NWS Lubbock

1966: A concentrated outbreak of severe thunderstorms including tornadoes struck the I-27 corridor this afternoon and
evening causing several injuries and numerous instances of property damage. Severe storms first impacted the eastern 1/3
of the city of Lubbock around 2:45 PM when winds were measured to 86 mph with marble to 1.5 inch diameter hail. Nineteen
people suffered minor injuries; 15 from flying debris in the windstorm and four from being hit by hailstones. Property
damage was estimated around $3M as hundreds of homes and businesses received various degrees of damage. Power and
telephone lines were knocked down, two motels, a lumber yard, egg farm, and roofing firm were heavily battered. Many
automobiles were damaged and one aircraft received wind and hail damage. Damage was also quite heavy in Mackenzie Park
where about 100 trees were destroyed in addition to the park shop, grease rack building, amusement buildings, and power
lines. The Clayton-Carter Addition suffered considerable damage as well. Farther north, similar fierce winds and even
larger hail buffeted northern Lubbock County, much of Hale and southeast Swisher Counties. The worst damage with this
batch of storms was noted west of Plainview at many rural residences where all south-facing windows were blown out by
wind-driven hail. The force was so great that holes were knocked into wooden siding and pierced sheetrock inside the
homes! Even some furniture was found to have pits from hailstones that were as large as tennis balls. Wheat in the area
was a complete loss and over $6M in combined crop losses were estimated. As these storms rolled into Abernathy, a large
sheet metal hatchery barn about one mile east of the city was destroyed injuring two men in the process. Several hundred
young chicks and geese were killed. One plane was destroyed and another damaged by wind and hail at the RAFB civilian
training airport east of Abernathy. Later in the evening, three tornadoes moved northeast across eastern Swisher County
from about Kress to Vigo Park. These tornadoes caused light to moderate damage mainly to roofs of homes and barns, but did
destroy a few outbuildings.