SAN ANTONIO – After a large line of severe thunderstorms moved through San Antonio and surrounding areas Sunday night, many homeowners experienced significant wind damage.
The following day, National Weather Service meteorologists conducted a damage survey to conclude whether a tornado was embedded within the leading edge of the storm, which produced severe straight-line winds.
Here’s what the National Weather Service determined:
- At 8:11 PM on Sunday night, an EF1 tornado briefly touched down near the Flying Fury Drive cul-de-sac in the Wildhorse subdivision on the city’s northwest side
- The tornado then traveled northeast for 0.48 miles around Palomino Path
- On Palomino Path, the most severe damage was observed with several homes experiencing broken windows, roofs lifted off, and flying debris lodged into the siding exterior walls
- Maximum winds of 100 mph were determined, making the rating of the tornado an EF1
- The tornado was determined to be fairly narrow with a path width of only 50 yards
- At 8:12 PM, the tornado likely dissipated around the Wildhorse HOA Sports Park
In addition to surveying the tornado damage in the Wildhorse subdivision, the NWS also investigated areas in northern Bexar County, generally along 1604 to La Cantera. Here, they determined that straight-line winds of over 70+ mph likely caused the toppled fences, downed trees, and roof damage that was reported.
READ MORE: EF-1 tornado ‘a living nightmare’ says Bexar County homeowner
Three homeowners detailed their terrifying experience and walked KSAT through their tornado-damaged homes:
Read the official public information statement from the National Weather Service:
AN NWS DAMAGE SURVEY HAS CONCLUDED THAT A SMALL EF1 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN SUNDAY EVENING IN THE WILDHORSE SUBDIVISION, IN BETWEEN LOOP 1604 AND THE GOVERNMENT CANYON STATE NATURAL AREA ON THE WEST SIDE OF BEXAR COUNTY. A LARGE SEVERE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA JUST AFTER 8 PM SUNDAY EVENING WHEN IT APPEARS THAT A TORNADO DEVELOPED NEAR THE FLYING FURY DRIVE CUL-DE-SAC AND NEIGHBORHOOD DRAINAGE DITCH. MINOR DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ON FLYING FURY WITH SUBSTANTIAL ROOF DAMAGE OBSERVED TO SEVERAL HOMES ON THE EAST SIDE OF PALOMINO PATH AS THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST. SEVERAL OF THE HOMES HAD BROKEN WINDOWS, LARGE SECTIONS OF ROOF LIFTED OFF, ALONG WITH PUNCTURE MARKS FROM FLYING DEBRIS ON MANY OF THE HOME EXTERIOR WALLS. THE MAXIMUM WINDS WERE REACHED AT THIS LOCATION AND WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 100 MPH. THE TORNADO CONTINUED MOVING NORTHEAST, TAKING DOWN A FENCE AT THE END OF PALOMINO PATH BEFORE LIKELY DISSIPATING NEAR THE WILDHORSE HOA SPORTS PARK AND OPEN FIELD/DRAINAGE AREA...THE NWS SURVEY INCLUDED VISITING MANY WIND DAMAGE AREAS WEST OF LOOP 1604 IN THE GENERAL AREA FROM TALLEY ROAD, TO CULEBRA, EXTENDING NORTH INTO THE MEDALLION PARK AREA NEAR LA CANTERA. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL TREE DAMAGE, FENCES BLOWN DOWN, OUTBUILDINGS TOPPLED, AND SOME ADDITIONAL HOUSE ROOF DAMAGE FOUND IN THESE AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE ABOVE TORNADO TRACK. THIS OTHER WIND DAMAGE WAS CONSISTENT WITH MICROBURST STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED WIND ESTIMATES OF OVER 70+ MPH IN MANY OF THESE AREAS.
National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio
Get the latest forecasts, weather alerts and radar imagery from KSAT’s weather page.
