A severe storm system, tracked by the National Weather Service (NWS), caused significant damage and loss of life as it moved eastward across the southern United States. On Saturday, at least two people were killed and six injured as multiple tornadoes touched down in Texas and Mississippi, damaging homes and overturning vehicles.
In Texas, one fatality occurred near Liverpool, south of Houston, with four non-critical injuries reported by the Brazoria County Sheriff’s office. The area experienced “multiple touchdown points” between Liverpool, Hillcrest Village, and Alvin, resulting in damage to approximately 10 homes, with the extent of the damage still being assessed. At least six tornadoes appeared to touch down in the Houston area, with further assessment pending. Damage also resulted from straight-line winds, impacting mobile homes in Katy and Porter Heights, where a fire station suffered significant damage. Houston’s airports experienced over an hour of departure delays.
Mississippi reported one fatality in Adams County and two injuries in Franklin County, according to the state’s emergency management agency. The NWS confirmed two tornadoes near Bude and Brandon, causing roof damage to several buildings. Malary White, chief communications officer for the Mississippi emergency management agency, reported approximately 71,000 utility customers without power on Saturday, a number expected to increase. By 3:30 am Sunday, nearly 81,000 customers remained without power. Initial emergency response prioritized safety and accounting for all individuals, with more thorough damage assessments planned for the early morning hours.
The storm system continued its eastward path, with the NWS issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of southern Alabama early Sunday morning, warning of potential damaging winds up to 60 mph. The NWS meteorologist Josh Lichter warned that the storms were likely to worsen as they moved further east. The system was moving through Alabama and into Georgia shortly before 4 am Sunday, with warnings also issued for western Georgia and the northwestern tip of Florida.