Thunderstorm Wind — Childress, Texas

2008-06-15 · near Childress, Childress, Texas

Event narrative

An extreme convective wind event combined with large hail resulted in widespread and significant damage in the Childress vicinity during the evening hours of Father's Day the 15th.

The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site northeast of the city initially recorded a 58 mph wind gust at 19:33 CST. By 19:35 CST winds at the mesonet site had increased to 80 mph. Witnesses described that rain from the storm, which had approached from the northwest, had come to an ended and that the storm appeared to have passed without incident. A rapid onset of damaging winds and hail, however, then struck from the east.

A National Weather Service disaster assessment found eye witness descriptions to be consistent with the resultant damage patterns and photographic evidence, which conclusively indicated that a series of wet microbursts impacted the surface east-northeast of Childress. Extreme outflow winds, estimated to approach 100 mph, spread westward across the city as they diverged from the epicenter of the downbursts. In addition to photo and video evidence of multiple microburst occurrences, the cyclic nature of the downbursts was measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet, which recorded a secondary 80 mph peak in wind gusts at 19:50 CST.

Local and state officials determined that 1,821 homes and more than 200 businesses were impacted by the storm. Damages to 247 homes were deemed major with six homes totally destroyed. Four rooms in a local motel collapsed, and more than half a million dollars in damages were inflicted upon a local hospital. Medical patients from both the hospital and a nearby nursing home were evacuated to neighboring communities. Up to sixty utility poles and a number of signs were additionally destroyed.

Six persons were injured by flying debris during the storm. Those injured included a small child that was struck in the head by debris, and a woman that was hit by a screen door which became air-borne.

The American Red Cross reportedly provided food and shelter for approximately 500 Childress residents following the storm.

Wider weather episode

An isolated supercell thunderstorm developed over the eastern Texas Panhandle during the late afternoon hours of the 15th. This storm propagated southeastward during the evening hours, and impacted portions of Hall and Childress Counties. The storm produced at least two wet microbursts near Childress. The downburst winds, estimated to approach 100 mph in the city, combined with large hail caused widespread and significant damage and resulted in 6 injuries. Virtually every structure in the city sustained damage, including more than 1,800 homes and 200 businesses. Economic losses totaled $20 million.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.4347, -100.1630)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 116047. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.