AccuWeather Exclusively Provided Life-Saving Tornado Warnings BEFORE Damaging Tornadoes Struck The Greater Houston Metro and Adjacent Southwestern LouisianaAccuWeather's More Advance Notice
The National Weather Service and All Other Known Sources NEVER Issued a Tornado Warning, Issued A Warning AFTER the Tornado Was On The Ground, or Provided Far Less Advance Notice Than AccuWeather.
Hail and several tornados damaged multiple structures and downed trees in areas of southern Texas and Louisiana on Dec. 26.
AccuWeather customers and users were best prepared for multiple damaging tornadoes that struck in and around the Houston Metro and southwestern Louisiana on Thursday afternoon and evening, December 26, 2024. The tornadoes caused downed trees, overturned vehicles, and damage to homes.
AccuWeather's More Advance Notice
AccuWeather Storm Warning meteorologists exclusively issued numerous lifesaving SkyGuard® Tornado Warnings BEFORE tornadoes struck, while the government’s National Weather Service (NWS) and all other known sources issued AFTER the tornadoes touched down or, in some cases, NEVER issued a tornado warning at all. AccuWeather’s superior warnings benefited AccuWeather for Business SkyGuard® customers as well as customers of the AccuWeather Premium+ feature in the AccuWeather app.
Meadows Place, Texas
AccuWeather Expert Storm Warning Meteorologists issued a lifesaving SkyGuard® Tornado Warning which exclusively provided 25 minutes of advance notice BEFORE a tornado struck Meadows Place, Texas within the Houston Metro, resulting in significant damage to several homes and flipping vehicles. As has been the case with many other situations, AccuWeather was the ONLY known source to provide advance notice of the damaging tornado with dangerous, swirling peak winds of 90 mph. The NWS and all other known sources NEVER issued a tornado warning for this area.
El Campo, Texas
Just before severe thunderstorms reached Houston, a damaging tornado developed near El Campo, Texas. AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologists exclusively provided the most advance notice of any known source, 14 minutes, while the NWS and all other known sources only provided 3 minutes of advance notice.
Lake Houston, Texas
Similarly, as storms exited the Houston Metro, a damaging tornado touched down near Lake Houston. AccuWeather was the ONLY known source to provide advance notice of the damaging tornado, issuing a SkyGuard® Tornado Warning, which provided 10 minutes of advance notice before the tornado struck. The NWS and all other known sources only issued a tornado warning 2 minutes AFTER the tornado had already been on the ground.
Hineston, Louisiana
Finally, as severe thunderstorms raged into the darkness, a tornado struck near Hineston, Louisiana. AccuWeather was the ONLY known source to provide advance notice of the damaging tornado, issuing a SkyGuard® Tornado Warning, which provided 24 minutes of advance notice before the tornado struck. The NWS and all other known sources only issued a tornado warning 3 minutes AFTER the tornado had already been on the ground.
The AccuWeather Advantage
As a result, people and businesses relying on NWS warnings directly or all other known weather sources that simply distribute NWS tornado warnings would have had very limited or, in several cases, NO NOTICE of the imminent life-threatening emergencies before the tornadoes touched down. Government cell phone alerting (wireless emergency alerts) would not have been triggered, outdoor sirens would not have been activated, and other emergency notifications from other agencies may not have been issued, as those notification methods depend upon National Weather Service warnings. Only those systems that are based on AccuWeather Warnings, which include National Weather Service warnings but also are supplemented by the expertise of AccuWeather's expert Storm Warning Meteorologists, would have been activated.
This is another of the many weather events where AccuWeather provided superior forecasts and impact descriptions to people, communities, and businesses, helping them better prepare and stay safer.
More than 100 times every year, AccuWeather has been documented as providing more accurate, more advance notification of significant and extreme weather events that impact businesses and threaten individuals' health, welfare, and lives. AccuWeather is proven to be the most accurate source of weather forecasts and warnings.
