HOUSTON — All of the Tornado Warnings have expired in the counties north of the Houston metro area Sunday morning. Several warnings were issued starting just before 9 a.m. as a line of thunderstorms moved from west to east across several counties.
This is preliminary information based on the alerts sent out by the National Weather Service in League City. Crews from the NWS will still need to survey the damage to determine for sure if the area was hit by a tornado.
According to the NWS, at 9:29 a.m., a confirmed tornado was located 8 miles west of Huntsville State Park, or 10 miles southwest of Huntsville, moving east at 30 mph.
Then at 9:59 a.m., a confirmed tornado was located 8 miles east of Huntsville State Park, or 9 miles southeast of Huntsville, moving east at 35 mph, NWS said in their alerts.
Then at 10:16 a.m., a confirmed tornado was located over Point Blank, or 15 miles west of Livingston, moving east at 35 mph.
At 10:31 a.m., a confirmed tornado was located near Onalaska, or 9 miles northwest of Livingston, moving east at 35 mph.
KHOU 11 News has crews in the area surveying the reports of damage left behind by the severe weather.
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What is a tornado warning?
A Tornado Warning is issued by the local NOAA Office meteorologists who monitor the weather in the area. NOAA said they issue a warning when a tornado has been reported by spotters or indicated by radar and there is a serious threat to life and property in its path. During a tornado warning, you should act right away to find safe shelter.
What is a tornado watch?
During a Tornado Watch, tornadoes are possible in and around the watch area, according to NOAA. This means it is a good time to review your emergency plans. It is important to act quickly if a tornado warning is issued and if you spot one coming.
What to do during a tornado
If you are home, be sure to quickly go to a safe room or an interior room away from windows, which could get blown out.
If you are in a workplace or school, be sure to follow your tornado drill instructions and head to your shelter location. Again, stay away from windows. NOAA also advises against going into large open rooms like a cafeteria or gymnasium.
If you are outside, seek shelter inside a sturdy building. NOAA said to avoid sheds and storage facilities.
If you are in a vehicle, you are advised to drive to a sturdy shelter. If you are not able to get to a shelter, get down into your car or abandon it and head to a low-lying area like a ditch.
What are the signs of a tornado?
Some tornadoes form without any warning, so it is important to know what to look for. According to NOAA, these are the signs to look for:
- Strong, persistent rotation in the cloud base.
- Whirling dust or debris on the ground under a cloud base -- tornadoes sometimes have no funnel!
- Hail or heavy rain followed by either dead calm or a fast, intense wind shift. Many tornadoes are wrapped in heavy precipitation and can't be seen.
- Day or night - Loud, continuous roar or rumble, which doesn't fade in a few seconds like thunder.
- Night - Small, bright, blue-green to white flashes at ground level near a thunderstorm (as opposed to silvery lightning up in the clouds). These mean power lines are being snapped by very strong wind, possibly a tornado.
- Night - Persistent lowering from the cloud base, illuminated or silhouetted by lightning -- especially if it is visually in ground contact or there is a blue-green-white power flash underneath.
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