2007-04-21 Report

A large upper level low pressure system (cut-off low) was positioned over Arizona
providing Southerly flow in the upper levels. This is why the general storm motion was from south to north.

Surface winds were from the southeast providing moisture up to the dryline along the TX/NM border.

Moisture was not as plentiful as on March 28, 2007 which may be the reason for fewer tornadoes this day.

Here is the radar during the time of the Tulia and Cactus mesos.

Witnessed five (maybe 7) tornadoes today from the storm that formed near Channing, TX moved west of Dumas and then did significant damage north of Dumas in the small town of Cactus, TX. Tornado started as a cone then grew to a large white cone with heavy rain sheets wrapping around it then to a large half mile wedge! At one point we had two tornadoes on the ground, one a long white rope and the other a large wedge with barberpole bands. What a chase day!


Tornado #1 touches down briefly southwest of Channing, TX


Tornado #2 touches down and stays on the ground this time. We shoot west out of Four Way, TX on 354 and rapidly approach the growing cone! As we come over each hill the tornado is growing larger and stronger. The RFD notch is just stunning, almost encompasing the whole meso!


The tornado moves north of us as a large white cone wrapped in rain. The site is jaw dropping!


After driving north on 385 and shooting back east towards Bautista, TX we encounter powerlines across the road, trees down and tricky navigating. I had to drive over a smoldering transformer and stay out of the deep mud. But we make it through to keep chasing the developing wedge out in the distance.


We had to duck the Subaru under the powerlines hanging from the poles down to the road. The White Lincoln Navigator was too high and was stuck at the wires.


A second tornado forms to the southwest of the developing wedge tornado. At this point we have two tornadoes on the ground at the same time! This tornado continued north along our route and we were able to stay with it a long time as it churned up the dirt fields.


Tornado #2 builds into a large wedge. On HW87 where it crossed the road for a second time west of Dumas, TX there are a 1/2 mile and possibly more stretch of power poles down indicating the wedge size.


Here we have the wedge as it crosses HW287 and does significant damage in Etter, Bryden and Cactus, TX. The barber bole striations are strongly rotating from the ground all the way up into the meso. The whole wall cloud is on the ground at this point!


Major damage in Cactus, TX with roofs gone, some homes missing wall sections, debris everywhere on the roads and trucks flipped over. Our hearts go out to the residents that were devistated by this damaging long-track wedge.


Map of tornado paths in Blue, our route in Green.

Arrived in Denver at 1:00am to find both drivers side tires on my car almost flat and leaking air. We had runover powerlines, sheet metal and sheets of plywood so something had punctured the tires but not enough to cause a full blowout.

I have more respect for these wedge beasts now as the last two chases we have documented major damage from multiple wedges in the panhandles of TX and OK.

Here is the NWS page for this day:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/april21_2007/index.htm

SPC reports page: http://w1.spc.woc.noaa.gov/exper/archive/events/070421/index.html

Mileage: 1150
Motel Stays: 1