F2 Tornado — Swisher, Texas

2002-05-05 · near Happy, Swisher, Texas

Event narrative

Storm chaser video indicated that shortly after the large tornado dissipated, another tornado developed just west of town. This tornado tore a 150-yard wide path across the southern part of town. Fifteen homes were destroyed, including at least ten mobile homes, another seventeen received major damage, and eighteen others received minor damage. The storm survey team estimated wind speeds associated with the damage to be in the 115 to 130 mph range. Two fatalities occurred in a mobile home on the southeast side of town; the mobile home was rolled about 50 yards and destroyed. Four injuries also occurred in mobile homes that were in the same area. The church on the west side of town lost 120 feet of its roof and 30 vehicles, including two tractor trailers, were damaged or destroyed. Seventy five utility and telephone poles were snapped. The tornado crossed I-27 and continued to produce significant damage east of town as it struck a home two miles east of Happy on Farm-to-Market Road 1075. Before crossing into southern Randall County about three miles east of Happy, the tornado produced major damage to a second home on Farm-to-Market Road 1075.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.7333, -101.8500)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5296441. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.