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Author Topic: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023  (Read 944 times)

Brad Johnson

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Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« on: June 22, 2023, 09:57:31 AM »
Matador, TX, a small town in my home AO, was gut-punched by a tornado late yesterday afternoon. Big wedge. Initial estimates are at least a strong EF3, maybe EF4. Scores injured, four confirmed fatalities so far. West end of town is pretty much gone. Bad enough anywhere, devastating for a remote rural community of less than 600.

Have a cousin there who, fortunately, is okay. Still trying to get info on another cousin's mother-in-law. Mom and Dad are trying to find out status on the many friends we have in the area. Power is out and all land lines are down. Cell coverage is extremely spotty on the best of days and this ain't one of them.

Fox News story... https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/matador-texas-tornado

Aerial flyover of damage... https://www.facebook.com/55503466/videos/1763160690810064/

Brad

« Last Edit: June 22, 2023, 10:54:54 AM by Brad Johnson »
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230RN

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Re: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2023, 10:52:45 AM »
Just spotted that on TV before seeing your post.  Devastation incredible. Jeeze, four out of six hundred dead. Jesus Christ.  Hope your circle is all OK.
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RoadKingLarry

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Re: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2023, 10:55:43 AM »
Wow, makes the handful of EF-1s we had Sunday morning look pretty pathetic.
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HankB

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Re: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2023, 11:43:36 AM »
Tornado devastation is incredible. About 10 years ago a fairly minor tornado passed through what was a sparsely built wooded area not far from where I live. Several days later we drove out that way to take a look, and it was obvious where the tornado went across the highway - the woods on either side of the road were devastated for about 50 yards, and some of the blacktop was gone from the highway. The woods looked about like what I'd imagine the scenery on an HO scale model railroad would look like if someone took a hand mixer and ran it across the set.
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Perd Hapley

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Re: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2023, 07:44:44 PM »
Any update on your friends and relatives?
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Matador, TX, tornado - 06/21/2023
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2023, 09:31:39 AM »
Everyone on our side it good. Couple of them got scrapes and bruises from flying debris, but otherwise okay. Several lost equipment and outbuildings, but fortunately no homes.

It's bad, really bad. The west end of town is essentially gone, including two significant revenue centers (ie convenience stores) and a large power substation. Every community from Lubbock to Wichita Falls is sending personnel and supplies so infrastructure should be back in place quickly, but getting the town back on its feet in general is going to take years.

Brad
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It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
-HankB
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