Power Outage in Brownsville, TX

Thunderstorm Wind. An NWS Employee sent in a picture of a power pole leaning on Grimes Rd east of the Fire Station. Time estimated by radar and the wind gust recorded at Valley International Airport (KHRL) during the event.

June 04, 2023

Tornado. A rapidly-developing mini-supercell formed ahead of an approaching squall line near the Lower Texas coast just before 4 AM Saturday, May 13. The supercell spawned a quick spin-up tornado that struck the town of Laguna Heights, Texas, over a two-minute period before the circulation moved over Laguna Madre Bay and rapidly dissipated. The tornado tracked to the east-northeast after the circulation was impacted by the approaching squall line, creating a boomerang effect since the original motion of the radar couplet was to the north-northwest prior to touchdown. Winds may have reached 110 mph, the top of the EF1 scale, in a few locations ��� but the very poor quality of construction suggests 105 mph is a better estimate.||The strongest portion of the tornado, rated EF1, flattened at least six poorly built mobile home structures, removed part of the second story of a local business, and removed the majority of roof decking on at least ten other residences and buildings. At least a half dozen ash and mesquite trees were snapped or uprooted and two wooden power poles were bent. Casualties were found in several of the demolished mobile homes. A man in his forties was killed when the home collapsed on him. Five others were injured in the same cluster of damaged homes, and two more were injured in a flattened mobile home near the shoreline of Laguna Madre Bay. Two of the injuries, in the home along the bayfront, required extended hospitalizations. Thirty-eight additional residents were displaced by the tornado and were housed at the local events center with American Red Cross assistance. In all, there was the one fatality and eleven injuries, of which two were critical head injuries. Surrounding the EF1 area, portions of roofs and shingles were removed from residences, large limbs were broken, and fences were knocked down.

May 13, 2023

Thunderstorm Wind. Port Isabel police department reported several powerlines down around town. Timing based on radar. While wind speeds are estimated, the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) at Port Isabel (PTIT2) recorded wind gusts of 52 knots, or 60 mph, at 1:54AM CDT.

May 09, 2023

Thunderstorm Wind. The Port Isabel Police Department shared pictures on social media showing damage to the Sunoco Gas station awning at the corner of Highway 48 and Highway 100 and an ice chest that had moved several feet from the front of the building. Several pictures of powerlines down were also shown. NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) site at Port Isabel (PTIT2) recorded wind gusts of 52 knots, or 60 mph, at 1:54AM CDT, and was used as a guide for when the strongest winds were ending.

May 09, 2023

Thunderstorm Wind. An NWS Storm Survey was conducted on South Padre Island and found several areas of damage along South Padre Island. The survey found a couple of downed fences in the Isla Blanca area on the southern side of the island along with a couple of flipped recreational vehicles (RVs) that were exposed to the wind but only anchored by unfastened scissor jacks. The flipped RVs were initially reported by a member of the public shortly after the storms moved offshore. Winds here were measured at the Brazos Santiago (BZST2) Texas Coastal Ocean Observing Network site (TCOON) to be near 84 mph. A little farther north along the island, the metal roof at Longboards was peeled back along with a canvas type material that was blown onto the second story balcony of an older apartment complex along W Palm Street. Some of the most extensive damage was witnessed at the El Castile Condo at the corner of W Polaris Dr and Laguna Blvd, which lost its roof and roof decking and exposed at least two dozen units to the elements during the storm. Lastly, the South Padre Island Convention Center's Main Exposition hall lost a significant portion of its roof along with a snapped ash tree nearby, suggesting wind speeds remaining near 85 to 90 mph. Additionally, South Padre Island Police Department reported multiple powerlines down across the island immediately after the event.||Note: times listed are based on the survey results. All severe criteria (58 mph or greater wind gusts) occurred between 148 and 206 AM based on reports from various platforms in the area.

May 09, 2023

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