Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
040 NOUS44 KLUB 111806 PNSLUB TXZ021>044-120615- Public Information Statement National Weather Service Lubbock TX 106 PM CDT Wed Jun 11 2025 ...NWS Damage Survey for 06/05/2025 Tornado Event... .Overview... During the afternoon and evening hours of Thursday, June 5, 2025, an intense supercell thunderstorm moved over the South Plains region of West Texas, producing several tornadoes over portions of Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock Counties. This thunderstorm also produced widespread damage from very strong straight-line winds and large hail across western and southwestern portions of the City of Lubbock before it exited into Crosby and Garza Counties and weakened late in the evening. NWS Lubbock deployed three separate teams to survey the damage from this thunderstorm, with the combined results of these surveys documented in detail below. This supercell initially produced a brief tornado over far northwestern Cochran County that moved over open country and produced no known damage. Shortly thereafter, the supercell produced a strong wedge- type tornado several miles northwest of Morton, which destroyed multiple large wooden power poles as it tracked eastward, eventually crossing TX-214 about 4 miles north of Morton before dissipating over northeastern Cochran County. The supercell then produced another strong tornado over far northwestern Hockley County, about 5 miles northwest of the community of Pettit, which was directly observed by mobile research radar. A separate and very brief cone-type tornado was then observed only about 2 miles north of Pettit. The supercell then began to track more southeastward, with no tornadoes observed for a period of approximately 15 minutes. Just as the supercell approached US-385 in north-central Hockley County, it produced another strong tornado which crossed US-385 about 3 miles south of the community of Whitharral. This tornado destroyed several additional wooden power poles, rolled a semi-truck traveling on the highway, and damaged buildings and trees along its path before it dissipated about 7 miles east of US-385. The final three tornadoes produced by this supercell were observed as the storm crossed from eastern Hockley County into western Lubbock County. The first tornado developed approximately 3 miles northeast of TX-114 and the community of Smyer, damaging or destroying multiple manufactured homes as it moved eastward before it dissipated along the Hockley/Lubbock County line. The second tornado developed very close to the termination of the previous tornado, and damaged or destroyed several homes and buildings as it tracked southeastward and dissipated only about a quarter mile north of TX-114. The final tornado produced during this event developed and tracked over southern portions of Reese Center, toppling large trees and damaging roofs before dissipating just outside the Lubbock city limits. Although the storm did not produce any additional tornadoes after this point, the supercell did continue to produce very strong straight-line winds and large hail, which resulted in widespread damage to homes and businesses across western and southwestern portions of the City of Lubbock. Many buildings within the city experienced significant damage to roofs and windows, and hail up to the size of tennis balls was observed within the city limits. The supercell continued to produce large hail and severe wind gusts as it moved over the community of Slaton in southeastern Lubbock County, with the storm finally weakening over Crosby and Garza Counties with no additional severe weather reports received after it moved to the east of the Caprock Escarpment. .Northwest Cochran County Tornado... Rating: EF-Unknown Estimated Peak Wind: Unknown Path Length /statute/: 2.54 miles Path Width /maximum/: Unknown Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 05:10 PM CDT Start Location: 4 E Lingo / Cochran County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.8048 / -103.0395 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 05:15 PM CDT End Location: 6 WSW Maple / Cochran County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.8108 / -102.9961 Survey Summary: At least one brief tornado was observed by storm spotters along this track. .Northern Cochran County Tornado... Rating: EF-2 Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph Path Length /statute/: 10 miles Path Width /maximum/: 1725 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 05:30 PM CDT Start Location: 4 S Maple / Cochran County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.7961 / -102.8805 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 05:50 PM CDT End Location: 4 NE Morton / Cochran County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.7783 / -102.709 Survey Summary: The tornado developed northwest of Morton and quickly gained strength as evidenced by multiple spotter reports of a large, wedge-shaped tornado as it crossed Highway 214. The middle EF-2 rating is consistent with the documented damage and a peak rotational velocity of about 60 kts measured by the KLBB WSR-88D. .Northwest Hockley County Tornado... Rating: EF-Unknown Estimated Peak Wind: Unknown Path Length /statute/: 4.93 miles Path Width /maximum/: Unknown Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 05:55 PM CDT Start Location: 5 SW Pep / Cochran County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.7505 / -102.6162 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 06:07 PM CDT End Location: 6 S Pep / Hockley County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.7321 / -102.5408 Survey Summary: No damage was observed or reported with this tornado. However, a peak wind speed up to around 120 mph (EF-2) is possible with this tornado based on KLBB WSR-88D peak rotational velocity of 45 kts, and NSSL RaXPol rotational velocity of 80 kts. Chasers reported a wedge tornado obscured by blowing dust. .Pettit Tornado... Rating: EF-Unknown Estimated Peak Wind: Unknown Path Length /statute/: 0.90 miles Path Width /maximum/: Unknown Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 06:13 PM CDT Start Location: 7 SSE Pep / Hockley County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.72 / -102.5262 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 06:15 PM CDT End Location: 7 SSE Pep / Hockley County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.7155 / -102.5116 Survey Summary: Brief tornado observed by broadcast media. No damage observed or reported. .Whitharral Tornado... Rating: EF-2 Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph Path Length /statute/: 9.34 miles Path Width /maximum/: 1936 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 06:27 PM CDT Start Location: 4 WSW Whitharral / Hockley County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.7066 / -102.3882 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 06:54 PM CDT End Location: 6 ESE Whitharral / Hockley County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.6984 / -102.229 Survey Summary: Complex radar presentation with several surges of the rear-flank downdraft and circulations partially obscured by rain, hail and dirt. The estimated width of 1936/1.1 miles may represent a tornado making a rotation around the parent mesocyclone. The EF-2 rating is based on damage survey findings of snapped power poles southwest of Whitharral and supported by a circulation from the KLBB WSR-88D of 72 kt rotational velocity with a width of 0.62 nmi. .First Smyer Tornado... Rating: EF-1 Estimated Peak Wind: 110 mph Path Length /statute/: 3.72 miles Path Width /maximum/: 880 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 2 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 07:12 PM CDT Start Location: 3 NNE Smyer / Hockley County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.6324 / -102.1472 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 07:24 PM CDT End Location: 4 NW Reese Center / Hockley County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.6288 / -102.0847 Survey Summary: The supercell`s low-level circulation quickly tightened up again north of Smyer. A short-lived, but strong tornado developed and moved through a community of manufactured homes, two of which were rolled off their foundations and heavily damaged, causing two injuries. During this time, spotters and chasers reported a smaller second vortex just to the north, possibly a satellite tornado. .Second Smyer Tornado... Rating: EF-2 Estimated Peak Wind: 130 mph Path Length /statute/: 3.35 miles Path Width /maximum/: 968 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 07:19 PM CDT Start Location: 4 ENE Smyer / Hockley County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.6205 / -102.0994 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 07:42 PM CDT End Location: 2 W Reese Center / Lubbock County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.5867 / -102.0647 Survey Summary: Immediately following the first tornado to the north, a new tornado formed and moved southeast across far eastern Hockley County just north of Highway 114. The damage survey found a manufactured home that had been rolled off its foundation and completely destroyed, resulting in an EF-2 rating. Additional damage to structures was found as far south as the intersection of Highway 114 and FM 2378. .Reese Center Tornado... Rating: EF-1 Estimated Peak Wind: 95 mph Path Length /statute/: 2.65 miles Path Width /maximum/: 792 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 07:43 PM CDT Start Location: 2 WNW Reese Center / Lubbock County / TX Start Lat/Lon: 33.6018 / -102.0568 End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 07:54 PM CDT End Location: 1 SE Reese Center / Lubbock County / TX End Lat/Lon: 33.5838 / -102.0176 Survey Summary: The final tornado developed just west-northwest of Reese Center and moved southeast before dissipating just west of Inler Ave. The survey team found tree and roof damage consistent with EF-0 to EF-1 damage across Reese Center. .Severe downburst wind and hail damage across West and Southwest Lubbock... Estimated Peak Wind: 115 mph Path Length /statute/: 7 miles Path Width /maximum/: 6 miles Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: 06/05/2025 Start Time: 07:54 PM CDT End Date: 06/05/2025 End Time: 09:00 PM CDT After the final tornado, a swath of thunderstorm outflow winds and hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter swept across western and southwestern Lubbock. The survey team found roof and tree damage across West Lubbock, maximized along and north of Highway 114, consistent with maximum winds gusts up to 115 mph. Broken windows, skylights and additional tree damage was reported as far south as Wolfforth and east into central Lubbock, with the eastern bound of reports around Avenue Q. Maximum wind gusts from West Texas Mesonet stations in the area were 80 mph. && EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: EF0.....65 to 85 mph EF1.....86 to 110 mph EF2.....111 to 135 mph EF3.....136 to 165 mph EF4.....166 to 200 mph EF5.....>200 mph NOTE: The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS Storm Data. $$