EF2 Tornado — Collin, Texas

2015-12-26 · near Copeville, Collin, Texas

Event narrative

A National Weather Service damage survey team found damage consistent with an EF-2 tornado in and near Copeville. The damage began in a residential area, damaging over 30 homes. The strongest part of the storm was along State Highway 78, where several businesses were destroyed, including a gas station / convenience store at SH 78 and FM 1778, where two people were killed. The tornado had a serpentine path, going on both sides of SH 78, before lifting in an open field about halfway between Copeville and Farmersville.

Wider weather episode

A potent storm system brought deadly tornadoes and severe weather to North Texas on the 26th followed by waves of heavy rainfall that resulted in significant flooding across parts of North and Central Texas. Twelve tornadoes were confirmed on the afternoon and evening of the 26th, killing 13 and injuring over 300. The strongest tornado was an EF-4 that struck the Garland and Rowlett areas of Dallas and Rockwall County and where most of the fatalities occurred. Then the waves of heavy rain persisted through the night of the 27th until the upper level low moved past the region. The heaviest rainfall and thus most significant flooding was along and east of Interstate 35 where an average of 3-6+ of rain fell.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.0607, -96.4340)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 606480. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.