On November 24, 2025, what began as an unseasonably warm and muggy Monday in the Houston area quickly turned into a day residents won’t soon forget. A tornadic storm—described by officials as a “severe weather event”—swept through northwest Harris County, Texas, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The storm, which developed amid temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s with dew points in the low 70s, created the perfect recipe for severe weather, according to the Houston Chronicle and ABC13. By the end of the afternoon, more than 100 homes had been damaged, power lines were down, and neighborhoods were left to grapple with the aftermath.
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado watch for southeastern Texas, including Houston, lasting until 1 a.m. Tuesday. As the hours ticked by, that watch became a reality for thousands of residents. Tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm alerts blared across the region, with the first warnings rolling out around 11:15 a.m. and continuing through 2:15 p.m., according to KHOU 11. At 2 p.m., a tornado was confirmed near Willowbrook and Jersey Village, and the warning for portions of Harris and Montgomery counties was cancelled just minutes later at 2:13 p.m. But the damage had already been done.
Neighborhoods including Klein, Cy-Fair, Spring, Riata Ranch, and Memorial Northwest bore the brunt of the storm. In the Klein area, residents described the moments of chaos as the tornado hit. "We didn't see too much of it," Ron Manson told ABC13. "Just happened so fast. The furniture in the back was swirling around and banging our glass windows." The storm’s speed and intensity caught many off guard. "It could have been a lot worse. I'm looking at the positives, but this was totally unexpected," added Miriam Harris, another local resident.
Images and drone footage posted by the Harris County Precinct 3 constable and the Cy-Fair Fire Department revealed the true extent of the devastation: roofs with shingles ripped off, shattered windows, broken fences, and debris blocking roads. Large tree trunks, described as having “snapped like toothpicks,” littered the landscape. In some cases, entire garages were lifted from their foundations and deposited atop power lines, as reported by Assistant Chief Toby Hecker of the Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
Despite the overwhelming property damage, one thing was clear—residents were grateful that no major injuries or deaths had occurred. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed that a tornado touched down near Highways 249 and 2920, with a second possible tornado hitting the Riata Ranch area. Yet, officials and first responders repeatedly emphasized that no injuries had been reported, even as they combed through debris searching for anyone who might be trapped. "We're all healthy. We're blessed," said Elizabeth Matson, who hid with her three children in a closet as the storm passed through. "This is all stuff, and it's alright."
The Memorial Northwest neighborhood was particularly hard hit. According to the office of Constable Mark Herman, homes suffered significant property damage. Residents and emergency crews worked late into the night to clear fallen trees and debris. In some instances, the storm’s power was so intense that a Christmas tree was ripped out from inside a home, and a garage was pulled from its foundation.
The Klein Fire Department reported that the tornado seemed to touch down around the Hooks Airport area, damaging a fence, trailer, and other structures. Several heavily rooted trees were toppled, blocking roads and complicating cleanup efforts. One house sustained heavy damage, while others had more minor impacts. Officials noted that the worst of the damage occurred between 1:40 p.m. and 1:50 p.m., but by about 3 p.m., there were still no reports of injuries.
The Harris County Emergency Services campus was also in the storm’s path. A maintenance building lost its roof and back wall, but two men working inside managed to escape unharmed. Miranda Sevcik, a spokesperson for the campus, described the harrowing moments: “You can imagine how terrified they were, but they were just fine at the end of it.” She recounted how the pressure dropped, things went quiet, and then the building was hit. The building itself, described as the oldest and weakest on the campus, “folded like tissue paper” and was “completely demolished.”
Lightning added to the chaos, striking a roof near Spring Cypress and Doerre Road and sparking a residential fire. Fortunately, firefighters were able to respond quickly, and no injuries were reported in connection with the blaze. Still, the storm caused a gas leak at the Emergency Services campus and knocked down trees in front of the facility. Officials were quick to assure the public that emergency operations would not be affected, as none of the ambulances or buildings housing them were impacted.
As the storm moved east, the Barker Cypress area and the subdivisions of Barker Lake and Riata West faced similar scenes of destruction. Chainsaws echoed through the streets as neighbors worked together to clear fallen trees and debris. Residents described sudden, intense winds that sent them scrambling for shelter. Javier, a local resident, recalled, “He’s like, ‘It’s wind. Run! Get back over here, get down here.’ We heard glass breaking, trees falling, a thud on the roof.”
Children, too, shared their experiences. Eight-year-old Maddox Moreno told KHOU 11, “It was a disaster. Trees everywhere, dents, shattered glass.” Thirteen-year-old Tyce Beck, home alone with his dog, took shelter in a closet when alerts went off. When the storm passed, his family’s home was deemed structurally unsafe.
Throughout the day, CenterPoint’s outage tracker reported more than 27,000 customers without power. The George Bush Intercontinental Airport experienced a ground stop, and traffic signals across the area went dark. Authorities urged residents to avoid travel due to widespread debris and downed power lines. DPS troopers were sent into neighborhoods overnight to keep them secure while power remained out.
The National Weather Service will need to survey the damage to officially rate the tornado’s intensity. Meteorologists believe it may have been an EF-0 or EF-1, but the full assessment is still pending. For now, the focus remains on recovery. Residents spent the evening placing tarps on damaged roofs and clearing what they could as another round of rain threatened the area. Cleanup is expected to take days, if not longer, and for some families, the road to recovery will stretch on.
In the wake of the storm, Harris County stands as a testament to resilience in the face of nature’s unpredictability. While the scars of November 24 will linger, the community’s spirit remains unbroken—and for that, many are counting their blessings.
