When Physical & Metaphorical Storms Collide

On the afternoon of April 8th, 2021 two major events were unfolding for the communities of Bryan and College Station. Events that started in separate parts of Texas would eventually meet in the same location by 9 pm. Just before 3pm, a man walked into Kent Moore Cabinets in Bryan, Texas, and opened fire on employees. At the same time, a singular supercell thunderstorm developed in Comanche County, gaining enough strength to produce large hail by 5 pm. High-resolution forecast models tracked what was expected to be a weakening storm by sunset across Lake Limestone and into the anticipated resting place of Leon County, suggesting the storm would dissipate by 9 pm. Instead, the initial storm split sending a second supercell tumbling south through Waco, down Highway 6, and into Bryan / College Station, producing baseball size hail the entire way. This storm reached the west side of Bryan, where it unloaded the largest hail of the event, at the same time Texas State Troopers were scheduled to hold a press conference outdoors to detail the events of the day at the cabinet company. The storm prompted a tornado warning, destroyed property, and eventually resulted in a disaster declaration for Brazos County. This is a recap of the coverage from KBTX Media in Bryan, Texas, the actions that were taken, and lessons learned during and after the storm.

https://www.weather.gov/hgx/SevereHail_BCS_April2021