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Tornado Hits Loving as Storms Move Across New Mexico

Eddy County Emergency Manager Jennifer Armendariz said video footage confirmed that the tornado touched down at about 5 p.m. in Loving in southern Eddy County. She said no damage was reported.

Tornado (5)3
(TNS) — A tornado was confirmed in Loving Tuesday night, as heavy wind, rain and hail moved through Eddy County and southeast New Mexico into West Texas.

Eddy County Emergency Manager Jennifer Armendariz said video footage confirmed the tornado touched down at about 5 p.m. in Loving in southern Eddy County.

She said no damage was reported despite accounts of golf-ball-sized hail, and after about two hours the storm had mostly cleared.

Multiple shelters were set up throughout the county and Armendariz said staff was sent home by about 7 p.m.

A unit from the Eddy County Office of Emergency Management was sent out to Loving to perform "recon," Armendariz said, and assess the damage.

"Right now, we have video confirmation that a tornado touched down in Loving," she said. "We're actively monitoring the storm. The storm is clear for now."

The Office of Emergency Management was assisted by the Malaga, Otis and Eddy County fire services, she said. The Emergency Operations Center was activated at the Eddy County Fire Service to provide additional monitoring and support for personnel.

Aside from the confirmed tornado, Armendariz said there were two storms with rotations at White's City and about 8 miles south of Carlsbad.

She said White's City saw up to 50 mph winds.

"In my 8 years here, this is the first time we've had this many potential tornadoes at one time," Armendariz said.

Meanwhile, she said Queen was out of power while resident were pelted with "pea-sized" hail.

A Hazardous Weather Outlook for the area went into effect from about 1:30 p.m. and expired at midnight, applying to Eddy and Lea counties, the Guadalupe Mountains and parts of West Texas.

At about 7:20 p.m., the National Weather Service's Midland Office reported the storm had begun moving east out of Eddy County and into neighboring Lea County and Hobbs.

"819pm CDT/719pm MDT: A broken line of strong to severe thunderstorms continues to trek eastward across SE NM/SW TX. Expect continued upscale development through this evening. Tornado Watch remains in effect until 11pm CDT, with damaging winds and large hail possible. #txwx #nmwx," read a tweet from the NWS Midland.

Strong to severe thunderstorms were expected throughout the area, according to the report, until after midnight.

Brief, heavy rainfall and flooding were also possible, the report stated.

The outlook predicted more potentially damaging winds throughout Wednesday, but the storms should subside, said Abbie Garcia, meteorologist at the NWS' office in Odessa, Texas.

Garcia said any tornadoes noticed Tuesday night were likely small, short-lived "spin-ups."

She said the storm system will likely begin moving out of the area to the east after midnight on Tuesday.

"We're looking at strong winds and thunderstorms across most of the area," she said. "Those storms form into a line and move across the region."

The conditions could prove dangerous to residents and motorists, Garcia said, especially those driving trucks or large automobiles.

"Impacts of high winds can be pretty dangerous," she said. "We advise maybe postponing travel until it calms."

People in the area should also make sure to have several ways of receiving weather information, Garcia said, such as TV, radio and social media.

The National Weather Service updates its Facebook and Twitter accounts regularly, she said.

In local homes, Garcia advised residents go into the most interior room possible during the storm, ensure they have access to food and water, and monitor for news alerts from the NWS.

"If something is moving toward your house or area, we advise you go into the most interior room possible," she said. "That will put the most walls between you and the storm."

Heavy thunderstorms and rain are not uncommon during early spring, Garcia said, but recent drought conditions could leave locals unsuspecting.

"We are a little early (for the storms)," she said. "Severe weather season starts in March and April. It feels different because we've been in such a drought lately."

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

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