Winter Storm — Bailey, Texas

2010-01-28 · Bailey, Texas

Wider weather episode

A deadly winter storm produced widespread snow and ice accumulations and resulted in significant damage across the west Texas South Plains during the daytime hours of the 28th.

Wintry precipitation began to overspread the region in the hours after sunrise. Although heavy snowfall (including thunder-snow) was common over the western South Plains and the extreme southwestern Panhandle, the precipitation began to fall as freezing rain over much of the central South Plains, the extreme southeastern Panhandle, and the northern Rolling Plains. A layer of ice, that in some cases became topped by accumulating snow, downed trees and utilities. This led to widespread damages from fallen trees and power lines. More than 200 power poles were snapped by the weight of ice and snow in Floyd County, and another 40 poles were downed in Hale County. A downed power pole and line in Olton (Lamb County) fell onto four parked vehicles in the high school parking lot, and the live utility wire caused a fire that destroyed one of the cars. Approximately 20,000 South Plains homes and businesses were without power at the height of the storm, and at least two homes were heavily damaged in Lubbock (Lubbock County) by falling trees.

Authorities reported 175 weather-related auto accidents in Lubbock County. Multiple accidents were additionally reported in Childress, Hale, Hall, Hockley, Motley, and Terry Counties. One Hale County motorist was injured.

In rural Bailey County, an elderly woman slipped on the ice and broke her hip. Injured from the fall and unable to summon help, the woman died of exposure before being found.

The entire city of Childress (Childress County) was rendered without power and communications for an extended period of time. Ice-related damage was widespread there, and included the collapse of a radio tower. In addition, power outages at nearby Greenbelt Lake (Donley County) caused pumps to fail and resulted in an outage of drinking water for the Childress area.

Total economic damages from the storm were estimated at nearly $4 million.

A list of reported snow accumulations follows: 9 inches in Rhea (Parmer County), 8 inches in Olton (Lamb County), 6 inches in Happy (Swisher County), 6 inches in Hart (Castro County), 6 inches in Muleshoe (Bailey County), 6 inches in Sudan (Lamb County), 5 inches in Denver City (Yoakum County), 5 inches in Friona (Parmer County), 4 inches in Dimmitt (Castro County), 4 inches in Littlefield (Lamb County), 4 inches in Shallowater (Lubbock County), 4 inches in Tulia (Swisher County), 4 inches in Wolfforth (Lubbock County), 3 inches in Abernathy (Hale County), 3 inches in Lubbock (Lubbock County), 3 inches in Morton (Cochran County), 3 inches in Plainview (Hale County), 3 inches in Silverton (Briscoe County), 2 inches in Brownfield (Terry County), 2 inches in Turkey (Hall County), 1 inch in Crosbyton (Crosby County), 1 inch in Floydada (Floyd County), 1 inch in Plains (Cochran County), and 1 inch in Vigo Park (Swisher County).

A list of reported ice accumulations follows: 1 inch in Childress (Childress County), 1 inch in Dimmitt (Castro County), 1 inch in Memphis (Hall County), 0.75 inch in Paducah (Cottle County), 0.50 inch in Brownfield, 0.50 inch in Floydada (Floyd County), 0.50 inch in Happy (Swisher County), 0.50 inch in Tahoka (Lynn County), 0.25 inch in Levelland (Hockely County), 0.25 inch in Lubbock (Lubbock County), 0.25 inch in Matador (Motley County), 0.25 inch in Muleshoe (Bailey County), and 0.25 inch in Plainview (Hale County).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 211011. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.