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Severe Thunderstorms Swept Across North Texas
Tuesday - April 26th, 2011

 

A major severe weather outbreak occurred during the afternoon and evening hours on the 26th of April, 2011. Preliminary data suggests there were at least 8 tornadoes across the counties served by the NWS in Ft. Worth.

The damage survey team in southern Van Zandt County determined that EF-1 tornado damage occurred Tuesday evening...April 26. Over 100 structures were damaged and 3 structures were completely destroyed. The damage extended from south of ben wheeler to north of Edom. Estimated maximum winds were in the 90-100 mph range. Path length and path width have not yet been determined.

Additional data will be evaluated as it arrives.

The data provided is considered PRELIMINARY and it is subject to change.

Tornado track map
 

Image updated: April 28th, 2011


 

This radar imagery was taken from the WSR-88D network in Fort Worth TX (KFWS) at 546 pm CDT on April 26, 2011. The radar reflectivity shows the supercell thunderstorms centered southeast of Canton and south of Interstate 20. The white and darkest purple colors represent hail falling from the storm. The hook echo, which is often an indication of very strong low level rotation, appears to have wrapped counterclockwise back onto itself.


radar reflectivity data


 

The storm relative radial velocity image depicts the tornadic circulation as the bright red colors (motion away from radar) adjacent to bright green colors (motion toward the radar). The KFWS radar is about 90 miles west of the storm. The strong radar circulation at
546 pm CDT was 6.7 miles southwest of Van and was moving to the east northeast.

 

radar velocfity data showing circulation