Swarms of Funnel Clouds Cause Damage, No Injuries in Texas

Damage was estimated at $5.5 million Friday in Spearman, Tex., as residents cleaned up debris left by swarms of funnel clouds that a National Weather Service employee said were too numerous to count.

A church, 10 mobile homes and 10 houses were reported destroyed. Some of the mobile homes were “smoothed off to the ground,” said Mayor Burl Buchanan.

No injuries were reported.

The mayor estimated that 5% of the Panhandle town of 3,500 had property damage. About 80% of the city was blacked out and phone service was spotty until Friday morning.

Meanwhile, damage estimates were still being collected Friday in Vicksburg, Miss., where residents stacked sodden belongings outside and cleaned up mud after record flash flooding.

About 200 Vicksburg residents were forced to higher ground Thursday when thunderstorms dumped as much as seven inches of rain, overflowing creeks and drainage ditches.

There was disagreement over just what caused the damage in Spearman late Thursday. Residents and witnesses said three funnel clouds caused the damage even though they did not quite touch down. The National Weather Service said one tornado did scour the surface.

“There was one that hit Spearman itself, and there were multiple tornadoes in the vicinity of Spearman for several hours last night,” said Steven Cooper of the National Weather Service office in Amarillo, Tex. “There were about three different storm systems. Two dropped tornadoes.” He said there were too many to count.

A state trooper reported a count of 10. “We were up there until 1 (a.m.), and there were still tornadoes dancing around. They were all over the place,” trooper Wayne Beighle of Amarillo said. “None touched the ground--they were hovering just above the ground, but that was enough to do the damage.”

Water damage in Vicksburg was reported to 187 homes and at least two businesses.