Power Outage in Memphis, TX

A NWS storm survey was conducted in eastern Hall County near Estelline. The survey found considerable damage to homes, metal structures, and other outbuildings and trees at several homesteads. This damage was along Texas State Highway 86 to the west of Estelline and at another homestead roughly seven miles south-southwest of Memphis. The damage was found to be in generally uniform direction from northeast to southwest or southeast to northwest and in a broadly divergent pattern indicative of severe straight line winds associated with microbursts. Also, several power poles were downed and center pivots overturned across eastern Hall County.

A NWS storm survey was conducted in eastern Hall County near Estelline. The survey found considerable damage to homes, metal structures, and other outbuildings and trees at several homesteads. This damage was along Texas State Highway 86 to the west of Estelline and at another homestead roughly seven miles south-southwest of Memphis. The damage was found to be in generally uniform direction from northeast to southwest or southeast to northwest and in a broadly divergent pattern indicative of severe straight line winds associated with microbursts. Also, several power poles were downed and center pivots overturned across eastern Hall County.

A swath of destructive winds lasting for up to 15 minutes moved north across the city of Memphis this evening. These winds resulted in scattered minor to moderate damage in the town of Memphis. Most damage was comprised of broken tree limbs, a few downed trees, damaged shingles and siding, collapsed car ports, some broken windows, and a few downed power lines.

A swath of destructive winds lasting for up to 15 minutes moved north across the city of Memphis this evening. These winds resulted in scattered minor to moderate damage in the town of Memphis. Most damage was comprised of broken tree limbs, a few downed trees, damaged shingles and siding, collapsed car ports, some broken windows, and a few downed power lines.

Law enforcement reported thunderstorm wind damage in and near the community of Plaska. Reports consisted of damage to barns, downed power lines, a few trailers blown over, and a roof removed from a home. A NWS storm survey was unable to reach this area to determine the full extent of damage, however a storm chaser in the area did report frequent inflow wind gusts to at least 60 mph into a nearby supercell thunderstorm. It is unclear if the damage was the result of inflow or outflow winds, or a combination thereof. Property damage was estimated to be around $15 thousand.

Destructive straight line winds measured up to 74 mph by a KVII-TV mesonet in Memphis resulted in numerous instances of mostly minor damage throughout the town. The most visible damage was caused after a tin roof was lifted and thrown into a nearby health clinic collapsing a small exterior wall. Also, portions of the high school football stadium press box were removed. The majority of the damage reports involved downed tree limbs, power lines and road signs. Some fences were also blown over and roofs were reported to have sustained generally minor damage. No injuries were reported.

A brief but very intense thunderstorm wind gust of 66 mph was recorded by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Memphis. Local officials reported that the winds downed a number of power lines.

Extreme winds developed within increasing pressure gradients in the wake of a linear convective complex over the extreme southeastern Texas Panhandle during the late evening hour of the 19th. Although the storms themselves directly resulted in damaging winds, high winds over Hall County resulted from a meso-high that was clearly identified in mesonet data and through a notable decrease in trailing stratiform precipitation. ||Severe winds, with gusts up to 71 mph were initially measured by the Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Memphis between 23:20 and 23:25 CST. A KVII-TV Schoolnet site in Memphis recorded a peak gust of 89 mph at 23:21 CST. Although tree and power line damage was widespread, structural damage was limited to a destroyed gas station awning.||The Texas Tech University West Texas Mesonet site near Turkey additionally recorded a severe wind gust of 59 mph at 23:55 CST.

A heat burst was recorded by the West Texas Mesonet near Amherst shortly after 23:00 CST on the 26th. Severe wind gusts up to 61 MPH were measured in association with a 13 degree rise in temperature. The heat burst occurred in association with dissipating convection over Lamb County. A second heat burst was observed in data from the West Texas Mesonet and the KVII-TV School net near Memphis. Instruments from both remote weather stations sampled a heat burst during the very early hours of the 27th. A peak wind gust of 76 MPH was recorded during the heat burst. The severe winds were associated with a 13 degree rise in temperature. The Hall County Sheriff's Office reported several downed power lines in Memphis. No structural damage was reported.

Strong to severe westerly winds brought blowing dust and minor damage to the South Plains region of west Texas. The winds additioanally fanned raging wildfires. Winds over the South Plains region of west Texas gusted as high as 66 MPH. This downed power lines and caused light roof damage. Around 14:00 CST, severe wind gusts caused a tractor-trailer to roll over while traveling along Interstate 27 near Abernathy (Hale County). The driver walked away with no injuries. Numerous homes across the region lost shingles from roofs, particularly in Lubbock. Neither significant structural damage nor injuries were reported. A list of severe wind gusts recorded by the Texas Tech West Texas Mesonet and area observing stations follows:Abernathy (Hale County).........58 MPHAmherst (Lamb County)..........59 MPHChildress (Childress County)...58 MPHDimmitt (Castro County).........62 MPHFloydada (Floyd County).........58 MPHFriona (Parmer County)...........65 MPHGraham (Garza County)..........66 MPHHart (Castro County)...............61MPHMemphis (Hall County)...........60 MPHMuleshoe (Bailey County).......61 MPHOlton (Lamb County)..............60 MPHPaducah (Cottle County)..........58 MPHPlainview (Hale County)..........58 MPHPost (Garza County)................62 MPHTahoka (Lynn County)............58 MPHTulia (Swisher County)...........60 MPHSilverton (Briscoe County)......64 MPHWolfforth (Lubbock County)....59MPH

The Memphis Fire Department reported power poles blown down throughout town with estimated 60 to 70 mph wind gusts.

Strong thunderstorm winds destroyed several barns and blew down trees and power lines.

Strong thunderstorm wind gusts overturned four tractor trailers, caused extensive damage to buildings, including the school library, damaged the roofs of at least 50 homes, snapped power poles, and blew down power lines and trees. Portions of Highway 287 were closed due to this damage.

A storm chaser reported a tornado southwest of town. The tornado snapped and uprooted trees, blew down power lines, and snapped a number of power poles.

A storm chaser followed a tornado from just east of Memphis to about 13 miles west of Loco (in Childress County). The tornado snapped trees and power poles and downed power lines.

A storm chaser reported a tornado north of town. The tornado snapped and uprooted trees, blew down power lines, and snapped power poles.

Strong thunderstorm wind gusts, probably associated with the rear flank downdraft of the tornadic supercell, produced major damage to trees, power poles, power lines, center pivot irrigation systems, and the roofs of homes throughout a 10-mile stretch of Highway 256. An NWS storm survey team estimated winds associated with this damage to be in the 80 to 100 mph range.

An area of low pressure rapidly deepened over western Kansas in response to a strong upper level disturbance moving into the Plains. The pressure gradient strengthened over the Southern Plains with the western extent of the high surface winds occurring over the extreme southeastern Panhandle and northern Rolling Plains. Sustained wind of 40 to 45 mph was measured at KCDS for several hours with gusts reaching 56 mph. A few power lines and small tree limbs were blown down by the strong wind.