Tornadoes rip through South as destruction seen in multiple states amid deadly severe weather outbreak
At least four storm-related deaths have been confirmed -- one in Texas, another in Mississippi and one in North Carolina. Stormy weather continues for the South on Sunday.
At least one dead after tornado rips through Texas
One person is dead after a tornado ripped through Brazoria County, Texas, the Manvel mayor.
PORTER, Tex. — At least four deaths have been confirmed after a severe weather outbreak this weekend spawned multiple tornadoes across several states that left trails of destruction in their wake.
One person died as one of those tornadoes swept through Texas' Brazoria County, south of Houston, according to Manvel Mayor Dan Davis. Another storm-related death was confirmed in Natchez, Mississippi, and Governor Tate Reeves said an additional death had been confirmed in Lowndes County. Several damage reports came in from Louisiana. As severe thunderstorms moved through North Carolina on Sunday a tree fell on a vehicle along Highway 152 in Iredell County, killing one person inside.
(FOX Weather)
A rare Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch was issued, and dozens of Tornado Warnings were in effect across the South into Saturday evening. Stormy weather was forecast to continue in the South on Sunday.
Multiple tornadoes cause damage near Houston on Saturday
Multiple tornadoes struck in southeastern Texas on the outskirts of Houston earlier in the day Saturday, causing significant damage to towns both north and south of the nation's fourth-largest city.
DRONE VIDEO SHOWS TORNADO DAMAGE AFTER DEADLY STORMS RIP THROUGH HOUSTON AREA
Drone video showed several buildings suffering damage in Porter Heights north of Houston.
Drone video shows tornado damage in Porter Heights, Texas
A tornado swept through the Porter Heights, Texas neighborhood on Dec. 28 leaving a trail of damage. (Video courtesy: Austin Clark Photography)
Spotters reported multiple mobile homes were hit, and the twister caused significant damage to a brick home and the East Montgomery Fire Department building, according to the National Weather Service office in Houston.
![Damage in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 1 of 18(Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 2 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 3 of 18(Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 4 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 5 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 6 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 7 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 8 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 9 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Damage to Fire Dept. in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 10 of 18Tornado damage to the East Montgomery County Fire Department on Dec. 28, 2024. (Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
![Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi.]()
Image 11 of 18Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi. (Corey Gerken)
![Tornado damage is seen in this image of drone video taken above Porter Heights, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024.]()
Image 12 of 18Tornado damage is seen in this image of drone video taken above Porter Heights, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024. (Austin Clark Photography/Facebook)
![Storm damage is seen near Alvin, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024.]()
Image 13 of 18Storm damage is seen near Alvin, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024. (Keith Brandt)
![Storm damage is seen near Alvin, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024.]()
Image 14 of 18Storm damage is seen near Alvin, Texas, on Dec. 28, 2024. (Keith Brandt)
![Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi.]()
Image 15 of 18Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi. (Corey Gerkin)
![Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi.]()
Image 16 of 18Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi. (Corey Gerken)
![Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi.]()
Image 17 of 18Reported tornado damage near Bude, Mississippi. (Corey Gerken)
![Damage in Montgomery County, Texas]()
Image 18 of 18(Mark Keough Montgomery County Judge)
"There have been no reported injuries to our firehouse team at 154, and all pending calls have been cleared," officials at the fire station wrote in a Facebook post.
In an update posted on Facebook, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said at least 15 people were trapped in homes after the storms, but they have been rescued.
FOX 26 Houston reporter Shelby Rose walked through one of the neighborhoods that suffered a direct strike from the tornado, finding some homes damaged or even destroyed.
Extensive tornado damage in Porter, Texas
FOX 26 Houston's Shelby Rose reports from Porter, Texas where a tornado caused significant damage amid Saturday's severe weather outbreak.
One family had nearly finished constructing a new home, but now it lay destroyed amid the tornadic ruins.
"This family was just about to move inside," Rose said. "(The mother) is now in tears to see what once would have been her brand-new home, is now rubble."
1 killed in Brazoria County, Texas
Another report showed significant damage near the towns of Alvin and Liverpool, to the south of Houston.
Tornado causes severe damage in Liverpool, Texas
FOX 36 Houston's Jonathan Mejia reports from Liverpool, Texas where a tornado caused heavy damage amid a massive severe weather outbreak.
Multiple homes were destroyed, and substation debris was seen on State Highway 35.
Mayor Dan Davis of nearby Manvel said on X that he received confirmation that at least one person was killed by the storm as it tore through Brazoria County. He didn't provide any further details about the death.
A family in nearby Liverpool had to scramble to take shelter as the tornado raced to their property.
Jose Ramirez told FOX 26 Houston reporter Jonathan Mejia he heard loud rain and thunder and ran back in to get his wife and dogs to run to a more sturdy shelter.
"When he came back out, he saw all this," Mejia said, gesturing to the debris and damage scattered through the yard. "He tells me this was all reduced to nothing in a matter of seconds."
Video taken near the Houston suburb of Katy showed a funnel hovering above the ground earlier in the day. Spotters reported damage to a mobile home park near Noel Lane.
Debris spotted flying as tornado moves over Katy, Texas
Debris can be seen swirling in the air in this video of a tornado that happened near Katy, Texas, on Saturday.
HOW YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR A TORNADO
At least 2 deaths reported in Mississippi after storms swept through
More damage came in from southern Mississippi where a large tornado rolled through the town of Bude, tossing multiple trailer homes, according to FOX Weather Storm Trackers Corey Gerken and Brandon Copic.
Tornado damage seen in Bude, Mississippi
A deadly severe weather outbreak is underway in the South. Tornado damage was reported near Bude, Mississippi, late Saturday evening.
"There were a couple mobile homes that literally were flipped — upended both ways," Copic said. "And thankfully no injuries from what I saw. But there were injuries further down. A woman had minor injuries from my understanding. Thankfully, nothing catastrophic from what I'm being told."
Adams County Coroner James Lee said at least one person was killed by storms that marched through Natchez, Mississippi, on Saturday night.
"I am saddened to announce that a second fatality has been reported, this time in Lowndes County," Gov. Reeves announced Sunday evening.
FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell was in Meadville, Mississippi, on Sunday morning, which was destroyed by one of Saturday's twisters. She said she found the church's steeple in relatively good condition, lodged between some trees in a nearby wooded area.
Storm damage in Meadville, Mississippi on Dec. 29, 2024.
(FOX Weather)
Port Arthur just missed a strong tornado
The tornado that swept near Liverpool would go on a more than four-hour, 120-mile journey along Texas' Gulf Coast, tracking just north of Galveston and nearly making a direct hit on the town of Port Arthur.
The National Weather Service issued multiple Tornado Warnings on the twister, even denoting it as their more dire "particularly dangerous situation" type warning.
For several minutes, it appeared the heart of Port Arthur and its nearly 50,000 people would be in the crosshairs of the tornado, but luckily the storm veered just to the south, tracking over Sabine Lake instead.
(FOX Weather)
"Overall, we have had minor property damage, downed power lines, and 2 reported minor injuries from debris," Capt. Crystal Holmes of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office told FOX Weather. "One of our citizen's homes was destroyed by the tornado."
Severe weather threat moves east Sunday
The dangerous storms will march east by Sunday, with the worst weather expected in a swath that stretches from Virginia to Florida. Tornadoes, damaging wind and hail are possible with any severe storms that develop in this zone.
(FOX Weather)