An EF-0 tornado touched down briefly in Corsicana Wednesday morning, damaging several homes and snapping trees, according to Navarro County officials.
“It was quick," Corsicana Fire Chief Paul Henley said. "It was unannounced and gone before we knew it. So, we had no time to set off the sirens because there was no indication of rotation. No National Weather Service warning or watch. It just happened.”
No injuries were reported, though there were several reports of damage to homes, trees and a park.
According to the Navarro County Office of Emergency Management, the tornado touched down at about 10:55 a.m. and impacted an area about 100 yards wide by 600 yards long.
The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday the tornado was an EF-0 with maximum peak wind of 85 mph. The NWS estimated the twister touched down at 10:51 a.m. the Nature Park Optimist Softball Complex where it damaged a small concession/storage building and toppled a light pole. From there, the tornado stayed on the ground for just under a mile, moving east-northeast where it passed a wooded area before entering a residential area.
It was there the tornado damaged 13 manufactured homes, tearing off roofs, siding and skirting. The tornado dissipated shortly after leaving the mobile home community.
Apparent Tornado Causes Damage in Corsicana
Navarro County Emergency Management posted photos of the damage online. A video posted online Wednesday appears to show a small tornado on the ground.
Many people were home when the tornado touched down.
“I was laying down in my room and all of a sudden it started raining really hard and the whole house started shaking really violently," Inocenio Mirafuentes said. "It didn’t last that long just a few seconds and I come out here and the porch is gone.”
The Red Cross is helping people with damaged homes.
While there were no tornado warnings or watches Wednesday, shortly before the damage reports were received the NWS issued their convective outlook for the day and said there was a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms, including hail and damaging winds, along with brief tornadoes, in east-central Texas to south Texas through the evening.
The damage in Corsicana was first believed to have been caused by a microburst, a localized column of air pushing downward that can cause extensive damage, but was determined to be a tornado early Wednesday afternoon.
