BREAKING.... Major tornado strike in Matador, TX

[Warren Faidley]

Just breaking. Live footage looks bad. At least one fatality reported.

 

[Warren Faidley]

This could be a really bad situation, fatality-wise. Hope I am wrong. Hope all the chasers got through this. Lots vehicles crumpled into balls. I'm hearing there were multiple tornadoes / satellites.

 

[Matt Zumbrunn]

Looks like 3 fatalities thus far. Live storms media has a video of the tornado. Prayers for those folks. Its been a rough time for the TX panhandle.

 

[Mikayla Norris]

I got into Matador just a few minutes after the tornado. I know it goes without saying, but it was bad. I've never arrived on the scene of such a significant tornado so soon afterwards before. I'll be honest, I'm still processing it all. I have footage coming into the town from the north and the worst of the damage. I'm debating whether I want to include the video in my chase report or not. I'll have some frame grabs and more details in the REPORTS thread later today.

 

[Jason N]

It's never easy to be in that situation. your OODA loop is on high alert, which is akin to fight or flight, and I've seen some pretty awful things myself, so I totally get your feelings. Remaining calm and organized as best as you can is the goal, but we are humans and seeing firsthand suffering and loss of life does change you a bit. chasing is not going to always be glorious since we know and understand the power of what we are after. its why having first aid lifesaver is a valuable commodity that I think everyone should have. that damage looked at least high end EF3 to EF4 in some isolated spots for sure, and video doesn't really capture the real world. On the ground, I'm sure it was pretty bad. Remember you're hopefully there to enjoy it, document, inform.... but with a real sense of at any moment, this stuff changes lives permanently in some cases and maybe yours to, it's perspective altering.

 

[Jason Boggs]

4 fatalities and a rating of EF-3

 

[Mikayla Norris]

This may come across as a bit of a morbid question, but has anyone seen confirmed locations for where the fatalities occurred? According to the news articles, 3 of the 4 fatalities weren't from Matador.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I believe at least one was a resident. I heard (not confirmed) that two others were workers from out of town who were staying in a trailer? Don't know about the fourth. It was originally believed there were a larger number of people in the Dollar General store, but that was apparently not true. Given the hard to see nature of the tornado, it's unusual southern movement, rating and quick formation, it's amazing there were not more deaths.

 

[Jason N]

That Rating of EF3 was 165mph as well, so right on the EF3/EF4 line. I have to give credit to the HRRR on picking up that Srn movement to, several runs noted that track.