Woodlands Grogan's Mill Village experiences destructive force in Sunday storm

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Woodlands experienced a disturbance that uprooted trees and downed power lines early Sunday morning. The National Weather Service has not confirmed whether it was a tornado or a microburst, but did confirm that an EF-1 tornado with 100 mile per hour winds touched down in southwest Houston destroying an apartment complex.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning had just been posted to Woodlands Online and it’s affiliate sites in Montgomery County, at 5:39 a.m., upon receipt of the notification from the National Weather Service, which was received via cell phone alert, internet, radio, and television. Woodlands Online then dispatched it in the social media via Facebook and Twitter to numerous sites. At approximately 6:00 a.m. a Tornado alert was received by Woodlands Online via cell phone, with a notice to immediately take cover, but the other technology devices did not issue a tornado warning.

The National Weather Service has not confirmed that a tornado touched down in The Woodlands, but a destructive force did occur in the Village of Grogan’s Mill. Sara Bissig, who The Woodlands knows as the ‘Go Green Eco Taxi Lady,’ was in the area most severely damaged by early Sunday morning’s storm.

“We were in the eye of the storm, but our houses survived with no damage,” posted Bissig o Facebook. “These are pics (seen with article) of the houses on our block, even next door, there is a lot of damage!”

Bissig lives in the Grogan’s Forest subdivision in the Grogan’s Mill Village. At dawn the neighbors were rallying to each other’s aid. The phone at Beals Tree Service started ringing at 8:00 a.m. Neal Beal, co-owner of the company, is reported to have said that it appeared to be a twister, because the trees were twisted, no just blown over.

Due to soil saturation, The Woodlands is also experiencing many downed trees that are coming up at the roots. Many were in flower beds that are routinely watered with sprinkler systems, but others in low-lying areas of lawns that hold water, are also falling over. Many residents have shut off their sprinkler systems until the persistent wet weather subsides, but those who haven’t are advised to do so.

For at least the next seven days, rain is predicted, and severe thunderstorms could accompany it, possibly even destructive forces. See the National Weather Service 7-day forecast .

As in the past, when weather alerts are issued by the National Weather Service, they will be posted as quickly as possible on the Digital Texas websites in Montgomery County and the surrounding area. The NWS weather alerts do cover the Greater Houston area and other Texas counties, so it’s imperative to verify specifically what weather is impacting the immediate community. As fast as online news is, some weather phenomena can occur quickly and unexpectedly, not allowing time to post online and distribute in the social media. Residents are encouraged to sign up for mobile app weather alerts for immediate notification, and advised to heed any warnings.

Be advised that trees will continue to fall with more rain saturation. Remain indoors during storms, and refrain from driving in an automobile until the storm subsides.

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