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NWS: EF-1 tornado touched down in southwest Houston area
A strong line of storms moved through Southeast Texas on Thursday, setting off a slew of Tornado Warnings throughout the afternoon.
HOUSTON — The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed that a tornado touched down in the southwest Houston area a day earlier.
On Thursday, a strong line of storms moved through Southeast Texas, setting off a slew of Tornado Warnings throughout the afternoon.
A day after the storms moved through, the NWS confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down on the southwest side of town. They said the tornado caused some damage to homes as it came through with 90 mph winds. It’s unclear how long the tornado was on the ground or exactly how far it traveled.
There were other reports of tornadoes touching down as far southwest as El Campo in Wharton County and as far northeast as Moss Hill in Liberty County. The National Weather Service is investigating those reports and should have updates out soon.
In Wharton County, where the first tornados were reported, the sheriff’s office said there were sightings at Loop 183 and County Road 428, FM 960 and FM 961 and in the area of Highway 59 and the El Campo truck stop heading northeast towards Pierce.
Later in the afternoon, there were sightings around Lake Houston and in the Atascocita area.
In Liberty County, there were multiple reports of tornadoes as the storms moved out of the area.
When is Houston at risk for tornadoes?
In Houston, tornadoes can happen at any time of day, during any season, month or day of the year. Although the statistics show that they are more likely in late fall, winter and spring, there really is no “off-season” for severe weather and tornadoes in Houston.
Staying weather alert in Houston is a full-time job for all of us. This starts with knowing what the weather forecast is so you and your family don’t get caught off guard. Sign up for notifications on your phone. An old-school NOAA weather radio is a great way to always have the latest updates too. Make sure your family knows where to go to take shelter from an approaching storm, and where you’ll meet up afterward.