Storm Events Database

Storm Events Database

Event Details:

Event Tornado
-- Scale EF2
-- Length 2.5 Miles
-- Width 400 Yards
State TEXAS
County/Area CHEROKEE
WFO SHV
Report Source NWS Storm Survey
NCEI Data Source CSV
Begin Date 2019-04-13 10:52 CST-6
Begin Location 1SW ALTO
Begin Lat/Lon 31.6405/-95.0805
End Date 2019-04-13 11:00 CST-6
End Location 2N ALTO
End Lat/Lon 31.6759/-95.0721
Deaths Direct/Indirect 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...)
Injuries Direct/Indirect 0/0
Property Damage 600.00K
Crop Damage 0.00K
Episode Narrative A strong upper level trough entered the Southern Plains during the afternoon hours of April 12th, which allowed southerly low level winds to gradually return warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico north into East Texas and North Louisiana. An upper level disturbance ejecting northeast ahead of the trough across portions of East Texas and North Louisiana during the early morning hours of April 13th carried enough elevated instability, shear, and forcing north of an advancing warm front over Southeast Texas and South Louisiana, such that scattered strong to severe thunderstorms developed, with numerous reports of large hail and occasional damaging winds received. The warm front continued to gradually mix north northwest into East Texas and Northcentral Louisiana by late morning and early afternoon hours, with a very warm, moist, and unstable air mass noted over Deep East Texas and portions of Northcentral Louisiana south of the front. Coupled with even stronger forcing and low level shear ahead of the approaching upper trough, additional strong to severe thunderstorms developed near and south of the front from late morning through the afternoon, producing numerous reports of damaging winds with several tornadoes across portions of East Texas. These showers and thunderstorms diminished by early evening with the departure of the trough, and the arrival of an associated cold front which brought about cooler, drier, and more stable air southeast into the region.
Event Narrative The same storm that produced an EF-2 tornado over Southern Cherokee County about 6 miles south southwest of Alto produced another EF-2 tornado with maximum estimated winds near 120 mph across the southern and western sections of the city of Alto, where it damaged structures along Highway 21, Blaton Street, and Putnam Avenue. Damage included shifting a single family home off of its foundation and significant roof damage to another home on Quincy Avenue. Several other homes sustained structural damage as the tornado tracked across the west side of Alto and then crossed Highway 69. The tornado then moved across the Alto Independent School District (ISD) and damaged its gymnasium and roofs to structures on the campus. It was near the Alto ISD where a second stronger tornado crossed paths with this tornado as it tore through the western and northern sections of Alto just over an hour later.


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Event Map:

Note: The tornado track is approximate based on the beginning (B) and ending (E) locations. The actual tornado path may differ from a straight line.
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Measure
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All events for this episode:

Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD
Totals: 3 22 11.155M 0.00K
SCOTTSVILLE HARRISON CO. TX 04/13/2019 03:40 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 56 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
JONESVILLE HARRISON CO. TX 04/13/2019 03:50 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 65 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
WHITEHOUSE SMITH CO. TX 04/13/2019 08:50 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
JAMES SHELBY CO. TX 04/13/2019 08:55 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MARSHALL HARRISON CO. TX 04/13/2019 09:16 CST-6 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BANCKER CASS CO. TX 04/13/2019 09:40 CST-6 Hail 2.50 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MINEOLA WISENER ARPT WOOD CO. TX 04/13/2019 09:55 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MORRILL CHEROKEE CO. TX 04/13/2019 10:46 CST-6 Tornado EF2 0 0 250.00K 0.00K
ALTO CHEROKEE CO. TX 04/13/2019 10:52 CST-6 Tornado EF2 0 0 600.00K 0.00K
REEDS RUSK CO. TX 04/13/2019 12:05 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 56 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MORRILL CHEROKEE CO. TX 04/13/2019 12:20 CST-6 Tornado EF3 1 20 10.000M 0.00K
SACUL NACOGDOCHES CO. TX 04/13/2019 12:47 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 250.00K 0.00K
REKLAW RUSK CO. TX 04/13/2019 12:54 CST-6 Tornado EF3 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
POLLOK ANGELINA CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:05 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CENTRAL ANGELINA CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:07 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 2 2 0.00K 0.00K
DOUGLASS NACOGDOCHES CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:10 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
PROSSER ANGELINA CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:15 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LOONEYVILLE NACOGDOCHES CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:20 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 56 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CHIRENO NACOGDOCHES CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:38 CST-6 Tornado EF1 0 0 5.00K 0.00K
SWIFT NACOGDOCHES CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:40 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 87 kts. EG 0 0 50.00K 0.00K
TIMPSON SHELBY CO. TX 04/13/2019 13:50 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
SHELBYVILLE SHELBY CO. TX 04/13/2019 14:08 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
PINELAND MUNI ARPT SABINE CO. TX 04/13/2019 14:23 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HEMPHILL SABINE CO. TX 04/13/2019 14:35 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 61 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
Totals: 3 22 11.155M 0.00K