Five tornadoes confirmed in central Texas, one person injured in Frankston

Two EF-1 and three EF-0 tornadoes touched down in central Texas on Tuesday, May 6, as thunderstorms associated with an omega block swept across the state.

Both EF-1 tornadoes were reported in Leon County. The first touched down in Jewett near Waltman Street and Harrison Street and moved east-southeast through the town before lifting east of town.

It had peak winds of 169 km/h (105 mph), downing trees and damaging roofs. The most severe damage occurred along Highway 79, where an auto repair shop lost its roof, and near Robinson Lane, where many trees were snapped or uprooted.

The second EF-1 tornado occurred southeast of Buffalo and west of Flo in Leon County. It likely began west of CR 275, where it damaged trees and a metal outbuilding.

The tornado had peak winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) and traveled east over inaccessible terrain. It was later tracked along FM 831 near CRs 283 and 285. One manufactured home sustained minor roof damage, along with significant tree damage in the area.

In Anderson County, an EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 137 km/h (85 mph) uprooted multiple trees, one of which fell on a house, causing a non-life-threatening injury in Frankston. Many of the trees were standing on saturated soil, making them susceptible to the tornado moving through the region, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The tornado began west of Frankston, near Highway 175 and Anderson County Road 303. It initially damaged trees and several homes along the highway before entering the town. It then moved east, producing scattered tree damage along CRs 3051 and 309, and likely dissipated before reaching Lake Palestine.

An EF-0 tornado touched down southeast of Cameron in Milam County, near the State Highway 36 bridge over the Little River. It had peak winds of 137 km/h (85 mph), downed multiple trees, and caused minor structural damage before dissipating in an open field east of FM 485.

Another EF-0 tornado touched down west of Henry Prairie Road, south of Franklin in Robertson County, with peak winds of 129 km/h (80 mph). It moved northeast across FM 46 and McNutt Road before lifting near Old Hickory Grove Road. Several trees and large limbs were blown down, with minor damage to a few homes and outbuildings along its path.

Flooding rainfall across South Texas and parts of the Northeast

A broad area of showers and thunderstorms is expected today, May 8, ahead of consolidating upper-level systems and a surface cold front extending from the Northeast through the Ohio Valley, Southeast, and into southern and western Texas. Moist Gulf air returning after overnight convection will support moderate to locally heavy rainfall, with isolated flash flooding possible.

The greatest flash flood threat today is in eastern Pennsylvania, northwestern New Jersey, and southern New York, including the Poconos and Catskills, where a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall (level 2 of 4) is in effect. A similar risk exists for South Texas, where higher moisture levels may result in scattered flash flooding.

Severe thunderstorms are possible in two regions. First, across the Tennessee Valley to the southern Appalachians, where warming ahead of the front may lead to very large hail and damaging wind gusts. Second, across the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas, where an upper-level shortwave may also trigger large hail and strong winds.

The cold front will shift eastward into Friday, ending precipitation from west to east across the Ohio Valley and southern Mid-Atlantic. Showers and storms are expected to continue ahead of the front in the northern Mid-Atlantic, New England, and the Southeast, with more flash flooding possible in central/southern New England and along the central Gulf Coast.

Cooler-than-average highs are forecast across the Great Lakes, Ohio and Mississippi Valleys, and central/southern Plains, with temperatures ranging from about 10 to 25°C (50 to 70°F). In contrast, well above average temperatures are expected across the northern Plains, Interior West, and West Coast, with highs reaching up to 35°C (mid-90s°F) in California’s Central Valley and exceeding 38°C (100°F) in the Desert Southwest.