Event narrative (NOAA)
An EF-3 tornado developed south of Houston and moved across Chambers County into Jefferson County just south of Russel Road. It snapped off power poles at French Rd before continuing northeast. An area of trees were snapped off and uprooted just south of the Big Hill Strategic Oil Reserve. The tornado continued northeast where it destroyed the top floor of the Sabine Ranch Lodge, stripped metal from a nearby industrial building, flipped a car into a side yard, and damaged the roofs of two homes. The car contained two people, one sustained a minor injury. The tornado crossed Highways 87 and 82 where it snapped transmission poles. Finally, it moved overtop Sabine Lake. The track continued into western Cameron Parish. Maximum winds were estimated at 161 mph.
Other notable tornado events in Texas
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.