NWS Lubbock

1969 (13th-14th): An active and unfortunately fatal outbreak of severe storms struck much of the South Plains this
afternoon and evening before moving into the Rolling Plains during the overnight hours. Of the four fatalities during this
event, all were attributed to flash flooding. The first two fatalities were a husband and wife who were traveling about
seven miles south of Sudan on Highway 303 when their vehicle was swept off the road by rushing waters. Later this night, a
48 year-old woman from Afton drowned about four miles east of Afton when a normally dry lake bed quickly swelled from
torrential rains. Also this night, a 62 year-old man drowned after he and his wife drove their pickup truck through raging
water along Farm-to-Market 597 near Anton. The husband was swept into a draw, but the wife was rescued. Storms earlier in
the day produced some of the most significant hailstorms residents could recall in parts of Bailey, Hale, Lamb, Crosby,
Floyd, Dickens, and Motley Counties. The storms were in fact two separate waves; the first of which struck about 9 AM and
the other around 7 PM. The hail damage was so intense that in parts of southern Floyd and southern Motley Counties, bark
was beaten off cedar posts and mesquite trees! Hundreds of thousands of acres of wheat and other grain crops were a total
loss and appeared to have been mowed down within a few inches of the ground. Farther west, hailstones as large as
softballs beat Hale Center and Abernathy. Hailstorms also struck in the vicinity of Farwell and Friona where knee-high
corn was reduced to stubble, and also near Shallowater. Total property damage throughout the region from the hail and wind
was estimated just over $750,000. Crop losses exceeded $5M. Around 5:55 PM, a tornado lifted a 1500 bushel granary
containing 3000 pounds of sacked cotton seed meal on the Garland Swann farm near Plains. The granary was hurled 1/4 mile
away after clearing a stock trailer and the top of a barn! Oddly, a pile of stacked spare lumber and trailer side boards
located only a few feet from the granary were left untouched.