After the storm: Levelland, Lynn County assess damage after potent thunderstorms

LEVELLAND — An overnight severe storm caused major damage and left thousands without power Wednesday in Hockley and Lynn counties and other portions of the South Plains.

Emergency management officials were asking residents to stay home as first responders and emergency crews assess the damage from a "significant wind event" where wind speeds in some areas topped 100 mph.

Levelland City Manager James Fisher confirmed by Wednesday afternoon that there have been no reported fatalities associated with the storm, but it did leave at least eight people injured and, at its peak near Levelland, produced winds upward of 110 mph, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service in Lubbock released late Wednesday.

Officials also attributed to the storm mass utility outages and major property damage in the area.

"Levelland and surrounding area has taken significant damage," reads a reverse-911 message sent at 2:40 a.m. by Levelland/Hockley County Emergency Management. "Power poles and lines are down all over the city. Please stay in your homes and off the roads as emergency crews work to clear roads and respond to emergencies."

Related: Levelland, Tahoka storms provide lessons for next severe weather event

Strong straight-line winds — not a tornado — were responsible for the damage in Levelland, Tahoka and elsewhere, according to meteorologist Gary Skwira with the National Weather Service in Lubbock.

"That same storm went on to produce a 95 mph wind gust when it went through the West Texas Mesonet site just northeast of Tahoka an hour or two later," Skwira said. "We've heard about a lot of center pivots that were flipped over and blown around, and they had a lot of wind and wind-driven hail. So a lot of trees were stripped, I'm sure; crops that were trying to come up were probably severely damaged."

A team from the National Weather Service was on the ground Wednesday surveying the damage in Hockley County, Skwira said.

The wind, hail and rain that wreaked havoc in Hockley and Lynn counties was part of a potent line of thunderstorms that moved southeast from the Panhandle and eastern New Mexico and that prompted the National Weather Service in Lubbock to issue severe thunderstorm warnings through the overnight hours Tuesday into Wednesday. Those warnings are broadcast through the NWS social media platforms as well as on weather radios and through local media outlets, among other resources. Although not a tornado, officials urge the public to take precautions ahead of severe storms, including maintaining a NOAA Weather Radio to get early warning.

One severe thunderstorm warning issued after midnight was for Bailey and Cochran counties through 1 a.m., with the weather service warning of winds up to 70 mph and large hail. As the storms advanced, another severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Levelland, Hockley County and surrounding areas through 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, with other warnings being issued as the storm tracked through Lubbock, Lynn and Garza counties through the night.

About 4 a.m. Wednesday, the Levelland Police Department reported "massive gas leaks" in the Kaufman, Alamo and Hicks Street neighborhoods. At 8 a.m., more than more than 6,000 Xcel Energy customers were without power. Lyntegar Electric Co-op reported more than 2,000 meters out of service just after 2 a.m., but most of those had been restored by 8 a.m.

At one point, 7,200 Xcel Energy customers were without power, but Fisher said crews have been hard at work restoring power to portions of the city, with the majority of the power expected to be restored by the end of the day. By just after 2 p.m., Xcel spokesman Wes Reeves said their Levelland East Substation was powered up and the main city substation was expected to be restored late Wednesday afternoon or in the evening.

Covenant Health Levelland was able to keep its emergency department operational but canceled procedures and closed four of the health system's clinics due to a loss of power, according to a spokesperson. The hospital regained power by Wednesday evening and will open the clinics Thursday.

Levelland City Hall and the landfill were also closed.

Here's how to help those impacted

Levelland police and the Levelland Fire Department were asking for help Wednesday morning with cleanup, especially from residents with four-by-four vehicles. But later in the morning, the departments reported they had enough volunteers. Fisher said citizens and surrounding communities have provided ample help for relief efforts.

Residents with a need for temporary shelter were directed to the South Plains College student center, which the Red Cross was operating as an evacuation center. Residents whose homes sustained damage in Wednesday’s storms were asked to call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to see if they are eligible for Red Cross assistance.

The Salvation Army in Levelland was stationed at the Levelland Fire Department, 603 Fifth St., with its canteen truck passing out snacks and meals to anyone in need.

Irma Reyes, the Levelland Salvation Army store manager, said several volunteers were helping out, but more are welcomed to join the relief efforts. Individuals can also stop by the store to make monetary donations or visit the Salvation Army in Lubbock to donate to relief efforts.

Individuals can also use the Lubbock Salvation Army website to make donations and direct them to storm relief.

Lynn County and the City of Levelland are encouraging residents whose property was damaged by the storm to report the damage to the Texas Department of Emergency Management via the iSTAT system. A damage survey can be found at damage.tdem.texas.gov.

"The more residents who take this survey increase the chances of individuals receiving state and federal aid as they repair damages from the storms," the city said.

Mateo Rosiles reported from Levelland. Alex Driggars reported from Tahoka. The Avalanche-Journal's Adam D. Young and Alana Edgin contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Levelland, Lynn County assess damage after potent thunderstorms