Severe storms, tornadoes rattled Houston area
The second severe weather outbreak in a month targeted Texas and Louisiana this weekend, as reports of gusty winds and tornadoes came flooding in.
AccuWeather forecasters accurately predicted that a cold front tearing into mild, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico would be the trigger for severe thunderstorm development in the south-central United States late on Saturday and Sunday.
Five tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in Southeast Texas on Saturday and into the overnight hours. Two EF-1 tornadoes were among those confirmed: one in Humble, Texas and the other in Kingwood, Texas
Tornado Warnings were issued Saturday afternoon and evening for areas around Houston as the storms came through. One tornado warning included George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
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Tornado spotted on beltway 8 to 59 near Humble, Texas. (Twitter / Tony McKay @TMcKay9) |
Damage was reported for multiple buildings in the Humble area after a radar confirmed tornado went through the area overnight, moving northward and damaging businesses and homes. Power lines fell on Will Clayton Parkway as a result of the storm, closing the street for a time.
Ping pong size hail was reported near Nacogdoches, Texas, late Saturday, along with downed trees and displaced patio furniture around Plum Grove, Texas. In Huntsville, Texas, pea sized hail was falling on Saturday evening, while dime size hail fell in Montgomery county.
Heavy rainfall deluged much of southeastern Texas Saturday afternoon and into early Sunday, which prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a flash flood warnings for Liberty and Polk counties, Texas into early Sunday morning. Old Highway in northern Liberty County was completely flooded at around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday.
By 8 a.m. CST on Sunday morning, Houston Intercontinental Airport had reported 6.30 inches of rain since storms began midday on Saturday. Radar estimated rainfall amounts of 4-8 inches spread across northern Harris, Liberty, western Hardin, southern Polk and Tyler counties in southeastern Texas.
As of 10 a.m. CST on Sunday morning, approximately 16,500 customers were without power in Texas, plus another 5700 in Louisiana, according to Poweroutage.us.
A possible tornado on Sunday brought damage to a mobile home and injured five in rural Louisiana, according to The Associated Press. The storm affected 15 homes and numerous sheds and vehicles in the Pearson community.
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Throughout Sunday night, the threat for severe weather continued, and stretched eastward. Gusty winds destroyed barns and brought down power lines and trees across Alabama and Georgia on Sunday night.
On Sunday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado was located and on the ground near Evergreen, Alabama. The tornado moved eastwards into Butler county.
Looking ahead, AccuWeather's long-range team is anticipating a rainy pattern to return to the South as pulses of atmospheric energy flow east from the Southwest. This week, rain is forecast to spread across Texas and shift eastward through the South into late week. More thunderstorm activity is possible as well late in the week.
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