Houston-Area Tornadoes: Weather Turns Violent In Several Towns

HOUSTON, TX -- A line of severe thunderstorms that moved through the area early Tuesday spawned tornadoes and high winds that impacted communities all over the Metro Houston region.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning and a tornado warning at 6:30 a.m. for counties south of Houston.

As the storms continued to move through the area, the subsequent warnings were expanded.

At the height of the storm, as many as 10 Texas counties were included in the National Weather Service warning.

Shortly after 8:30 a.m. a tornado touched down in Fairchilds, near Rosenberg in Fort Bend County, and another touched down a short time later in the Tara and Greatwood communities near Sugar Land.

A fence in the Tara community near Sugar Land is blown over by what officials believe was a tornado.

Fences were blown over, shingles were ripped from the roofs of homes, and an empty pole barn in Fairchilds was damaged.

Just before 9:30 a.m., a third tornado was reported over the Houston Ship Channel near Cloverleaf.

There were no reported injuries from any of those weather incidents.

The storms left more than 21,000 CenterPoint Energy customers without power, with many of those affected in Fort Bend County and southwest Harris County.

At the same time, the Houston Office of Emergency Management operated at a Level III, or a level of heightened readiness.

School districts were also affected with officials in Houston ISD, Fort Bend ISD issuing a shelter in place order for faculty and staff.

The City of Sugar Land followed that same protocol until the storm passed at 10:30 a.m.

The severe thunderstorm warning that was issued at 10:30 a.m., expired at 11 a.m.

Image: FBSO

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