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Powerful Pacific System Impacting the West; First Significant Snow for Portions of the East

Power Pacific system will continue to bring significant impacts for Pacific Northwest into northern California the remainder of the week. Dangerous coastal affects, heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow continues. Meanwhile, a storm across the east is set to bring the first accumulating snow to many higher elevations of the Catskills into the central Appalachians. Read More >

Amarillo, TX

Weather Forecast Office

August 20, 2012 Severe Storms

Weather.gov > Amarillo, TX > August 20, 2012 Severe Storms
 
Severe Thunderstorms Cause Wind Damage and Flash Flooding on August 20th
 

Event Summary

Severe Thunderstorms started developing off the higher terrain in New Mexico and moved into the Panhandles in the late afternoon on August 20th.  These storms produced golfball size south of Hereford hail when they first moved into the Texas Panhandle. Then the storms formed into a line of thunderstorms that caused widespread high winds across much of the Texas Panahndle.  Winds speeds of 60 - 70 mph were recorded in many areas with some locations getting gusts of 80 mph.  In addition to the high winds, much needed rain fell across much of the area with many locations receiving over an inch of rain in just a few minutes. This heavy rain falling in such a brief period of time caused flash flooding in Amarillo with roads being closed and water rescues being performed to save stranded drives. If you have any pictures that you would like to share, please e-mail us at sr-ama.webmaster@noaa.gov or share them with us on Facebook.
 
April 30 Storm Reports Precipitation estimates
August 7 Severe Weather Reports August 7 Estimated Precipitation Estimates
 
RADAR IMAGES
KAMA 0.5 deg radar image  KAMA 0.5 deg base velocity image  KAMA 0.5 deg base reflectivity image
KAMA 0.5 deg base reflectivity 8:01 p.m.

KAMA 0.5 deg base velocity 8:01 p.m. This image shows the winds as the front of the storm was leaving Amarillo (click for larger view)

 KAMA 0.5 deg base velocity 5:38 p.m. This was the storm that produced the golfball size hail southwest of Hereford.
 
DAMAGE IMAGES
Snapped Tree Street Flooding Damaged Building

Tree snapped and blown over in Amarillo (photo courtesy Trent Spencer)

 Flooding in neighborhood streets in Amarillo (photo courtesy Trent Spencer) Roof blown off home near Claude highway (photo courtesy Sherry Taylor)
Snapped Tree (Alt)   Palo Duro Canyon Trampoline Blown Over Fence 
Different angle of tree snapped and blown over (photo courtesy Trent Spencer)

 Flash flooding in Palo Duro Canyon        (photo courtesy Brady Kendrick)

 Trampoline blown over a fence in Amarillo (photo courtesy Melissa Dailey)
Tree uprooted in Amarillo. (photo courtesy Angela Hartfelder) Tree down in Amarillo. (photo courtesy Angela Hartfelder)  Truck stop damaged in Vega, TX. (photo courtesy John Harris)
 
STORM REPORTS 
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AMARILLO TX
1105 AM CDT WED AUG 22 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0528 PM     HAIL             5 SSW HEREFORD          34.76N 102.43W
08/20/2012  E1.75 INCH       DEAF SMITH         TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL UP TO GOLFBALL HAIL REPORTED SOUTH OF HEREFORD.

0540 PM     HAIL             1 S HEREFORD            34.81N 102.40W
08/20/2012  E1.00 INCH       DEAF SMITH         TX   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            ALONG HIGHWAY 385. WITH HEAVY RAIN

0610 PM     HAIL             VALLEY DE ORO           35.45N 102.11W
08/20/2012  E1.00 INCH       POTTER             TX   PUBLIC

            PEA UP TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED AT SIERRITA CREEK
            AND FM 1061.

0612 PM     HAIL             VALLEY DE ORO           35.45N 102.11W
08/20/2012  E0.75 INCH       POTTER             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

0623 PM     HAIL             VALLEY DE ORO           35.45N 102.11W
08/20/2012  E0.88 INCH       POTTER             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

0637 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 N CHANNING            35.74N 102.33W
08/20/2012                   HARTLEY            TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            6 POWER POLES ARE DOWN...SOME SNAPPED

0722 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 E BUSHLAND            35.19N 102.01W
08/20/2012  M61 MPH          POTTER             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            OASIS RV PARK SCHOOL NET SITE

0732 PM     TSTM WND GST     AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012  M63 MPH          POTTER             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0735 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 SW AMARILLO           35.18N 101.84W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE WITH SOME BIG TREES LEANING AND
            OR DOWNED IN AMARILLO COLLEGE AREA

0738 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 S AMARILLO            35.17N 101.82W
08/20/2012  M77 MPH          RANDALL            TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0738 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 S AMARILLO            35.17N 101.82W
08/20/2012  M66 MPH          RANDALL            TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0740 PM     TSTM WND GST     6 ENE AMARILLO          35.22N 101.72W
08/20/2012  M74 MPH          POTTER             TX   ASOS

0740 PM     TSTM WND GST     3 S AMARILLO            35.16N 101.82W
08/20/2012  M78 MPH          RANDALL            TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0740 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LAKE TANGLEWOOD         35.06N 101.78W
08/20/2012                   RANDALL            TX   PUBLIC

            ROOF BLOWN OFF A METAL BUILDING NEAR THE CLAUDE HIGHWAY
            AND TANGLEWOOD ROAD

0740 PM     TSTM WND DMG     7 ENE AMARILLO          35.23N 101.71W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   PUBLIC

            OPEN HANGAR DOOR DAMAGED

0744 PM     TSTM WND GST     LAKE TANGLEWOOD         35.06N 101.78W
08/20/2012  M61 MPH          RANDALL            TX   BROADCAST MEDIA

0750 PM     FLASH FLOOD      AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   TX DPS

            WESTERN ST. FLOODED SOUTH OF I40

0755 PM     TSTM WND GST     5 S AMARILLO            35.13N 101.82W
08/20/2012  E60 MPH          RANDALL            TX   AMATEUR RADIO

            45TH AND WESTERN. POWER IS STILL OUT.

0758 PM     TSTM WND DMG     AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            LARGE TREE ABOUT 10 FT TALL AND 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER
            DOWN IN BACKYARD

0758 PM     FLASH FLOOD      AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            RESIDENTAL STREETS FLOODED AND IMPASSIBLE NEAR DOWNTOWN

0800 PM     TSTM WND DMG     AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            45TH AND GEORGIA STOP SIGN BLOWN OFF POST

0800 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 E AMARILLO            35.20N 101.80W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            UNDERPASSES NEAR INTERSTATE 40 AND SOUTH GRANT ARE
            FLOODED. TIME ESTIMATED.

0800 PM     FLASH FLOOD      2 S AMARILLO            35.17N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   RANDALL            TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            27TH STREET EAST OF INTERSTATE 27 IS FLOODED. TIME
            ESTIMATED.

0800 PM     FLASH FLOOD      6 WNW AMARILLO          35.24N 101.92W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ROADS FLOODED NEAR MEDI PARK. TIME ESTIMATED.

0809 PM     FLASH FLOOD      AMARILLO                35.20N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   POTTER             TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED NUMEROUS FLOODED
            INTERSECTIONS AND VEHICLES STRANDED WITH WATER RESCUES
            BEING CONDUCTED.

0809 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 S AMARILLO            35.13N 101.82W
08/20/2012                   RANDALL            TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

            EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED NUMEROUS FLOODED
            INTERSECTIONS AND VEHICLES STRANDED WITH WATER RESCUES
            BEING CONDUCTED.

0832 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 N CLAUDE              35.12N 101.36W
08/20/2012  E70 MPH          ARMSTRONG          TX   EMERGENCY MNGR

0841 PM     FLASH FLOOD      NW PALO DURO CANYON     34.95N 101.67W
08/20/2012                   RANDALL            TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WATER 3.5 TO 4.0 FEET OVER THE FIRST LOW WATER
            CROSSING. WATER WAS 6 FEET OVER THE OTHER LOW WATER
            CROSSINGS IN THE PARK.
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