Mayor Taylor issues disaster declaration after 4 tornadoes impact SA area

Areas hit: Garden Ridge, Putting Green Rd., NE Bexar, Quarry/Linda Drive

SAN ANTONIOUpdated at 6 p.m.:

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor issued a disaster declaration after multiple tornadoes touched down in the San Antonio area Sunday night.

“I spent several hours today surveying the damage in different neighborhoods near the Quarry and was amazed to see roofs ripped off homes only to be found mangled in branches several doors down and 50-year old trees uprooted and toppled on tops of cars,” Mayor Taylor said. “Based on what I saw, I’ve issued a declaration of disaster as a first step in potentially securing state and federal resources.”

The National Weather Service said two EF-1 tornadoes touched down on the North and NE Sides of the city. Another tornado damaged homes near the Glen subdivision in Northeast Bexar County and a fourth twister briefly touched down near Garden Ridge.

Updated at 2:50 p.m.:

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a fourth tornado touched down in the San Antonio area Sunday night.

The fourth tornado was an EF-0 with 85 mph winds near Garden Ridge with a path of 0.70 miles, officials said.

Updated at 1:23 p.m.:

The National Weather Service said the tornado that touched down near Putting Green was an EF-1 with 110 mph winds and a path length of 1.4 miles.

Updated at 12:35 p.m.:

The National Weather Service confirms a third tornado left behind a trail of damage in San Antonio and Northeast Bexar County.

Updated at 11:35 a.m.:

The National Weather Service confirmed that a second tornado touched down during the vicious storms Sunday night.

An EF-0 hit between Windcrest and Converse with winds up to 70 mph. The twister had a path length of 1.6 miles.

Updated at 11:20 a.m.:

National Weather Service said the tornado that hit the Quarry/Linda Drive area was an EF-1. The tornado packed winds of 105 mph and the path was 4.5 miles.

UPDATE:  The National Weather Service Survey Team was able to confirm that there was a tornado around the Quarry/Linda Drive area near Highway 281 in San Antonio overnight.

Councilman Trevino with the latest on storm damage.

Posted by KSAT 12 & KSAT.com on Monday, February 20, 2017

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(Original Story)

The storms Sunday night moved quickly but packed a punch. Extensive damage was reported along San Antonio's Northeast Side near Highway 281 and the Olmos basin.

KSAT crews reported roofs ripped off and multiple trees down on cars along Linda Drive, just west of 281.

One neighbor described said the storm sounded like a “freight train.”

Tera Thatcher said she and her husband were in their home; when her husband opened the back door, “it (the wind) blew him down."

The winds were so strong it pushed a truck into a tree.

The rain caused several common low water crossings to flood.

The National Weather Service said they will be sending teams out into the field on Monday to assess the damage.

.@SATXFire units have started to clear up some of the debris that is blocking the road on Linda Dr. #KSATnews #StormChaser pic.twitter.com/UKhoKFrVlG

— Adrian Garcia (@KSATadrian) February 20, 2017

SA (Linda Dr.) resident said it sounded like a freight train hitting her home as she and her husband took safety #KSATnews #StormChaser pic.twitter.com/WTDSPkwU52

— Adrian Garcia (@KSATadrian) February 20, 2017

At one point, the CPS Energy outage map showed 44,000 customers without power.

Pictures sent into the KSAT newsroom show damage to a Dairy Queen on Pat Booker Road on the Northeast Side. The building's windows were blown out and part of the roof collapsed.

Stay with KSAT for the very latest on storm damage across the area, with team coverage on Good Morning San Antonio beginning at 4:30 a.m.

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