Power Outage in Borger, TX

Emergency manager reported roof blown off of a house and power poles down in Borger.

The number of residents affected were 6482. There were 117 business that also reported economic injuries. Damages and economic impact also resulted from: debris cleanup (downed trees, etc), numerous downed power lines and broken power poles, and damaged to roads and bridges.

Several trees were uprooted and multiple power poles were downed throughout Borger.

Two thunderstorms merged northwest of Borger (Hutchinson County) around the 9 PM CST hour before collapsing upon it's own updraft. This produced an estimated 94 mph microburst in Borger (Hutchinson County) which bent traffic signs, metal power lines, and blew down tree limbs 2 miles north side of Borger (Hutchinson County). The microburst wind continued to move across the town producing widespread wind damage.

The member of the media reported 0.10 inches of ice, and power outages across the city of Borger.

The local newspaper reported that the high winds caused many EXCEL Energy customers to lose power in the town of Fritch Texas in Hutchinson County. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities.

The Hutchinson County Emergency Managers Office reported that several trees and power lines were blown by the thunderstorm wind gust. Also, a metal carport was blown over. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities.

The tornado touched down three miles south southwest of Pringle or six miles northwest of Stinnett at 1844 CST. The tornado was on the ground for about five miles with a maximum path width of three hundred yards. The tornado moved to the north dissipating at 1900 CST three miles northwest of Pringle. The National Weather Service survey team found significant damage to a farm located on County Road J between County Road 8 and County Road 9. A large portion of the roof was removed from the residence with considerable damage to several small sheds in the vicinity. Numerous trees were stripped with many broken large branches. A pickup truck behind the residence was flipped upside down with the cab smashed. Several power poles were snapped along County Road J just to the east of the residence with additional damage sustained to a few irrigation pivots. A storage bin and large fuel tank were found up to fifty yards to the east northeast of their original locations. One resident was home at the time but no injuries were reported.

The Hutchinson County Emergency Manager's Office reported ten inches of snow in Pringle along with visibilities of less than one quarter of a mile...three to four foot snow drifts...and wind gusts of forty knots. The northern part of Hutchinson County was reported to be without power.

Numerous trees and powerlines were reported down in the city of Borger. Major structural damage reported to buildings. No injuries were reported.

A damage assessment was made on this tornado. A mobile home was completely destroyed and a pickup truck was heavily damaged. Fences and power poles were damaged within a radius of about fifty yards from the home site. Damage to trees was confined to those near the home site.

A dryline divided the western and eastern combined Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles on the afternoon of the 7th. Continued drought and abnormally warm temperatures led to a unusually powerful dust devils.

The Brittain Ranch Wildfire began around 1230CST about five miles north northeast of Stinnett Texas in Hutchinson County. The cause of the wildfire was determined to be from downed power lines. The wildfire consumed approximately two thousand acres. There was a report of two homes and three other structures threatened but saved. There were no reports of any homes or other structures damaged or destroyed by the wildfire. There were also no reports of any injuries or fatalities. The wildfire was brought under control around 1800CST. The Borger Fire Department, Crutch Ranch VFD, Fritch VFD, Spearman VFD, Stinnett VFD, Hardin County ESD #5, and the Texas A&M Forest Service responded to the wildfire.

The Bugbee Wildfire began around 1145CST about seven miles northwest of Sanford Texas in Hutchinson County near Farm to Market Road 1319 and Farm to Market Road 3395. There were approximately fifty homes that were threatened by the wildfire along with about twenty other structures but they were saved. There were no homes or other structures damaged or destroyed by the wildfire. There was one near miss reported but no reports of any injuries or fatalities. The wildfire consumed approximately two thousand seven hundred acres. The wildfire was determined to have been caused by downed power lines. There were a total of eleven fire departments and other fire agencies that responded to the wildfire including the Texas A&M Forest Service. The wildfire was contained around 1800CST.

The Bentley Wildfire began around 1710CST about two miles west of Stinnett Texas in Hutchinson County. The wildfire was caused by downed power lines and consumed two hundred and eleven acres. There were twenty-five homes threatened by the wildfire but were saved. There were no reports of any homes or other structures damaged or destroyed by the wildfire. There were no reports of any injuries or fatalities. The Texas A&M Forest Service responded to the wildfire which was contained around 2300CST.

A strong upper level low pressure system moved due east near the US/Mexico border and was centered over northern Mexico near the New Mexico state line by the morning of the 15th. With the jet streak around the base of the upper level low to the south and a northern stream jet with its western extent over Nebraska, a large region of vertical ascent with upper level divergence was also present. The strong mid level winds helped to steer the south-southeasterly 850-700 hPa flow. As a result, throughout the 14th and early on the 15th, upper air soundings showed a pronounced warm nose of around 5C between 800-850 mb. With below freezing temperatures right at the surface, this was ideal for a pronounced freezing rain event with several batches of precipitation working through the region, even some precipitation bands had convection associated with them. Extensive damage was reported with damage totals well into the tens of millions across the northern and northeastern TX panhandle. As indicated by Xcel Energy company, 58,000 customers were impacted at the height of the storm. This was their largest event in almost 17 years. Much of the financial losses reported were due to broken power poles and downed power lines of the electric coops and debris clean-up from numerous downed tree limbs. Several homes where damaged or destroyed due to electric fires caused by the ice.

The Crutch Complex Wildfire is actually two wildfires that became one wildfire complex. The first and largest wildfire from the complex was the Crutch Wildfire which began around 1038CST approximately seven miles northwest of Skellytown Texas in Hutchinson county. The wildfire consumed forty-four thousand six hundred and eighty-six acres in Carson, Hutchinson, Roberts and Gray counties. There were two abandoned homes and two other structures which were destroyed. Another three homes and one other structure were saved. There there were no reports of injuries or fatalities however there were four near misses. There were two Texas Forest Service task forces, fire supervisors, and two single engine air tankers or SEATs that were assigned to this wildfire. An additional two task forces arrived later to relieve the Texas Forest Service resources that worked through the night on this wildfire. The cause of this wildfire was downed power lines. There were a total of ten fire departments or other fire agencies including the Texas Forest Service that responded to the wildfire. The wildfire was finally contained by 1100CST on March 25.||The second wildfire was the Arrington Wildfire which began in Gray county about six miles northwest of Pampa Texas and consumed ten acres before becoming absorbed into the Crutch Wildfire. There were no reports of damages, injuries or fatalities from this wildfire.

The Christmas After wildfire began around 1430CST about three miles northeast of Stinnett, Texas in central Hutchinson county east of County Road 11 and north of Farm to Market Road 1526. The wildfire consumed an estimated three hundred acres and was caused by downed power lines. There were no reports of homes or any other structures being threatened and no homes or other structures were damaged or lost. There were also no reports of injuries or fatalities. The wildfire was contained around 0130CST to 0200CST on Sunday December 27. A total of nine fire departments and other fire agencies responded to the wildfire including the Texas Forest Service.

The Sunday Evening wildfire began around 1912CST about four miles southeast of Pringle Texas in the central Texas Panhandle or just east of County Road 12 and State Highway 207 and was moving in a northeasterly direction. The wildfire consumed two thousand one hundred and ninety-seven acres and was caused by downed power lines. One home was threatened but saved and there were no reports of homes or any other structures being damaged or lost. There were also no reports of damage to any farm fencing or livestock. There was one report of an injury, however there were no reports of fatalities. Although the wildfire was contained around 0730CST on Monday December 21, the wildfire rekindled again by 1500CST on Monday December 21. The wildfire was finally contained by 1840CST on Monday December 21. A portion of the wildfire was located in the Canadian River breaks making it extremely difficult for firefighters and fire trucks to gain access to the wildfire because of the rugged terrain. A total of eleven fire departments and other fire agencies, including the Texas Forest Service, the National Park Service at Lake Meredith, and multiple personnel from area ranches, responded to the wildfire. The Texas Forest Service provided dozers and other heavy equipment to assist with wildfire operations.

The North 136 Wildfire began around 0734CST in Hutchinson county about four miles northwest of Stinnett Texas. The wildfire consumed an estimated four hundred and twenty and was caused by downed power lines. There was one home that was threatened but saved and there were no homes or other structures lost. There were no reports of injuries or fatalities. The wildfire was contained around 1330CST and a total of six fire departments and other agencies responded to the wildfire including the Texas A&M Forest Service.

The Turkey Track Wildfire began on February 18, 2014 in Hutchinson county on the Turkey Track Ranch around 1350CST about seventeen miles east northeast of Stinnett Texas. The large wildfire consumed an estimated six hundred acres which threatened four homes and ten other structures. However, no structures were damaged or lost. There were also no reports of injuries or fatalities but there was one near miss. The cause of the wildfire was determined to be from downed power lines. A total of thirteen fire departments and other fire agencies responded to the wildfire including the National Park Service, personnel from the Crutch Ranch and the Big Creek Ranch, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter, a privately owned helicopter which spotted for the fire fighters and a third helicopter which performed water drops along with crews from Spearman, Gruver, Skellytown, Stinnett, Fritch and Borger. The wildfire was contained around 2000CST.

The Texas Forest Service reported that the Turkey Track Wildfire began about seven miles east of Stinnett Texas in Hutchinson County around 1246 CST. The wildfire threatened three homes and four other structures along with oil wells, pipelines, and power lines. However, no damages were reported. There were also no reports of injuries. A measured three thousand and sixty-one acres were consumed by the wildfire. The cause of the wildfire was still under investigation. The wildfire was controlled on August 3 at 1900 CST.

A severe thunderstorm which moved across the central Texas panhandle during the evening hours produced damaging winds which snapped off two electric poles and dropped three power lines which powered several pump jacks across State Highway 152. No injuries were reported.