Two tornadoes reported in Alabama after 5 sweep through Texas
Two tornadoes were reported in Alabama on Friday, December 27, 2024, after 5 swept through Texas on December 26. A developing low-pressure system over the Lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast is forecast to trigger more severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall through the weekend.
Waterspout near Dauphin Island Alabama. Image credit: LSM (still shot)
A tornado was reported in Mobile County, Alabama, alongside a waterspout near Dauphin Island on December 27, as Thunderstorm and Flash Flood Warnings were issued across various parts of the state.
These events followed reports of five tornadoes that swept through southeastern Texas on December 26.
An EF-1 tornado was reported near El Campo, Texas, with peak wind speeds of 153 km/h (95 mph), traveling 0.8 km (0.5 miles). The tornado began at 14:15 local time (LT) and lasted until 14:20 LT, causing damage to a barn in the area.
Another EF-1 tornado was reported southwest of Harris, with wind speeds estimated at 145 km/h (90 mph). It lasted approximately one minute, causing minor damage to residential properties.
An EF-0 tornado was reported near Northern Liberty, traveling 11 km (7 miles) with peak wind speeds of 122 km/h (76 mph). It began at 15:42 LT and lasted until 15:55 LT, causing minor damage to trees.
Lastly, two EF-0 tornadoes were reported near Lake Houston and northwest of Dayton. Both had peak wind speeds of 97 km/h (60 mph), with no reported damage.
Severe thunderstorm outbreak and heavy rain in the Southeast
A developing low-pressure system over the Lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast is forecast to trigger severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall through the weekend.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has issued a Moderate Risk (level 4/5) of severe storms for Saturday, with tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail expected across parts of the Southern Plains, Lower Mississippi Valley, and central Gulf Coast states. Several long-track tornadoes are also anticipated.
A Slight Risk (15%) of Excessive Rainfall has been issued for the same region, extending into the Tennessee Valley. Severe weather, along with heavy rainfall, is expected to shift toward the East Coast on Sunday.
References:
1 Public Information Statement – NWS – December 28, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
Published in the last 24 hours
- Second nationwide US flight halt since 9/11: how the November 13 FAA ground stop compares with September 2001 and January 2023 Epicenter
- FAA grounds all departing flights across the US after communications outage hits air traffic control centers nationwide
- In September 1859, a solar storm lit up the night sky so brightly that gold miners in the Rocky Mountains woke up after midnight and started cooking breakfast, convinced the aurora glowing over their camp was the sunrise Epicenter
- A patch of warm Pacific water that could become the strongest El Niño in more than 70 years sits thousands of miles from any American town, yet it is already the main reason NOAA expects a wetter winter across the South and a milder one across the North
