National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

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• Port Lavaca Damage
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Storm Summary

During the late evening of April 1^st, 2012 and the early morning hours of April 2^nd, a strong to severe squall line developed across Mexico and then later moved through South Texas. An area of low pressure aloft located both over the Rockies and East Texas helped set the stage for isolated severe convection embedded within the line. The upper level forcing from these two areas of low pressure along with very unstable conditions helped to maintain the squall line as it moved eastward overnight. Straight-line winds averaged between 45 and 55 mph behind the squall line with isolated gusts over 60 mph.

However, as the squall line neared the town of Port Lavaca, a downburst embedded within the squall line produced winds up to 80 mph along a narrow 1/2 mile wide path that extended for nearly 2 miles in length. Radar images indicated winds over 70 mph at an elevation of nearly 6500 feet as the squall line entered Port Lavaca. Several telephone poles were snapped along with numerous large tree limbs down and a few uprooted trees. Minor roof damage also occurred at a business in Port Lavaca.

Radar Loop

Storm Damage Photos in Port Lavaca

Storm Reports

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0220 AM     TSTM WND GST     3 ESE ALICE             27.74N 98.03W
04/02/2012  M52.00 MPH       JIM WELLS          TX   ASOS

0316 AM     TSTM WND GST     1 W CORPUS CHRISTI      27.77N 97.52W
04/02/2012  M51.00 MPH       NUECES             TX   ASOS

0324 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 15 SSW NATIONAL SEASHOR 27.29N 97.40W
04/02/2012  M48.00 MPH       GMZ230             TX   MESONET

            MESONET MEASURED 41.4 KTS.

0324 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 2 W NATIONAL SEASHORE   27.48N 97.32W
04/02/2012  M43.00 MPH       GMZ230             TX   MESONET

            MEASURED 37 KT GUSTS.

0336 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 5 SE CC NAS             27.64N 97.23W
04/02/2012  M41.00 MPH       GMZ230             TX   MESONET

            GUST TO 36 KTS.

0345 AM     TSTM WND DMG     3 WSW CORPUS CHRISTI    27.69N 97.33W
04/02/2012                   NUECES             TX   NWS EMPLOYEE

            POWER OUTAGES - POWER LINES DOWN NEAR OSO BAY.

0348 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 9 SSE CC NAS            27.58N 97.22W
04/02/2012  M48.00 MPH       GMZ250             TX   MESONET

            RECORDED AT BOB HALL PIER. 48 MPH /41.8 KTS/

0355 AM     TSTM WND GST     1 SW PORT ARANSAS       27.82N 97.09W
04/02/2012  M52.00 MPH       NUECES             TX   AWOS

0405 AM     TSTM WND GST     3 N ROCKPORT            28.09N 97.04W
04/02/2012  M55.00 MPH       ARANSAS            TX   ASOS

0410 AM     HAIL             ROCKPORT                28.04N 97.05W
04/02/2012  M0.25 INCH       ARANSAS            TX   TRAINED SPOTTER

            PEA SIZED HAIL AT INTERSECTION OF FM 3036 AND HIGHWAY 35
            BYPASS.

0445 AM     HAIL             SEADRIFT                28.38N 96.69W
04/02/2012  E1.00 INCH       CALHOUN            TX   PUBLIC

            ESTIMATED NICKEL TO QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.

0450 AM     TSTM WND GST     1 WSW PORT LAVACA       28.61N 96.64W
04/02/2012  E80.00 MPH       CALHOUN            TX   NWS STORM SURVEY

            A NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM CONCLUDED THAT A DOWNBURST
            OCCURRED IN THE CITY OF PORT LAVACA WITH WINDS ESTIMATED
            BETWEEN 70-80 MPH. SEVERAL HOMES IN PATH OF THE DOWNBURST
            SUSTAINED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE...TWO TELEPHONE POLES WERE
            SNAPPED AT THEIR BASES AND NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS WERE
            DOWN...ALONG WITH A FEW UPROOTED TREES. THE DAMAGE PATH
            WAS APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE WIDE AND 2 MILES IN LENGTH
            BEGINNING NEAR ALCOA DRIVE AND EXTENDING NORTHEAST TO
            TRAVIS STREET...GENERALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 35.

0450 AM     TSTM WND DMG     1 WSW PORT LAVACA       28.61N 96.64W
04/02/2012                   CALHOUN            TX   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MULTIPLE CALLS OF TREES DOWN AND WINDOWS BUSTED IN AREA.
            SOME TREES DOWNED POSSIBLY VERY LARGE IN HEIGHT AND
            DIAMTER.

0501 AM     MARINE TSTM WIND 1 SSW PORT OCONNOR      28.43N 96.41W
04/02/2012  M69.00 MPH       GMZ235             TX   MESONET

            MARINE MESONET SITE MEASURED GUST TO 69 MPH /59.7 KTS/
            WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 51 MPH /44.1 KTS/.