Tornadoes touch down across county

The National Weather has affirmed that tornadoes touched down over the weekend in Milam County. 

The NWS released their findings Monday saying that two tornadoes hit Milam County and one hit Robertson County on Saturday afternoon.

Milam County Sheriff Chris White said late Saturday afternoon that tornadoes had likely done damage that day.

According to NWS investigators, both instances in Milam County were of the EF-0 variety, meaning sustained winds of 65-85 miles per hour. 

The San Gabriel tornado, as it is being called by the NWS, touched down for roughly two minutes, spanning 150 yards in width and traveling nearly a third of a mile. That tornado is also responsible for damage to multiple buildings. There have been no reports of injuries.

White said the tornado touched down again briefly near CR 212 in a rural area. There was no damage there. Cameron Volunteer Fire Department storm spotters saw a third touchdown just north of Cameron near CR 2269 and US 77 in the Little Elm Creek area. White said a fourth touchdown was reported in a rural area around FM 979 and FM 1441. Again, there was no damage as this last instance occurred in a rural area. 

In San Gabriel, cleanup was already underway from the damage caused by the tornado on Sunday. San Gabriel Christian Church, the oldest church in the county, was unable to hold services Sunday and parishioners instead helped cleanup the old church. The church building sustained blown windows, a roof collapse, and serious water damage inside. The church hopes to have services again next weekend. 

The NWS also confirmed a touchdown of a second tornado about five miles northeast of Cameron. This tornado occurred about 3:12 p.m. and was said to be brief in nature. There was no damage associated with this one, which registered as an EF-0 also. The NWS also indicated a third tornado was confirmed to have struck about two miles northwest of Calvert in Robertson County around 3:38 p.m. Little to no damage was caused as it lasted less than 30 seconds. This third tornado is also being registered as an EF-0. 

Intense rain also brought flooding to the county over the weekend, closing several roads.