The National Weather Service has confirmed that a EF-1 tornado with 95 mph winds hit Detroit, in Red River County, on Tuesday, May 24.
Red River County Emergency Management Coordinator Amanda Willows assessed the damage with the NWS on Wednesday, confirming the tornado to be 100 yards in width with a path length of 7.4 miles.
“The tornado first touched down to the northeast of Detroit along CR-2127 then moved on to cross CR-2140 and snapped and uprooted hardwood trees before crossing CR-2133,” said Willows. “The tornado was most evident in this location with tall grass in a field pushed down and hardwood trees snapped in a convergent pattern.”
The tornado then crossed CR-2133, tearing metal panels off a single wide mobile home that was occupied by a family at the time of the storm who were uninjured.
“The tornado continued on to mostly twist and down large branches as it crossed CR-2234 and CR-2235, south of Manchester. There were a few hardwood tree snaps as it finally crossed CR-2235 before lifting. It is possible that the tornado continued on further beyond CR-2235, but forests in this area were unreachable by vehicle.”
Willows said her biggest concerns are that there was no warning for residents in the path of the tornado.
“This is the second tornado we have had in this area recently with no warning. The Red River County Office of Emergency Management is working with the National Weather Service to find a solution to this problem,” she said. “In the meantime, we will be working closely with our Skywarn trained spotters and first responders to report any sudden changes in weather so we can improve our ability to detect dangerous systems and better warn the public. The safety of our citizens is our top priority.”
