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EF1 tornado in Harris County, Texas

Tornado May 16, 2024 · Harris County, Texas

EF1

Rating

0.6 mi

Path length

75 yd

Path width

$750K

Damage as recorded

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 75 yards (0.04 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF1 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF1 is moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken, consistent with estimated gusts of 86–110 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Damage path constructed for photos and videos from residents and broadcast media. Rated high end EF1 based on severe damage to 3 houses on NW side of track.

The wider storm

On the evening of May 16, a derecho moved into SE TX. This resulted in extensive wind damage across much of the Greater Houston area, including much of Downtown Houston. Maximum wind gusts were estimated to have reached over 100 mph. Additionally, the system produced two tornadoes and widespread flash flooding. Power outages resulting from the derecho lasted multiple days for hundreds of thousands of people.

Began near Cypress (29.9274, -95.7444).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

2 more tornadoes the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

EF1 Waller County EF1 Harris County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1192624. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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