NWS Lubbock

2012: Very strong instability and ample wind shear created a volatile atmosphere this afternoon and evening across the
eastern Panhandle and Rolling Plains. By sunset, a total of five tornadoes occurred (all in Cottle County). Early in the
afternoon, a weak surface low moved eastward into the northeast South Plains and enhanced lift along a sharp dryline and
outflow boundary leftover from storms in western Oklahoma the night prior. By mid-afternoon, a pair of thunderstorms
erupted in Hall and Motley Counties and quickly became supercells as they drifted east and southeast. These storms
produced very large to giant hail at times and were accompanied by intense inflow and outflow wind gusts at or above 60
mph. The second of these supercells produced several gustnadoes and at least four weak, non-mesocyclonic tornadoes under
its flanking line as it moved through central Cottle County near Paducah. However, all of the damage in and around the
Paducah area was attributed to ferocious winds in the rear flank downdraft (RFD) of this supercell. Scattered to
widespread wind damage was common in and around Paducah from winds determined to be around 90 mph. Although NWS radars
from both Lubbock, TX and Frederick, OK indicated a high probability of a significant tornado in far eastern rural Cottle
County from this same storm, there were no damage indicators found during a NWS storm survey the following day despite a
large tornado confirmed in nearby Foard County from the same storm. By early evening, a third supercell developed
northwest of Paducah and tracked south-southeast into King County. This storm produced a rather large cone tornado
partially wrapped in rain about nine miles west of Paducah. An off-duty NWS employee documented this tornado as it moved
southerly over rural land for nearly five miles before dissipating shortly after crossing Highway 70. Later, this same
supercell produced wind-driven baseball size hail in Guthrie accompanied by 80 mph winds. The combination of these
elements resulted in scattered to widespread structural and tree damage. Earlier in the afternoon, a supercell unleashed
intense non-tornadic winds in and near Plaska causing damage to several structures and even unroofed a home. Nearly $1M in
property damage alone was estimated from wind and hail damage; the majority of which occurred in Paducah and Guthrie.