National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heavy rain in the lower Mississippi Valley Saturday, then heavy rain and snow in the Northeast starting Sunday

Heavy rains will bring potential flash flooding to portions of the lower Mississippi Valley early this weekend. Across the Pacific Northwest, an atmospheric river event is set to arrive by Sunday, bringing heavy coastal rains and high elevation snowfall. Above average temperatures continue for much of the country through the weekend. Read More >

April 3rd 2012 Severe Weather Outbreak

Kennedale/Arlington Tornado

Meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth have given portions of the Kennedale/Arlington damage a preliminary rating of EF-2, with estimated wind speeds up to 135 mph.  The tornado had a path length of 4.6 miles and a maximum width of 150 yards.  Additional information will be added to this page as it becomes available.

…Preliminary findings from the Kennedale/Arlington storm surveys…

On Wednesday, April 4, 2012, a crew from the National Weather Service in Fort Worth surveyed the damaged areas in the Kennedale and Arlington areas in Tarrant County.

The finding was that a tornado occurred in Kennedale and Arlington on April 3, 2012. The tornado has been given a rating of EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The maximum path width was 150 yards, with an estimated path length of 4.6 miles and estimated maximum
wind speeds of 135 mph.

The damage started in Kennedale east of North Little Road and north of Swiney Hiett Road. Damage to residences was noted north of Sublett Rd on Fawn Meadow Trail. The tornado tracked north northeast and crossed Highway 287 and then crossed Interstate 20 between Kelly
Elliott Road and Green Oaks Blvd. The tornado moved north from Interstate 20 with EF-2 damage noted to several residential structures on Haverford Dr. and Thorncliffe Dr. The damage path continued north and crossed little road near Timber Green Dr. The damage path then turned to the northwest and then west across Chaperito trail where the Green Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center suffered damage. The damage path continued to the west before ending just east of the shores of Lake Arlington along Waterview Drive.

Kennedale/Arlington Tornado

   

Tornado Damage in Arlington, Texas
This is an aerial photograph of a tornado damaged area in Arlington TX. 
The damage from the tornado that affected Kennedale and Arlington 
on April 3, 2012 has been given a preliminary rating of EF-2. 
The photo was taken on Wednesday, April 4, looking to the east.

 

Tornado Damage in Arlington, Texas
This is a photo of EF-2 damage of a single family residence in the 
Arlington area between I-20 and Pleasant Ridge Road about 1/2 mile east of 
Green Oaks Boulevard. We estimate that 135 mph winds caused the 
exterior walls to collapse.

Tornado Damage in Arlington, Texas
This is a photo taken the morning of April 4 by one of our storm survey teams of 
EF-1 damage to residential house roofs in the Arlington/Kennedale area...
near US 287 about 1.3 miles south of I-20.