Tornado damages top $2 million

A severe storm system hit the Greater Houston area Oct. 31 and resulted in a tornado that touched down in Friendswood, the National Weather Service confirmed.

The storm damaged more than 200 homes and caused more than $2 million in damages in the city, according to Friendswood communications specialist Jeff Newpher. Storm debris cleanup efforts ran Nov. 2-6 through an agreement between the city and private contractors.

“The city has contracts in place for this, so there’s no need for negotiations or vetting,” Newpher said. “It’s just a matter of saying, ‘We want you to come now.’”

Around Nov. 9, the city of Friends-wood began notifying residents of a final debris pickup date through its website, Facebook page and messaging system, which was programmed to reach those in the affected area.

Preliminary numbers show more than 11,000 cubic yards of debris were collected as of Nov. 17, Newpher said.

Emergency dispatchers began receiving calls regarding the storm around 5:30 a.m. Oct. 31, Newpher said. All city departments and leadership coordinated at the emergency operations center, and a damage assessment began around 8 a.m.

“From the city’s viewpoint, [the response] ran very smoothly,” Newpher said.