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F2 tornado in Hale County, Texas

Tornado April 26, 1998 · Hale County, Texas

Rating

0.3 mi

Path length

30 yd

Path width

$100K

Damage as recorded

$25K

Crop damage

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NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F2 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F2 meant considerable damage: roofs torn off well-built houses, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted; the scale paired it with winds of 113–157 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A short-lived but strong (F2) tornado occurred just north of Hale Center. Two people narrowly escaped injury when their home was destroyed (they had sought shelter in a small, interior closet in this ranch-style house). The tornado also heavily damaged a vacant house, barn, hangar, and center-pivot irrigation system. Several large trees were destroyed/uprooted. Damage was investigated by NWS officials just a few hours after it occurred.

The wider storm

A round of severe thunderstorms affected the South Plains on the 26th. The most significant storm was the one that hit Hale Center (see above) and caused a lightning fatality and tornado damage. Elsewhere, large hail was reported near Friona, Cone, Aspermont, and Jayton.

Began near Hale Center (34.1000, -101.8300).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

2 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

F0 Castro County F0 Crosby County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5643310. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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