(January 2, 2007)-- Joe Pustejovsky was at a deer lease in Bosque County Friday as one of the tornadoes spawned by Friday’s storms spun toward a turkey farm.
The tornado developed 4.3 miles east of Clifton and damaged trees along County Road 3355.
Pustejovsky photographed it as it approached a turkey farm at the intersection of County Road 3355 and FM 708.
The first two pictures show the tornado as it approached the farm, which the twister heavily damaged.
The third picture shows the tornado as it continued to move to the 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.
It was one of four tornadoes that struck Bosque County Friday.
One 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.
Another 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.
And one other 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.
The hardest hit area, however, was 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.
Click Here For Aerial Photos Of Limestone County Tornado Damage
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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.
Tornadoes also struck Friday near Oglesby in Coryell County and in Hill County south of Blum.
Click Here For Aerial Photos Of Limestone County Tornado Damage
