Thunderstorm Wind — Cochran, Texas

2009-07-17 · near Morton, Cochran, Texas

Event narrative

The high-precipitation supercell that impacted Parmer and Bailey Counties continued southward over Cochran County during the 19:00 CST hour of the 17th. A swath of very intense damaging winds continued from southern Bailey County across northeastern Cochran County. The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Morton initially recorded a gust of 58 mph at 19:15 CST. A subsequent gust of 77 mph was recorded at 19:20 CST. By 19:25 CST, however, a peak gust of 93 mph was measured by the Morton mesonet site. Damage was reported to be extensive in the Morton area. The damage swath additionally extended southward to Whiteface, where by 19:55 CST a 64 mph gust was measured at the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site south of Whiteface. Up to 300 utility poles were blown down by the winds across the eastern half of the county, and tree damage was reported to be extensive. At least two aged structures were severely damaged or destroyed by the winds in Morton, as well as a number of light weight structures such as carports and barns. The winds were occasionally accompanied by large hail up to the size of nickels, and this contributed to large agricultural losses.

Wider weather episode

Scattered thunderstorms developed over the western Texas Panhandle and the eastern plains of New Mexico during the late afternoon hours of the 17th. These storms evolved into a large convective complex and propagated southward over the western South Plains during the evening hours. An embedded high-precipitation supercell developed within the complex and tracked over portions of Parmer, Bailey, and Cochran Counties. This storm was accompanied by large hail and a broad swath of extreme winds. Damage to cotton crops and utilities was widespread, with at least 400 electrical poles downed by the winds. The most significant structural damage occurred in Morton (Cochran County), where the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet recorded a peak gust of 93 mph and a number of homes and businesses sustained heavy damage. In addition, a band of severe winds developed in the wake of the departing convection as pressure gradients increased dramatically well behind the storms. These high winds characterized by gusts up to 70 mph resulted in tree, utility, and minor damages in Yoakum County. No injuries were reported. Total economical losses were estimated to exceed $5.75 million, and some county-level authorities applied for state disaster declarations.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.7490, -102.7700)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 187117. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.