EF2 tornado in Motley County, Texas

Multiple storm chasers observed a large and rain-wrapped tornado that moved east-northeastward across the Motley and Cottle County line south-southeast of Northfield and southwest of Cee Vee during the 18:00 CST hour on the 22nd.

Doppler radar, along with post-storm ground and aerial surveys, suggest that the tornado developed at approximately 18:20 CST 9 miles south-southwest of Northfield, just east of Farm to Market Road 94. Storm chasers first obtained a visual confirmation of the tornado at 18:37 CST as it partially emerged from obscuring rain curtains. Photographs show a very large wedge-shaped tornado, with only the southern portion of the vortex visible through the wrapping precipitation.

The tornado's track across northeastern Motley County remained over uninhabited ranch land. A National Weather Service cooperative observer, however, reported a loud roar as the tornado passed south of her home south of Northfield. Surveys of adjacent ranch land, conducted by private land owners as well as National Weather Service and Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet meteorologists, revealed that the tornado destroyed four windmills, severely damaged mesquite trees, and snapped at least a half dozen wooden utility poles. The damage path was measured to be three-quarters of a mile wide.

The tornado again became totally obscured by rain and hail within the parent high precipitation supercell storm before it crossed the Motley and Cottle County line approximately 8.25 miles south-southeast of Northfield at 18:42 CST. It likely dissipated just a few minutes later at approximately 18:45 CST southwest of Cee Vee in northwestern Motley County.

The total path length of the tornado across portions of Motley and Cottle Counties was approximately 9 miles, with a 25-minute duration. Enhanced-Fujita Scale damage indicators for both free-standing metal towers and metal electrical transmission line poles were considered to gauge expected wind speeds for the destroyed windmills. The lower bounds for degrees of damage 2 and 5 respectively were accepted, yielding estimated wind speeds between 110 and 115 mph. Winds of at least this magnitude are additionally supported by the expected value for snapped wooden utility poles, which were additionally observed along the damage path. Therefore an EF-2 rating was assigned for this tornado.

Scattered thunderstorms developed over the central and eastern South Plains region of west Texas during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 22nd. These storms resulted in significant severe weather, including strong tornadoes, as they impacted portions of the extreme southeastern Panhandle and the Rolling Plains.

The severe weather over the South Plains of west Texas on the 22nd was part of a larger tornado outbreak that impacted areas from west Texas northward through western Kansas and eastern Colorado.

Thunderstorms initiated over the central South Plains along and east of a dryline late in the day. These storms, some exhibiting supercell characteristics, initially became severe and produced large hail and damaging winds before 18:00 CST. By 18:20 CST, the first of three tornadoes, two of which were long-lived and significant, developed over northeastern Motley County. The parent supercell thunderstorm produced two damaging and rain-wrapped tornadoes over portions of Motley and Cottle Counties. The initial tornado south of Northfield crossed the Motley and Cottle County line southwest of Cee Vee. This three-quarter mile wide EF-2 tornado destroyed windmills and utility poles as it tracked through rural ranchlands. The second tornado heavily damaged or destroyed three farmsteads south and southeast of Cee Vee (Cottle County). Winds were estimated at approximately 140 mph where one home was destroyed east of that community. No injuries were reported.

A second supercell thunderstorm developed south of the initial tornadic storm, and became tornadic near Swearingen (Cottle County) shortly after 21:00 CST.

In addition to tornadoes, numerous reports of large hail up to the size of baseballs were received. Another Cottle County home was heavily damaged by thunderstorm winds just north of Paducah as convection organized into a linear complex late in the evening. Also, training thunderstorms repeatedly moved over the Tahoka area in Lynn County. This resulted in areas of flooding and portions of two U.S. Highways were rendered impassable.

In all, property damages were estimated at $530,000. No injuries were reported.