Power Outage in Odessa, TX

A thunderstorm produced wind damage in Odessa, TX. Eight power poles were snapped at the base near the 1400 block of E 2nd Street in Odessa along Business 20. Wind speeds were estimated to be 95 mph based on the wind damage. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm blew a powerline down on Highway 385 two miles north of Pleasant Farms. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm produced estimated 60 mph winds which knocked down power lines five miles north of West Odessa. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage southwest of Odessa. A power pole was snapped on the corner of Farm to Market Road 866 and Interstate 20. The time of the event was estimated using radar. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced a tornado southeast of Odessa. The tornado developed in Ector County approximately nine miles southeast of Odessa, northeast of the Pleasant Farms community, and moved northeastward into southwest portions of Midland County. The aerial survey of this tornado revealed a clearly defined path. Numerous power poles were broken. The survey also showed pump jacks and other oil field equipment that were toppled by the tornado. The tornado had a lifespan of 15 minutes. Based on research that occurred in association with the May 14, 2010 Notrees tornado, a tornado that also knocked down oil field pump jacks, this tornado was rated as an EF-3 tornado. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and knocked out the power in West Odessa.

Power lines along South Loving Trail snapped.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in West Odessa. There were a few powerpoles and several trees down which resulted in some road closures. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in West Odessa. There were sixteen power poles that snapped. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

Strong winds blew a power pole down in Odessa.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in Odessa. Numerous power poles were blown down along Yukon Road near Ratliff Stadium. There was also a tree blown down at 50th and Keeler Avenue in Odessa. The time of damage was estimated from radar. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

Thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 65 kts caused downed power lines and power outages at University and Eastover Drive in Odessa. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

Oncor Utilities reported 7,500 customers without power, and Sharyland reported 800 customers without power across Ector County from downed power lines due to icing. The Odessa Police Department reported streets becoming flooded from moderate to heavy rainfall and ice blocking drainage. ||Odessa Fire and Rescue reported numerous power lines down, in addition to high water rescues, and advised residents to stay away from Tom Green, Muskingum and Dixie streets between 52nd street, south to 16th street.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage near Odessa. Power lines were blown down at West 67th and County Road West. The cost of damage is a rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in Odessa. Twenty power poles were blown down at Yukon and Grandview in Odessa. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

The Ector County S.O. reported up to 2 inches of ice accumulation. A tractor trailer slid off Interstate 20 approximately 13 miles southwest of Odessa. Overpasses on Interstate 20 closed from 10 to 13 miles southwest of Odessa due to icing. As of 6 pm CST on 11/24, 2,188 meters were still out in Odessa due to power lines down from icing. Each meter represents a residence or business.

A thunderstorm moved across Ector County and produced wind damage in Odessa. The wind damage was determined to be from a microburst. The most intense winds and greatest damage during the thunderstorm was confined to Triple Crown Drive near the intersection of South Gallant Fox Avenue in Odessa. Damage consisted of a corrugated tin roof partially blown off of a barn. A side addition to the barn collapsed from the wind. Tree branches of up to two inches from a partially live tree were broken. Debris from the barn roof travelled about 200 yards across the street and punctured a mobile home. Winds also blew off part of the siding from the mobile home. A vehicle on the property was damaged by the wind and the roof debris. The West Odessa Fire Department reported several power poles snapped in the area. Based on the damage, the peak wind speed was 70 to 80 mph. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

A thunderstorm moved over Ector County and produced severe winds in Odessa. A tree was reported to be uprooted, and two semi trucks were blown over on I-20. Also, a fence was blown over, and the power got knocked out to a motel for over six hours. The cost of damage is a very rough estimate.

Named the Bate's Field Fire, this fire burned 3200 acres and threatened 300 homes, a power plant and a water treatment plant.

The media reported downed power lines in West Odessa. In addition, a NWS damage survey conducted the following day revealed damage to several other structures including a trailer, two mobile homes, and several roofs.

Downed power poles were reported on the northeast side of Odessa. The number of power poles was not reported, and therefore, the monetary damage was estimated for this event.

The Automated Surface Observing System at Odessa Schlemeyer (KODO) recorded a wind gust of 63 mph. As this report came in, multiple reports of power outages in Odessa started being phoned into the office. The Ector County emergency manager reported 20 power poles downed, 1500 customers without power, and two Texas Department of Transportation street signs, including a 48 inch flashing light sign. Local broadcasters reported that a front porch detached from the house was torn up and thrown approximately 50 yards.

The Odessa Fire Department reported many power poles snapped and lines down across town.|Other Ector County authorities reported extensive wind damage to the Knights of Columbus building in Odessa.

Two reports of damaging winds were received from Pleasant Farms and the surrounding area. Damage included: Downed trees and power poles, power outages, and the roof of a trailer home was blown off.

A bow-shaped segment of the linear complex moved across central Ector County. Damaging thunderstorm winds blew down traffic signs in West Odessa. Power lines also were blown down in Odessa. In addition, a few windows were broken by the winds and several garbage dumpsters were blown into the city streets. No injuries were reported.

A large severe thunderstorm developed over central Ector County in the area between Odessa and Penwell. This storm resulted in numerous reports of destructive thunderstorm winds with blowing large hail. A wind gust of 71 MPH was measured near Penwell. Gusts likely exceeded this measurement in the Odessa and Pleasant Farms vicinities where more extensive damage occurred. A barn was destroyed in Pleasant Farms, and a tractor trailer was overturned on Highway 302 west of Odessa. The most extensive damage occurred in the city of Odessa. Large trees two and half feet in diameter were uprooted. Power lines and poles were blown down. In addition, several roofs were blown off of weakly constructed structures on the southwest side of the city. An apartment complex sustained significant roof damage from the thunderstorm winds, leaving 60 families without shelter. Many city residents were without electricity until the afternoon of the 5th.

Severe thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and rolled two trailer houses. Damage extended from West Odessa to the city of Odessa.

Numerous reports of damaging winds were received from the area around West Odessa. Although reports indicated wind speeds ranging from 80 to 100 MPH, a NWS damage survey concluded that maximum wind gusts were likely 80 MPH. One mobile home was completely destroyed. Seven homes received what was termed major damage, including severe roof or siding damage. Five additional homes had minor damage, restricted to mainly broken windows. Large trees and power poles were also blown down. No injuries were reported.

A powerful storm system moved through the area resulting in strong, damaging winds. This was one of the strongest, widespread wind events in years for West Texas and Southeast New Mexico.

During the early evening of June 14, 2017 severe thunderstorms developed along a dryline and moved across Odessa and into Midland, Texas. An upper low was over North Dakota while upper ridging was over northern Mexico. A shortwave passing over the northern part of the ridge put West Texas in westerly winds aloft and provided some upper level support for thunderstorms. Good moisture east of the dryline, strong heating at the surface with temperatures in the upper 90s to 100s, and high lapse rates lead to very strong instability. Those parameters in combination with wind shear attributed to organized thunderstorm development. These thunderstorms were not supercells, instead they were extremely strong multicellular thunderstorms with tops exceeding 60,000 feet. These severe storms produced very large hail and damaging winds as they moved across parts of the Permian Basin, impacting the highly populated cities of Midland and Odessa. Odessa received the largest hail and strongest winds. ||The thunderstorms began to weaken as they moved into the City of Midland. The storm survey noted damage across a wide area of Odessa and West Odessa. There were reports of power poles snapped. There were numerous reports of baseball size or larger hail and the storm survey found evidence of hail possibly larger than softball size. Numerous homes and businesses had roof damage, windows broken and exterior siding damaged. Numerous trees were uprooted by the strong winds and thousands of cars were damaged by the large hail. This was likely caused by a microburst with estimated wind speeds of 100 mph. The damage estimate for the storms this day and on June 12th totaled to $480 million.

Winds estimated to be 60 mph were reported in southern Ector County. This resulted in downed power lines, patio furniture blown around, and limbs broken off trees.

A strong squall line associated with a frontal boundary and weak upper level disturbance moved into the forecast area causing widespread severe weather and isolated flooding. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued at 6:10 PM CDT and remained in effect until 1 AM CDT and was then extended until 5 AM as the line continued to push south. Damage reports began reaching the office around 9:30 PM CDT (8:30 MDT) as the line entered the northwestern portion of the forecast area and continued until 3:30 AM CDT when the line exited the forecast area.||As the storm entered Lea County New Mexico, reports of wind speeds in excess of 70 mph began coming into the office. These high winds continued as the line surged forward into West Texas. In Seminole, 98 mph (measured) wind speeds toppled several radio towers including a 320 foot tower that fell on a church and bus damaging both. In addition, the roof of Beall's Department store was destroyed and two mobile homes were rolled and destroyed injuring four people. ||As the line continued its southward progression, so did the damaging winds. Many locations began experiencing power outages including two of the three television stations in the Midland/Odessa area, and Midland International Airport. WFO Midland and the Gaines County Emergency Operation Center continued working on back up generator power until commercial power was restored to the area. A 93 mph wind gust was measured at Midland International Airport just prior to the power loss, which rendered it inoperable for the remainder of the night.||The event continued into the early morning hours on Wednesday, where Dryden reported a 63 mph wind gust prior to thunderstorms exiting the area.||Post storm damage surveys indicated that damage across the area was caused by a derecho. A derecho is a ���widespread and long-lived wind storm associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms.��� ||While straight-line winds are common across West Texas ��� especially during the late spring and early summer ��� the magnitude of the wind speeds for this event is quite rare. As an example, the 93 mph wind reported in Midland eclipsed the old record of 86 mph set in February 1960, and was the strongest wind ever recorded in Midland since the NWS began official record keeping in 1930.||During this long-lived weather episode, all but two of the 26 counties within WFO Midland���s CWA experienced severe weather. The majority of these locations experienced high wind events, which resulted in power outages across the area. Because of backup power capability, WFO Midland was able to maintain warning operations throughout the entire severe weather event.||Summary of measured wind reports:||Dryden (K6R6) - 55 kts (63 mph)|Big Spring (KBPG) - 51 kts (59 mph)|Fort Stockton (KFST) - 57 kts (66 mph)|Guadalupe Pass (KGDP) - 62 kts (71 mph)|Wink (KINK) - 58 kts (67 mph)|Midland (KMAF) - 81 kts (93 mph)*|Odessa (KODO) - 55 kts (63 mph)|Seagraves 1 SW (KSGV) - 66 kts (76 mph)|Andrews 2 E (KANS) - 51 kts (59 mph)*|Seminole 2 NNE (KSMS) - 85 kts (98 mph)*|Lamesa 2 SE (KLES) - 45 kts (52 mph)*|Gail 2 ESE (KGGS) - 43 kts (50 mph)*|Pecos (KPEQ) - 56 kts (64 mph)|McDonald Observatory - 61 kts (70 mph)|Tatum, NM Co-op Observer - 68 kts (78 mph)||*These sites lost power shortly after observations, it may be assumed that peak wind gusts were somewhat higher than observed.

Moisture streamed in from the southwest as an upper level storm system approached southeastern New Mexico and west Texas and combined with an Arctic airmass to produce freezing rain and freezing fog across much of the area. |The combination of these two phenomena resulted in a thin coating of ice over many exposed surfaces, including area roadways, bridges, and overpasses, as well as reduced visibilities down to one quarter of a mile at times. The icy roads and the lack of any significant winter weather in the previous winter season contributed to numerous accidents, especially along Interstate 20 in west Texas. Interstate 20 was closed in Ector County and both east and west of Colorado City in Mitchell County. Numerous other roads were closed throughout the warning area, some due to the ice, and others due to accidents resulting from the slick roads. |Ice accumulated on power lines and tree branches resulted in power outages throughout much of west Texas. Ice accumulations ranged from one tenth of an inch to three-sixteenths of an inch across the area.

A cold front that stretched from the Davis mountains northeast across the Permian Basin initiated a series of training thunderstorms that persisted over the Permian Basin for 48 hours. Rain began on the afternoon of the 13th and continued through the afternoon of the 15th causing major flooding problems across the area. The Colorado River and the Rio Grande went into flood and flash flooding occurred over many urban and rural areas. In Midland, officials activated the Emergency Operations Center on Sunday to coordinate resources in response to flooding across the city. Downed power lines and stranded motorists were only a couple of the problems experienced due to the record rainfall and flash flooding. Officials barricaded intersections that are especially prone to flooding. Emergency management officials declared a partial state of emergency in the city due to the amount of flooding and the number of motorists stranded. Twenty high water rescues were performed by firefighters on Sunday. Both the National Weather Service office and the police received several reports of children playing in high water flowing down city streets. Despite these reports, no injuries were reported. Elsewhere across the Permian Basin, only one other high water rescue was performed, in Snyder. Streets were flooded with anywhere from half a foot of water up to three feet of water, causing many roads to be barricaded.

A cold front swept south across the Permian Basin during the morning of the 26th bringing strong northwest winds. Measured wind gusts were generally between 40 and 50 MPH as recorded by area ASOS sites and the Texas Mesonet. Minor roof damage was sustained to a business in Midland. In Odessa, the winds sent roof debris flying off of two businesses, a few large signs were blown down, and a couple of power poles were damaged.

Severe weather affected parts of West Texas during the late evening of the 4th and the early morning hours of the 5th. Although an isolated severe storm produced large hail in the Big Bend region near Marathon, most of the activity was concentrated across the eastern half of the Permian Basin. Most of the reports received were the result of a large and organized MCS which evolved into a bow echo structure as it propagated across the area. Reports of severe winds were common, although damage was limited to mainly downed trees, power poles and lines. Reports of large hail and flash flooding were also received with this complex of storms.

The 27th was a very active severe weather day across the region. Severe thunderstorms began early in the day...with the first reports of severe hail received by 9:30 AM CST. A dryline was positioned near the Texas/New Mexico border...with a well defined outflow boundary oriented across the far northern Permian Basin and the western low rolling plains of West Texas. Numerous supercell thunderstorms developed across the Permian Basin by mid afternoon. Tornadoes were observed as the most intense storms interacted with the outflow boundary. The most significant damage produced by any of the tornadoes was the downing of power poles in Mitchell County. Reports of large hail were common across the area.