PEARLAND, Texas – A tornado touched down in Pearland during Wednesday's storms, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado hit businesses along F.M. 518 near Highway 35. The rest of the damage in Pearland was due to straight-line winds.
"All this debris started coming off this building. The whole roof actually came off the building next door to us. Then we saw a funnel cloud, so it must have touched down right next to us," a witness said.
The National Weather Service said the EF-0 tornado had winds between 65 and 85 mph and cut a path about 200 yards long and 75 yards wide.
Many people said they saw a funnel cloud.
"The main thing you saw was the wind," witness Dejuan Lyles said. "You could barely see the funnel cloud. It was really, really, really dark."
Lyles lives across the street from a Chevron gas station that sustained quite a bit of damage. He pulled out his cellphone to snap photos and get video of the storm.
"I saw the roof spin off and fly off the building, so we hurried up and tried to get inside," Lyles said.
That roof was ripped off a building, twisted and thrown hundreds of feet.
"It hit our restaurant," said Irenda Gomez, who works at Los Brother's restaurant. "It hit the top of it because we felt the shake."
Just outside the Busy Bee Restaurant on West Broadway, a large tree snapped in two.
"Our dishwasher came running in, 'Oh my gosh you guys, the tree just fell down,'" said Andrea Woods, a waitress at the restaurant.
A sign on the restaurant said it's been a Texas tradition since 1935, and some would argue the trees have been there that long, too.
"It was sad," Woods said. "I like that tree, I'm a big fan of that tree."
The Chevron station will be closed for a few days while crews make repairs. The store is rewiring its electrical system because it was severely damaged. Employees said they hope to be back in business by Saturday.
The owner of Corry's Bike Shop has decided not to wait until repairs are made to reopen his store. The store is ending its lease and looking for a new permanent location.
"Got to get the door open," employee Jeff Leonard said. "Got to get some income coming in."
About five businesses and nearly 20 homes near Main Street were damaged.
No injuries were reported.
A tornado also touched down in Brenham during the storms.