Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornadoes

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Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornado
Damage to a school from the Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornado
Date of tornado:	April 24, 2007
Time:	6:00 pm
Rating of tornado:	EF3 tornado
Damages:
Fatalities:	10
Area affected:	Mexico & Texas

The Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Tornado was a deadly pair of tornadoes that struck the border cities of Piedras Negras, Coahuila and Eagle Pass, Texas along the United States-Mexican border on April 24, 2007. At least 10 people died as a result of the tornadoes; seven in the US and three in Mexico.

[edit] The tornado

Radar loop of the Piedras Negras-Eagle Pass Supercell as it crossed the Mexico/Texas border

The supercell producing at least two tornadoes first formed in northern Coahuila in Mexico around 6:00 pm CDT (2300 UTC) and tracked eastward. It further developed, and became a right-moving supercell as it approached the city of Piedras Negras, where large tornado was reported to have touched down. At least three people were killed and 87 were injured as the tornado moved through Piedras Negras^[1]. Dozens of houses and cars were damaged (with structural damage to some houses) and power poles were knocked down.^[2] That tornado has not been rated on the Fujita scale or the Enhanced Fujita scale yet.

A second, EF3 tornado then formed across the Rio Grande in Texas. In Eagle Pass (about 150 miles (240 km) southwest of San Antonio) Rosita Valley Elementary School was destroyed, more than 300 houses were damaged or destroyed (including 198 mobile homes)^[3] and the municipal water treatment plant was also destroyed. Several mobile homes were reportedly flattened and "blown away" by the tornadoes.^[4]. The hardest-hit neighborhoods were just south of Eagle Pass, where seven died, including five in a single mobile home. In addition, 76 others were injured. The Texas Army National Guard, Texas State Guard and Border Patrol were quickly on the scene looking for additional victims.^[5] This was the first of only a dozen tornadoes in the history of Maverick County (where Eagle Pass is located) to produce any fatalities. The system that spawned the deadly tornado also spawned 80 tornadoes from April 22 to April 29, 2007.

In both communities, hundreds were left homeless after the tornadoes.^[6]

[edit] Tornadoes confirmed

Main article: List of tornadoes from the Late-April 2007 tornado outbreak sequence

The tornadoes were part of two tornado outbreak sequences that lasted from April 20 to April 27. The first outbreak produced several strong tornadoes across western Texas on April 21 while the second outbreak produced tornadoes from Texas to the Ohio Valley from April 26. A total of 93 tornadoes were confirmed during those two outbreak sequences but no other fatalities were reported beside the Piedras Negras and the Eagle Pass Tornadoes.

[edit] See also

• List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
• Tornadoes of 2007

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Storm Prediction Center