May 27, 1997 is a day most people in Central Texas won’t forget.
A massive EF5 tornado tore through Jarrell, Texas, leaving 27 dead and flattening the small town that sits along Interstate 35.
It may have been 25 years ago, but for those who still call Jarrell home, it’s still fresh on the mind.
Improbably, all these years later, Jarrell has found itself in the path, or at least nearby, three tornadoes in 2022. The latest being a tornado that struck Monday night. The National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado, rating it an EF1 with estimated peak winds of 100 mph. The path of this most recent tornado stretched just over four miles and was 150 yards wide.
Thankfully no major injuries were reported, with only the driver of the semi-trailer shown in the photo above sustaining minor injuries.
Here’s a look at the three tornadoes that developed or moved near Jarrell this year.
The first was on a busy severe weather day that saw numerous tornadoes across Central Texas. March 21 was a day in which Texas saw nearly 50 tornadoes touch down. One of those tornadoes was an EF1 that moved through the northwest portion of Jarrell. Thankfully, while there was some extensive damage, no one was injured. Another tornado also touched down closer to San Antonio in Guadalupe County.
The tornado, which was determined to have winds of EF1, moved just west of Jarrell
With this tornado, a direct hit was avoided. The tornado touched down near Florence, which sits just west of Jarrell. It initially was rated an EF1, but as the circulation made its way into Bell County and the Salado area, survey’s showed damage to support EF3 strength. It would result in 23 injuries around Salado.
Damage from a tornado on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Bell County. (Texas Division of Emergency Management)
The latest tornado arrived with a squall line. San Antonio, by and large, missed out on the rainfall, but farther up I-35, the line of storms was robust. Damage was reported in Jarrell as a tornado passed through the town. The National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado, but has not yet released a rating. Once that information is released, we will pass it along.
8:55 PM Latest look of the tornado signature over northern Williamson County. #txwx pic.twitter.com/4UFhforYGp
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