Tornadoes · United States · Texas · 2025
EF2 tornado, Cypress to Houston Hooks Arpt, Texas, November 24, 2025
From Cypress to Houston Hooks Arpt, this EF2 tornado ran 3.8 miles across Harris County on November 24, 2025, touching down at 1:41 PM CST and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF2
- Date
- November 24, 2025
- Touchdown
- 1:41 PM CST (19:41 UTC)
- Lifted
- 1:48 PM CST (19:48 UTC)
- On the ground
- 7 minutes
- Path length
- 3.8 miles (6.2 km)
- Path width
- 400 yards (366 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Harris County
- Touchdown point
- 30.003, -95.559
- Lift-off point
- 30.053, -95.535
- Record number
- 2511241341-01
The damage survey
57 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS HGX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 125 mph.
- Tree trunk snapped but no other damage noted in the vicinity. Too heavy tree not pruned. Winds pushed tree and weight snapped tree.
- Roof damage (minor, shingles) to well built home. Fence down.
- End of damage, some small broken tree branches and flown debris.
- Tree uprooted with some other small tree branch damage nearby.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
Storms produced tornadoes over the Houston area. Media reported that nearly 100 homes were damaged in the Houston area in the aftermath of these tornadoes.
NWS storm survey teams investigated an areas of damage across the Riata Ranch area in northwest Harris County after a tornadic storm moved through the area. Survey teams concluded that the tornado initially formed just south of Tuckerton Rd and a tad west of Towne Lake Pkwy. It then proceeded north into nearby neighborhoods. Majority of the damage found was EF-0, but a section of EF-1 damage was found along Lake Riata Ln and Barker Grove Ln. High end EF-1 Damage was found with a small portion of plywood decking removed from a roof in this same area. This was the strongest damage indicator (FR12 DOD2) with max winds for the tornado estimated at 105 mph. Survey teams concluded that the tornado weakened afterwards as it moved northeast, then dissipated south of US-290, which matches a public report of a funnel cloud at US-290 during the event.
Tornado formed just north of Louetta Rd near the intersection with Old Louetta Rd. It moved northeasterly through the Colony Creek Village, Memorial Northwest, Memorial Creek, and Willowick Forecast subdivisions, then dissipating in an open field north of Spring Cypress Rd in Klein. The majority of the damage found correlated to EF-0 and EF-1 damage, but a few locations of EF-2 damage (FR12 DOD 2) was found between Champion Forest Dr and Stuebner Airline Rd where large sections of missing roof decking were found on homes.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Houston/Galveston, TX wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Nov 24, 12:51 PM CST, 50 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- TORNADO WATCH in effect through 7 PM Tonight. Discrete storms capable of all severe hazards, including heavy rainfall as well, will be possible ahead and along a cold front.
- Cold front should slow as it approaches the Houston Metro late tonight with the severe/hydro threat diminishing as it slowly pushes off the coast Tuesday morning.
- A stronger, reinforcing front pushes through Wednesday morning, bringing cooler and drier conditions just in time for Thanksgiving.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 24, 12:51 PM CST, 50 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
1251 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
...New MESOSCALE UPDATE, DISCUSSION, MARINE...
.KEY MESSAGES...
- TORNADO WATCH in effect through 7 PM Tonight. Discrete storms
capable of all severe hazards, including heavy rainfall as well,
will be possible ahead and along a cold front.
- Cold front should slow as it approaches the Houston Metro late
tonight with the severe/hydro threat diminishing as it slowly
pushes off the coast Tuesday morning.
- A stronger, reinforcing front pushes through Wednesday morning,
bringing cooler and drier conditions just in time for Thanksgiving.
&&
.MESOSCALE UPDATE...
Issued at 1158 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM TONIGHT
Already got a quick spinup on radar early this afternoon, so it
appears that severe weather threat is already underway. Currently
keeping a close eye on our west/northwestern counties where
instability is rather robust. CAMs were pinging this location
earlier in the 12z model run, though it's destabilized rather
quickly. Mesoanalysis shows some 2000-2500 ML CAPE with LCL
heights under 750m. Decent shear on the whole though it and
helicity are strongest further to the northeast. May see a few
more spinups in this area with the current set of storms,
especially as they track northeasterly into better helicity and
shear.
We'll probably lose some of this instability over the western
CWA as it's worked over by the current storms... though there are
some gaps in coverage. One of these "Gaps" forming is around the
Brazos/Washington/Grimes area. Short-range model updates are
suggesting higher instability in this general area due to a gap
in storm coverage that already seems to be manifesting on
radar... so we could still see some severe wx develop in this
area. Otherwise, we'll see the area of severe weather broadly
expand northeastward leading up the FROPA as instability builds
into this area with better dynamics and shear.
03
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1158 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
Things are already kicking into high gear hear with storms
beginning to fire up ahead of the cold front. The current
environment shows PWs of 1.4-1.8 inches with model guidance
indicated the potential to pool up to 1.9-2.0 inches ahead of the
line. 300mb analysis showed ample omega north of the area with
the RAP/GFS/NAM all showing SE Texas getting clipped by some of
the stronger omega values as it tracks eastward with the upper
trough. LLJ around 25-30 knots peaking near 40 knots in CAM
models. On the whole, dynamics appear modest over the northern
half of our CWA, primarily over the Piney Woods area near areas
like Crockett & Livingston. Thermodynamics is a more interesting
story, which continue to trend upwards with RAP analysis
already 1500 J/KG of ML CAPE. More concerning is a rather
consistent signal in the CAMs pinging on a bullseye of elevated
CAPE in our west/northwestern counties, over 2500 J/KG with
respect to ML CAPE and nearing 3000 J/KG in for SFC/ML CAPE in
some models. Seems to come as a result of the area being plunged
deeper in the warm sector with moisture pooling in advance of the
FROPA... And before I could finish writing this discussion we had
out first TOR warning in place over this area... so my concerns
about this area appear to have been justified, especially now as
now SPC's mesoanalysis is showing this deeper instability. Shear
is still as robust as it was several day prior with bulk shear of
30-50 knots. 100-200 m2/s2 1km SRH with 20-30 knots of 1km bulk
shear. LCL heights are also generally forecasted under 1500m with
a good swap of the area under 1000m throughout most of the
afternoon.
Seeing better agreement with timing too among models (at least
earlier in the forecast), showing the cold front enter the Brazos
Valley late in the afternoon, reaching College Station around 3-6PM.
CAMs become a bit more split later tonight as the front nears the
Houston Metro. Broadly it seems like it should slow and lose some of
it's gusto (waning instability and being further removed from
stronger upper level dynamics), moving through the city around 9PM-
1AM... could be even later as hinted at by the FV3 and NAM. The
front should move offshore around 1AM-5AM, though again the FV3 is
dragging its feet, wanting to keep the front on dry land till
daybreak. Still is a very feasible outcome (and thus leaned
closer towards the FV3 with this forecast), but again in such a
scenario the line itself will be far less potent by that point, so
the severe/hydro concerns shouldn't be prolongued either.
Main takeaway is that we're expected strong to severe storms ahead
of and along an approaching cold front today & tonight. SE Texas is
under a Slight (2/5) to Marginal (1/5) Risk of Severe Weather and
Excessive Rainfall for today. These storms will be capable of
producing damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes and locally heavy
rainfall. The northern half of our CWA will be most at risk of these
severe storms. The threat of heavy rainfall is on the whole lower,
with the greatest risk much more confined to our north/northeastern
most counties, where locally higher rainfall totals up to around 4
inches could occur. Though, any training storms could still result
in some minor street flooding, especially in Urban areas/areas of
poor drainage (i.e. Houston Metro). With respect to timing, the
severe/rainfall threat has already begun. Storms on the whole
should become weaker late tonight with the severe/hydro threat
ending early Tuesday.
Rest of the forecast remains the same. An upper level low moving
through the Northern Plains should push a reinforcing cold front
through the area Wednesday morning. This will usher in cooler and
much more seasonable weather for Thanksgiving. Morning lows for the
holiday are forecasted to be in the 30s/upper 40s inland and 50s
near the coast. Daytime highs on Thanksgiving are anticipated to be
in the 60s/lower 70s. Conditions will also be dry too with no rain
expected. Heading into Friday, we'll see onshore flow return and
temperatures/rain chances rise into the weekend. Hints of another
cold front remain on the horizon for Sunday into some time next week.
03
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAF Issuance)
Issued at 1112 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
Scattered TSRA has already developed across the region,
warranting at least VCTS starting now for the TAFs north of I-10.
These storms are expected to mostly impact our northern TAFs (CLL,
UTS, and CXO) where there are TSRA TEMPO groups for said storms
early this afternoon. But we will need to keep an eye on IAH as
well over the next few hours. In addition, non- thunderstorm winds
will be gusty, at times over 25 knots. Locally stronger winds,
along with the risk of hail, is expected near the stronger
thunderstorms. This evening and tonight, a line of thunderstorms
is expected to push through the region. The timing of the line is
indicated in the TEMPO groups in the TAFs. Drier air tries to
filter into the region behind the front. But it may not be enough
to prevent lowered vis/cigs late tonight and tomorrow morning.
Vis/cig forecast confidence generally lower than normal tonight.
&&
.MARINE...
Issued at 1158 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
Caution flags may be needed at times today through Tuesday as winds
strengthen with a moderate to high risk of rip currents along Gulf-
facing beaches. Showers and storms are expected today leading up to
a cold front, which should more off the coast by Tuesday morning.
Moderate to strong northerly winds develop Wednesday morning as a
reinforcing front moves through the area, likely necessitating Small
Craft Advisories through Thursday morning. These stronger offshore
winds may bring negative water levels at low tide in the upper
portion of Galveston bay. Onshore flow returns by Friday,
increasing into the weekend as the gradient tightens ahead of the
next weather system.
03
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
College Station (CLL) 56 76 50 63 / 80 0 0 0
Houston (IAH) 65 80 55 68 / 80 10 0 0
Galveston (GLS) 72 79 61 70 / 60 40 10 0
&&
.HGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
TX...None.
GM...Small Craft Should Exercise Caution until 6 PM CST this evening
for GMZ330-335-350-355-370-375.
&&
DISCUSSION...03
AVIATION...Self
MARINE...03In the hours before
Special weather statement, Nov 24, 10:31 AM CST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 1031 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 TXZ210-211-241715- Colorado TX-Austin TX- 1031 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 ...A Thunderstorm Capable of Producing Small Hail Moving Through Central Colorado County... At 1030 AM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Columbus, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Sealy, Bellville, Columbus, and Cat Spring. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 2953 9666 2960 9674 2999 9631 2978 9612 TIME...MOT...LOC 1630Z 231DEG 28KT 2962 9662 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Luchs
Special weather statement, Nov 24, 11:10 AM CST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 1110 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 TXZ197>199-210>213-241800- Washington TX-Waller TX-Grimes TX-Colorado TX-Inland Harris TX- Montgomery TX-Austin TX- 1110 AM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 ...A Strong Thunderstorm Capable of Producing Small Hail and Potentially a Brief Landspout Moving Through Austin County... At 1110 AM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm capable of producing a landspout near Sealy, moving northeast at 35 mph. HAZARD...Landspouts and pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Sealy, Hempstead, Prairie View, Bellville, Waller, Pine Island, San Felipe, Monaville, and Cat Spring. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 2973 9618 2983 9635 3030 9605 3015 9579 TIME...MOT...LOC 1710Z 214DEG 30KT 2984 9622 LANDSPOUT...POSSIBLE MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Luchs
Special weather statement, Nov 24, 12:31 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 1231 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 TXZ211>213-227-241915- Waller TX-Inland Harris TX-Fort Bend TX-Austin TX- 1231 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN AUSTIN... NORTHWESTERN FORT BEND...SOUTHEASTERN WALLER AND WEST CENTRAL HARRIS COUNTIES THROUGH 115 PM CST... At 1231 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Simonton, or 7 miles southwest of Brookshire, moving northeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Pea size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Katy, Sealy, Brookshire, southwestern Addicks Park Ten, northwestern Eldridge / West Oaks, Spring Branch West, Hockley, Wallis, Fulshear, Simonton, San Felipe, Pattison, Cinco Ranch, northern Weston Lakes, Addicks, and Memorial. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CST for southeastern Texas. && LAT...LON 2961 9609 2970 9617 3005 9583 2978 9561 TIME...MOT...LOC 1831Z 238DEG 22KT 2971 9605 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Luchs
Special weather statement, Nov 24, 12:32 PM CST, 1 hour 9 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX
1232 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
TXZ177-198-199-241900-
Walker TX-Grimes TX-Montgomery TX-
1232 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN GRIMES...
NORTHWESTERN MONTGOMERY...SOUTHEASTERN MADISON AND SOUTHWESTERN
WALKER COUNTIES THROUGH 100 PM CST...
At 1232 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9
miles north of Anderson, or 17 miles northeast of Navasota, moving
northeast at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Roans Prairie.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CST for southeastern
Texas.
&&
LAT...LON 3065 9563 3056 9600 3062 9607 3086 9587
3086 9583 3088 9580 3088 9578
TIME...MOT...LOC 1832Z 238DEG 22KT 3062 9597
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH
LuchsSpecial weather statement, Nov 24, 1:12 PM CST, 29 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 112 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 TXZ198-199-212-241945- Waller TX-Grimes TX-Montgomery TX- 112 PM CST Mon Nov 24 2025 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN GRIMES...WEST CENTRAL MONTGOMERY AND NORTHEASTERN WALLER COUNTIES THROUGH 145 PM CST... At 111 PM CST, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Magnolia, or near Pinehurst, moving northeast at 30 mph. HAZARD...Half inch hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Western Conroe, Pinehurst, Magnolia, Montgomery, Todd Mission, and Lake Conroe Dam. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CST for southeastern Texas. && LAT...LON 3019 9578 3023 9587 3049 9562 3031 9547 TIME...MOT...LOC 1911Z 230DEG 27KT 3024 9577 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Luchs
Local storm report, Nov 24, 1:39 PM CST, 2 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Service Notice</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
<main class="wrap">
<section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
<div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
<h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
<p id="message1">
The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
</p>
<p id="message2">
Please try again in a few minutes.
</p>
<p class="small" id="detail">
If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
</p>
</section>
</main>
<script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Lake Charles Mun, LA (KLCH), 00:00Z
4.3 hours after it, 226 km from the path. November 25, 2025.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1580 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -3 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2891 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 726 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 52 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 126 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 132 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.3
- Supercell composite
- 8.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.4 K/km
The surface observations
Houston/D.W. Hooks (DWH), 5 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Houston radar (KHGX), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:41 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in TexasEvery tornado in Texas since 1950Warnings in force in Texas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of November 24, 2025
2 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 24 | 1:23 PM CST | EF1 | Harris, TX | 2.6 | 500 | |||
| November 24 | 2:45 PM CST | EF0 | Alfalfa, OK | 0.1 | 20 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.