Tornado Tears Across Northwest Houston: More Than 100 Homes Damaged, Power Outages and Streets Blocked

A Sudden Tornado Strikes Just Days Before Thanksgiving

A powerful tornado tore through the northwest suburbs of Houston, TX, on Monday afternoon, damaging over 100 homes, toppling trees and power lines, and leaving thousands without electricity just three days before Thanksgiving.

The storm carved a visible path through neighborhoods, lifting shingles, ripping away siding and pushing debris into streets already slicked by the cold front that spawned the twister.

Drone footage over the Memorial Northwest community showed rooftops peeled back and yards filled with broken limbs and insulation. In the Riata West Subdivision, residents stepped outside to find trees snapped clean in half. One witness described the sound bluntly: “Trees were ** snapping like matchsticks."

“There are reports of damaged structures, downed trees, and ruptured gas lines in portions of Northwest Harris County," said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Communities Hit Hard as Winds Tear Through Harris County

Authorities confirmed damage to more than 100 homes in Harris County, hitting hardest in Memorial Northwest and Cy-Fair, where verified images showed siding torn from walls and debris scattered across front yards.

A county emergency services building in Spring, TX, also sustained damage, and the Klein Fire Department’s relatively new administration building suffered a gas leak. Despite the destruction, emergency crews were able to continue responding to calls.

Houston resident Catherine Franco told KHOU, “I heard a whistle, and the wind was just so intense. I had never heard it like that before."

At the storm’s peak, about 28,000 customers in the Houston area lost power. By late Monday night, utility provider CenterPoint Energy reported that roughly 4,000 remained without service.

National Weather Service Confirms Tornado, Investigates Second One

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed a tornado touched down and will assign it a rating after conducting a full assessment. Early diagrams showed a preliminary track with a timestamp of 4:24 p.m. local time.

A second, unconfirmed tornado may have touched down in Waller County, also northwest of Houston, and will be evaluated in a separate survey.
The NWS held a tornado watch for southeastern Texas, including Houston, until 1 a.m. Tuesday, alongside a severe thunderstorm warning.

Over the last 24 hours, five tornado reports came from Texas and one from Mississippi as the severe weather band pushed east toward Alabama and Georgia. Flight controllers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport briefly evacuated the tower due to nearby storms, redirecting traffic from an alternative facility.

Seasonal Context: A Quiet November, but Tornadoes Still Possible

November is not typically peak tornado season in Texas. Over the last decade, the state has averaged two to three tornadoes each November, though some years bring far more. In 2022, nine twisters were reported in the month.

Before Monday’s event, the preliminary nationwide count for November stood at 10 tornadoes, well below the ten-year average of 37.

Eyewitness Voices

Catherine Franco: “I heard a whistle, and the wind was just so intense. I had never heard it like that before."

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez: “There are reports of damaged structures, downed trees, and ruptured gas lines in portions of Northwest Harris County."