DEER PARK, Texas – It’s difficult for people who live in the Deer Park area to forget the chaos of Jan. 24, 2023.
That was the day an EF3 tornado tore an estimated 18-mile path through their community with wind speeds up to 140 mph.
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Severe storms that afternoon also collapsed at least one building in Baytown and damaged homes and businesses throughout southeast Houston and Pasadena.
“When I looked out the window, I saw a trampoline levitate out of the owner’s backyard and as soon as that happened, I immediately start panicking,” recalls Pasadena resident Tonya Nelson.
Now those neighborhoods are under the worst severe weather threat they’ve faced since.
KPRC 2 News reporter Daji Aswad spoke with Nelson ahead of Thursday’s storms. She remembers being parked outside of her daughter’s school waiting for dismissal on Jan. 24 when she saw the tornado approaching.
“I was screaming on the phone with my mother-in-law. A lot of that was a blur,” said Nelson. “The only thing I really can recall is saying, ‘Please take care of my girls and husband,’ because I didn’t know if I was going to survive.”
Nelson and her family all were all okay, but their home was battered with water and debris.
“What if she (her daughter) was here laying in this bed, if she was sick from school or this tornado hit us at night and we didn’t wake up. Would she still even be here?” Nelson asked.
Nelson says those memories have her taking the forecast for Thursday more seriously. She plans to pay attention to watches and warnings when they are issued.
In a statement, Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton told KPRC 2 News the city has made improvements to their warning system to make it easier for residents to hear, see and receive warnings. Read the full statement below:
“Last January, the City of Deer Park experienced a devastating tornado that caused extensive damage to homes and businesses. However, the community rapidly rallied together and has since been working to rebuild the City. Following the incident, the City of Deer Park and the Deer Park Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) have taken steps to improve our early warning systems to be more effective in the event of another disaster. These systems have been installed with louder sirens, extended coverage, and flashing lights to ensure that everyone, including those who are deaf and hard of hearing, are alerted. In addition to this, the city’s emergency communication staff has conducted various drills to prepare for different emergency scenarios. The staff has also continued periodic promotions of the City’s e-notification system (CodeRED) to provide timely and effective updates to residents during incidents. As a result, the City is even better equipped to handle future disasters and keep its residents safe. To sign-up for the City of Deer Park CodeRED notifications, please visit: https://www.deerparktx.gov/338/Emergency-Notifications.
Thank you,
Mayor Jerry Mouton”
The KPRC 2 Storm Tracker Team will bring you extended live weather coverage throughout the day Thursday on KPRC 2 and the KPRC 2+ livestream.
If you lose power due to storms, you can stream us on a smart phone or tablet through our free KPRC 2+ app on your connected TV or smartphone.
Our live coverage can also be streamed at www.click2houston.com/watchlive
