High storm winds slam Texas airport
Several aircraft and a hangar were destroyed and other damage was extensive at the Dalhart, Texas, Municipal Airport when a severe storm with winds up to an estimated 78 mph struck the area north of Amarillo on Aug. 13, according to local news reports.
The airport in the Texas panhandle was open Aug. 15 as cleanup operations got underway.
A report attributed to Dalhart’s fire chief said eight aircraft and antique cars were damaged when the storm wreaked havoc on hangars in which they were stored.
Efforts were in progress to “get the roof” off damaged vehicles, he said.
National Weather Service officials traveled to Dalhart to study storm damage at the airport. They were unable, early in the cleanup, to confirm a report posted on a cloud-chasers’ Facebook page that a “weak tornado” had touched down in the area.
Dalhart receives approximately 18 inches of rain annually, and has already received almost 17 inches this year, an area newspaper reported.
