HOUSTON — A powerful storm system posed a risk of tornado formation across sections of the Southeastern United States on Sunday. This came after a devastating weather event the day prior resulted in at least two fatalities as tornadoes hit regions in Texas and Mississippi.
According to meteorologist Frank Pereira from the National Weather Service, the severe weather sweeping through the Southeast is anticipated to generate “strong, damaging winds,” hail, and tornadoes throughout the day. Pereira reported around 40 instances of tornado activity from southeastern Texas to Alabama, although these reports remain unverified pending damage evaluations.
“While it’s not typically seen this late in the year, an outbreak of this severity is not completely unheard of,” he remarked. The storms are projected to progress eastward before moving offshore, which should reduce the risk of severe weather by Sunday evening.
In Texas, one fatality was confirmed in the Liverpool region, south of Houston. Four individuals sustained minor injuries that were not life-threatening, as noted by Madison Polston of the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were aware of approximately ten damaged homes and were in the process of assessing the full extent of the destruction.
The National Weather Service planned to conduct damage surveys in the Houston vicinity on Sunday, focusing on at least five tornadoes that were confirmed to have impacted areas north and south of the city the previous day.
Over in Mississippi, a report from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency indicated one death in Adams County, with two injuries noted in Franklin County. The National Weather Service reported two tornadoes impacted regions near Bude and the city of Brandon, causing roofs to be torn off several structures.
At least six tornadoes seemed to have touched down in the Houston area, though more may be identified during subsequent damage assessments. Both tornadoes and straight-line winds have caused destruction in the region, according to meteorologist Josh Lichter.
In areas north of Houston, mobile homes were either severely damaged or completely destroyed in locations such as Katy and Porter Heights, with reports of doors being blown in at a fire station. The National Weather Service also noted storm damage in Athens, Alabama, situated just northwest of Huntsville. A survey team was expected to start evaluating the impacted area on Sunday morning, according to meteorologist Chelly Amin.
Holly Hollman, a spokesperson for Athens, shared that she resides just two blocks from downtown, the center of most early Sunday storm damage. Hollman recounted how the storm dislodged large HVAC units from rooftops, removed the roofing from a bookstore, and damaged a brick structure adjacent to a veterans’ museum. Remarkably, a stripped military helicopter was also knocked over from its display pole.
“I stepped out onto my porch and could hear the storm roar,” she said. “We are incredibly lucky this hit late at night. If it had occurred during busier hours, we could have faced serious injuries or even fatalities.”
The National Weather Service prompted severe thunderstorm warnings in parts of the Deep South as the storm system advanced eastward through Alabama, Georgia, and into South Carolina. Wind gusts reaching 60 mph (97 kph) were set to impact the Spartanburg area in South Carolina. Damage to trees and power lines was anticipated across several counties in the region, alongside tornado watches in effect for select areas.
As of 9 a.m. ET on Sunday, nearly 65,000 customers in Mississippi were without electricity, down from 93,000 just earlier that morning. Power outages were reported for approximately 54,000 customers in Georgia, 36,000 in Alabama, 20,000 in Louisiana, and 13,000 in Texas.
