Lea County, NM EF2 Tornado – March 23, 2007

18 tornadoes were confirmed across parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico on March 23, 2007.  Ten were in New Mexico.  This summary looks at a tornado rated EF2 that moved 8.36 miles through parts of Lea County.  Details on the event via the NWS Survey found in the Storm Data Publication.

This tornado developed just south of Lea County Road 147, approximately 7.5 miles west of McDonald.  The tornado width at this point was estimated at 50 yards.  It intensified as it moved to the northeast.  13 wooden power poles were damaged 7.5 miles SW of Tatum.  Three were snapped off at ground level, and others were snapped 3 to 12 feet above the ground.  A water trough weighing an estimated 300 pounds was thrown from the tornado for several hundred feet. The tornado was visually estimated to be a half-mile in width and described as clean in appearance.  The tornado dissipated just south of N.M. Highway 380, six and a half miles west of Tatum.  Spotters confirmed that the tornado exhibited multiple vortex structure at times during its life cycle.