Microbursts Damage Areas of Lubbock
By: Julie Musgrave
Updated: May 13, 2009
During yesterday's storms, we may have missed out on severe weather in the city in terms of tornadoes and heavy rain. But, several folks around town experienced some strong winds that came, seemingly, out of nowhere.
Our conditions lately have been dry, and hot. So when the weather starts stirring up like we saw last night, it becomes ideal for what's known as Microbursts -- bursts of wind that really aren't so micro in speed. We first showed you an image last night of the back window of a car blown out from a surge of wind. That wind was part of a Microburst -- a weather phenomonon that develops when a descending air mass hits the ground without anywhere to go. So, it spreads to the sides, and the wind accelerates to speeds of up to 50, 60, even 70 miles per hour. The National Weather Service says there were several that hit around town yesterday, one of those in Southwest Lubbock. Steve Barham found himself right in the middle of one, he says he saw just a wall of dust coming towards him, then the winds were so strong it stung. NWS tells us Microbursts are hard to warn for, so they just want you to be aware that they're possible. Justin Weaver, NWS: "Really all you can do as a citizen, is you can see the dust underneath the storms, which is an indication that there is some strong winds and just, if you see one approach, just go inside." Steve Barham, witnessed Microburst: "I can say I've been through one and survived it just fine, but I hope to never see another one ever again!" Microbursts are common here in the South Plains and for this time of year, so you should become familiar with what one looks like, and the conditions that help them form, just to be safe.
