West Texas River Broke Record After Heavy Rain

The recent storm system raised the Middle Wichita River northeast of Guthrie to 18.91 feet, exceeding its previous record of 16.6 feet.

The rise followed repeated rounds of heavy rain from October 13 through October 15. Parts of the central and northern Rolling Plains and southeastern Texas Panhandle received 3 to more than 5 inches.

Runoff pushed the river up by more than 10 feet. Previously dry creeks and streams filled, and flooding affected roads across the area during the event.

Lubbock’s airport total was 2.04 inches. Other parts of the Caprock received swaths of 1 to more than 2 inches, showing how rainfall varied across the region.

Storm reports also documented an 81 mph wind gust near Turkey and hail reaching 2.75 inches northeast of Matador on October 13.

These measurements and preliminary reports describe last week’s storms. The river record shows the scale of the runoff in the flooded area, while Lubbock’s lower total reflects a different part of the same weather system.

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