EF-0 tornado damages homes in northwest Harris County

HOUSTON – The National Weather Service confirmed Monday that an EF-0 tornado hit northwest Harris County. The tornado had winds between 65 and 85 miles per hour.

Several southeast Texas counties were placed under tornado warnings Monday morning.

VIDEO: Storm damage across Houston, as seen from Sky 2 

From 5 to 9:30 a.m., about 10 counties in the Houston area were placed under a tornado warning.

KPRC 2 viewers sent in video showing what appeared to be funnel clouds. One video showed the storm moving across State Highway 99 just west of Interstate 45. Another showed an ominous cloud moving over a freeway in the Spring area.

Another viewer shared pictures of damaged roofs and fences in the Jersey Village area.

PHOTOS: Storms cause damage in Houston area

"I saw too much wind blowing and I told my mom come get in the bathtub for protection." Gregory Gutierrez said. "We stayed in the tub and thought our roof was gone, we thought our house was gone, but fortunately when we got out everything was still ok and it was just some of the shingles and the fence that were damaged." 

Gutierrez said the strong winds lasted about two minutes and debris from other houses flew into their house. 

"It was a quick thing. Two minutes and then it was gone, Gutierrez said. A lot of debris from other houses flew into our windows and flew into our house so it damaged the walls and it damaged the roof."

VIDEO: Surveillance cameras capture severe storm damage

Arturo Lopez, a clerk at Nick’s Food Store, saw the tornado from across the street.

"The door swung open," Lopez said. "When I looked up, I saw this funnel that landed right on the fence and it just started picking it up and started going through the fences and then it jumped up on the roof of the house and it was gone." 

One homes in the neighborhood has a hole in its side, and shingles are missing from several of the homes up and down Perry Street. 

Alex Salmeron, who was visiting from New York, said, "We got to thank God that no one was hurt.  You know.  Just a little damage.  Anything could be repaired.  So everything is good now."

Salmeron was inside the home as the storm blew over, sending debris around the cars in the front drive and the hammock blowing in the wind beside the house.

Resident Josue Salmeron said, “(I) grabbed my little sister and my uncle and we went in to the laundry room.  It was crazy.  You never know what could happen in a situation like this."