Strong Thunderstorms, Flood Advisory Hit Tom Green, Irion Counties

SAN ANGELO, TX — Strong thunderstorms are moving across northeastern Tom Green and Irion counties Tuesday afternoon, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood advisory for east-central Tom Green County. 

Doppler radar at 3:21 p.m. CDT showed the storms along a line from Goodfellow Air Force Base to near Twin Buttes Reservoir to near Arden, moving west at 10 mph. The storms were expected to continue impacting the area through 4 p.m., the NWS said in a special weather statement issued at 3:22 p.m.

Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects, while minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Frequent cloud-to-ground lightning could also accompany the storms, and the NWS urged anyone outdoors to seek shelter inside a building or vehicle. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles from a thunderstorm. 

A separate flood advisory was issued at 3:41 p.m. and remains in effect until 6:45 p.m. Doppler radar indicated heavy rain from the thunderstorms had already dropped 0.5 to 1 inch, causing urban and small stream flooding in low-lying and poor-drainage areas. 

Locations affected by the thunderstorms include San Angelo, Mertzon, Wall, San Angelo State Park, Twin Buttes Reservoir, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Lake Nasworthy and U.S. 67 near the Irion-Tom Green county line. The flood advisory covers portions of east-central Tom Green County, including San Angelo, Lake Nasworthy, Goodfellow Air Force Base, O.C. Fisher Reservoir and Twin Buttes Reservoir. 

Motorists were urged to “turn around, don’t drown” when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.