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NOUS44 KSJT 060353
PNSSJT

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN ANGELO TX
1000 PM CST FRI MAR 5 2004


...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TEAMS SURVEY STORM DAMAGE...


EARLY THIS MORNING...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...LOCATED 
IN SAN ANGELO TEXAS...ASSEMBLED AND DEPLOYED THREE TEAMS TO SURVEY 
STORM DAMAGE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. ON THURSDAY MARCH 4 2004 AND 
WITHIN A SPAN OF ONLY A FEW HOURS...A VERY STRONG UPPER-LEVEL STORM 
SYSTEM PRODUCED NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED QUICKLY 
ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS AND PRODUCED DAMAGE IN SEVERAL COMMUNITIES.

ONE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM TRAVELED TO NOLAN COUNTY 
AND JONES COUNTY TO SURVEY STORM DAMAGE. AT LAKE SWEETWATER... 
SOUTHEAST OF SWEETWATER...THE TEAM OBSERVED STORM DAMAGE AND DEBRIS 
DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS CONSISTENT WITH AN F1 TORNADO ON THE FUJITA 
TORNADO DAMAGE SCALE. FARTHER NORTH IN NORTHWESTERN JONES 
COUNTY...THE TEAM SURVEYED SIGNIFICANT STORM DAMAGE IN HAMLIN. 
DURING THEIR HAMLIN SURVEY...THE TEAM OBSERVED STORM DAMAGE AND 
DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS CONSISTENT WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
DOWNBURST WINDS...ALSO KNOWN AS STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...WHICH LIKELY 
EXCEEDED 80 MPH.

ANOTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM DROVE TO CENTRAL AND 
NORTHEASTERN JONES COUNTY AND TO SOUTHEASTERN HASKEL COUNTY. IN 
CENTRAL JONES COUNTY...THE TEAM OBSERVED STORM DAMAGE AND DEBRIS 
DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS IN ANSON CONSISTENT WITH STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS 
WHICH LIKELY EXCEEDED 80 MPH. NORTH OF ANSON IN STAMFORD...THE 
SURVEY TEAM ALSO NOTED STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE. FARTHER NORTH...AT 
LAKE STAMFORD IN SOUTHEASTERN HASKEL COUNTY...THE SURVEY TEAM 
OBSERVED AND PHOTOGRAPHED CONSIDERABLE TORNADO DAMAGE WHICH INCLUDED 
A COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED MOBILE HOME. BASED ON THIS LEVEL OF 
DESTRUCTION...THE SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED AN F2 TORNADO STRUCK THE 
ANCHOR TRAILER PARK ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF LAKE STAMFORD.

YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALSO SURVEYED STORM DAMAGE IN TAYLOR 
COUNTY AND SHACKELFORD COUNTY. IN FAR SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTY...AN F0 
TORNADO PRODUCED DAMAGE IN THE COMMUNITY OF BRADSHAW. IN 
BRADSHAW...A TORNADO UPROOTED LARGE TREES AND DOWNED UTILITY 
POLES.  NORTHEAST OF BRADSHAW...THE COMMUNITY OF TUSCOLA SUSTAINED 
STORM DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN F1 TORNADO ON THE FUJITA TORNADO 
DAMAGE SCALE. IN TUSCOLA...TORNADIC WINDS DAMAGED SEVERAL SHEDS AND 
THE JIM NED SCHOOL COMPLEX. IN EASTERN TAYLOR COUNTY...NEAR THE 
COMMUNITY OF POTOSI...AN F0 TORNADO DAMAGED SEVERAL METAL ROOFS. IN 
SOUTHEASTERN SHACKELFORD COUNTY...NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF 
MORAN...ANOTHER F0 TORNADO DAMAGED SEVERAL LARGE TREES AND SPREAD 
DEBRIS OVER A WIDE AREA.

YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN SAN ANGELO HAS 
FORECASTING...WATCH...AND WARNING RESPONSIBILITY FOR 24 COUNTIES 
ACROSS WEST CENTRAL TEXAS. WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING THE WEATHER FOR 
YOU 24 HOURS A DAY...7 DAYS A WEEK. YESTERDAY REMINDED US HOW 
IMPORTANT PREPAREDNESS IS TO OUR SAFETY. PLEASE DEVELOP A WEATHER 
PREPAREDNESS PLAN AND EXERCISE THAT PLAN.

WORKING TOGETHER TO SAVE LIVES

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PLEASE VISIT US AT...

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/SJT

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