Amarillo faces higher potential for flash floods, landspouts with storms this week

With the substantial amount of rainfall that the Texas Panhandle and Amarillo area has seen recently, the National Weather Service of Amarillo (NWS Amarillo) is urging individuals to take extra precautions during the upcoming week as more rainfall is predicted in the forecast.

Officials predict that the upcoming precipitation could result in flooding of areas and the high potential of flash flooding, as many of the area playa lakes have reached capacity.

According to Aaron Ward, Science and Operations Officer for NWS Amarillo, in total for the month of May, Amarillo alone received 7.36 inches of precipitation, almost three times the annual average of 2.53 inches. So far, for the month of June, Amarillo has already received a total of 2.32 inches precipitation, which is 1.72 inches above the average for this time in the month — commonly measured at .6 inches precipitation.

Ward stated that due to the area's ground being unable to absorb any more precipitation, much of the rainfall we receive is becoming runoff water, but as of lately with some of our playa lakes reaching capacity, some areas are experiencing flooding. With the forecast for the upcoming week, this has the potential to create some flash flooding, not only in rural areas, but in town as well.

"With the recent flooding around town, it is good to know your routes and know the flood areas in Amarillo and try not to get caught in a thunderstorm while driving, because we are seeing a lot of high water rescues and the like for the area when we see these thunderstorms hit the town," Ward said.

"There are not a lot of places for the water to go anymore, and the roads are flooding quickly," he said. "Flash flooding has potential to become a problem in town as well, in addition to, like Canyon, rivers and lakes. It only takes about half an inch to an inch of rain right now to cause some pretty bad flash flooding around town."

"If we pick up even half an inch in 20 minutes, we will easily see some flash flooding conditions in town," Ward added.

The forecast for the upcoming week includes some precipitation set to include Wednesday afternoon leading into the night, also including the chance for hail. Following Wednesday, there are light chances for precipitation during the evening each day, with the potential for a small break this weekend. The storm systems are expected to bring in more rainfall beginning early next week, however.

The science and operations officer stated that in addition to the rainfall, area citizens are also asked to take caution when traveling during these storms as the potential for landspouts and tornadoes is higher.

According to the NWS, on Saturday evening, a landspout tornado was confirmed to have touched down for approximately a minute, traveling under a quarter of a mile near Ross-Osage Street and 27th Street. Although brief, the landspout did cause damage to an area business's air conditioning unit, broke a few tree limbs and damaged a local business's sign.

"They are virtually impossible to detect on radar and can occur on days when we don't expect true tornadoes," Ward said of the landspouts. "They are very different than a real tornado. They are more of a bottom up process, more similar to a dust devil, with an initial spin on the ground stretching up into the thunderstorm. The spin is so small that it is hard to detect on radar. Oftentimes, with these we rely on reports, and they are usually over by the time we are notified. But, just because we cannot detect them doesn't mean they can't cause damage, and so we ask people to still be cautious of them."

In addition, the NWS confirmed an EF-0 tornado Sunday afternoon near the Amarillo airport, just seven miles northwest of Washburn.

Ward stated that the landspouts on on average include 70 to 85 mph winds, with EF-0's including winds around the 80 to 95 mph range and EF-1's around 100 mph winds. According to the NWS, the area commonly sees landspouts with a few EF-0's and very rarely encounters an EF-1.

The NWS urges individuals if at all possible to avoid driving in the rain, considering low visibility, heavy rainfall and potential for flash flooding. In addition, they also caution drivers to stay alert of the upcoming weather, and in the event of a landspout or tornado, to go inside a secure structure as far away form any windows as possible and wait until the storm has passed.

For more information or to stay up to date on the weather, visit the NWS Amarillo online at https://www.weather.gov/ama/ or follow them on Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo area faces more rain, storms, increasing flooding risks