Tornado captured forming live on television in Tyler, Texas
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning just after 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday for Tyler, Texas. Moments later, officials confirmed the tornado touching down in the eastern Texas town.
Tornado forms in Tyler, Texas
Tornado forms live during FOX Weather's severe weather coverage in Tyler, Texas.
TYLER, Texas – A tornado was captured forming live on FOX Weather Thursday evening as meteorologists Marissa Torres and Stephen Morgan were tracking severe weather through America's heartland.
The National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning just after 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday for Smith County, Texas, which included the town of Tyler.
As Torres detailed the Tornado Warning, the funnel spun up live on tower camera.
"It looks like a funnel is trying to form and head to the ground," she said.
Within minutes, the local National Weather Service office updated the language of the warning saying the tornado was now observed.
A tornado was spotting forming in Tyler, Texas, while FOX Weather was on the air.
(KYTK / FOX Weather)
"I mean, yeah, it’s evident," Morgan said. "Watching this thing in real time is remarkable."
And while trees obscured the funnel, local law enforcement confirmed the tornado.
There are reports that the twister caused damage to Tyler Junior College.
An initial survey by National Weather Service meteorologists determined that winds reached at least 80 mph, making the twister an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale.
The storm survey was reportedly ongoing, and it is possible meteorologists might find additional damage that changes the rating of how strong the tornado was.
Saturday's severe storm threat pushes eastward towards mid-Atlantic, Southeast
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking the threat for storms to produce hail and damaging winds on Saturday along the Eastern Seaboard.