Power Outage in Killeen, TX

A supercell tracked across Coryell County on the afternoon of April 28th producing an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds around 105 mph. The pattern of damage suggests this tornado may have been a multi-vortex tornado and evidence of very strong RFD wind damage was also found just south of the tornado track, further complicating the track location.||The tornado likely began near Bagget Mountain, tracked across CR 146, and did the most notable damage along CR 148. Several large trees along CR 148, in multiple locations, were damaged ranging from broken trunks to large trees uprooted. The property of a sporting range was damaged with the shooting range cover being blown across the street to the northeast. Two injuries occurred at this location, and one person was transported with a leg injury. The tornado generally followed CRs 148 and 147 on a southeast direction, continuing to damage trees and causing minor roof damage. The tornado crossed FM 116, just north of CR 145, causing damage to trees and minor roof damage to a home east of the road. The tornado then moved onto the property of Fort Hood. Access to this area is limited, but additional damage to trees and power poles was found along West Range Road, south of Henson Creek. The end of the tornado was estimated by radar over inaccessible areas of Fort Hood.||RFD winds were determined to be the cause of damage of a collapsed cell phone tower along West Range Road and a home on Longview Circle that lost part of its roof. The RFD winds could have been near 95 mph.

A supercell tracked across Coryell County on the afternoon of April 28th producing an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds around 105 mph. The pattern of damage suggests this tornado may have been a multi-vortex tornado and evidence of very strong RFD wind damage was also found just south of the tornado track, further complicating the track location.||The tornado likely began near Bagget Mountain, tracked across CR 146, and did the most notable damage along CR 148. Several large trees along CR 148, in multiple locations, were damaged ranging from broken trunks to large trees uprooted. The property of a sporting range was damaged with the shooting range cover being blown across the street to the northeast. Two injuries occurred at this location, and one person was transported with a leg injury. The tornado generally followed CRs 148 and 147 on a southeast direction, continuing to damage trees and causing minor roof damage. The tornado crossed FM 116, just north of CR 145, causing damage to trees and minor roof damage to a home east of the road. The tornado then moved onto the property of Fort Hood. Access to this area is limited, but additional damage to trees and power poles was found along West Range Road, south of Henson Creek. The end of the tornado was estimated by radar over inaccessible areas of Fort Hood.||RFD winds were determined to be the cause of damage of a collapsed cell phone tower along West Range Road and a home on Longview Circle that lost part of its roof. The RFD winds could have been near 95 mph.

This tornado began in northern Williamson County and additional information about the beginning of this tornado track can be found from the NWS Austin/San Antonio office.||Video evidence taken on the ground during the tornadic event, and areal footage of the damage track show the parent circulation produced at least 3 small, brief tornadoes while the storm circulation was near and east of the county line. Scattered damage points and small paths are making it difficult to determine which areas may have been impacted by each of these smaller tornadoes before the parent tornado formed. Therefore, in the area just east of the Williamson/Bell County line, the damage extent of the tornadic track has been widened to include all the known damage points (all EF-0s or EF-1s). In this case, since it is too difficult to discern the smaller tracks, and because they all formed from the same parent circulation within a short amount of time of each other, they will all be considered one tornado. The maximum width listed will remain the maximum width of the parent tornado (the EF-3 tornado).||The tornado, which began in northern Williamson County, entered extreme southern Bell County north of the junction between Bell County Road 231 and FM 2843. In this area there was a narrow swath of tree damage consistent with EF-0 intensity wind speeds, with some damage to outbuildings as well. The tornado moved east-northeast and intersected FM 2843, where the damage to trees and structures became much more significant. At least 15-20 damaged homes were visible to the survey team on both sides of FM 2843, with the most significant damage concentrated near the junction of FM 2843 and Buttermilk Road. In this vicinity, at least 10 structures suffered EF-2 to EF-3 intensity damage, with a small cluster of homes experiencing estimated peak tornado wind speeds of 150 to 165 mph. These structures had all or most of their roofs removed, and some of them had one or more exterior walls collapsed. Two churches along FM 2843 in the vicinity of Buttermilk Road were seriously damaged, with roofing material removed and multiple walls collapsed. Numerous vehicles in the area had significant damage consistent with being rolled or having flying projectiles thrown into them. Many hardwood trees along the FM 2843 corridor in the tornado path were uprooted or snapped, and many power poles were also snapped.||Beyond Buttermilk Road, the tornado continued traveling east-northeastward another 1.5 miles along FM 2843, then began a sharp turn to the northeast and eventually a northerly direction. Aerial footage allowed us to track the damage through inaccessible areas where notable tree damage, damage to homes and barns was observed along the path of the tornado.||The tornado reached Crows Ranch Rd and damaged aluminum panels of the roof of a home and blew in the panel garage door. It continued over a ridge line, then intensified again shortly before crossing FM 2484. It uprooted many large trees, shifted a large barn's walls, lifted roof panels off a shed, and caused significant damage to a residence. The residence's roof was almost entirely removed from the structure, and a section of the south facing wall was blown in. The east facing wall was completely blown out, all consistent with a high-end EF2 rating in this location. The tornado then continued northwest into the South Shore neighborhood, and then into Union Grove Park where it lifted shortly after moving onto Stillhouse Hollow Lake.

This tornado began in northern Williamson County and additional information about the beginning of this tornado track can be found from the NWS Austin/San Antonio office.||Video evidence taken on the ground during the tornadic event, and areal footage of the damage track show the parent circulation produced at least 3 small, brief tornadoes while the storm circulation was near and east of the county line. Scattered damage points and small paths are making it difficult to determine which areas may have been impacted by each of these smaller tornadoes before the parent tornado formed. Therefore, in the area just east of the Williamson/Bell County line, the damage extent of the tornadic track has been widened to include all the known damage points (all EF-0s or EF-1s). In this case, since it is too difficult to discern the smaller tracks, and because they all formed from the same parent circulation within a short amount of time of each other, they will all be considered one tornado. The maximum width listed will remain the maximum width of the parent tornado (the EF-3 tornado).||The tornado, which began in northern Williamson County, entered extreme southern Bell County north of the junction between Bell County Road 231 and FM 2843. In this area there was a narrow swath of tree damage consistent with EF-0 intensity wind speeds, with some damage to outbuildings as well. The tornado moved east-northeast and intersected FM 2843, where the damage to trees and structures became much more significant. At least 15-20 damaged homes were visible to the survey team on both sides of FM 2843, with the most significant damage concentrated near the junction of FM 2843 and Buttermilk Road. In this vicinity, at least 10 structures suffered EF-2 to EF-3 intensity damage, with a small cluster of homes experiencing estimated peak tornado wind speeds of 150 to 165 mph. These structures had all or most of their roofs removed, and some of them had one or more exterior walls collapsed. Two churches along FM 2843 in the vicinity of Buttermilk Road were seriously damaged, with roofing material removed and multiple walls collapsed. Numerous vehicles in the area had significant damage consistent with being rolled or having flying projectiles thrown into them. Many hardwood trees along the FM 2843 corridor in the tornado path were uprooted or snapped, and many power poles were also snapped.||Beyond Buttermilk Road, the tornado continued traveling east-northeastward another 1.5 miles along FM 2843, then began a sharp turn to the northeast and eventually a northerly direction. Aerial footage allowed us to track the damage through inaccessible areas where notable tree damage, damage to homes and barns was observed along the path of the tornado.||The tornado reached Crows Ranch Rd and damaged aluminum panels of the roof of a home and blew in the panel garage door. It continued over a ridge line, then intensified again shortly before crossing FM 2484. It uprooted many large trees, shifted a large barn's walls, lifted roof panels off a shed, and caused significant damage to a residence. The residence's roof was almost entirely removed from the structure, and a section of the south facing wall was blown in. The east facing wall was completely blown out, all consistent with a high-end EF2 rating in this location. The tornado then continued northwest into the South Shore neighborhood, and then into Union Grove Park where it lifted shortly after moving onto Stillhouse Hollow Lake.

This tornado crossed the Williamson/Bell County line moving towards the north-northeast, crossing Alligator Rd where some power poles and trees were damaged. The tornado continued northeast, damaging more trees and power poles near FM-487 and along Donahoe Rd. It is believed to have lifted just as it was crossing FM-2268 east of the town of Vilas. Maximum estimated winds in Bell County were 90 mph.

A wind gust of 69 mph was measured at Fort Hood (KHLR). Military personnel reported an empty shipping container was pushed sideways in the strong wind. In addition, some minor structural damage occurred to a hangar door and some fencing. Some power poles were also down and tree limbs/branches were also knocked down.

A public report indicated three-inch diameter tree limbs knocked down and power poles broken in the city of Harker Heights, TX.

Extreme cold gripped the county for several days. Overnight lows were near or below 20 degrees Fahrenheit almost all week. The period of February 15-16th was the coldest with low temperatures in the single digits to slightly below degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature on the 15th was only around 20 degrees. Wind chill values during the 14th-16th were between 0 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit most of the time. The cold temperatures resulted in an extreme amount of damage to pipes, infrastructure, and power.

Freezing rain and sleet fell across Bell County. Total ice accumulations ranged up to a half of an inch. A trained spotter reported the ice accumulation as mostly from freezing rain. The ice broke tree limbs and caused power outages.

Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down tree limbs and power lines in North Killeen. A nearby AWOS reported a 59 mph wind gust.

Strong and gusty south winds caused damage in Bell County, especially in the Killeen area. During the afternoon hours, the winds were gusting over 50 mph at times. The strongest measured wind gust was 54 mph at the Killeen/Fort Hood Regional Airport (KGRK). Many tree limbs were broken with several limbs knocking down power lines and causing power outages. Up to 5500 customers in the county were without power at some point. At least two tree limbs fell on cars. Fences were blown down, some windows were broken by flying debris, and a few sheds were also knocked over by the strong winds. Shingles and roofs were also damaged by the strong winds. One TV station reported the roof of a hangar partially collapsed at Fort Hood. In addition, the strong winds hampered fire fighting efforts at a few structure fires.

The Union Grove Fire was located near Stillhouse Hollow Lake along CR 2484 by Union Grove Park. The fire started when a transformer exploded causing a power line to drop. The fire threatened the South Shores, River's Bend and Woods of Salado developments, and burned 500 acres.

Strong winds with a cold front gusted between 50-55 mph in Bell County. On Interstate 35 in Temple, a tractor-trailer rig was flipped over by the strong winds. In Killeen, the wall of an apartment building was knocked in due to the strong winds. The strong winds also resulted in power outages across the area caused by leaning power poles and tree limbs and debris blown into the power lines.

An average of 3 to 5 inches of snow fell across Bell County. The local COOP observer in the city of Troy recorded 4 inches of snow. There were more than 20 vehicle accidents in the county due to the hazardous driving conditions. About 2,000 customers in the city of Belton lost power for a brief period of time. Almost all flights at the Killeen-Ft. Hood Regional airport were canceled, and several streets and bridges in the county were briefly closed before sand trucks were able to treat the roadways.

In Moffat, high winds brought a tree crashing down on top of a car that trapped a woman inside. The woman was not seriously injured. In Temple, a few trees and a few power lines were reported down. Approximately 130 customers lost power in Temple. The nearest ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 41 mph.

A brief power outage which affected about 200 residents was reported near Copperas Cove when a frozen tree limb touched a power line. Three weather-related traffic accidents were reported in Killeen along Highway 190.

Power lines and poles were blown down in Killeen.

High winds caused a power line to fall across Highway 190 onto a car, and to tear a hole in a church roof on Highway 195. About 3,500 residents and businesses were without power in Killeen.

Spotters reported snowfall totals of 4.50 inches in Killeen. The snow weighted down tree limbs, which broke and pulled down power lines. This caused power outages to about 20,000 people. A large oak fell and damaged a light in a parking lot.

Icy conditions caused limbs to fall across power lines, cutting power to about 6,000 residents in Temple and Belton.

Strong winds blew down numerous trees and tree limbs, as well as power lines around the county. Traffic signals were also downed.

A power line fell across a three-car garage in Temple, melting and setting fire to the adjacent aluminum gutters and wooden walls. However...only minor damage to the garage was reported.

Wind damage was reported in several counties due to strong winds associated with dissipating thunderstorms. In Bell County, power lines were blown down in Morgan's Point Resort and Troy. Power lines were blown down and a roof was damaged in the city of Rosebud in Falls County. In Milam County, a barn was damaged and trees were uprooted between Maysfield and Branchville. Storm spotters reported a 60 MPH wind gust in Rockdale. In Robertson County, trees were reported down three miles west of Hearne, and power lines were downed in Bremond.

Power lines down in Troy.

Numerous reports of downed power lines.

Structural damage to a house. Also, a piece of tin was ripped off a barn, one power pole was broken at its base, and two trees were blown down across a road.

Trees and power lines were blown down west of Killeen.

Trees and power lines were blown down by high thunderstorm winds.

A boat storage building was unroofed and a wall was blown down on the west side of Belton. Power poles were blown down in Harker Heights. Power was out to 3,700 customers. An awning in Nolanville was blown down and shingles were blown off the community center. The tornado path was apparently intermittent.

A Heavy Snow event, triggered by a large upper level low, unfolded across mainly the southern half of FWD CWA. The highest snowfall totals accumulated along and south of Interstate 20 and west of Interstate 35. A band of 8-9 of snow fell in an area from Stephenville to Mosheim. The highest snowfall total of 9 inches was reported in Mosheim (far southern Bosque County). A secondary band of 6-8 inches of snow also fell from Hearne to Palestine. Throughout the event, temperatures largely remained in the lower 30s. Thus, the impacts were very minimal from this snow event. Some travel impacts due to snow-covered roads, some downed tree branches, and downed power lines causing some power issues were the extent of impacts due to the snow. In addition, schools and government buildings/businesses did close for at least a day in many locations.

A linear mesoscale convective system developed in Lampasas County and moved northeast through north Texas on the night of Friday, April 23rd into the early morning hours of the 24th. There were some isolated reports of hail up to the size of golfballs, however most of the damage from these storms resulted from strong straight-line winds up to 90 mph. There was a brief tornado in Mabank in far southeastern Kaufman County. Most of the damage associated with the strong winds were downed trees, power poles, and power lines, but some building and residential damage was evident. Thousands of residents lost power during the event.

An upper level disturbance moved through north Texas with the best lift south of Interstate 20. The precipitation initially began as rain, but as colder temperatures filtered into the region, the rain transitioned to snow. An average of 2 to 5 inches fell across the southern portions of the NWS Fort Worth County Warning Area. However, several small bands formed across the region where 3 to 6 inches was observed. The heaviest snow band formed over Anderson County where a storm total of 6 inches fell near Palestine. Surface temperatures hovered at or just above freezing and helped with the overall impacts from the winter storm. There were several minor accidents and one major accident which resulted in one fatality due to the slushy driving conditions. There were also minor power outages reported throughout the region.