Tornadoes rip through South as destruction seen in multiple states amid deadly severe weather outbreak
One person died as one of those tornadoes swept through Texas' Brazoria County, south of Houston, according to officials. The National Weather Service has issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Tornado Watch that covers nearly 2.4 million from eastern Texas through central Louisiana and into western Mississippi.
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)
PORTER, Tex. — A dangerous and now deadly severe weather outbreak is pummeling millions in the South Saturday evening, coming just hours after multiple tornadoes have already caused rounds of damage in southeastern Texas.
One person died as one of those tornadoes swept through Texas' Brazoria County, south of Houston, according to Manvel Mayor Dan Davis. Additional damage reports are coming in from Louisiana and Mississippi.
A rare Particularly Dangerous Situation Tornado Watch was issued, and dozens of Tornado Warnings have wailed across the South into Saturday evening, with hours of dangerous weather still to go.
Multiple tornadoes cause damage near Houston on Saturday
Multiple tornadoes struck in southeastern Texas on the outskirts of Houston on 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.
"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. "Our crews are actively surveying the affected areas to ensure everyone is safe, especially those who may not have been able to call 911."
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."
One killed in Brazoria County, Texas
Another report from the NWS 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.
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."
An image 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
Trailers flipped in Mississippi as tornado 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."
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.