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National Weather Service Update on the Tornadoes Caused by the Storm

 

 

Updated for the addition of a tornado report in northwestern Panola County and a tornado report near Center TX and to put the tornado reports in chronological order...

 

Tornado # 1 - Nacogdoches County, TX...

 

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    100 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.14 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   160.0 yards
Fatalities:             1
Injuries:               1

Start Date:             01/10/2020
Start Time:             11:33 PM CST
Start Location:         6 WSW Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County / TX
Start Lat/Lon:          31.5832 / -94.7558

End Date:               01/10/2020
End Time:               11:36 PM CST
End Location:           4 WSW Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County / TX
End Lat/Lon:            31.5855 / -94.7197

 

Summary: The tornado touched down along CR-723 just south of FM-225 where it broke several large branches in a field of trees.

 

The tornado headed east-northeast from there where it crossed FM-225 and paralleled the north side of FM-225. It knocked over a number of trees and broke several more large branches as it continued to the east-northeast.

 

The tornado downed a large tree onto a mobile home along Sweat Circle, a private road off of FM-225, where a fatality occurred along with one injury. The tornado crossed CR-722 and Russelville Road where it did more tree damage and minor damage to homes. The tornado continued to the east-northeast where it crossed CR-719 and several private properties damaging a few more trees before lifting near Floyd Harvin Road.

 

A special thanks goes out to the Nacogdoches County Emergency Management office for their assistance in locating damage on the survey.

 

Tornado # 2 - Northwest Panola County, TX...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  0.52 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   150.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             01/11/2020
Start Time:             12:18 AM CST
Start Location:         5 ENE Tatum / Panola County / TX
Start Lat/Lon:          32.3289 / -94.4356

End Date:               01/11/2020
End Time:               12:19 AM CST
End Location:           5 ENE Tatum / Panola County / TX
End Lat/Lon:            32.3336 / -94.4286

 

Summary: This brief tornado first touched down on a hillside just southwest of FM 959 outside of Tatum. The damage here was limited to trees, but was nonetheless impressive, as a majority of the few hundred pine trees in a confined area had their trunks snapped.

 

The tornado tracked northeast off the hill doing only sporadic tree damage before crossing FM 959 and inflicting mainly structural roof damage to several residences and outbuildings. Radar signatures suggest the tornado lifted quickly after this point, although the survey team could not access areas to the
northeast of there to confirm.

 

The tornado was definitely at its strongest at the beginning of the path, but again, extremely limited access did not allow confirmation as to whether the actual start might have been farther to the southwest.

 

Tornado # 3 - Center, TX...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    100 mph
Path Length /statute/:  6.14 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   400.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries: 1

Start Date:             01/11/2020
Start Time:             12:39 AM CST
Start Location:         2 SW Center / Shelby County / TX
Start Lat/Lon:          31.773 / -94.2021

End Date:               01/11/2020
End Time:               12:49 AM CST
End Location: 4 ENE Center / Shelby County / TX
End Lat/Lon: 31.811 / -94.109

 

Summary: This tornado began just to the west of Highway 7 on the southwest edge of Center and continued on an east-northeast path for roughly 6 miles. The tornado cut through a few neighborhoods on the south side of Center, so it was fortunate the tornado`s estimated winds mainly remained less than 100 mph through this portion of the path. However, scores of trees were uprooted or had their trunks snapped across the path through town, resulting in roof and structural damage to many homes as trees fell upon them. The worst example of this was probably in the Lakewood Subdivision just off of Highway 7.

 

Here, one minor injury occurred as a fallen large pine tree heavily compromised the roof structure of a residence. In addition, a handful of residences farther east, along Ballard Street, sustained significant damage from falling trees. Continuing east, there was also damage to residences from falling trees in the vicinity of Martin Luther King Drive, although here a few residences also sustained minor structural roof damage due to winds alone.

 

On Loop 500 E, on the southeast side of the town, there was additional structural damage due mainly to wind, although a few of the compromised structures were likely vacant and already in a heavy state of disrepair before the tornado. From there, the tornado continued into much more rural areas on the eastern outskirts of Center, doing scattered tree and very low-end structural damage, that is until coming to County Road 3047. Here, a majority of chicken houses set up in an array had some roof paneling removed with a few of the houses having most roof paneling removed and some associated damage to the fundamental structure.

 

The damage at this point was likely the most impressive concentrated damage of the tornado. Interestingly, the tornado lifted shortly after doing this point. Most of the trees in the path were blown down to the north or north-northeast, while most random trees found blown down outside of the path fell in more of an east to east-southeast direction.

 

This damage pattern behavior is generally typical of weak and fast-moving tornadoes that accomplish most of damage on their south flanks.

 

A special thanks goes out to the Shelby County Emergency Management office for their assistance in locating damage on the survey.
 

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