OF
MOUNT PLEASANT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
13Local storm report, Feb 21, 8:02 AM CST, 5 hours 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
802 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 AM HAIL 10 S DE KALB 33.36N 94.62W
02/21/2013 E0.75 INCH BOWIE TX TRAINED SPOTTER
DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED EAST OF DALBY SPRINGS.
&&
20Local storm report, Feb 21, 8:28 AM CST, 4 hours 42 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
828 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0820 AM HAIL 1 E BOSSIER CITY 32.52N 93.65W
02/21/2013 E0.75 INCH BOSSIER LA BROADCAST MEDIA
DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED ON BODCAU STATION ROAD.
&&
20Local storm report, Feb 21, 8:36 AM CST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
836 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0740 AM HAIL NACOGDOCHES 31.61N 94.65W
02/21/2013 E0.50 INCH NACOGDOCHES TX PUBLIC
&&
20Local storm report, Feb 21, 9:06 AM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
906 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0810 AM HAIL FOREMAN 33.72N 94.40W
02/21/2013 E0.75 INCH LITTLE RIVER AR LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
20Local storm report, Feb 21, 9:09 AM CST, 4 hours 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT LA
909 AM CST THU FEB 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 AM HAIL BOSSIER CITY 32.52N 93.66W
02/21/2013 E0.50 INCH BOSSIER LA PUBLIC
MARBLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED NEAR BELLAIRE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL.
&&
20The 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.
Shreveport, LA (KSHV), 12:00Z
7.2 hours before the tornado, 129 km from the path. February 21, 2013.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -96497 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 912 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 68 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 842 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 990 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 3.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 2.1 K/km
The surface observations
Jasper County-Bell Field Airport (JAS), 50 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2013 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of February 21, 2013
5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 21 | 2:58 PM CST | EF1 | Vernon Parish, LA | 2.4 | 50 | $5,000 | ||
| February 21 | 3:07 PM CST | EF1 | Natchitoches Parish, LA | 0.0 | 30 | |||
| February 21 | 5:12 PM CST | EF1 | Concordia Parish, LA | 3.0 | 75 | $75,000 | ||
| February 21 | 10:31 PM CST | EF2 | Jefferson Davis, MS | 6.3 | 400 | $175,000 | ||
| February 21 | 11:00 PM CST | EF0 | Covington, MS | 0.7 | 75 | $15,000 |
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.