EF1 Tornado — Van Zandt, Texas

2008-05-02 · near Canton, Van Zandt, Texas

Event narrative

A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth found that a tornado touched down at a park near Highway 64 and Old Kaufman Road. Several trees were damaged, a power pole was broken, and fencing was blown down. East of the park, two power poles were broken along Highway 64. A mobile home to the northeast suffered minor roof damage and a shed was damaged. The tornado then moved through the First Monday trade site, heavily damaging several trees and pushing over a trailer in the western portion of the grounds. Several vehicles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. Additional tree damage was noted as the tornado approached Highway 19. The damage swath ended about 200 yards east of Highway 19. This tornado was rated a low EF-1 with maximum sustained winds of 85-90 MPH. Two people were trapped in a van under a fallen tree in the First Monday parking lot. A truck travelling north on Highway 19 was thrown 38 yards. The driver was not injured.

Wider weather episode

Storms developed along an advancing cold front. A tornado developed near Canton, TX, and did damage at an outdoor trade event. Several minor injuries were reported.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.5596, -95.8710)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 98631. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.