Tornado Damages Katy, TX, Self-Storage Business

A tornado that ripped through Katy, Texas, on Saturday morning caused serious damage to a self-storage facility, several homes and an auto dealership. The office of RV, Boat & Mini Storage at 27227 Katy Freeway was completely destroyed. Some vehicles stored inside the units were also damaged while other units were left untouched, according to the source.

The twister first slammed through several houses south of the storage business, and then into the office of Bryant Auto Sales across the road around 5:30 a.m., the source reported. It pushed the Bryant structure through the storage facility’s wrought-iron fence and up against its front office. The tornado then plowed through the facility’s front gate and damaged a new convenience store across the street. It left behind twisted metal, wood, paper and auto parts.

The self-storage manager, who was identified by the source as BJ, said he had spent hours shoring up the site against flood waters in anticipation of Hurricane Harvey, the first hurricane to make landfall in Texas since 2008. The storm hit the coast on Friday, dropping nearly 50 inches of rain in some areas, including Houston, which is just 30 miles from Katy.

The National Weather Service has yet to confirm if it was a tornado that damaged the Katy homes and businesses, but the damage appears to be consistent with that type of weather, the source reported. Power in the area was initially cut off due to downed power lines, but it was later restored. No one was injured, according to the source.

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