14 tornadoes confirmed to hit North Texas on Tuesday, National Weather Service says

Elizabeth Campbell

Tuesday’s storms spawned at least 14 confirmed tornadoes across North Texas, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

The confirmed and suspected tornadoes swept along a northeast track from Cisco in Eastland County to Paris in Lamar County.

The National Weather Service reported Wednesday afternoon that there was an EF-4 tornado with 125-mile per hour winds south of Eastland. The weather service also reported that there was a “short track” of damage from 90 mph winds south of Bluffdale in Erath County which was likely a straight-line wind surge.

The top half of a tree lands on a pasture 50 yards away from where it was ripped off by the strong winds. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.
The top half of a tree lands on a pasture 50 yards away from where it was ripped off by the strong winds. A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.

At least four of the confirmed tornadoes were in Tarrant County, causing streaks of damage between Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth to Grapevine. Two of the tornadoes were EF-0, with 65 mph to 85 mph winds. The other two were EF-1, with winds up to 110 mph.

Farther north in Wise County, an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 125 mph traveled a long path near Decatur, and a tornado with 85 mph winds hit northwest of Callisburg, east of Interstate 35 near the Oklahoma border.

A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.
A tornado touched down just south of Decatur, Texas, along FM 730 early morning Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, tearing the roof off of a home and ripping trees in half. Debris was strewn across the highway.

Matt Stalley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, said that while tornadoes are more common in the spring, it’s not unusual to see tornadoes this time of year.

In 2015, an EF-4 tornado swept through Garland and Rowlett with winds up to 200 mph.

“Yesterday’s storms were less violent than those we saw in 2015,” Stalley said.

Tuesday’s outbreak was triggered by a major winter storm that’s bringing snow and ice to the Midwest and East Coast. In Grapevine, five people were injured.

Grapevine Middle School had roof and water damage.

In North Richland Hills, 20 homes and businesses were damaged, according to police.

Tornadoes also caused havoc in Wise County, where homes were damaged near Decatur and a semi overturned.

Gina Wilken, a public affairs specialist with State Farm, said the insurer had received approximately 360 claims from Tuesday’s storms so far. A third of those were from Rockwall County, with 35% of the claims for wind and 30% for hail damage.

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