HOUSTON – Saturday night’s storms caused flooding in parts of the northern Houston area.
Officials said an EF1 tornado touched down in Humble, causing structural damage and tearing off power lines and trees. An EFO was confirmed in Montgomery, said National Weather Service lead forecaster Brian Kyle.
Humble’s Mayor Norman Funderburk said there are no reports of injuries in the city, but “it could have been so much worse.”
Funderburk said the North Hollow subdivision was the hardest hit, causing a number of trees to fall on homes, power lines and vehicles.
“It was something I don’t ever want to go through again,” said North Hollow resident, Elona Jones.
Jones, along with her family, was asleep when the storm started.
The subdivision is near Bush Intercontinental Airport’s landing zone so neighbors are used to loud noises, but Jones said she immediately knew it wasn’t a plane.
“I knew those were tree limbs. You could hear the crackling,” she explained.
A number of uprooted trees were spotted on Jones’ guest home and on the property. Jones said the family is waiting to speak with a number of tree service companies before beginning the cleanup process.
“You got to do your homework, got to get on the phone,” said Jones.
One business owner has created a GoFundMe to help relocate.
Martha Berry’s IMarE Boutique, along with other shops at the South Houston Avenue strip mall, was destroyed.
“Normally, on Mondays I’m coming here to work, getting orders out to customers. But to come here and pretty much have to clean up, a lot of stuff is destroyed and it’s very traumatic,” Berry said.
She said 95% of her inventory and equipment are ruined but she plans to start over.
“We’re not going to let this break us down. We are coming back harder and stronger,” said Berry. “We are going to be okay.”
Most of the damage from the storms that came through was in Harris, Montgomery and Liberty counties, according to National Weather Service officials.
Heavy rains also produced high water spots in several areas of north and northwest Houston, prompting road closures.
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Check the latest weather, warnings
Tornado brings down power lines, causes structural damage in Humble, authorities say
See the photos and video below:
EYES UP: This is one of two trampolines I’ve seen stuck in a tree. This one hovers above a family home, they’re trying to figure out how to remove it without physics doing it’s thing pic.twitter.com/MGORrObUAO
— Rilwan Balogun (@KPRC2Rilwan) January 9, 2022
I’m in Humble where the damage I’ve seen so far is around Granberry Street from Avenue H down to S. Houston. Here’s a look at a shopping plaza off S. Houston @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/Wq9WFM1IQA
— Rilwan Balogun (@KPRC2Rilwan) January 9, 2022
TAKE A LISTEN: this store is destroyed but the alarm system still works. @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/phTCvxzi0f
— Rilwan Balogun (@KPRC2Rilwan) January 9, 2022
I was sent to the North Hollow subdivision in Humble where a tornado struck at 1:30A. Insane, but typical, how there’s...
Posted by KPRC2 Haley Hernandez on Sunday, January 9, 2022
