Dangerous storms are targeting Houston as they move across the South

HOUSTON – The country’s fourth-largest city faces a serious threat of severe weather on Thursday as storms sweep across the South.

Three tornadoes have already been reported in Wharton County, Texas, Sheriff Shannon Srubar told FOX Weather.

“There are no reports of serious damage or injuries yet, but we will assess the situation in the next few hours,” Srubar said.

According to the Wharton County Office of Emergency Management, one of the tornadoes touched down near Highway 59 and damaged some barns.

Northeast of Houston, the National Weather Service reported that a waterspout came ashore over Lake Houston near Huffman. Minutes later, the NWS received another report of a tornado sighting northwest of Dayton.

A tornado warning remains in effect for all of southeast Texas and parts of western Louisiana through Thursday evening, while a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for northeast Texas, northwest Louisiana and southwest Arkansas.

HERE ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE WEATHER TERMS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE

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NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has designated an area of ​​southeast Texas in a Level 3 out of 5 severe weather threat zone as of Thursday afternoon, including metro Houston. Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are possible as severe storms develop.

The SPC’s 5-point severe thunderstorm risk category scale is explained

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The SPC has also highlighted a so-called shaded area for the potential for strong tornadoes, i.e. EF-2 or higher. The Houston metro is also part of this zone.

How are tornadoes rated? THE IMPROVED FUJITA SCALE EXPLAINED

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Forecasters said supercell thunderstorms were possible early in the event but would eventually develop into more of a squall line. The risk of strong tornadoes is greatest during these first thunderstorms.

The storms will later move east into Louisiana, where a Level 2 from 5 zone has been defined. Hail and damaging winds will be the main concerns with storms as they reach Louisiana.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

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Now is the time to make sure you have a way to receive weather alerts for your area. The FOX Weather app can send you alerts for your specific location and also has 3D radar to help you track storms.

The last strong tornado in the Houston area occurred in January 2023

While winter seems to be an unusual time for severe weather, the last major tornado in the Houston area occurred in January 2023.

The EF-3 twister tore a path through the Houston suburbs of Pasadena and Deer Park on January 24th. At least three people were injured when 140 mph winds ripped buildings apart.

This was the first time the National Weather Service office in Houston declared a tornado emergency.

TWISTER THAT DEVASTATED THE HOUSTON SUURBS WITH AT LEAST EF-3 RATING