NWS Lubbock, TX Local Weather Events Preliminary Tornado Report: June 19, 2013

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX
559 PM CDT THU JUN 20 2013

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 06/19/13 TORNADO EVENT...

.OVERVIEW...

A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM SPAWNED A TORNADO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
JUNE 19 ABOUT 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF SUNDOWN TEXAS IN FAR SOUTHWEST HOCKLEY
COUNTY. THERE WAS PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO EVIDENCE OF A WELL-DEFINED
CONE TORNADO CROSSING FARM-TO-MARKET 1585 WEST OF SAMPSON POST ROAD.
THE TORNADO BEGAN AS A BROAD DUST WHIRL THEN EVOLVED INTO A THIN TORNADO
ABOUT 2/3 TO THE GROUND AND EVENTUALLY INTO A CONE TORNADO WITH A CONDENSATION
FUNNEL ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND. THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST THEN DUE
NORTH FOR APPROXIMATELY 2.4 MILES OVER A 10 MINUTE PERIOD BECOMING RAIN-
WRAPPED DURING ITS DISSIPATION STAGE. THE TORNADIC CIRCULATION DOWNED
POWER POLES AND DESTROYED OIL FIELD EQUIPMENT AND HEAVILY DAMAGED
METAL BUILDINGS AND HAS BEEN RATED EF-2 WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115
MPH.

RATING...
ESTIMATED_PEAK_WIND: 115 MPH
PATH_LENGTH_/STATUTE/: 2.4 MILES
PATH_WIDTH_/MAXIMUM/: 350 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START_DATE: JUNE 19...2013
START_TIME: 5:43 PM CDT
START_LOCATION: 4 MILES NW SUNDOWN/TX
START_LAT/LON: 33.49/-102.54

END_DATE: JUNE 19...2013
END_TIME: 5:53 PM CDT
END_LOCATION: 6 MILES NW SUNDOWN/TX
END_LAT/LON: 33.51/-102.54

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS FROM THE LUBBOCK/TX OFFICE
ALONG WITH HOCKLEY COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SURVEYED THE DAMAGE
ON JUNE 20...2013. THE TEAM FOUND DAMAGE TO THE ABANDONED OXY FACILITY
ON FARM-TO-MARKET 1585 WEST OF SAMPSON POST ROAD IN SOUTHWEST
HOCKLEY COUNTY. A LARGE PORTION OF A METAL ROOF WAS REMOVED...A
METAL BUILDING WAS SHIFTED OFF ITS FOUNDATION...AND A LARGE TREE
WAS UPROOTED ON THE PROPERTY. AN EF-RATING OF EF-0 WITH WINDS OF
85 MPH WAS ASSIGNED TO THIS PORTION OF THE TORNADO TRACK WHICH WAS
BELIEVED TO BE ON THE EASTERN EDGE. FURTHER TO THE SOUTH THE TEAM
FOUND NUMEROUS POWER POLES...IN EXCESS OF A DOZEN...SNAPPED AT
THE BASE AND A FREE STANDING METAL TOWER AT A WELL SITE BENT. A
WIDE SWATH OF MESQUITE TREES WITH VARIOUS SIZES OF BRANCHES 1-3
INCHES IN DIAMETER WERE BROKEN IN THE SURROUNDING FIELD NEAR THE GROUND.
TO THE NORTH OF THE OXY FACILITY...TWO FIBERGLASS TANK BATTERIES
WERE DAMAGED WITH THE TOP SHEARED OFF ONE. DAMAGE WITH THE POWER
POLES ALONG THE EARLIER PORTION OF THE TRACK AND AT THE WELL SITE
WHERE THE TANK BATTERIES WERE LOCATED WAS CONSISTENT WITH EF-2
WINDS OF 115 MPH.

EF_SCALE: EF-2...MAXIMUM WINDS OF 115 MPH.

NOTE:
INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE
PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THIS EVENT/S/ AND PUBLICATION IN STORM
DATA.

$$

SCOBB