HOUSTON – The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that five tornadoes touched down in the Houston area the day after Christmas.

These tornadoes came from a system that moved across the area, from Wharton County to Liberty County.

The NWS confirmed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in southwest Houston. They said the tornado caused some damage to homes as it came through the area with winds of 90 mph. This tornado’s trajectory was less than a tenth of a mile.

Later Friday afternoon, the NWS confirmed four more tornadoes.

• A tornado in El Campo was an EF-1 with winds of 95 mph that caused structural damage to a barn. His journey was half a mile.
• An EF-0 tornado touched down in the northern Liberty area with winds of 76 mph, causing structural damage to at least one home. His journey was almost 7 miles long.
• Another EF-0 tornado touched down northwest of Dayton with winds of 60 mph. His path was 1.1 miles long.
• Another EF-0 with winds of 60 mph made landfall in the Lake Houston/Huffman area. His path was 2.1 miles long.

More details about the tornadoes, including path widths and lengths, are likely to be released in the coming days.

In Wharton County, where the first tornadoes were reported, there were sightings along Loop 183 and County Road 428, FM 960 and FM 961, and in the area of ​​Highway 59 and the El Campo rest area northeast toward Pierce, according to the sheriff’s office.

There were sightings around Lake Houston and in the Atascocita area later Thursday afternoon. There were several reports of tornadoes in Liberty County as the storms moved out of the area.

In Houston, tornadoes can occur at any time of day, any time of year, any month, or any day of the year. Although statistics show they are more likely in late fall, winter and spring, there really is no “off season” for severe weather and tornadoes in Houston.

Staying alert to weather warnings in Houston is a full-time job for all of us. This starts with knowing what the weather forecast is so you and your family aren’t caught off guard. Sign up for notifications on your phone. An old-school NOAA weather radio is also a great way to always have the latest updates. Make sure your family knows where to shelter from an approaching storm and where to meet afterward.

The Enhanced Fujita or EF Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: