Tornado in Milam County causes minor damage

Nick Bannin
·3 min read

BURLINGTON, Texas (KXAN) — A tornado in Milam County Sunday afternoon is being blamed for minor damage in the area of Burlington, Texas. Burlington is located 68 miles northeast of Austin. Milam County is part of the 15-county KXAN viewing area.

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Sunday, the National Weather Service office in Dallas/Fort Worth issued a Tornado Warning for northern Milam County for a Doppler radar-indicated rotation that could develop into a tornado.

Radar just before the issuance of a tornado warning for Milam County
Radar just before the issuance of a tornado warning for Milam County

Several minutes later the Milam County Sheriff’s Office told KXAN they had received several 911 calls about a tornado on the ground.

By 3:11 p.m. the Tornado Warning was updated to reflect an “observed” tornado along the Milam and Falls county line near Rosebud, which is a city centered in Falls County but extends into parts of Milam County.

At 3:25 p.m. the National Weather Service canceled the tornado warning for Milam County as the rotation had exited the county to the northeast and into Robertson County. At that point, the Tornado Warning was back to being “radar indicated” as no recent sightings of the tornado were found.

Minor damage

According to the Milam County Sheriff’s Office, the tornado caused only minor damage to a home in the Ben Arnold/Burlington area. The damage wasn’t enough to force the homeowners out.

Tornado terminology

Knowing some of the weather terminology we use when we discuss tornadoes can help people understand the severity of the situation.

Tornado Watch: The environment is favorable for the development of tornadoes. Be prepared to seek shelter.

Tornado Warning for radar indicated rotation: Rotation is tight within a supercell thunderstorm and a tornado could be on the ground or develop at any moment. Seek shelter immediately.

Tornado Warning for an observed or radar-confirmed tornado: Someone has either spotted a tornado (not a funnel) on the ground OR radar has detected debris in the air caused by a tornado on the ground. Seek shelter immediately.

Tornado Emergency: Reserved for only the most powerful observed or radar-confirmed tornadoes that pose a significant threat to life with an expectation of catastrophic damage.

Tornado Terminology
Tornado Terminology

In-Depth: History of Tornado Emergencies

Tornado Emergencies were issued informally for the first time in 1999 as a destructive F5 tornado was heading toward Oklahoma City. According to the National Weather Service, the meteorologists at the local office felt a “Tornado Warning” was not a strong enough warning. They issued a “Tornado Emergency.”

Fast forward to the early 2010s and Tornado Emergency became an officially recognized warning from the National Weather Service. This process started with individual offices before being rolled out nationwide.

Tornado Emergency will be issued under the following criteria:

  • Severe threat to human life is imminent or ongoing.

  • Catastrophic damage is imminent or ongoing.

  • Reliable sources confirm tornado (either 1 or 2):

    • Visual

    • Radar imagery strongly suggests the existence of a damaging tornado (a debris ball signature, for example).

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