Thunderstorm Wind — Mitchell, Texas

2017-06-23 · near Loraine, Mitchell, Texas

Event narrative

A thunderstorm moved across Mitchell County and produced wind damage near Loraine. Multiple high profile train cars derailed just south of I-20 near mile marker 223 along Lucus Road. The survey team estimated that the wind speeds were roughly 90 mph through this area. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

Wider weather episode

There was an upper ridge over the southwest part of the country with a cold front that moved into West Texas and southeast New Mexico during the late afternoon and evening hours. A lot of heat and plentiful low-level moisture were across the area which aided in instability, and there was a surface low in the vicinity of the western Permian Basin. There was an upper level disturbance that moved over the area and intense low level winds that developed that evening and night which brought in more moisture. These conditions, along with good wind shear, allowed for thunderstorms to develop across West Texas and southeast New Mexico. These storms produced large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.4022, -100.7504)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 705364. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.