Jan Wesner Childs
Roofs were ripped off homes, a nursing home evacuated, an animal shelter heavily damaged and a train flipped on its side as a tornado and severe weather ripped through parts of the Houston metro area Tuesday.
The storms prompted the National Weather Service there to declare a rare tornado emergency.
Areas hit in Texas include Pasadena, Deer Park and Baytown. Damage was also reported in parts of Louisiana as the storms moved east.
The storms came on the warm side of Winter Storm Kassandra. The forecast through Wednesday includes the possibility of strong tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds and heavy rainfall for parts of the South. There is also the possibility of dangerous nighttime tornadoes.
(MORE: The Latest Severe Weather Forecast)
Here are our updates as the severe weather moved through Tuesday.
(8:45 p.m. ET) Pasadena Animal Shelter 'Okay,' Staff Says In Update
All the animals are accounted for and safe after damage at a shelter in suburban Houston.
"As you can imagine, we have been busy in the aftermath of the tornado that hit our facility this afternoon. Every person and pet is okay," an update posted to Facebook said.
"We have so many friends at other shelters and rescue organizations who have come in and taken most of our animals ... truck after truck has been loaded with our cats and dogs ... For tonight, we are okay."
(8:34 p.m. ET) Train Tipped Over On Tracks In Deer Park
A train was flipped on its side in Deer Park, Texas, the same area where extensive damage to a nursing home, houses and other buildings was reported.
(8:30 p.m. ET) Last 'Strong' Tornado To Hit Harris County Was In 2015
Today's tornado in Harris County, Texas, was the first there since Jan. 9, 2022, according to weather.com meteorologists. While a damage survey from the National Weather Service office in League City will determine the final rating, the last "strong" tornado (at least EF2) to hit the county was on Halloween 2015.
(8:23 p.m. ET) Roofs Blown Off, Trees Down In Western Louisiana
Roofs were blown off several homes and power lines knocked down in Beauregard Parish, according to reports tracked by the National Weather Service. Trees are down in Calcasieu Parish, where officials are assessing the area for any further damage.
(7:58 p.m. ET) Multiple Vehicles Tipped Over
Multi vehicles including semis tipped over or were damaged on Interstate 10 and adjacent roads in Orange, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Houston. There were also reports of roof damage at an apartment complex
Video posted to YouTube showed scenes from the area.
(7:50 p.m. ET) Dozens Evacuated From Deer Park, Texas, Nursing Home
More than 60 people were evacuated from a nursing home where emergency crews had responded to a structural collapse. Three were transported to the hospital, an official said in a news briefing a short while ago.
There were no reports of injuries or deaths in Deer Park. About 30 roads were closed due to downed power lines.
(7:44 p.m. ET) Power Outages Rise In Louisiana
As the storms are moving east, so are the power outages. More than 34,000 homes and businesses are without electricity in Louisiana, according to PowerOutage.us. About 100,000 outages remain in Texas.
(6:02 p.m. ET) At Least One Person Injured In Pasadena
The mayor of Pasadena said during a news conference that one person was injured and two dogs were hurt when the city's animal shelter was destroyed, according to the Houston Chronicle.
(5:38 p.m. ET) Reports Of Structure Collapse At Deer Park Nursing Home
The Atascocita Fire Department is responding to a "tornado related structure collapse" at a nursing home in Deer Park, according to a tweet from the agency.
(5:31 p.m. ET) Drone Video Shows Pasadena Neighborhood
Drone video from Live Storms Media is showing roofs damaged and trees down in a neighborhood in Pasadena.
(5:04 p.m. ET) Animal Shelter Damaged
Several photos are being shared on social media of an animal shelter in Pasadena. There are also reports that houses are heavily damaged.
(4:33 p.m. ET) All Tornado Warnings Are Serious, But They Aren't All the Same
All tornado warnings should be taken seriously, but there are actually key details that differentiate them and can give you more helpful information about the rapidly-evolving situation.
A tornado warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) when a tornado has been sighted and/or indicated by radar. You should always seek shelter if one is issued for your area.
Click here to read more on the different types of warnings.
(4:22 p.m. ET) Power Outages Mount
About 120,000 power outages are being reported in southeast Texas, with about one fourth of those in Harris County, according to PowerOutage.us.
(4:10 p.m. ET) Residents Told To Avoid Parts Of Pasadena
A tweet from the City of Pasadena confirmed damage in the area and asked people to avoid some parts of the community.
(4:09 p.m. ET) Tornado Emergency Declared
The National Weather Service in Houston declared a tornado emergency for parts of the area at around 3:25 p.m. EST. The emergency has since been allowed to expire. Tornado emergencies are declared in the most dangerous situations, and this was the first ever issued by the Houston NWS office.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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