NWS gives deadly North Texas tornadoes preliminary ratings of EF-2, EF-3
NORTH TEXAS — Saturday night was the deadliest tornado outbreak in North Texas since Dec. 26, 2015.
There are reported seven fatalities and an estimated 100 people injured. Approximately 200 buildings and homes were destroyed.
A long-track supercell traveled around 135 miles over four hours across our northern counties across the evening on Saturday.
This one supercell produced a path of destruction with multiple tornadoes, 70 mph winds and large hail.
Preliminary storm survey results are starting to come in from the NWS.
The first moved over southern Montague Co. in the southeast corner around 10 p.m. Saturday night.
A low-end EF-3 moved across I-35 south of Valley View along the Cooke/Denton County line. Preliminarily categorized as an EF-2, the National Weather Service survey released Monday increased the Valley View tornado to a low-end EF-3 due to additional information on the structure of new homes west of Valley View.
Monday, NWS added a tornado at Ray Roberts Marina.
Another tornado was confirmed just north of Celina along Prairie Meadow Lane. This tornado is the strongest yet surveyed, a high-end EF3 with estimated winds at 165mph.
According to NWS, the Celina area tornado appears to have been an intense smaller, or satellite, tornado on the southern edge of another tornado moving through northern Collin County. The Celina area's intense damage will remain a high-end EF-3.
NWS also added a tornado to Collin County on Monday, tracking from northwest of Celina to south of Weston.
We had storms Sunday morning move across North Texas between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Wind damage was reported in several locations across the metroplex, mostly tree damage.
The NWS Survey team will continue to file their field reports as they assess the damage path of the storms Saturday night. Expect more survey reports over the next several days.
