21 Floydada TX 4 June 2002

Date: 4 June 2002

Location: Floydada, TX

Summary: Left Denver at 0500 for a target area between Amarillo and Lubbock. The target area slowly sank south as I got to Amarillo at 1130. Storms began to form near Lubbock and were working NE. When I got to Abernathy, TX I was in a heavy rain core and decided to head east some to get ahead and check out some features. The storm at Abernathy had a tornado warning on it just prior to my arrival. As I busted through the leading edge, the outflow from the storm was kicking up a huge amount of dust. As I was driving through Floydada the tornado sirens were going off and I was wondering what was I missing? I shot out east and got ahead of the storm again. To my SW there was definite rotation. It was on the leading edge and if I didn't know what I was looking at I would have swore it was a tornado. Got a flat freaking tire between Floydada and Matador. Got plowed by the storm. Thank God there was no large hail with it. Turned out that the flat was kind of a blessing in disguise. By the time I got the tire changed, another storm formed to my west and all I had to do was sit and wait for it. Chased this one for a while. Got some great lightning shots. Ended up back in Floydada for round 3 after dark when another storm formed and gave quite a nice display of CG as well.

Outflow dust from storm #1 just south of Floydada.

Floydada storm #1 leading edge rotation. Shows up very nicely in video.

Another View of the rotation.

Out ahead of storm #1 looking west at a nice core.

CG from storm #2.

More CG from storm #2.

Storm #3 forms west of town.

Awesome light show.