Official Holiday Tornado Report from HCFCD

1/3/25 – Jeff Lindner, Harris County’s Meteorologist, provided this official holiday tornado report. Southeast Texas experienced a highly active period of severe weather from 12/24/24 through 12/28/24. It included several tornado outbreaks on both the 26th and 28th.

Said Lindner, “While it is not uncommon to have severe weather and tornados in southeast Texas during the winter months, it is a bit unusual to have back-to-back outbreaks one day apart.”

“Most tornados in this region are small and of low-end intensity (EF-0 or EF-1). It is rare to see the higher intensity EF-3 and longer track tornadoes here locally, but they do occasionally happen,” said Lindner.

He provided the following holiday tornado report on the two main days.

December 26th Tornadoes

Five tornados occurred across southeast Texas on Thursday, the 26th. They included 2 EF-1 and 3 EF-0 tornados.

EF-1 tornados (on the Enhanced Fujita scale) have winds from 73-112 mph that can cause moderate damage.
EF-0 tornados have winds less than 73 mph that generally cause light damage.

1. El Campo TX (Wharton County)

Rating: EF-1
Peak Wind: 95mph
Path Length: .50 mile
Path Width: 50 yards

This tornado began three miles northeast of El Campo and was on the ground for roughly half of a mile. The tornado mostly moved across open farmland, but one well constructed outbuilding (barn) was impacted and destroyed yielding the EF-1 rating. It is possible this tornado was stronger over the open farm fields, but without any available damage indicators, this will remain unknown.

2. Southwest Harris County (NW of Meadows Place)

Rating: EF-1
Peak Wind: 90mph
Path Length: .05 mile
Path Width: 25 yards

A brief tornado occurred one mile north-northwest of Meadows Place in southwest Harris County along Plumbrook Drive. It damaged a few houses and overturned a delivery truck. One of the houses sustained roof and outside-facing wall damage resulting in the EF-1 damage rating.

3. Northern Liberty County (SE of Cleveland TX)

Rating: EF-0
Peak Wind: 75mph
Path Length: 6.8 miles
Path Width: 50 yards

This tornado began nine miles northwest of Dayton Lakes and moved eastward across mostly rural northern Liberty County. It damaged trees and two mobile homes consistent with winds of 65-75mph, earning it an EF-0 rating.

4. Lake Houston/Huffman (NE Harris County)

Rating: EF-0
Peak Wind: 60mph
Path Length: 2.1 miles
Path Width: N/A

HPD Lake Patrol and other video confirmed a tornado (waterspout) over Lake Houston north of FM 1960 that moved eastward across the lake and moved ashore along the eastern side of the lake in a wooded area. Survey teams were unable to find any damage near where the tornado reached the shoreline and the tornado dissipated quickly while moving onshore.

5. Dayton TX (Liberty County)

Rating: EF-0
Peak Wind: 60mph
Path Length: 1.1 miles
Path Width: 25 yards

A small tornado developed seven miles west of Dayton and moved across mainly open farm and ranch land. It downed a few trees. That helped storm spotters that captured the funnel cloud on video confirm that it was, in fact a tornado.

December 28 Tornados

Linder also said, “A more significant and damaging tornado event occurred from late morning to late afternoon on the 28th. Five tornadoes occurred from two primary supercell thunderstorms that moved across the area. Unfortunately, these tornadoes resulted in more significant damage with injuries and one fatality. Two EF-3, one EF-2, and two EF-1 tornados moved over the area.”

*Paths of 5 tornados associated with two supercells on 12/28/24.*

1. Brookshire Tornado (Waller and western Harris Counties)

Rating: EF-1
Peak Wind: 100mph
Path Length: 10.9 miles
Path Width: 150 yards

This tornado began west of FM 2855 in southern Waller County three miles north of Brookshire where a mobile home was moved off its foundation. The tornado continued northeast where it impacted a small area of houses south of Beckendorff Road and Noel Lane.

It rolled and completely destroyed one mobile home. Several other structures sustained roof and window damage. It also overturned vehicles in a driveway. Damage fell into both EF-0 and low-end EF-1 categories. The tornado continued northeast into a newly built subdivision where it destroyed 1-2 houses under construction and a brick privacy wall.

It then crossed FM 529 at Pitts Road just south of a Centerpoint power substation where it knocked down a power pole. Debris fanned across an open field and a subdivision detention basin.

The tornado then entered the Windward Subdivision near its southeastern edge. There, it damaged roofs, windows, and fences of 5-10 homes. One house lost all south-facing windows along with portions of the roof’s deck and outside facing wall siding.

This qualifies as EF-1 damage with winds estimated around 100 mph. The tornado weakened as it moved north-northeast and dissipated west of John Paul Landing in northwest Harris County.

2. Porter Heights to Splendora Tornado (Montgomery County)

Rating: EF-3
Peak Wind: 140mph
Path Length: 10.3 miles
Path Width: .65 mile
Injuries: 4

The same supercell that produced a Katy tornado continued northeast across northwest Harris County. It crossed the Bridgeland subdivision, then SH 249 near Spring Cypress, and continued northeast toward I-45/SH99. Both radar and Hooks Airport staff observed rotation, but not on the ground.

*Porter Heights/Splendora Tornado Path* *on 12/28/24.*

As this storm entered Montgomery County, the velocity increased and radar showed a debris ball near Porter Heights. Wind removed the entire roof structures of 1-2 homes. One brick house suffered complete outside wall failure and several interior wall failures. The twister also rolled a nearby mobile home, completely destroying it.

Damage indicated winds in the 140-145 mph EF-3 range.
Jeff Lindner, Harris County Meteorologist

The tornado then crossed FM 1314 where it destroyed large sections of a metal rental facility and a nearby mobile home. At this point, damage indicated high-end EF-1 or low-end EF-2.

The tornado weakened some while moving northeast across several rural streets and houses, but still caused significant tree damage. It then intensified as it moved into the Pickering Road area southwest of FM 1485. The twister heavily damaged or destroyed several RV’s and mobile homes. It completely removed the roof of Fire Station 154 and damaged three fire trucks. The twister even picked one up and rotated it 90 degrees.

North of FM 1485, it damaged several homes before crossing SH 242 into the Harrington Trails subdivision, removing nearly the entire roof of one home. The storm also completely destroyed several houses under construction.

The tornado continued northeast toward Splendora High School and dissipated in an open field after it crossed FM 2090.

Most of the storm’s track qualified as EF-1 or EF-2. Only a small portion near the beginning in Porter Heights rated EF-3. Four people suffered injuries.

3. Liverpool to Hillcrest Tornado (Brazoria County)

Rating: EF-2
Peak Wind: 125mph
Path Length: 8.8 miles
Path Width: 300 yards
Injuries: 5
Fatalities: 1

This tornado began four miles ENE of Liverpool along CR 172 in a rural area and tracked into Hillcrest southeast of Alvin. Most damage indicated EF-0 or EF-1 strength. But at Walt Disney Elementary School several large sections of the roof were ripped off and portions of an exterior wall failed. That indicated EF-2 (125mph) strength.

The storm also flipped and destroyed a mobile home causing a fatality. The tornado dissipated prior to reaching the Galveston County line.

*Brazoria County Tornado Path* *on 12/28/24*

4. Dickinson to Bacliff (Galveston County)

Rating: EF-1
Peak Wind: 90mph
Path Length: 7.40 miles
Path width: 850 yards

The Brazoria County supercell produced another tornado near the intersection of Hughes Road between I-45 and HWY 3. It moved northeast across FM 517 and HWY 146, causing EF-1 damage to several homes with its 90 mph winds east of Dickinson High School. Along most of its path, the storm featured EF-0 (60-80 mph) winds. It downed trees, fences, and power poles and caused some roof damage.

The tornado continued east across Galveston Bay and reached into Chambers County.

*Dickinson to Bacliff Tornado Path* *on 12/28/24*

5. Chambers County

Rating: EF-3
Peak Wind: 140mph (Chambers)/160mph (Jefferson)
Path Length: 22 miles
Path Width: 400 yards
Injuries: 1 (Chambers) and (4 injuries in Jefferson County)

The Brazoria and Galveston County supercell intensified over Galveston Bay before tracking into Chambers County near Smith Point. The tornado destroyed several mobile homes along FM 1941, where EF-3 damage was noted.

The tornado then crossed HWY 124 destroying high-tension power-transmission towers with 140mph winds. The towers supplied power to High Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. Winds also lofted and rolled a pickup truck near Smith Point Road resulting in one injury.

This was a significant tornado. It impacted mainly rural areas of Chambers County before crossing all of southern Jefferson County where high end EF-3 (160 mph winds) damage occurred in Hampshire TX. The tornado then moved between Port Arthur and Sabine Pass into southern Louisiana.

*Chambers to Jefferson County Tornado Path* *on 12.28/24*

The holidays are usually happy times. But severe weather made them less so for many people in 2024.

Posted by Bob Rehak on 1/3/24 based on information provided by Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner

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