Published on September 18, 2025
On September 17, nan National Weather Service (NWS) successful Amarillo, Texas, put retired a severe thunderstorm warning for areas of Oklahoma and Texas, covering parts of southwestern Cimarron County, occidental Dallam County, and northwestern Hartley County, group to past until 8:30 PM CDT. The storm, detected adjacent Clayton astatine 7:24 PM CDT, is headed southeast astatine twenty-five mph, carrying vulnerable upwind on its path.
Locations Affected and Key Tourist Destinations
The large wind will impact areas for illustration Texline, Ware, and Felt. Several celebrated tourer destinations successful these regions whitethorn besides look disruptions. For instance, Capulin Volcano National Monument, located successful adjacent Capulin, New Mexico, could beryllium affected by nan dense rainfall and beardown winds. The Black Mesa State Park successful Oklahoma, a celebrated hiking spot, mightiness besides spot delays successful visitors’ plans owed to hazardous upwind conditions.
Other adjacent attractions, for illustration Amarillo’s Cadillac Ranch and Palo Duro Canyon State Park, mightiness spot a slowdown successful visitors arsenic information concerns emergence during nan storm. It is advisable for visitors to cheque pinch section authorities and upwind services to guarantee information while readying recreation done these regions.
Weather Impact and Key Dangers
The large wind is expected to bring play ball-sized hail and 70 mph winds. As per nan latest radar data, immoderate character harm is anticipated, and mobile homes, roofs, and outbuildings whitethorn acquisition terrible impacts. Tourists outdoors are astatine important risk of wounded from nan hail and precocious winds, and location whitethorn beryllium important harm to vehicles and buildings, including surgery windows and dented roofs. Tourists should debar staying outdoors successful specified upwind conditions.
According to nan NWS, torrential rainfall whitethorn besides consequence successful flash flooding. This presents a important threat to anyone attempting to thrust done flooded roadways, a reminder for visitors to enactment disconnected nan roads during terrible storms.
Safety Protocols and What Tourists Should Do
The NWS has issued nan pursuing recommendations for visitors to enactment safe:
- Stay Indoors: For safety, visitors are advised to move to an interior room connected nan lowest level of immoderate building. Basements are ideal, but if nary is available, a small, windowless room, specified arsenic a closet aliases bathroom, will besides supply immoderate protection.
- Avoid Flooded Roads: Tourists should not effort to thrust done flooded roadways. Flash floods tin hap rapidly, and driving done flooded areas tin beryllium deadly. It is basal to follow section authorities’ guidelines and parkland safely until conditions improve.
- Secure Outdoor Objects: Tourists who are outdoors should guarantee that immoderate loose objects aliases vehicles are secured arsenic precocious winds whitethorn origin debris to go hazardous.
- Stay Updated: Keep an oculus connected section upwind alerts. The National Weather Service’s charismatic website provides updates and advice, ensuring you are informed astir immoderate changes aliases caller warnings. It’s recommended that visitors usage nan NWS website and related mobile apps for real-time large wind tracking.
Local Impact connected Tourism
While nan storm’s nonstop effect connected awesome tourer attractions successful nan Texas and Oklahoma panhandle region remains to beryllium afloat understood, it’s clear that conditions will situation visitors successful nan region. Severe thunderstorms tin lead to delays aliases cancellations of outdoor tours, hikes, aliases different activities, particularly those adjacent nan affected areas for illustration Texline and Felt.
The NWS advises that those successful affected areas beryllium prepared for nan anticipation of hail and dense rain, which whitethorn origin visibility issues and make outdoor activities hazardous. According to nan service, it’s champion to travel each information measures, arsenic flooding is simply a superior concern pinch this large wind system.
Prioritising Safety During Severe Weather
As terrible upwind conditions unfold successful nan Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle areas, it is captious for visitors to prioritise their information and enactment informed. By pursuing NWS guidance and moving to a safe spot during nan storm, travellers tin guarantee their well-being. It’s important to enactment updated connected section upwind warnings and adhere to immoderate changes successful nan recreation conditions, particularly if visiting earthy attractions for illustration Black Mesa State Park aliases Capulin Volcano.
Although officials are still evaluating nan storm’s full impact, visitors to nan Oklahoma and Texas panhandle should stay alert. Following elemental information tips now will trim dangers and support nan travel nosy and secure, moreover pinch nan region’s changeable weather.