EF2 tornado in Roberts County, Texas

The tornado touched down in northern Roberts County around 659 pm CDT, crossed the Roberts/Ochiltree county line around 704 pm CDT and the Ochiltree/Lipscomb county line around 719 pm CDT before dissipating through a rope out process by 733 pm CDT. Damage from the tornado consisted mostly of damage to trees, power lines and

oil/natural gas field equipment and sheds. There was also two manufactured homes being transported via truck the were blown off Highway 83. The tornado was noted to be larger and possibly stronger in inaccessible open county to the southwest of

the location where it was measured to be around 1/2 mile wide and rated an EF2 by the survey team.

A vigorous upper level low pressure system developed across southern Nevada. Significant wind shear and instability developed as moisture was drawn north into the Panhandles setting the stage for a very long duration and higher end severe episode. Initially, elevated supercell storms developed in the NW Texas Panhandles on the cold side of a nearly stationary frontal boundary and moved northeast into the central Oklahoma Panhandle as the first of multiple disturbances moved across the area. Hail up to golf ball size and wind damage was reported with these storms.

During the afternoon hours, upper level disturbances, daytime heating and the very pronounced frontal boundary stretching from near Amarillo northeast into Beaver County, Oklahoma became the main catalyst for surface based supercells, which produced very large hail up to baseball size and several tornadoes. Two very large and long tracked tornadoes produced damage across the northeast Panhandles. Both were rated EF-2s based on the damage, but they remained in very rural areas throughout their life-cycle. A total of eight tornadoes occurred during this event, however three of these were landspouts that developed along an outflow produced by storms early in the event. With the loss of daytime heating, supercells congealed into a line which produced gusty winds and hail across the eastern Texas Panhandle before finally moving east and exiting the region in the early morning hours on May 24th.