Tornado destroys shelter as Texas storms wreak havoc near Houston

A violent storm swept through southeast Texas Tuesday afternoon, bringing with it at least one tornado that left a trail of damage and destroyed a local animal shelter.

A “large and destructive” tornado swept through southern Harris County, which includes the cities of Houston and Pasadena, according to a report by KPRC. So does the Pasadena Police Department tweeted that they were “aware of a tornado making landfall on the southeast side of our city”.

Buildings damaged by the Twister include the Pasadena Animal Shelter. A video posted by KHOU anchor Shern Min Chow shows a large part of the roof of the shelter, which was torn off by the storm.

KHOU reported that all animals are “safe” despite the damage. After a later tweet from Chow, around 70 animals were moved from the destroyed shelter to a separate facility.

Other videos posted to social media on Tuesday showed extensive damage to homes and buildings in Pasadena. KTRK reporter Brooke Taylor shared video of a neighborhood covered in debris and tree branches.

A clip shared by KHOU reporters Pat Cavlin showed what appears to be a metal building that was “leveled” during the storm. According to the report, witnesses and police confirmed that no one was injured when the building collapsed.

According to a report by The New York Times, meteorologists with the Houston office of the National Weather Service (NWS) said the tornado was the first recorded for his agency. The NWS had also issued a tornado emergency for the Pasadena area around 2:30 p.m. CST, read the report.

The severe storms also brought strong winds and potential flooding across southeast Texas. Wind gusts could reach up to 40 miles per hour, according to the NWS advisor for the area.

The severe weather system will continue to move east along the Gulf Coast through Tuesday evening, the reported Just. The NWS has issued a flash flood warning for parts of southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana, and a strong wind warning for southern Louisiana.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also mobilized the state’s Department of Emergency Management. Large portions of north Texas were under a winter advisory or winter storm warning as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the NWS. Up to three inches of snow is expected to fall throughout the night in the surrounding areas of Fort Worth and Dallas, potentially resulting in slick spots for commuters Wednesday morning.

news week has reached out to the Pasadena Animal Shelter for comment.