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Tornado traveled 2 miles, damaged home and property near Anton
Officials on Wednesday confirmed an EF-1 tornado with 110 mph winds damaged a house and surrounding property the evening before as it traveled a two-mile-long, 200-meter wide path near Anton.
The National Weather Service in Lubbock conducted a preliminary assessment of the storm in Hockley County after receiving reports of damage to a house and debris in power lines.
The tornado formed about 10:35 p.m. approximately one mile east of Anton, just south of FM 597. It was embedded in rain within a line of storms, moving from south-southwest to the north-northeast, according to the preliminary assessment from Jody James, warning coordination meteorologist with the weather service.
The tornado caused significant damage to a house and barn, snapped trees and damaged a center pivot. One resident was seen assessing the damage to her home, including power lines scattered through the front of the home, a broken wooden plank with exposed nails around the yard, and pieces of metal folded over other power lines, but did not want to speak Wednesday afternoon.
Although the preliminary damage was estimated at two miles, the weather service may further refine this distance Thursday through further investigation of locations farther north of the house that was damaged, James said.
Lubbock radar showed a Tornado Debris Signature, likely from the house, that was lofted to around 4,000 to 5,000 feet above the ground, the report states.
The Hockley County Sheriff’s Office posted a message to its Facebook account during the overnight hours, warning drivers to avoid FM 597 between FM 168 and FM 2130 east of Anton – which was briefly closed – due to debris, power lines on the roadway, and damage related to the storm.
The line of storms that moved through the region Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning brought wind gusts in the upward of 70 mph and brief but heavy downpours of rain. Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport saw just over 1 inch of rainfall Tuesday through early Wednesday morning, with most of that falling after 10 p.m.