Tornado Hits Austin and other Texas Counties

NWS ^ | 11/15/01 | Lucas

[Lucas1]

Tornado reporting in Austin, Texas. There have been other tornadoes reported throughout Texas this afternoon.

Anyone in that area have any reports for us on damage?

[ChemistCat]

Okay, apparently that link didn't work. Trying again.

The REAL Tourist Guy of Death website

[basil]

I live in Lakeway, so I was watching that storm from the other side of the lake, and it was pretty hairy! We were out on our deck watching the cloud formation, and prepared to run to our "storm cellar" if necessary. Did you see the water spout form?

It is now a few minutes before 6 PM. The sun came out for about 10 minutes, and now is covered by very black clouds. The radio just reported a tornado on the ground at HWY 183 and 360. I also heard that the community of Buda had a tornado on the ground earlier today, but haven't heard any reports of injuries or damage.

I've lived in Texas most of my long life, and have seen many bad storm systems come through--but at this moment, the sky looks scarier than I've seen in a very long time. I'm looking out the window right now at the very black clouds hanging low over the lake--not the kind of clouds you want to take your eyes off of.

[DrewsDad]

Strike the announcement reduction. Tornadic activity at I-35 and Ben White and also at 183 and 71 near the airport. It sounds like the heavier stuff is on the east side of Austin.

[austingirl]

Motorola is quite a bit west of the affected area. I 35 and the east side of town are mostly affected. Mopac curves around west. There is rain and flooding, but no tornados there.

[VinnyTex]

I'm at a friends house in Hyde Park(Central) and golf ball size hail fell for about 3 minutes. Eazin up now but another big wave is on the way... Yikes.. I've got a long way to drive.

[austingirl]

The tornado on the ground that was confirmed by the air port was at 71 and 183. There were also reports of wind damage in town, but no confirmed tornados. The funnel is headed northeast toward Manor.

Lamar is underwater for blocks in the downtown area. Traffic is at a standstill everywhere.

[DJ88]

Stay safe! I was watching that low swirling around there in Texas (I'm in FL, but PLEASE don't laugh!!! ) and thought, OH BOY....glad that isn't in the GOM!!!

Deej :-)

[paulsy]

"Did you see the water spout form?"

i'm not sure, i saw what i thought might be a water-spout but i was too far away i think. from where i was it looked like a ribbon coming up from the lake, with a powerful rotating updraft. there didn't look to be a ton of rain around it. what i saw would have been 2 or 3 miles south of lago vista, was this what you saw?

[austingirl]

You better stay put for a while. How on earth could you ever get home in this? So many roads are closed.

[ItCanHappenToYou]

After a complete field analysis, the FBI determined that the white substance unknown to the players was the goal line.

BWWWWAAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gracey]

Welcome to FR Longhorn. Are you a student or Alumni? I live downtown.

[Spook86]

Just a word of caution...DON'T take shelter under a bridge or overpass. The notion that an overpass is a safe place began with that Kansas TV crew back in 1991. The tornado they were trying to outrun (another bad idea) passed behind their overpass, not directly through it.

Meterologists and EMA personnel have been trying to knock down the "underpass idea" ever since. In reality, a tornado passing through an underpass or bridge creates a wind tunnel effect, channeling the full force of the wind (and debris) through the underpass. During the Oklahoma City outbreak of 1999, three people died while taking shelter under overpass and several others suffered horrendous injuries (limbs severed by flying objects).

Bottom line: if you're on the road during a tornado, try to drive away from it at a 90 degree angle. If that's not possible, pull over and get in a ditch or other low spot. But don't take shelter under an overpass or bridge.

[deport]

Local Severe Weather Alerts

Watch The Weather Channel for storm updates

	Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service
	...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 810 STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 528 PM CST THU NOV 15 2001 THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL TEXAS AND THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 545 PM UNTIL 1100 PM CST. TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF ALICE TEXAS TO 45 MILES EAST OF AUSTIN TEXAS. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...THIS TORNADO WATCH REPLACES TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 809. WATCH NUMBER 809 WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER 545 PM CST. DISCUSSION...THREAT OF SUPERCELLS AND A FEW TORNADOES WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY TONIGHT. NARROW WEDGE OF MARITIME TROPICAL AIR CONTINUES TO FLOW NWD INTO SEVERAL THUNDERSTORM CLUSTERS FROM THE AREA W OF CRP NWD TO NEAR AUS...AND THIS MOIST/UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT STRONG STORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. MODERATE DEEP LAYER/LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...LOW LCL HEIGHTS...AND SEVERAL RAIN COOLED BOUNDARIES APPEAR SUPPORTIVE OF SUPERCELLS WITH A FEW TORNADOES. AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH...EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22015. ...THOMPSON ;295,0955 271,0971 280,0991 304,0975;...
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[onyx]

Be safe, I hope you're taking photos? Scratch that, I guess it's too dark now.

[Gracey]

Did you check your FR mail? Care to join our Austin FR group?

[Gracey]

Howdy Onyx. Come join us... We're swimming here..in the dark.

[Gracey]

Say I live downtown Austin also, I-35 and the river. Where are you?

[onyx]

I have a brother in Austin and two sisters in San Antone.

Think the storm is headed Carol's way?

[mysterylover]

My son is working in Austin, little south of Georgetown. I'm in Conroe. Is he near the tornado? Can't get through on cell phone as all circuits are busy.

[Ted]

I'm NW Austin near 183/620, all OK. I hear 2 people were pulled out of low water crossings this afternoon, 2 different locations, both died.

If there's humor at a time like this - I hear Dell employees were literally under their desks several times today for extended periods of time. Something about a bunch of pocket-protectored EEs hunkering down in their cubicles makes me smile... after all, Office Space was partly filmed here in Austin!

Stay alert, mi amigos, and Hook-em Horns!