Tropical Storm Alberto’s impacts on Texas primarily affected coastal communities. However, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the system’s outer band produced a tornado touchdown over 90 miles inland, west of Houston.
According to an NWS damage survey, the tropical tornado formed at 5:25 p.m. on Wednesday and traveled nearly 2 miles in northwest Bellville, located in Austin County. The tornado’s lifespan was brief, lasting just two minutes, but it caused significant damage. The tornado uprooted and snapped hardwood trees, tore off the metal roof of a business, and damaged at least two homes.
The tornado’s winds peaked at 100 mph, earning it an EF-1 classification under the Enhanced Fujita Scale. This scale rates tornadoes based on estimated wind speeds and associated damage, with an EF-1 rating indicating wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph.
In the survey summary, the NWS detailed the tornado’s path, noting that it touched down northwest of Bellville near State Highway 36. It then tracked along and crossed Koy Road, ultimately crossing the intersection of State Highway 159 and Koy Road before moving toward private ranch land. Despite the damage, the NWS reported no deaths or injuries resulting from the tornado.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Alberto weakened on Thursday as it moved inland over northeast Mexico, causing more severe consequences there. The storm left three people dead in the states of Nuevo Leon and Veracruz. Civil protection authorities linked these deaths to Alberto’s rains. They reported that one man drowned in the La Silla River in Monterrey, the state capital of Nuevo Leon. Additionally, two minors died from electric shocks in the municipality of Allende; local media reported that the children were riding a bicycle in the rain when the incident occurred.
Overall, while Texas experienced significant impacts from Tropical Storm Alberto, particularly in the form of the inland tornado, the storm’s more tragic consequences were felt in Mexico, highlighting the varied and far-reaching effects of tropical systems.
