Tornadoes touch down near Bulah, Hudson Chapel
Power lines ripped from homes, trees toppled March 1
BY LELAND ACKER

Last Thursday's storm brought more than rain. A twister damaged homes and ripped down trees near the Bulah and Hudson Chapel communities.

Damaged trees on FM 23 near the Bulah community and FM 752 near Hudson Chapel were probably the result of tornadoes, said Cherokee County Extension Agent Jack White. The storms hit between 6:30 - 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

"(The tornadoes) were not confirmed by the National Weather Service," Mr. White said. "We were under a tornado watch."

He said the damage patterns to the trees showed a circular pattern, a pattern consistent with tornado damage.

"This is probably one of the few instances I have seen where there was a good possibility of a tornado," Mr. White said. "Usually damage is caused by direct winds, which are very common in our area."

Mr. White pointed to the damage along FM 23 to illustrate his point. He said the trees that fell across the highway fell from the west side of the highway. Meanwhile, in a nearby yard, trees were blown northward.

"Several houses had the electricity pulled from their walls and one truck ran into a tree that had fallen in the roadway (on FM 23)," Mr. White said.

Tornadoes apparently touched down near the Bulah and Hudson Chapel communities last Thursday when a spring storm swept through East Texas. A number of trees were toppled and others had the tops torn off in circular patterns. The storm was accompanied by hail. PHOTO: LELAND ACKER

The bulk of the damage visible from FM 752 was at the residence of Faye Wilcox. Mrs. Wilcox, who owns a hair salon at the same location, said she was thankful the storms did not cause more damage to her property.

"The Lord was with me with the house and shop not being hit," she said. "It was a tornado, just look at how the trees are twisted."

Mrs. Wilcox said the hail was the worst part of the storm.

Around her property, trees had been uprooted and tree tops had been torn off their trunks. However, everything landed safely between her house, shop and powerlines.

The storms producing tornadic activity moved quickly through Cherokee County between 6:30-7 a.m. Thursday, March 1.