Power Outage in Texarkana, TX

A tree was uprooted onto a home in the area of Redwood Drive and Maryland Drive in Liberty Eylau, with power lines and several more trees also downed across roads and onto other homes in this area.

Multiple hardwood and softwood trees and power poles were snapped across portions of the Malta community, with more isolated uprooted trees observed across FM 2789 and CR 3103. The westward facing portion of a metal roof on a single family home was blown off into pieces landing to the east around a tree and across CR 3103.

Trees and power lines were downed on the west side of Texarkana.

Power lines were downed in Texarkana.

Power lines were downed on Highway 44 west-southwest of De Kalb.

Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the Texas side of Texarkana.

An EF-2 tornado with maximum estimated winds around 125 mph touched down along Highway 259 just southwest of Dekalb and tracked northeast across the intersection of County Road 4231 and Farm to Market Road 44. Here, it caused significant damage to a well constructed two-story home shifting it off its foundation, and significantly damaging eight chicken houses, two of which were destroyed. The tornadic storm continued northeast where it crossed County Road 4230 and significantly damaged the Dekalb Water Treatment Plant, before crossing the intersection of Farm to Market Road 990 and Farm to Market Road 1840 where a one-story home had its roof removed and several hardwood and softwood trees were snapped or uprooted. As the tornado tracked across County Road 4228, there were signs of it widening where the snapped hardwood trees and downed power lines were more noticeable. Once the tornado tracked across Highway 82, hardwood trees snapped at its base and significant damage to roofs of a church and nearby one and two-story homes were prevalent. The tornadic storm continued to move northeast across County Road 3201 where numerous hardwood trees were downed and a camper was destroyed. The tornado continued northeast where it crossed County Road 3203, uplifting a metal roof from a home and destroyed seven chicken farm buildings. Once it crossed northeast across County Road 3202, it split and twisted hardwood trees and destroyed an outbuilding before finally dissipating.||In all, 16 single family homes were damaged, 9 suffering minor damage, and 7 with major damage, with 32 mobile homes damaged, 25 suffering minor damage, 4 with major damage, and 3 mobile homes destroyed. The Dekalb Water Treatment Plant suffered about $500,000 in damage, with another $500,000 damage done to the chicken houses that were destroyed, as well to an auto repair shop and a gun shop that were significantly damaged. Approximately 200,000 chickens were killed, and 1 cow was killed as well.

An EF-2 tornado with maximum estimated winds around 125 mph touched down along Highway 259 just southwest of Dekalb and tracked northeast across the intersection of County Road 4231 and Farm to Market Road 44. Here, it caused significant damage to a well constructed two-story home shifting it off its foundation, and significantly damaging eight chicken houses, two of which were destroyed. The tornadic storm continued northeast where it crossed County Road 4230 and significantly damaged the Dekalb Water Treatment Plant, before crossing the intersection of Farm to Market Road 990 and Farm to Market Road 1840 where a one-story home had its roof removed and several hardwood and softwood trees were snapped or uprooted. As the tornado tracked across County Road 4228, there were signs of it widening where the snapped hardwood trees and downed power lines were more noticeable. Once the tornado tracked across Highway 82, hardwood trees snapped at its base and significant damage to roofs of a church and nearby one and two-story homes were prevalent. The tornadic storm continued to move northeast across County Road 3201 where numerous hardwood trees were downed and a camper was destroyed. The tornado continued northeast where it crossed County Road 3203, uplifting a metal roof from a home and destroyed seven chicken farm buildings. Once it crossed northeast across County Road 3202, it split and twisted hardwood trees and destroyed an outbuilding before finally dissipating.||In all, 16 single family homes were damaged, 9 suffering minor damage, and 7 with major damage, with 32 mobile homes damaged, 25 suffering minor damage, 4 with major damage, and 3 mobile homes destroyed. The Dekalb Water Treatment Plant suffered about $500,000 in damage, with another $500,000 damage done to the chicken houses that were destroyed, as well to an auto repair shop and a gun shop that were significantly damaged. Approximately 200,000 chickens were killed, and 1 cow was killed as well.

Power lines were downed on County Road 3010 northwest of New Boston.

Trees were downed on power lines along Highway 259 south of Dekalb.

Power lines were downed along County Road 4507.

Power lines were downed along Farm to Market Road 561 southwest of New Boston.

Numerous trees and power lines were downed in Liberty-Eylau.

Power lines were downed on County Road 4005.

Powerlines were downed on Robinson Road near New Boston, Texas.

Spotter reports power lines were downed near Simms, Texas.

Numerous powerlines were downed across the entire county, including several inside the city limits of Texarkana, Texas.

Several trees and powerlines were downed in and near the community of Malta near County Road 3103. The winds destroyed one 180x50 steel frame shed, one 12x12 wood frame shed, one 20x40 horse covered stall, one 8x8 well house and one 40x60 pole barn. There were no injuries reported.

A tree was downed on a home with powerlines on it at Smith Road and Lonnie Lane.

Powerlines were downed southwest of Texarkana.

Several areas of Texarkana without power. Scattered power outages with some tree damage in the area.

Numerous trees and powerlines were downed across the western portion of Bowie County, Texas.

Powerlines were downed in Kings Highway about one mile south of Hwy. 59 just outside of the Texarkana city limits.

Trees and power lines were downed at the intersection of US 59 and Kings Highway.

A tree was downed across CR 992 north of town. Powerlines were downed north of town as well.

Power lines were downed in the southern half of the city of Dekalb, Texas associated with strong winds behind a cold front.

A large tree was downed across power lines due to strong non-thunderstorm wind gusts.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Ike resulted in widespread trees and power lines downed throughout all of Bowie County, Texas. Power outages were widespread as well with numerous residents without power during the height of the storm and days afterward.

Two severe thunderstorms came together over the south side of the city. One severe storm was moving northeastward from southern Bowie County while the other was moving northwestward through Miller County. Both storms collided in an area just south of downtown Texarkana. As a result of the collision, the storm cores collapsed in an area just east of State Line Avenue over a several block area between 16th and 20th Streets. Numerous large trees were snapped or uprooted onto homes and cars in the Glendale Subdivision. As the survey expanded outward to the north near 24th Street and the Woodlawn Cemetery, trees were noted to have fallen in a north or northeastward direction typical of a microburst. Damage was found as far northeast as the Calvary Cemetery area with trees downed in a north to northeast direction. Trees were also uprooted and snapped on the Texas side of State Line Avenue with a heavier concentration along Magnolia Street between 24th Street and 30th Streets. It was noted that the trees fell in a northwesterly direction which would be expected if a microburst had occurred to the south and east of those locations. Numerous homes were damaged on the Texas side of State Line Avenue as a result. Powerlines were also downed throughout the area as a result of either poles snapping or trees falling on the lines. The area impacted by the microburst is approximately 3.5 miles long to the northeast of the origin and 4 miles in width from one end of the damage swath to the other. City and County officials estimate that 44 homes sustained major damage with an unknown number of vehicles damaged. At least 100 damage reports have been collected thus far. Only one minor injury occurred when a tree fell on a home injuring an elderly woman inside.

Straight line winds over a 6 mile stretch and up to 2 miles wide caused major damage in and around the Old Boston, Texas community 5 miles south of New Boston, Texas. Several hundred large trees were snapped or uprooted and some of these fell on homes and businesses. Numerous powerlines were downed as a result and roof damage was common throughout the community. Damage was also reported at the Red River Army Depot just east of Old Boston, Texas.

Trees and power lines were downed through much of the county. Bowie County 911 recorded over 150 calls of various damage all throughout the county. A peak wind gusts of 53 mph was measured at the Texarkana Regional Airport.

Trees and power lines down near State Line Road.

Numerous trees and power lines downed on the north side of the city.

Power lines were downed on Hwy 67.

Numerous power lines and trees toppled throughout the Texas side of Texarkana.

After trying to recover from an ice storm earlier in the month, another even more devastating ice storm struck the northern third of northeast Texas. Freezing rain resulted in ice accumulations ranging from 1/4 to 3 inches which devastated the middle Red River Valley counties of northeast Texas. Tens of thousands of trees and numerous power lines were either broken or felled from the weight of the ice leaving vast regions of northeast Texas without power for weeks. Bowie, Cass and Red River counties were declared disaster areas.

An artic airmass spilled southward out of the central plains and into the lower Mississippi Valley. This cold surface airmass was overrun by a warm and humid airmass which combined with a strong upper level storm system across west Texas. The result was widespread freezing rain. Ice accumulations on average of one inch were common north and west of a line from Mansfield and Arcadia to Farmerville LA. An estimated 235,000 residents lost power from snapped power lines. Upwards of 29 transmission lines atop "H" shaped steel towers were snapped due to the weight of the ice. One man was killed and another injured when a tree limb laden with ice fell on them. Numerous traffic accidents were reported from ice covered roads and bridges. In the Shreveport - Bossier metroplex more than 205 streets were either blocked or partially blocked by limbs and fallen trees. Much of northwest Louisiana was declared a disaster area.

Nine trees reported toppled cutting power to the local area. An aluminum roof peeled off a business and wrapped itself around some trees. The police department garage awning was severely damaged.

A strong upper level trough moved out of the southern Great Basin and into the lower Mississippi Valley sweeping Artic Air southward to the Gulf Coast. Moisture laden air from the Gulf overran the freezing surface temperatures producing ice across the northern half of northeast Texas. Ice accumulations of one to four inches fell across most of the area with the ice and snow accumulations near 8 inches. Thousands of homes were left without power due to ice covered tree limbs falling and snapping powerlines. Also, hundreds of chicken houses were destroyed and several 7 million chicks were killed. Barns, carports, and weak structure homes suffered collapse from the weight of the ice and snow. Traffic accidents were numerous and I-30 west of Texarkana had to be shut down when the freeway became impassable.

A deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-February 2nd, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico. Meanwhile, a strong but shallow arctic cold front shifted south through the Southern Plains on January 29th-30th, before slowing significantly in the higher terrain of the Ouachitas of Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas. Weak upper level disturbances embedded in this flow ahead of the low resulted in widespread sleet and freezing rain across much of the Southern Plains given the warm air above this shallow, freezing air mass, with areas of light freezing rain affecting portions of East Texas, extreme Southeast Oklahoma, and Southwest Arkansas on January 30th-February 2nd. Temperatures through the period ranged from a couple of degrees either side of the freezing mark across portions of East Texas, with light ice accumulations ranging from a glaze up to a tenth of an inch, mainly on elevated objects such as bridges and overpasses, trees and power lines. ||The following are freezing rain reports across various counties in East Texas:||Bowie County: Texarkana: 0.01 inches.|Cass County: Linden: 0.01 inches.|Morris County: Omaha: 0.01 inches.|Titus County: Mount Pleasant: 0.01 inches.|Camp County: Pittsburg: 0.01 inches.|Upshur County: 4ESE Gilmer: 0.05 inches.|Cherokee County: 9W Rusk: 0.10 inches.

A deep southwesterly flow aloft prevailed across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley on January 30th-31st, ahead of a strong upper level low pressure system that drifted through Southern California, the Desert Southwest into Northern Mexico. Meanwhile, a strong but shallow arctic cold front shifted south through the Southern Plains on the 29th-30th, before slowing significantly in the higher terrain of the Ouachitas of Southeast Oklahoma and Western Arkansas. Weak upper level disturbances embedded in this flow ahead of the low resulted in widespread sleet and freezing rain across much of the Southern Plains given the warm air above this shallow, freezing air mass, with areas of light freezing rain affecting portions of East Texas, extreme Southeast Oklahoma, and Southwest Arkansas on the 30th-31st. Temperatures through the period ranged from a couple of degrees either side of the freezing mark across portions of East Texas, with light ice accumulations ranging from a glaze up to a tenth of an inch, mainly on elevated objects such as bridges and overpasses, trees and power lines. This extended duration of freezing rain persisted into the first couple days of February across these areas.||The following are freezing rain reports across various counties in East Texas:||Bowie County: Texarkana: 0.01 inches. |Cass County: Linden: 0.01 inches. |Morris County: Omaha: 0.01 inches. |Titus County: Mount Pleasant: 0.01 inches. |Camp County: Pittsburg: 0.01 inches. |Upshur County: 4ESE Gilmer: 0.05 inches. |Cherokee County: 9W Rusk: 0.10 inches.

On the heels of the first winter storm and historically cold temperatures observed earlier in the week across all of the Southern Plains and much of the Lower Mississippi Valley, a second significant winter storm developed across much of these areas from February 16th-17th, with areas of snow (some heavy) falling across Northeast Texas. Strong forcing and moisture associated with the next upper level trough to move atop the extensive arctic air mass in place resulted in widespread snowfall totals of two to five inches falling across Red River, Franklin, Wood, Titus, Camp, and Morris Counties, with higher amounts up to 10 inches observed across Central and Eastern Bowie County. ||The following are snowfall totals that were recorded at various locations across portions of extreme Northeast Texas from this second winter storm:||Red River County: 5 NNW Avery: 3.0 inches. ||Bowie County: 1 WNW Wake Village: 9.7 inches, Texarkana: 9.5 inches, New Boston: 4.0 inches, Dekalb: 2.3 inches, 2 E Dekalb: 1.6 inches. ||Morris County: Daingerfield: 9.0 inches, Lone Star: 3.5 inches. ||Titus County: Mount Pleasant: 3.8 inches. ||Franklin County: Mount Vernon: 2.4 inches. ||Wood County: 1 SSW Winnsboro: 4.0 inches, 7 N Quitman: 3.5 inches, Mineola: 2.5 inches. ||When combined with the previous winter storm on the 14th-15th, widespread snowfall totals of ten to fifteen inches were observed across these counties. These totals crippled the region, making driving nearly impossible, with rolling blackouts further aggravated by the additional power outages the snows were responsible for. In addition, the weight of the snow from these two back to back winter storms also resulted in numerous metal carport canopies collapsing across extreme Northeast Texas, with many homes and cars damaged.

The remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal lifted north across Central and Eastern Louisiana during the daytime hours of June 8th after making landfall along the Southern Louisiana coast during the evening hours of the 7th. Scattered showers and a few isolated thunderstorms developed throughout the afternoon and rotated west southwest around the center of circulation as it entered extreme Southern Arkansas during the late afternoon hours. Precipitation loading resulted in isolated instances of damaging winds across Bowie County Texas, where several trees were snapped or had fallen on homes in Dekalb, power lines were downed, and the metal roof of a large storage barn was peeled back.

A vigorous upper level trough moved into the Southern Plains during the late afternoon, evening and overnight hours of November 30th-December 1st. Upper level forcing in response to this disturbance moved into the Middle Red River Valley of Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas during the evening hours of November 30th and strong to severe thunderstorms erupted north and west of the Interstate 30 Corridor as a result. The atmosphere was moderately unstable for the last day in November but strong deep layer and low level directional shear was present. This resulted in supercell type thunderstorms and bowing thunderstorm complexes, one of which moved across Northeast Texas into Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas producing widespread wind damage all along its track. Numerous trees and power lines were downed with these storms before they exited Northeast Texas during the early morning hours of December 1st.

An upper level trough amplified during the daytime hours of October 31st across much of the Plains and Southern Rockies, which reinforced a strong cold front southeast into the Southern Plains. Ahead of this front and accompanying trough, above normal temperatures ranging from the mid 70s to lower 80s coupled with increased low level moisture resulted in a moderately unstable air mass during the afternoon. The pressure gradient tightened across the warm sector which expanded across much of the Ark-La-Tex, well ahead of the front as surface low pressure intensified along the frontal surface over North Texas. This enhanced wind shear as the front advanced east across much of Texas and Southeast Oklahoma, with large scale forcing ahead of the trough contributing to scattered shower and thunderstorm development during the afternoon over Southeast Oklahoma, Southwest Arkansas, and Central Texas. Some of these storms became severe of portions of Southwest Arkansas and extreme Northeast Texas, with a squall line developing farther west over Central Texas by mid and late afternoon, which quickly advanced east across much of East Texas and North Louisiana during the late afternoon and evening hours. Several reports of wind damage which downed trees and power lines were received across East Texas and Northwest Louisiana, with even an isolated tornado having touched down in the community of Cushing in Northwest Nacogdoches County. This squall line weakened as it progressed east into Northcentral Louisiana.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon of July 23rd across Southwest Arkansas, extreme Southeast Oklahoma, Northeast Texas and North Louisiana, in response to a very hot, humid, and unstable air mass in place along the southern periphery of an upper level ridge that encompassed much of the Desert Southwest and Central portions of the United States. These storms shifted southwest during the afternoon and continued to develop along associated outflow boundaries through much of the evening. Isolated severe thunderstorms developed over western Bowie County Texas, and tracked southwest into western Cass County, and produced damaging winds which downed trees and power lines near and southwest of New Boston, as well as south of Dekalb.

Vigorous upper level trough moved out of the Southwest United States and into the Texas Hill Country during the morning hours of the 4th. Upper forcing was felt well in advance of the trough across Southeast Oklahoma, the northern third of Northeast Texas into Southwest Arkansas with widespread precipitation breaking out. Temperatures quickly dropped below freezing during the late night hours of the 3rd into the predawn hours of the 4th and as a result, the light rain became mostly freezing rain with a mix of sleet and light snow. The temperatures did not climb above freezing until the mid morning hours of February 4th. Freezing rain accumulations across portions of Bowie County were mostly near one tenth of an inch. This resulted in ice accumulation on elevated objects only, including bridges, overpasses and powerlines. There were a few automobile accidents along with a few power outages.

A strong upper level trough moved out of the Four Corners region of the country and into the Central Plains during the early morning hours of February 10th. Strong southwest flow aloft was prevalent across the Southern Plains into the Lower Mississippi Valley as a warm front slowly lifted northward from the coast into East Texas and Central Louisiana. A line of thunderstorms developed along a prefrontal boundary west of the Interstate 35 corridor across Central and North Texas shortly after midnight on February 10th and this line of storms began racing eastward near 60 mph. Deep layer atmospheric shear which was mostly unidirectional which suggested that storm mode would be in the form of a squall line which did materialize and moved west to east across the region. Damage consisted of mostly trees and powerlines downed across a few locations.

A deep upper level low pressure system that produced severe thunderstorms across the southern half of Northeast Texas into much of Northern Louisiana produced widespread rain across all of Northeast Texas during Christmas Day. However, much colder arctic air moved into the Middle Red River Valley during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 25th which allowed the rain to change over to snow very quickly. Accumulating snow was common across several counties in Northeast Texas. This heavy wet snow resulted in several trees downed along with powerlines which cut power to many locations across Northeast Texas. There were also several accidents reported from the accumulating snow on area roadways and bridges. The following were some snowfall accumulations across Northeast Texas: 8.5 inches in Dekalb, 4 inches in Clarksville, 5 inches in Detroit, 4 inches near Mount Pleasant, 4 inches near Lonestar, 4 inches in Pittsburg, 4-5 inches near Mount Vernon.

A significant winter storm affected the northern half of Northeast Texas on Sunday, January 9th. This storm system moved out of the Texas Hill Country late on January 8th and moved into the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley during the day Sunday, January 9th. An area of low pressure at the surface and in the lower levels of the atmosphere developed offshore the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast and remained offshore the Louisiana Gulf Coast during the day of the event. This low pressure system helped to feed moisture into the region from the south. Initially, the lower levels of the atmosphere were very dry, but lift provided by the storm system helped to moisten and cool the lower levels of the atmosphere such a combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow were the result across the northern half of Northeast Texas. The transition from freezing rain and sleet to all snow was fairly quick during the morning of January 9th across the region. The storm system exited the region late on January 9th but not before dumping some impressive freezing rain, sleet and snowfall totals across the southern half of the state. Generally, one quarter to one half inch of freezing rain and sleet was reported initially across the northern half of Northeast Texas with the snow being the predominant precipitation type during the afternoon and evening of January 9th. Following are some snowfall totals for January 9th across Northeast Texas: 8 inches in Detroit, 7 inches in New Boston, 6 inches in Clarksville, 5 inches in Mineola and Mount Pleasant, 4 inches in Atlanta, Daingerfield, Jefferson and Mount Vernon, 3 inches in Carthage, Gilmer, Longview, Marshall, Pittsburg and Tyler, 2 inches in Henderson and 1 inch in Jacksonville. There were numerous reports of traffic accidents across the northern half of Northeast Texas |with isolated power outages as well.

Widespread showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a strong cold front as a powerful upper level storm system plowed into the southern plains during the afternoon hours of October 29th. Strong shear was in place across the region such that several tornadic thunderstorms developed...producing widespread wind damage across portions of northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas as well as northern Louisiana. These storms trained across the same general area such that flooding was widespread. Flooding was severe across northwest Louisiana where flooding was reported in many homes and businesses. Area bayous, creeks, rivers and lakes were already at high levels from the excessive heavy rainfall that fell earlier in the month. Thus, some lakes and bayous approached and succeeded their all time record stage levels.

A northward moving warm front across northeast Texas...southwest Arkansas as well as northern Louisiana encountered a very unstable airmass across the region. An upper level disturbance moved northeast from central Texas during the afternoon and evening hours of May 22nd. The result was widespread severe thunderstorms which produced large hail and very damaging wind gusts. Numerous reports of trees and powerlines downed across the region with the Texarkana area getting hit very hard once again.

Severe thunderstorms that developed during the evening hours of April 8th, continued during the overnight hours and into the morning hours of April 9th. These thunderstorms continued to produce large hail along with damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Just before sunrise and a few hours after sunrise...the thunderstorms took on the configuration of bow echoes which downed several trees and power lines across northeast Texas and southwest Arkansas. While instability waned during the morning hours...the storms prevailed in a strongly sheared environment.