Tornado Outbreak - December 29, 2006

 

Tornado Track Map - December 29, 2006

One of the largest winter tornado outbreaks in North and Central Texas occurred on December 29, 2006.  A total of 23 tornadoes were confirmed.  Several of the tornadoes were long-lived with track lengths as long as 17 and 23 miles.  While most of the tornadoes were generally weak (F-0 or F-1), a couple of them were rated as F-2 on the Fujita scale.

Radar Images
 

Limestone County

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 
835 PM CST SAT DEC 30 2006

...PRELIMINARY STORM DAMAGE SURVEY OF THE TORNADOES IN LIMESTONE COUNTY ON DEC 29TH 2006...

A TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HEADED TO LIMESTONE COUNTY TO SURVEY THE DAMAGE FROM THE STORMS ON DEC 29. PRELIMINARY FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT TWO SEPARATE TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN LIMESTONE COUNTY. BOTH TORNADOES CAME FROM THE SAME STORM.

THE FIRST TORNADO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEGUN ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH- NORTHWEST OF KOSSE. THE FIRST SIGNS OF DAMAGE FOUND WAS UPROOTED TREES ALONG CR 662. THE TORNADO CONTINUED A NORTH-NORTHEAST TRACK FROM HERE AND SEVERAL AREAS OF LARGE UPROOTED TREES WERE FOUND ALONG CR 660...CR 656...FM 1246...CR 644...AND FM 147. ALSO ALONG THIS PATH...DAMAGE TO BARNS...SHEDS...AND ROOFS WAS FOUND.

SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG CR 635 WERE THE TORNADO STRUCK A HOME...RESULTING IN ONE FATALITY AND SEVERAL INJURIES. PORTIONS OF THE ROOF WERE REMOVED AND AN ADJACENT BARN WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED. ALONG THE ADJACENT ROAD...CR 633...A BARN WAS DESTROYED. THE NEXT SIGNS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WERE ALONG HIGHWAY 164 JUST WEST OF GROESBECK. SEVERAL HOMES...BARNS...AND LARGE TREES SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN THIS AREA.

THE TORNADO THEN CONTINUED NORTH INTO FORT PARKER STATE PARK. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND BEYOND THE PARK...THEREFORE THE TORNADO IS BELIEVED TO HAVE DISSIPATED NEAR THE PARK. FORT PARKER PARK IS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTH OF GROESBECK.

THIS WAS A LONG-TRACK TORNADO...WITH AN ESTIMATED DAMAGE TRACK OF ABOUT 17 MILES. ON AVERAGE...THIS TORNADO WAS ABOUT 400 YARDS WIDE DURING THE COURSE OF ITS PATH. BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE HOME WITH THE FATALITY AND INJURIES...THE DAMAGE DONE TO THE HOMES ON HIGHWAY 164...AND THE SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE OBSERVED...THIS TORNADO WILL LIKELY BE RATED AN F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 120 TO 125 MPH.

THE SECOND TORNADO WAS WEAKER THAN THE FIRST AND FORMED ABOUT 3 MILES WEST OF MEXIA JUST TO THE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 84. THIS TORNADO ALSO TOOK A NORTH-NORTHEAST TRACK AND DISSIPATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF MEXIA NEAR TEHUACANA. THE TOTAL PATH LENGTH WAS ABOUT 5 MILES.

ALONG THE DAMAGE PATH...MINOR TREE DAMAGE...BARN AND SHED DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALONG HIGHWAY 171 AND FM 3119. BECAUSE OF THE MINOR DAMAGE...THIS TORNADO WILL BE RANKED AS AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE WITH ESTIMATED WIND SPEEDS OF 70 TO 75 MPH.

Coryell, Bosque, and Hill Counties

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
FORT WORTH TX 
841 PM CST SAT DEC 30 2006

...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY FINDINGS FROM CORYELL...BOSQUE...AND HILL COUNTIES...

ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 30...A TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN FORT WORTH SURVEYED THE DAMAGE FROM THE DECEMBER 29 TORNADOES IN CORYELL...BOSQUE...AND HILL COUNTIES. BELOW ARE THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS.

IN CORYELL COUNTY...ONE TORNADO WAS SURVEYED. THE TORNADO DEVELOPED SOUTH OF COUNTY ROAD 315...APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OGLESBY. THE TORNADO DAMAGED NUMEROUS TREES ALONG COUNTY ROAD 315 AND FARM ROAD 107 AS IT MOVED RAPIDLY NORTH-NORTHEAST. AS THE TORNADO MOVED JUST WEST OF OGLESBY...IT DAMAGED HOMES AND SHEDS ON COUNTY ROADS 303...305...AND 306. A HOME SOUTH OF COUNTY ROAD 306 HAD SHINGLES AND A PORTION OF ROOF DECKING REMOVED. THE TORNADO DISSIPATED JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 84. PATH LENGTH WAS ROUGHLY 4.3 MILES...AND AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS. THIS TORNADO WILL LIKELY BE RATED AN F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ROUGHLY 110 TO 115 MPH.

IN BOSQUE COUNTY...FOUR DAMAGE TRACKS WERE OBSERVED. TRACK 1 WAS A BRIEF TORNADO APPROXIMATELY 4.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF VALLEY MILLS. DAMAGE TO TREES WAS OBSERVED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 3310. PATH LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.0 MILE. AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS. THIS TORNADO WILL LIKELY BE RATED AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 70 TO 75 MPH.

TRACK 2 WAS A BRIEF TORNADO ROUGHLY 5.5 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF CLIFTON. TREE DAMAGE AND MINOR ROOF AND WINDOW DAMAGE WERE NOTED ALONG COUNTY ROADS 3350 AND 3355. PATH LENGTH WAS APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILES. AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 75 YARDS. THIS TORNADO WILL LIKELY BE RATED AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 70 TO 75 MPH.

TORNADO 3 DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 4.3 MILES EAST OF CLIFTON. THIS TORNADO DAMAGED TREES ALONG COUNTY ROAD 3355 JUST SOUTH OF FARM ROAD 708...AND HEAVILY DAMAGED A TURKEY FARM AT THE INTERSECTION OF 3355 AND 708. DEBRIS FROM THE TURKEY FARM WAS SCATTERED OVER 1/4 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE FARM. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST AND HEAVILY DAMAGED TWO BARNS ON COUNTY ROAD 3440 SOUTH OF THE WOMACK COMMUNITY. TREES AND FENCING WERE DAMAGED ALONG COUNTY ROADS 3410 AND 3415 JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF WOMACK. THE TORNADO CROSSED FARM ROAD 219 EAST OF WOMACK...AND DISSIPATED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FARM ROAD 219 AND HIGHWAY 22. PATH LENGTH WAS ROUGHLY 7.4 MILES. AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 300 YARDS. THIS WAS A STRONG TORNADO...AND WILL LIKELY BE RATED AN F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE APPROXIMATELY 135 MPH.

TORNADO 4 DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES SOUTH OF THE CANYONS SUBDIVISION ON THE WEST SHORE OF LAKE WHITNEY. THIS TORNADO MAY HAVE BEEN A CONTINUATION OF TORNADO 3. HOWEVER...NO DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ALONG FARM ROAD 56 SOUTH OF THIS TRACK...SO IT MAY INDEED BE A SEPARATE TORNADO. THIS TORNADO CAUSED TREE DAMAGE. PATH LENGTH WAS ROUGHLY 0.7 MILE. PATH WIDTH AVERAGED 50 YARDS. THIS WILL BE RATED F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ROUGHLY 70 TO 75 MPH.

IN HILL COUNTY...A PORTION OF ONE TORNADO COULD BE SURVEYED BEFORE THE TEAM RAN OUT OF DAYLIGHT. THIS TORNADO DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTH OF BLUM...WEST OF FARM ROAD 933 AND SOUTH OF COUNTY ROAD 1145. TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED AS THE TORNADO CROSSED FARM ROAD 933 AND FARM ROAD 67 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF BLUM. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO INCREASE IN SIZE AND INTENSITY AFTER CROSSING FARM ROAD 67. A LARGE GRAIN SILO WAS TOPPLED ON COUNTY ROAD 1137 ROUGHLY 1.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLUM. EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER POLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED... AND THE PATH WAS OVER 1/4 MILE WIDE AT THIS POINT. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STAFF WILL ATTEMPT TO SURVEY THE REMAINDER OF THE TRACK ON SUNDAY. THIS WAS THE SAME STORM...AND POSSIBLY THE SAME TORNADO... WHICH CAUSED THE DAMAGE NEAR RIO VISTA. PRELIMINARY DATA SUGGESTS THIS WAS A STRONG TORNADO.

WHILE TORNADOES IN NORTH TEXAS IN DECEMBER ARE NOT UNHEARD OF...AN EVENT OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS CERTAINLY UNUSUAL. THIS EVENT DEMONSTRATED THAT...NO MATTER THE TIME OF YEAR...TORNADOES CAN OCCUR WHEN THE ATMOSPHERIC INGREDIENTS COME TOGETHER. WE ARE REMINDED THAT WE MUST ALL STAY ON GUARD AND PREPARED ANY TIME THUNDERSTORMS THREATEN US IN NORTH TEXAS.

Hill and Johnson Counties

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX 
351 PM CST SUN DEC 31 2006

...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY FINDINGS FROM HILL AND JOHNSON COUNTIES...

ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 31...STAFF FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN FORT WORTH COMPLETED THE DAMAGE SURVEY IN NORTHWESTERN HILL AND JOHNSON COUNTIES. TWO TORNADO TRACKS WERE FOUND. BELOW ARE THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS.

TORNADO 1 DEVELOPED APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SOUTH OF BLUM...WEST OF FARM ROAD 933 AND SOUTH OF COUNTY ROAD 1145. TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED AS THE TORNADO CROSSED FARM ROAD 933 AND FARM ROAD 67 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF BLUM. THE TORNADO APPEARED TO INCREASE IN SIZE AND INTENSITY AFTER CROSSING FARM ROAD 67. A LARGE GRAIN SILO WAS TOPPLED ON COUNTY ROAD 1137 ROUGHLY 1.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLUM. EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER POLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED...AND THE PATH WAS OVER A 1/4 MILE WIDE AT THIS POINT. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED COUNTY ROADS 1136 AND 1133...WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. ROOF AND WINDOW DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES WAS ALSO NOTED. THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS FARM ROAD 2488 JUST SOUTH OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY LINE. A WELL-ENGINEERED HOME LOST PORTIONS OF ROOF DECKING AND A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED. PORTIONS OF THE BARN/S METAL SKIN WERE CARRIED OVER A MILE TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST.

THE TORNADO CROSSED INTO JOHNSON COUNTY SOUTHEAST OF RIO VISTA. DAMAGE TO SHEDS AND VEGETATION WAS NOTED ALONG COUNTY ROADS 1205 AND 1204. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO STRUCTURES OCCURRED NEAR FARM ROAD 916 AND COUNTY ROADS 1202 AND 1205...NORTHEAST TO NEAR HIGHWAY 171. SEVERAL STRUCTURES WERE UNROOFED...OTHERS SUFFERED PARTIAL ROOF LOSS...AND TREES SUFFERED MAJOR DAMAGE. DAMAGE TO HOMES AND TREES WAS NOTED ALONG THE TRACK NEAR COUNTY ROADS 421 AND 423...AND COUNTY ROAD 415 JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY 4. THE TORNADO CROSSED FARM ROAD 2415...AND THE LAST OBSERVED DAMAGE WAS ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE OF LAKE ALVARADO.

THIS WAS A STRONG TORNADO...AND WILL PROBABLY BE RATED F2 ON THE FUJITA SCALE. MAXIMUM ESTIMATED WINDS WERE AROUND 135 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS ROUGHLY 23 MILES...AND AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 250 YARDS. PORTIONS OF THE PATH...ESPECIALLY FROM EAST OF BLUM TO EAST OF RIO VISTA...WERE APPROXIMATELY 1/3 MILE WIDE.

TORNADO 2 WAS A BRIEF TORNADO...AND DEVELOPED ROUGHLY 2.8 MILES NORTH OF ALVARADO. THE TORNADO DAMAGED A SHED AND CAUSED ROOF AND WINDOW DAMAGE TO SEVERAL STRUCTURES ALONG COUNTY ROAD 604...EAST OF THE HAPPY HILL COMMUNITY. THIS TORNADO WILL PROBABLY BE RATED AN F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE...WITH WINDS OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. PATH LENGTH WAS 1.3 MILES...AND AVERAGE PATH WIDTH WAS 70 YARDS.