NWS

Winnsboro Texas EF1 tornado and Straight Line Winds on May 14,2008
A significant straight line wind event with winds of 90 to 100 mph and an EF1 tornado with
winds of 95 to 105 mph occurred in the community of Winnsboro Texas in Wood and Franklin
Counties between 12:50 am and 1:00 AM CDT Thursday May 15 2008. The EF1 Tornado track
starts on the northwest side of Winnsboro along Hwy 11 and tracks eastward crossing
Greenwood Street where a mobile home sustained minor damage. The tornado continued
eastward crossing Hwy 37 where several large trees were snapped and uprooted. The
tornado headed eastward crossing FM 1448 snapping and uprooted a few trees before lifting.
The path was approximately 3 miles long and 100 yards wide at its widest point and appears
to have been a bookend tornado that formed on the northern edge of the straight line winds
that moved through the town of Winnsboro.

The NWS survey in Wood and Franklin Counties also found widespread damage due to straight
line winds of 90 to 100 mph that occurred from approximately 1250 AM CDT through 100 AM CDT.
Numerous houses were damaged throughout Winnsboro and surrounding areas from falling trees.
Some of them severely damaged. And as a result of the hundreds of trees downed...water
lines into the area were broken and power outages were widespread. Numerous cars were also
severely damaged in Winnsboro due to falling trees. Several cattle were killed west of
Winnsboro near the Hopkins and Wood County line at some dairy farms due to falling trees
and several cattle are still missing according to farm owners. A significant number of
trees were also downed in Hopkins County along County Roads 2408...2403...and 2407 just
north of the Wood and Hopkins County line. East of Winnsboro...numerous trees were downed
in Wood County along hwy 11 and FM 852 including the town of Perryville where trees were
downed around the fire station and around several homes. No injuries were reported with
either the tornado or straight line winds except for the cattle that were killed.

Radar image at the time the Tornado was just touching down on the north side of Winnsboro and
the straight line winds were entering the western parts of town.

Disclaimer

Download the data for this map as a KML file.

Download Google Earth here.Map of the EF1 tornado track and straight line wind impact area.

Damage to a house in Winnsboro in Wood County where a tree had fallen on it.

The area on Greenwood Street where the tornado went through.

Another tree cutting into a house on the north side of Winnsboro caused by the straight line winds.

A truck damaged by a falling tree in Winnsboro.

National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office