A devastating storm system tore through the southeastern United States over the weekend, spawning tornadoes that killed two people and left a trail of destruction across Texas, Mississippi, and neighboring states. Officials began assessing the widespread damage Sunday, with the National Weather Service (NWS) reporting around 40 tornado sightings from southeastern Texas to Alabama.
Meteorologist Frank Pereira of the NWS noted that while tornado outbreaks in late January aren’t unheard of, a storm system of this magnitude is “fairly uncommon” for the season. The storms were expected to move offshore by late Sunday, reducing the risk of further severe weather.
Tragedy in Texas
In Texas, the Houston area was hit hard by at least five confirmed tornadoes on Saturday. In the small community of Liverpool, located south of Houston, a 48-year-old woman lost her life when a tornado struck her home, hurling her body roughly 100 feet. The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office has yet to confirm her exact cause of death.
Brazoria County also reported four injuries that were not considered life-threatening. At least 40 homes and structures sustained significant damage, with debris scattered across neighborhoods.
Mississippi Tornadoes Wreak Havoc
In Mississippi, two tornadoes tore through Adams and Franklin counties, leaving one person dead and two injured. In the town of Bude and the city of Brandon, storms ripped roofs from buildings and caused widespread destruction.
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported that cleanup efforts were underway as thousands of residents remained without power.
Damage in Alabama and Beyond
Northern Alabama was also impacted, with significant storm damage reported in Athens, just northwest of Huntsville. Holly Hollman, a city spokeswoman, described the destruction downtown, where the storm ripped roofs off buildings, tossed large HVAC units from rooftops, and even toppled a military helicopter on display near a veterans’ museum.
“I stepped out on my porch and I could hear it roar,” Hollman said. “We’re extremely fortunate this hit late at night. Had it been during the day, we likely would have seen more injuries and possibly fatalities.”
Power Outages and Flooding Across the Region
As of Sunday morning, nearly 65,000 customers in Mississippi were still without power, a significant drop from the 93,000 outages reported earlier. Power outages also affected 54,000 customers in Georgia, 36,000 in Alabama, 20,000 in Louisiana, and 13,000 in Texas.
Severe weather also caused road closures in western North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene had already left the region vulnerable earlier in the year. High winds forced the closure of a section of U.S. 441, also known as the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, in Swain County. Additionally, River Road in Macon County was shut down due to flooding but was expected to reopen later Sunday.
Georgia and the Storm’s Final Push East
As the storm moved eastward, Georgia experienced reports of toppled trees in the Atlanta area. Despite the chaos, officials reported no injuries in the region as the system continued its rapid progression toward the Atlantic coast.
Aftermath and Recovery
With damage surveys underway, communities across the Southeast are beginning the arduous process of recovery. From flattened homes in Texas to floodwaters in North Carolina, the storm system left no shortage of challenges in its wake. Yet, many residents expressed relief that the destruction wasn’t worse.
“This could have been a much bigger tragedy,” Hollman said. “We’re grateful for the lives that were spared.”
