Strong Wind — Tarrant, Texas

2011-04-14 · Tarrant, Texas

Event narrative

A 5-year old boy drowned on Benbrook Lake after the boat he was in capsized due to strong winds gusting to around 35 mph.

Wider weather episode

A powerful, negatively-tilted upper level trough moved into the Central Plains during the late afternoon hours which aided in the development of supercell thunderstorms near the intersection of a cold front and dryline in north central Texas. These storms developed near the Interstate 35 corridor and the Red River during the early evening hours, and then continued south-southeast through the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. These storms primarily produced golfball sized hail, however several reports of damaging winds were reported in Dallas County, likely associated with a microburst in the northeastern portion of the county. Unfortunately, a 5-year old boy drowned on Lake Benbrook in Tarrant County when their boat capsized due to strong winds produced by a nearby thunderstorm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 299908. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.