More preparation may be needed for Houston area winter tornadoes, National Weather Service says
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As residents in southeast Texas said goodbye to 2024, many communities dealt with the devastation of winter tornadoes.
In Alvin, Shane Colston was spending time with family and enjoying Christmas festivities when tornadoes hit his home.
"As soon as I came back inside, my wife saw something in the sky like debris flying around, and she asked me to look. As soon as I looked, I heard something in the glass," Colston said.
His story is just one of many in southeast Texas. The National Weather Service says this past week and the last few years have been considered active for tornadoes.
"So we had about four different supercells that were producing tornadoes. Each one was producing several tornadoes, so I don't know the exact amount. We're still calculating that. But I'd say over half a dozen," NWS Meteorologist Jeff Evans said.
While winter tornadoes are common, the NWS says that if they keep happening at the current rate, more needs to be done to prepare people for them.
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"Obviously, if this pattern continues and this becomes our new norm, that's a conversation we're going to have to have as a community," Evans said.
Eyewitness News asked if adding tornado sirens would help, which is something Shane would be on board with.
"That's probably the best thing because you hear those go off, you know, something in your general area," Colston said.
But NWS says cell phone notifications are more reliable.
"The thing about sirens is that they are mainly kind of outdoor sirens. You can't guarantee that everyone is going to hear them inside the homes, especially in the middle of the night," Colston said.
While many states prone to tornadoes use underground shelters, that would be a challenge in this area. However, there is another alternative.
"They do have tornado-safe rooms that you could put above ground as well. You can modify and put that into a home. If people are concerned, there are technologies out there that can give them a safer structure," Evans said.
