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F3 tornado in Newton County, Texas

Tornado March 2, 1999 · Newton County, Texas

Rating

3.0 mi

Path length

500 yd

Path width

Injuries

$250K

Damage as recorded

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The path drawn at its surveyed width of 500 yards (0.28 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 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.

The wider storm

The Holly Springs tornado moved into Newton County, tearing up the Baptist Encampment community. A mobile home was flipped over 100 feet, ejecting three people. One young girl escaped with no injuries after being thrown over 50 feet from the home. Two trucks were flipped over in their driveways and a car was moved at least 15 feet. One couple sitting on the couch in the TV watched their wood-framed home fall apart around them, and miraculously walk away.

Began near Newton (30.9300, -93.8500).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5692681. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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