Representatives with the National Weather Service in Shreveport conducted in depth investigations throughout the day on Sunday as they surveyed the damage from two confirmed tornadoes that struck Houston, Cherokee, Rusk and Nacogdoches Counties.  The first tornado touched down just southwest of Alto and was rated an EF-2 with top winds at 120 mph.  It was on the ground for two minutes, traveled less than a mile, and was over 400 yards wide.  The second tornado was rated an EF-3 with top winds estimated at 160 mph.  This was a long track tornado that touched down southwest of Alto and stayed on the ground for over 40 minutes and covered nearly 30 miles.  It was 880 yards wide.

Here's the official narrative from the National Weather Service:

Tornado #1

The tornado touched down 2 miles north of the Neches River near the Cherokee County and Houston County line.  It snapped several hundred trees at their trunks before destroying two single wide mobile homes and ripping the roof off of a single family home at the end of route 220 near County Road 2806.  At this point, the winds were estimated to the strongest at approximately 120 mph.  The storm also tossed several antique vehicles near the home and then went on to snap another 20 trees before lifting.

Tornado #2

This tornado cross the Neches River from Houston County to Cherokee County.  The storm snapped and uprooted thousands of trees along its path.  The storm paralleled Highway 21 before getting to Alto where it severely damaged or destroy approximately 20 homes.  Included along the damage path was the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site building which had its roof torn off, nearly almost all of its exterior walls removed, and was left to only a few interior rooms in the building.  Several people were outside running to get inside for safety when the building was destroyed, resulting in a fatality and serious injuries.  Multiple cars in the parking lot were thrown 150 yards into tress and across Highway 21.  The tornado then went on to lift and destroy a double wide mobile home, throwing it 50 yards.  As the tornado continued along Highway 21 its most significant damage was at a single family home and the St. Thomas Chapel which was their roofs removed and exterior walls collapsed.  Winds were estimated at 150 mph at this point.

The tornado continued on the ground as it crossed the Neches River from
Houston County to Cherokee County. The storm snapped and uprooted
thousands of trees along its path. The storm paralleled HWY 21 before
getting to Alto, where it severely damaged or destroyed approximately 20
homes. Included along the damage path southwest of Alto was the Caddo Mounds
State Historic Site building which had its roof torn off, nearly almost all
of its exterior walls removed, and was left to only a few interior rooms in
the building. Several people were outside running to get inside for safety
when the building was destroyed, resulting in a fatality and serious injuries.
Multiple cars in the parking lot were thrown 150 yards into trees and across
HWY 21. The tornado then went on to lift and destroy a double wide mobile home,
throwing it 50 yards. As the tornado continued along HWY 21 its most significant
damage was at a single family home and the St. Thomas Chapel which saw their
roofs removed and exterior walls collapsed. Winds were estimated at 150 mph at
this point.

As the tornado neared Alto, it destroyed three homes along Route 294 and
Singletary St, recording high end EF-3 damage as it wiped the lower level
of a two story home off its foundation and left the top story of the home
20 yards away from the foundation. The storm then went on to destroy several
homes and mobile homes before hitting Alto Elementary and Alto High School.
Damage at Alto ISD included the collapse of walls at a gymnasium. The storm
continued on to snap and debark several trees in rural Cherokee County north of
Alto. The storm then continue on to remove the large section of a roof in Sacul
and crossed into extreme southwest Rusk County before lifting. The tornado was on the ground nearly continuously for approximately 36 miles.

 

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