SAN ANGELO, Texas — A strong severe thunderstorm blew through San Angelo early Saturday morning around 2 a.m. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued at approximately 1:24 a.m. for north-central Tom Green County and southwestern Runnels County until 2:30 a.m.
As the storm blew through, 86 mph winds were reported at Mathis Field. Damage was scattered throughout town and 20,000 people lost power, according to AEP Texas.
By Saturday afternoon, multiple social media accounts were saying a tornado blew through San Angelo, leading to the damage seen. However, a survey by the National Weather Service (NWS) quickly debunked the rumors. The straight line wind damage throughout the city was in-fact a microburst.
In the image below, the bright red indicates winds blowing away from the radar, and the bright green indicates winds blowing toward the radar. This radar image shows the very localized extent of the microburst, centered directly over San Angelo.
A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm. It is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter. It occurs when an updraft in a storm is no longer able to hold the large core of rain/hail. As a result, the core plummets to the ground, causing extensive damage.
This is what was seen early Saturday across San Angelo. The thunderstorm quickly died south of town.
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