80 Mph Winds Tore Through Abilene Leaving A Trail Of Damage

If you were awake during last night's storm, you already know it wasn't your average Texas summer thunderstorm.

With winds reportedly reaching around 80 mph, Mother Nature rolled through Abilene like she had a score to settle. Tree limbs snapped, power lines came down, shingles took flight, and social media quickly filled up with photos of entire trees uprooted across the Big Country.

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Storm Damage Hits Home Across Abilene

At the Rock 108 and Townsquare Media studios, we were fortunate compared to what many families experienced.

When I arrived this morning, there were large tree limbs scattered across the parking lot, pieces of debris that looked like they came from who-knows-where, and our billboard definitely looked like it had lost a fight with the wind. The parking lot looked more like a cleanup project than a workplace.

At my house, things got a little western too.

The storm blew in hard enough to rip off shingles, move entire trampolines several yards, knock down limbs, and undo some of the yard and garden projects my wife and I had just wrapped up this weekend. Nothing catastrophic, but enough to make you stand there looking at the damage while muttering words that probably shouldn't be repeated in public.

Some Folks Had It Much Worse

As frustrating as our cleanup is, plenty of Abilene residents weren't nearly as lucky.

I've seen photos of massive trees split in half, fences flattened, roofs damaged, and yards completely covered in debris. For many families, this storm created a lot more than just a Saturday morning cleanup project.

Thank You To The Real Heroes

two linemen on cherry pickers — Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash

While most of us were sleeping, or hiding under blankets pretending we weren't hearing the wind howl, linemen, first responders, police officers, firefighters, and emergency crews were already getting to work.

They spent the night dealing with downed power lines, blocked roadways, dangerous conditions, and restoring power to thousands of people across the area. Those folks don't get enough credit.

Abilene Cleaning Up After Storm Slams Big Country

So as you're cleaning up limbs, picking up shingles, and trying to figure out where that random piece of somebody else's property came from, take a moment to appreciate the men and women who worked through the storm to keep the rest of us safe.

West Texas took a punch last night, but like always, we'll clean it up, help our neighbors, and get back to business.