Weather
Amarillo Weather: Two Sept. 29 Strike Rated EF-Unknown
Amarillo, TX – Two short lived tornadoes touched down in the Texas Panhandle Tuesday evening, but neither could be assigned an Enhanced Fujita rating because surveyors found no usable damage indicator
By Blake Harrison · 2026-09-30T23:06:06.563Z
Amarillo, TX – Two short lived tornadoes touched down in the Texas Panhandle Tuesday evening, but neither could be assigned an Enhanced Fujita rating because surveyors found no usable damage indicators.
According to the National Weather Service in Amarillo, a survey team assessed areas southeast of Claude and southwest of Amarillo Wednesday following reports, photographs and videos of tornadoes during the Sept. 29 tropical weather event.
Both tornadoes received an EF Unknown, or EFU, rating. The designation means the Weather Service confirmed tornadoes occurred but could not estimate their strength on the EF scale because there was insufficient damage to evaluate. No injuries or fatalities were reported with either tornado.
The first tornado developed southeast of Claude at about 7:12 p.m. and lasted until approximately 7:15 p.m. Its estimated path was 0.98 miles long and 75 yards wide. Spotters documented the tornado with photographs and video, while its path length was estimated using radar because damage indicators were sparse.
A second tornado, identified by the Weather Service as the VFW Road tornado, occurred southwest of Amarillo from about 9:37 to 9:43 p.m.
That tornado developed in a field west of VFW Road and south of Lone Star Road. It moved very little before dissipating without crossing a road. Its estimated path was 0.59 miles long and 25 yards wide.
The Weather Service said no damage indicators were available to determine estimated peak winds for either tornado, so the EFU ratings should not be interpreted as measurements of tornado intensity.
As of Wednesday’s preliminary survey results, the agency said these were the only known tornadoes associated with the Sept. 29 tropical event.