(December 31, 2006)—The last day of the year was a workday for residents of areas where Friday’s storms damaged or destroyed homes and outbuildings.

The hardest hit area is along the paths of two tornadoes that cut a swath Friday through Limestone County, claiming one life and leaving a dozen or more injured.

Vietnam veteran Ryan Douglas Roper, 51, was killed by flying debris when the more powerful of the two tornadoes struck a personal care home for veterans.

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A preliminary report from the National Weather Service says two tornadoes were spawned by the same storm Friday.

The first formed about two miles north of Kosse and continued along a 17-mile-long north-northeast track, damaging barns, sheds and roofs.

Substantial damage occurred along County Road 635 where the 400-yard-wide tornado struck the personal care home and damaged an adjacent barn.

Significant damage to homes, barns and trees also occurred along Highway 164 just west of Groesbeck.

From there, the F2 tornado with estimated wind speeds of 120-125 miles per hour continued north into Fort Parker State Park where it evidently dissipated.

The second tornado was less powerful.

It formed about three miles west of Mexia just north of Highway 84 and moved north-northeast for about five miles, damaging trees, barns and sheds. The Weather Service says it was an F0 tornado with wind speeds of 70 to 75 miles per hour.

The Weather Service surveyed damage from one tornado in Coryell County that developed south of County Road 315 about three miles southwest of Oglesby.

The F1 tornado, with wind speeds of 110-115 miles per hour, damaged homes and sheds before it dissipated just north of Highway 84 after traveling a little more than four miles.

In Bosque County, the Weather Service observed four damage tracks.

The first was from a brief tornado that formed about 4.5 miles northwest of Valley Mills and stayed on the ground for about a mile, causing tree damage.

It was rated F0, with maximum winds of 70-75 miles per hour.

The second track was from a brief tornado that formed about 5.5 miles east-southeast of Clifton. It traveled about 1.2 miles, causing roof, window and tree damage along County Roads 3350 and 3355. It was rated an F0 with maximum winds of 70-75 miles per hour.

The third track was from a tornado that developed 4.3 miles east of Clifton, damaging trees along County Road 3355 and heavily damaging a turkey farm at the intersection of County Road 3355 and FM 708. From there it moved northeast, heavily damaging two barns on County Road 3440 south of the Womack Community. The tornado dissipated after crossing FM 219. It traveled about 7.4 miles, the Weather Service said and was likely an F2 tornado with maximum winds of about 135 miles per hour.

The fourth tornado developed about two miles south of the Canyons subdivision on the west shore of Lake Whitney, causing tree damage over a path of less than a mile. It was likely an F0 tornado with maximum winds of 70-75 miles per hour.

In Hill County, the Weather Service identified one tornado track that started four miles south of Blum. The tornado appeared to increase in size and intensity after crossing FM 67 southeast of Blum. It toppled a large grain silo on County Road 1137 and caused extensive tree and power pole damage. Weather Service experts planned to return Sunday to Hill County to continue their survey of the damage there, but said this tornado appeared to have been a strong one.

Click Here For Aerial Photos Of Limestone County Tornado Damage

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