WOOD COUNTY, Texas — The National Weather Serviced confirmed a total of six tornadoes that touched down in East Texas during Wednesday's severe weather outbreak.
In the Canton-area, a total of five tornadoes touched down.
The first tornado was an EF-0 started at 3:07 p.m. four miles outside of Canton. The tornado continued until 3:14 p.m. for 2.96 miles. Winds reached a peak of 75 mph.
The tornado damaged two homes as well as tore tree limbs.
The second tornado was an EF-0 that started at 3:17 p.m. three miles outside of Canton. The tornado continued until 3:19 p.m. for a quarter of mile. Winds reached a peak of 70 mph.
The tornado did lift debris, according to a spotter. However, it is unclear what damage the tornado caused due to a second tornado that went down a similar path.
The third tornado in the Canton area was an EF-2 that started at 4:15 p.m. nine miles outside of Canton. The tornado continued until 5 p.m. for 7.24 miles. Winds reached a peak of 125 mph.
The tornado caused major damage to homes on CR 2501 and CR 2502. Several homes experienced roof damage while another home was torn from its foundation.
The fourth tornado was an EF-1 that started at 5:08 p.m. one mile outside of Canton. The tornado continued until 5:15 p.m. for 2.33 miles through Canton. Winds reached a peak of 100 mph.
The National Weather Service says this tornado was the one that caused the damage to southwest and downtown Canton. Numerous businesses were damage. The tornado also caused damage to trees in its path.
The fifth tornado in the Canton area was an EF-1 tornado that started at 5:18 p.m. three miles outside of Canton. The tornado continued until 5:23 p.m. for 3.81 miles. Winds reached a peak of 90 mph.
The tornado cause mostly vegetation damage with several uprooted trees. One property on FM-17 did receive minor damage.
The National Weather Service also confirmed a tornado in the Kemp area.
The tornado was an EF-2 that started at 4:24 p.m. three miles outside of Seven Points. The tornado continued until 3:30 p.m. for 4.01 miles. Winds reached a peak of 120 mph.
The tornado damaged a home, lifting the roof of an indoor swimming pool and the roof of the main house. The tornado also snapped and uprooted a number of trees in its path.
The EF Scale, which became operational on February 1, 2007, is used to assign a tornado a "rating" based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. When tornado-related damage is surveyed, it is compared to a list of Damage Indicators (DIs) and Degrees of Damage (DoD) which help estimate better the range of wind speeds the tornado likely produced. From that, a rating (from EF0 to EF5) is assigned.
The EF Scale was revised from the original Fujita Scale to reflect better examinations of tornado damage surveys so as to align wind speeds more closely with associated storm damage. The new scale has to do with how most structures are designed.
The survey is ongoing and CBS19 will update this article as more information becomes available.