Doppler Radar - Jarrell Texas F5 Tornado

The Jarrell Texas F5 Tornado

Initially a weak pencil-like tornado near the Bell-Williamson County line, the funnel rapidly intensified into a 3/4 mile wide multi-vortex storm at around 3:45 PM CDT.

Its first damage occurred three minutes later at 3:48 PM CDT in the northwestern portion of Jarrell striking Double Creek Estates. It later moved into a wooded area before dissipating after damaging numerous trees.

Grass and dirt in fields near Jarrell were ripped out of the ground to a depth of 18 in or (50 cm). When the tornado crossed county roads outside Jarrell, it ripped 500 feet (150m) of asphalt off the roads.

About 40 structures were completely destroyed by the tornado and dozens of vehicles were lifted in the air and tossed, some thrown more than half a mile. Many researchers, after reviewing aerial damage photographs of Double Creek Estates, considered the Jarrell storm to be the most violent tornado, in terms of damage intensity, that they had ever seen. Most of the homes in the tornadoes path were well-constructed and bolted to their foundations, but even so the tornado left only the slab foundations. Several entire families were killed in the tornado, including all five members of the Igo family and all four members of the Moehring family.

There were 27 human fatalities in the Double Creek subdivision. In addition, about 300 cattle were killed by the storm.

About 10 minutes prior to the main event, eye-witnesses spotted additional tornadoes north and west of Jarrell.

The damage path associated with the Jarrell tornado actually begins in Bell County at a point
about 0.8 miles northwest of the Prairie Dell exit from Interstate 35, near mile marker 280. The tornado tracked south-southwestward across open country. Damage was primarily to trees, with
only a couple of structures damaged.
The tornado remained primarily in open country as it crossed the Bell/Williamson County line
before taking a more southwestward turn that took it to the northwestern edge of Jarrell. The
tornado crossed the county line very close to where Williamson Road ends and County Road
(CR) 304 (Bell County) begins. The tornado crossed CR 308, CR 305, and then CR 307. Where
the tornado crossed each of these county roads, approximately 525 feet of asphalt was ripped off
each of the roadways. This particular destruction was believed to be very close to the centerline
of the tornado circulation. Observations recounted by eyewitnesses and revealed in interviews made by other members of the
Service Assessment Team indicated that the damage path may not have been made strictly by one
tornado. A number of eyewitnesses reported seeing several small, rope-like funnels before the
character of the tornado changed drastically into the killer tornado.
As the tornado crossed the intersection of CR 305 and 307, a business on the corner was
destroyed. The tornado moved into the Double Creek Estates subdivision at this point with total
destruction. F5 destruction begins shortly after the tornado moved into Williamson County and
continued until very close to the end of the damage path.
Moving through the Double Creek Estates subdivision and the surrounding area, the tornado
widened to the maximum width of three-quarters of a mile. From the air, the ground appearance
changed abruptly in the vicinity of CR 308 and continued until very near the end of the path. No
definitive circulation patterns or suction spots were evident, but there was the noted obvious
change in the appearance of the ground. In the Double Creek area, approximately 40 structures were totally destroyed. One of the most
striking signs in approaching this area was the distinct lack of debris of any size. Closer
inspection showed lots of little debris, but no sign of large items. At least half a dozen cars were
identified from the air lying in the open areas, most of them flattened and encrusted with mud and
grass. Later, a ground survey revealed that most of the debris that was left in the area was
extremely small, indicating the power of the tornadic winds. All 27 deaths associated with the
Jarrell tornado occurred in the Double Creek area.
After passing through the Double Creek area, the tornado moved across CR 309 and into a
heavily wooded area of cedar trees. The total destruction of the tornado ends abruptly shortly
after entering the wooded area. However, a small swath of tree damage on the north side of the
main damage path suggested the possibility of a multiple vortex pattern. No other evidence of
multiple vorticies was observed.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Jarrell
• Texas
• F5
• Tornado
• doppler
• weather
• radar

[wncapt2007]

check the radar on may 27th 08' and 2010. same southwesterly movement and supercells. in fact there is something about the 27th of may, almost every year some severe weather event for central texas. we think about how rare that southwest propagation is now how about multiple years on the same exact day same type+track? it would be curious to find more research about why that exact day seems to have these backdoor+outflow boundary generated southwesterly motions. no coincidence; come on.

[DarkFilmDirector]

@DarkFilmDirector Apparently, the odd, slow moving nature of the storm had allowed the incredibly strong vortex wind to pick up massive amounts of mud, asphault, and farm equipment. When it hit Double Creek, it basically pelted the inhabitants and picked the entire subdivision off its foundations. As it passed through Double Creek, it then moved in a southwest direction, pulling off into a wooded area which is now a stone quarry where the rough terrain weakened the storm and it finally roped off

[DarkFilmDirector]

@DarkFilmDirector

After passing the Williamson county line, it appeared it may miss downtown Jarrell. By this time, the storm had unexpectedly strengthened and became a multiple vortex storm over half a mile wide and was reaching speeds of at least 200mph. It then took a fateful, sudden turn towards the southwest from its original path, taking it directly into a supermarket and then Double Creek estates, instantly killing 27 people.

[DarkFilmDirector]

The dopplar imagery didn't seem to match up the actual path of the tornado. The tornado actually first landed right outside Prairie Dell on the Western side of I-35, not east as this radar suggests. It moved in a completely unorthodox and unprecedented South-southwesterly direction (most supercells move north-northeast to east-northeast) as shown on this radar. It was moving at an unthreatening 13mph and started out as a thing pencil funnel.

[jhtreble]

after it tore through Jarrell, it continued on to Leander and Cedar Park, where it ripped a "trench" right not the center of the Alberston's grocery store, then dipped into Cedar Park and tore up several houses. People living in Central Texas have learned to take tornado warnings very seriously.

[xnephyx]

I remember watching this sucker go by when i was little.

[AnthonyThunder100]

may i aks what this radar is called?

[bloodfox0]

I remember that storm. I was only like 5 at the time, but that scared the shit out of me. I just remember watching the wx radar on TV and seeing this massive red blob moving toward my house, then the power cut...

[joydivstellar]

it started out as a green speck over lake waco. i remember this because i had been watching the radar all day. i was outside on the porch when it went overhead and you could see half dark sky and blue sky on the other half. so it basically made a right turn and headed south down the interstate. the thunder sounded weird, muffled.

[TheMightykaz]

@supercellcoaster Ok thank you. I drove through Jarrel Texas yesterday but did not have time to stop. I imagine this was the strongest tornado in history.