TEXAS, USA — Parts of Central Texas and the Brazos Valley saw significant severe weather Tuesday, with reports of tornadoes touching down in Bastrop and Lee counties. There are even some reports indicating a possible tornado in Caldwell County.
The National Weather Service will be working over the next couple of days to determine which reports are accurate, but several people took videos of funnel clouds and tornadoes as the storm passed through their area.
There is no word yet if anyone was hurt by these storms, but some areas that were hit by suspected tornadoes had significant damage to buildings and land.
The first tornado warning associated with this storm was issued around 9 a.m. There was not a confirmed tornado on the ground when the warning was issued, but, there was strong rotation indicated on radar. Shortly after the warning was issued, public reports began coming in that a tornado had touched down.
Valerie Harmon took video of this tornado near Upton, according to our sister station, KVUE in Austin. No word yet on damage reports or anyone injured in this storm.
The storms then moved to the northeast towards Lee County. Tornado warnings were issued for Lee County, Bastrop County and Caldwell County. The rotation in this storm seen on radar was well-defined, which is a strong indicator that a tornado is on the ground.
Tract Fennell took video of this tornado near Smithville, according to our sister station, KVUE in Austin. Again, no word yet on anyone who was hurt in this storm, but there are homes and properties that were damaged.
In rural Smithville, an awning was ripped off a home, large trees were knocked over and windows in homes were blown out.
As the storm moved through Lee County, it brought heavy rain and strong wind. According to the National Weather Service, funnel clouds were spotted near Giddings in Lee County. As the storm moved to Burleson County, a Tornado Warning was issued because the rotation on radar was still strongly indicated.
The storm's rotation began to weaken as it moved towards Brazos County, however, it stayed at a severe level, prompting a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Brazos County. When the storm hit Bryan-College Station, it brought heavy rain and gusty winds. As the storms moved out of the Brazos Valley, the rotation died out.
We'll see periodic thunderstorm chances throughout the week and we have a wet weekend ahead of us in the Brazos Valley, according to the latest models. Stay with KAGS for the latest weather updates.