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2023 Pasadena–Deer Park tornado

On the afternoon of January 24, 2023, a large, intense, rain-wrapped tornado moved through the suburbs of Pasadena and Deer Park, in the Houston metropolitan area, Texas, United States. The National Weather Service rated the most-severe damage from the tornado was low-end EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds estimated at 140 miles per hour (230 km/h). The tornado prompted the issuance of a tornado emergency, the first to be issued by the National Weather Service's forecast office in Houston. The tornado was the strongest cold-season tornado to strike the Houston area since 1992. The staff of KTRK-TV published in December 2023 that the tornado was "hands down the most impactful weather story" covered by the news station during the year. The tornado was part of a small outbreak that produced 14 other tornadoes across Texas, Louisiana, and Florida from January 24-25.

Tornado summary

The tornado touched down to the east of Brookside Village in El Franco Lee Park and began moving northeast at a strength of EF0 to EF1. The tornado caused minor damage to several homes, trees, and fences before strengthening and striking apartments at Beamer Place at EF2 intensity. Roofs were torn off several two-story apartment buildings at this location. The nearby Beverly Hills Intermediate School and Challenger Intermediate School were also damaged at EF2 intensity. As the tornado crossed I-45, it caused mainly mid-range EF1 damage to several apartment buildings, businesses, homes, and Genoa Elementary School as it entered the Genoa neighborhood. A small pocket of high-end EF2 damage occurred in this area as a metal building was destroyed. By this point, the National Weather Service office in Houston had issued a tornado emergency.

The tornado then caused high-end-EF1 to low-end EF2 damage as it entered the southeastern part of Pasadena and moved through Burke Crenshaw Park, where most of a building's roof was blown off. Continuing through Pasadena, the tornado then caused considerable roof damage as it struck Pasadena Memorial High School, several businesses, and many homes at EF1 intensity. Many trees in this area were downed. The National Weather Service estimated the tornado was at least 0.5 miles (0.80 km) wide as it crossed Fairmont Parkway. After crossing Beltway 8, the tornado entered a subdivision near Bliss Meadows Park and caused significant damage to homes. Some homes had roofs torn off, a few had some exterior walls removed, one home was mostly destroyed, and damage in this area was rated EF2. After briefly weakening, more EF2 damage occurred as homes in the eastern part of the Golden Acres neighborhood were severely damaged, and a church was largely destroyed. The tornado then weakened and produced EF0 to EF1 damage after it crossed Red Bluff Road, downing trees and damaging the roofs of many homes in residential areas, a few of which had large portions of their roof removed.

As the tornado crossed Center Street and entered Deer Park, it re-strengthened to EF2 intensity. According to the National Weather Service, a Walgreens, Deer Park Public Library, and St. Hyacinth Catholic Church were heavily damaged at EF2 intensity along this section of the path. Many trees and power poles were snapped, and a few cars were thrown up to 50 yd (46 m) from the parking lot of Deer Park High School South and mangled. Throughout Deer Park, numerous homes sustained roof, window, and exterior damage, and a few suffered more severe structural damage, including a single home at the corner of E X Street and Luella Avenue that, at EF2 intensity, had the whole of its roof and several walls removed. As the tornado approached and then crossed SH 225, it weakened and produced widespread high-end EF0 to EF1 damage as trees were downed, and many homes sustained damage to their roofs and garages. In industrial areas along Independence Parkway South, stacks of metal shipping containers were knocked over. As the tornado passed just south of San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, it rapidly intensified to its peak strength of low-end EF3. Here, multiple large metal transmission towers were toppled.

The National Weather Service estimated winds up to 140 miles per hour (230 km/h) were needed to flatten the towers. After reaching EF3 intensity, the tornado weakened and crossed Houston Ship Channel into the Wooster section of Baytown at high-end EF1 strength. Several mobile homes in this area were damaged or destroyed, and some houses were completely shifted off their foundations. After leaving Baytown, the tornado further weakened to EF0 intensity, causing minor damage to power lines and some industrial building before it lifted near I-10.

In total, the tornado caused $6.6 million (2023 USD) in damage and injured three people along its 23.66 miles (38.08 km) path. A CoreLogic analysis estimated "approximately 18,600 single and multifamily residential properties with a combined reconstruction value (RCV) of $4.6 [billion] were potentially within the tornado path in Harris County", though the number of damaged or destroyed structures was lower. While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported the tornado did not injure anyone, Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston reported three people were transported to hospital in non-life-threatening condition. In April 2023, the tornado's total path length was officially reported as 23.66 miles (38.08 km) but in July the same year, KTRK-TV meteorologist Elyse Smith reported the path length was just over 18 miles (29 km). David Tillman, the chief meteorologist for ABC13 in Houston, later stated, "that's probably the strongest, rain wrapped tornado I've been around".

Aftermath

In the days following the tornado, all of the school districts in Deer Park and Pasadena canceled classes to allow families to assess damage. CenterPoint Energy reported over 20,000 homes were without power, and the Red Cross opened a shelter in Pasadena. In August 2023, William Stokes, a deaf 17-year-old, presented before Deer Park City Council with a proposal to implement strobe lights on ten of the cities' emergency warning towers. The city council acted on the proposal and added strobe lights to their emergency warning towers.