000 NOUS44 KLUB 212033 PNSLUB TXZ021>044-212130- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TX 330 PM CDT THU APR 21 2005 ...STORM REPORTS OVER HALL COUNTY ON APRIL 20 2005... DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING OF WEDNESDAY APRIL 20 2005... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED AND MOVED ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN BRISCOE COUNTY...EASTWARD OVER HALL COUNTY...AND LATER WEAKENED ACROSS CHILDRESS COUNTY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DEFINES A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AS ONE PRODUCING TORNADOES...HAIL 0.75 INCH OR GREATER IN DIAMETER...OR WINDS 58 MPH OR GREATER. THANKS TO THE DEDICATION AND ENTHUSIASM FROM AREA STORM CHASERS... MEDIA VIDEO FOOTAGE...NWS STORM SPOTTERS AND COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS... LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE OFFICIALS...AND VALUABLE REPORTS FROM CITIZENS...A WEALTH OF INFORMATION WAS REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR REVIEW AND DOCUMENTATION. TO PROMOTE THE SHARING OF STORM INFORMATION...AND AS A BEST PRACTICE IN OUR OPERATIONS TO ASSESS WARNING POTENTIAL...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROUTINELY ISSUES PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORTS BOTH DURING AND FOLLOWING SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS. A FULL REVIEW OF EACH EVENT IS CONDUCTED IN AN EFFORT TO ENSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THE OFFICIAL STORM REPORT DATABASE. IN THIS PROCESS... REPORTS MAY BE ADDED OR SUBTRACTED FROM THIS PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT. AFTER REVIEWING STORM CHASER VIDEO AND INTERVIEWING NUMEROUS SOURCES OF REPORTS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CONCLUDED THE STRONGLY ROTATING SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR TAMPICO AND TURKEY IN HALL COUNTY BETWEEN 620 PM AND 656 PM...WHICH RESULTED IN TWO REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS...DID NOT PRODUCE A TORNADO. BY DEFINITION...A TORNADO IS A VIOLENT ROTATING COLUMN OF AIR IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. AT THE TIME THIS CIRCULATION MAKES CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE...DEBRIS WILL BE VISIBLE...PERHAPS IN THE FORM OF A DUST WHIRL...OR PHYSICAL DAMAGE WILL RESULT TO STRUCTURES OR MARKINGS FOUND ON THE GROUND IN THE PATH OF THE TORNADIC CIRCULATION. THESE FEATURES WERE NOT EVIDENT IN VIDEO FOOTAGE OR IN PERSONAL ACCOUNTS FROM POST-STORM INTERVIEWS. NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM ACROSS THE AREA INCLUDING AN 88 MPH INFLOW GUST...DAMAGING HAIL UP TO TENNIS BALL SIZE...WITH A FEW REPORTS OF BASEBALL SIZE HAIL. BOTH OF THESE REPORTS WERE PROVIDED BY STORM CHASERS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREATLY APPRECIATES THE TIME AND DEDICATION FROM TRAINED STORM SPOTTERS AND STORM CHASERS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH US AND OUR MEDIA AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION AND WARNING TO THE PUBLIC TO SAVE LIVES AND PROTECT PROPERTY. WE DEFINITELY HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS WORKING TOGETHER. BRIAN LAMARRE WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LUBBOCK TEXAS $$