UPDATE: Hawley tornado that injured family of 4 classified as “high-end” EF-3, wind speeds of 165MPH
JONES COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A tornado that injured a family of 4 in Hawley last week has been classified as a “high-end” EF-3, with wind speeds reaching upwards of 165 miles per hour.
Information from a damage assessment by the National Weather Service San Angelo confirms the tornado’s classification. They say the tornado was on the high-end of the EF-3 rating because if it had reached speeds of 166 miles per hour, it would have been classified as an EF-4.
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NWS surveyors also determined the tornado, which affected the area of Jones County near the Hodges and Hawley communities of CR 605 and CR 458, had a path of destruction that was 3.29 miles long and 210 yards wide, and it was on the ground for 27 minutes.
During that time, a home that was under construction was destroyed and trucks and travel trailers were thrown 70 to 100+ yards.
A family of four was also injured when the tornado took their brick and wood home off the foundation, leaving no structure behind. Cows and family dogs were killed.
Read an excerpt from the NWS damage assessment below:
The tornado was part of a cyclical supercell moving southeastward through Jones County just west of US-277. The tornado that produced damage dropped just north of CR-460 and moved southeast before causing damage to metal outbuildings on two properties. It continued southeast then turned to the south- southwest where it damaged a home and snapped some trees and wooden power poles. It continued southwestward before completely destroying a home that was under construction. It also threw several trucks and a trailer about 100 yards before crossing CR-458. Continuing southwestward, the tornado completely destroyed another house and injured a family of four. The tornado made one more turn southeastward where it hit a small neighborhood. In the neighborhood, it caused roof damage to a few homes and outbuildings. Before exiting the neighborhood, it took most of the roof off of a house and caused some of the walls to collapse. It also destroyed a metal garage and heavily damaged an attached metal outbuilding. The tornado crossed FM-605 before dissipating shortly thereafter.
‘They were whirled around inside’: Hawley family of 4 survives tornado
No further information is available at this time.
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