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F1 tornado in Harris County, Texas

Tornado February 10, 1998 · Harris County, Texas

Rating

3.0 mi

Path length

440 yd

Path width

Injuries

$3.0M

Damage as recorded

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

Tornado touched down on the Exxon refinery west of Decker Rd., then travelled NE for 3 miles. Damage to the Exxon cooling tower, major damage to the Days Inn on Decker Rd, numerous apartment complexes and residences in the Allen Brook Subdivision. This was one of three tornadoes that touched down in Baytown on this day, and was the most destructive. Fifty-six apartments destroyed, over 150 residences sustained damage varying from minor to major. Four minor injuries from flying glass, etc.

Began near Baytown (29.7200, -95.0500).

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

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

F1 Galveston County F1 Liberty County F1 Harris County F1 Harris County

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5636053. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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