A powerful storm system posed a threat of tornadoes in certain areas of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday. Just a day before, severe weather resulted in the loss of two lives as tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira, strong storms are forecasted to persist in the Southeast and will likely bring along “gusty, damaging winds,” hail, and tornadoes until Sunday. Pereira mentioned that there have been approximately 40 reports of tornadoes from southeastern Texas to Alabama due to the severe weather. However, these reports are still pending confirmation until damage surveys have been conducted.
According to him, having a severe weather outbreak of this magnitude this late in the year is not unheard of but fairly uncommon. The storms will keep moving eastward and eventually move offshore, resulting in a decrease in severe weather risks by Sunday evening.
According to Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, one person tragically lost their life in the Liverpool area, south of Houston, Texas, on Saturday. Additionally, four individuals sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Multiple touchdown points were reported in the county, specifically between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village, and Alvin. According to Polston, officials were aware of approximately 10 homes that had been damaged, but the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.
According to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, one person lost their life in Adams County, Mississippi, while two individuals suffered injuries in Franklin County.
According to the National Weather Service, the city of Brandon and Bude were struck by two tornadoes, causing severe damage to multiple buildings and tearing off roofs.
According to Josh Lichter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, it seems that at least six tornadoes hit the Houston area, but there may be additional ones that have yet to be discovered during the damage assessment. The damage caused by these tornadoes was accompanied by straight-line winds as well.
In Katy and Porter Heights, north of Houston, the strong winds caused damage to mobile homes, some of which were completely destroyed. The force of the winds was so intense that even the doors of a fire station in Porter Heights were blown in. This information was reported by the weather service.
Storm damage has been reported in the town of Athens, located northwest of Huntsville in northern Alabama. According to meteorologist Chelly Amin, a National Weather Service survey team was scheduled to start evaluating the damage on Sunday morning.
On Sunday, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued by the National Weather Service for parts of the Deep South as the line of storms rapidly moved eastward through Alabama, Georgia, and into South Carolina. The Spartanburg area in South Carolina was expected to experience wind gusts of up to 60 mph (97 kph), with potential damage to trees and powerlines in multiple counties. Additionally, a tornado watch was in effect for certain areas of the state.
According to PowerOutage.us, as of 9 a.m. Sunday ET, the number of customers without power in Mississippi has decreased to 65,000 from 93,000 at 1 a.m. Similarly, there are 54,000 customers without power in Georgia, 36,000 in Alabama, 20,000 in Louisiana, and 13,000 in Texas.