A powerful storm system took aim at the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, spawning a tornado that caused damage east of Houston with wind of up to 100 miles per hour.
Videos showed extensive damage with downed power lines and debris fields running miles wide throughout the Texas suburbs and destroyed buildings, including an animal shelter.
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado emergency for that area, warning that a ‘large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly tornado’ was on the ground Tuesday afternoon and was headed toward Baytown, about 25 miles east of Houston. The warning expired as the system moved to the east.
There were downed power lines and damage to homes and businesses in Baytown, but no reports of serious injuries, said Baytown spokesperson Jason Calder.
A powerful storm system took aim at the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, spawning a tornado that caused damage east of Houston with wind of up to 100 miles per hours
Footage from Houston TV station KTRK showed damage to buildings and power lines in Pasadena, a city southeast of Houston, including doors knocked off a Harley-Davidson dealership.
Several businesses suffered major damage, including the city’s animal shelter. Nearby, fences were laid over and shingles and sections of roofs were torn from homes, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Shell Chemicals´ site in nearby Deer Park was flaring, or burning off natural gas, after it lost steam because of severe weather, according to Shell spokesperson Curtis Smith.
‘We are taking steps to minimize any noise, light, or smoke associated with this activity, though it’s expected to continue until the units are restarted,’ Smith said via email.
‘There is no threat to the community, nor are there any indications a nearby tornado touched down within the Chemicals facility.’
The website PowerOutage.us, which collects live power outage data from utilities across the United States, reported about 123,000 Texas customers were without power Tuesday afternoon, mostly in the Houston area and surrounding counties.
An animal shelter in Pasadena announced that it was destroyed by the extreme weather.
A camping trailer sits in a retention pond where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Blvd., near Fairmont Parkway, Tuesday, January 24, 2023, in Pasadena, Texas
Radar shows the tornado activity near the Houston area and throughout the southwest
Drone footage shows the extent of the damage in one house just southeast of Houston
Couple heading to pick up their daughter from school stops to help a driver stuck in an overturned truck at Fairmont and the Beltway
Downed power lines and signs were seen everywhere off of Spencer Highway near Deer Park
Tornado damage along Spencer Highway about a mile east of Beltway 8 near Houston
Videos showed extensive damage with downed power lines and debris fields running miles wide throughout the Texas suburbs and destroyed buildings, including an animal shelter
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado emergency for that area, warning that a ‘large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly tornado’ was on the ground Tuesday afternoon and was headed toward Baytown, about 25 miles east of Houston. The warning expired as the system moved to the east
There were downed power lines and damage to homes and businesses in Baytown, but no reports of serious injuries, said Baytown spokesperson Jason Calder
Footage from Houston TV station KTRK showed damage to buildings and power lines in Pasadena, a city southeast of Houston, including doors knocked off a Harley-Davidson dealership
Several businesses suffered major damage, including the city’s animal shelter. Nearby, fences were laid over and shingles and sections of roofs were torn from homes, but there were no immediate reports of injuries
Pasadena’s animal shelter wrote a Facebook note confirming the building had been destroyed and asking for help relocating the animals
‘We have a volunteer heading there now to see how we can help but all of the dogs are going to need a safe place. If you have any room (even in your garage) and have the heart to open your home to any of these poor animals now is the time to step up! This is going to take the rescue village!’
A camping trailer sits in a retention pond where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Blvd., near Fairmont Parkway
The Pasadena Animal Shelter wrote on Facebook: ‘We have a volunteer heading there now to see how we can help but all of the dogs are going to need a safe place. If you have any room (even in your garage) and have the heart to open your home to any of these poor animals now is the time to step up! This is going to take the rescue village!’
It was the start of what’s expected to be a stormy day along the Gulf Coast. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
Areas along the coast from Houston to the Florida Panhandle could see tornadoes, strong winds and hail on Tuesday.
The storm system was also bringing snow and ice to much of the central U.S.
A man walks through a parking lot containing multiple overturned vehicles, including a trailer that was in a parking lot across the street, according to people at the scene
A UPS truck is overturned where a tornado was reported to pass
An overturned RV smashes against another RV in a parking lot by a Moose Lodge
People cross under downed power lines where a tornado was reported to pass along Mickey Gilley Boulevard
A man walks through a parking lot containing multiple overturned vehicles, including a trailer that was in a parking lot across the street,
It was the start of what’s expected to be a stormy day along the Gulf Coast. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma
Schools and businesses were closed Tuesday and Wednesday across Oklahoma.
Some places saw snowfall totals of between 1 and 6 inches across central and eastern parts of the state.
Several school districts in southwest Louisiana dismissed students early Tuesday in anticipation of severe weather in the area.
The police chief of Deer Park, Texas said that no one had been hurt.
