There was a tornado in Perryton a little after 5 pm today.

I'm told that they've already had more than 50 911 calls for dead people. Of course, some calls may duplicate others and some may just be incorrect, but that would still leave quite a few deaths.

https://weather.com/storms/severe/video/tornado-damage-in-perryton-texas

Another guy and I were going to go out about 8 am for some quick radio work after the wind was scheduled to die down (it's not much fun to be standing up on the south end of a metal roof with a moderate wind from a northerly direction), but the wind hasn't died down as forecast and he went with a fire truck to help out with the efforts in Perryton.

I've heard one confirmed death so far.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/15/weather/severe-weather-south-thursday/index.html

We were lucky-our house is fine. We're about a mile from touchdown. Lots of hail and wind and no one in town has power. I'm sitting in my car charging my phone. Our other cell doesn't have service right now (Att)

The sirens didn't go off.

Sea Pony 07 said:

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I've heard one confirmed death so far.

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I've only heard of one confirmed death so far, as well.

Also, a whole lot of injuries. I don't remember the number, though.

The damage appears to be EF3-ish judging from the videos. Doesn't capture everything obviously.

Perryton, #Texas #tornado damage. Video by Jaxon Lehnert pic.twitter.com/pJ1DueVm3d

— Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) June 16, 2023

"THIS WHOLE AREA IS JUST WIPED": Here's a look at the "total devastation" left behind by a tornado in Perryton, Texas. #txwx pic.twitter.com/JwzKuNU6Za

— FOX Weather (@foxweather) June 16, 2023

The Perryton, TX tornado before it hit the city

I had been reading that the severe weather was going to be changing due to climate change and the dry line was moving to the eastern part of Oklahoma but it doesn’t seem to be happening#Tornado #Perryton #Texas #Oklahoma #Weather https://t.co/iQeYU8mG7M pic.twitter.com/RQv2nJTvqY

— Cathlina Rivas King 🇺🇸 (@AmeraucanaLover) June 16, 2023

This is what was told to me this morning by someone who went over to help with the rescues last night:


1) Nobody has any idea of the number of fatalities, but it is a lot more than three.
2) Even a mobile home tied down according to the best practice would not have survived. The tornado apparently took all but the floors of some mobile homes and scattered them for quite a distance.
3) The upper two thirds or more of their big cell tower in Perryton is gone.
4) He has no idea how many people are now homeless, but said that it is quite a lot of people and most have absolutely nothing left.
5) They left the emergency generators from the firetrucks at the Expo Center.

He was there working til around midnight after a regular day of work. I was surprised to see him up already.

This is just unbelievable devastation. Those folks need prayers and support for sure.

If you are donating supplies big needs right now are formula, feminine hygiene products and size 5 and 6 diapers.

It looks like the total fatalities will be 3. Everyone is apparently accounted for now.

Quote:

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The tornado hit about 5 p.m. in the northwestern part of town and traveled southeast to the other side of town, creating a path of destruction in its wake.

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https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/perryton-texas-tornado-damage-survey


That's unusual. They usually travel southwest to northeast. The Jerrell monster back in the late '90s actually did some sort of an East to West movement.

I worked steel construction in the Waka Elevators as a summer job when I was a student. From the top it was common to see tornadoes often. We didn't have time to get to the ground - too many ladder steps. So we would stand on the topside auger box and tie ropes around us and hope for the best. Sometimes the tornadoes woukd swoop by pretty close. Luckily we were spared.
Perryton was the closest city of any size.
Lot of tornadoes in that country!

Really devastating to our town and its people. Money and donations poured in early and most all has been distributed to families and individuals. No help from state or federal government. Need will be for small businesses and if they can re-build. Will take years to get main street back to something that resembled what it used to be.

The owner of Expressions posted on Facebook that their corner of the building wasn't salvageable and most the buildings and merch wasn't insured on the block due to the age of the buildings.

Will be interesting to see who rebuilds and how. I have heard there is an investor looking to buy the 100 block of main and put in a strip mall type building. Hope the economy is able to rebound.

I really hope the town will be able to rebuild, but I am not a fan of a strip-mall type area. I liked the old-fashioned quaint feeling of downtown.

I grew up in Hale Center, a tornado ripped through its downtown in 1965. Most of the old buildings with 1920s character were destroyed, or rebuilt in 1960s style. Some were never rebuilt, and there are gaps in downtown.

HC was already in decline, don't know about Perryton. I hope they can recover, but a disaster like this is often a town killer

SBA is now allowing businesses to apply for long term, low rate loans. This is a step in the right direction and will hopefully help some.