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EF-2 tornado confirmed in Milam County; One dead; five injured

Posted at 11:25 PM, May 25, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-26 21:34:04-04

The National Weather Service confirmed one person is dead and five others were hurt when an EF-2 tornado destroyed four houses between Cameron and Buckholts on U.S. Highway 190 at County Road 206-A Monday afternoon.

Milam County Sheriff David Greene has identified the man who was killed in the Milam County tornado as 59-year-old Richard Ash. Officials say he was in a mobile home with his family when the tornado hit.

NWS teams are in Central Texas Tuesday to evaluate damage. Survey teams confirmed EF-2 tornado damage for 8 miles in Milam County, west of Cameron. Maximum winds were 120-125 mph. More teams are assessing other areas and the NWS says a full report will be available later Tuesday.

The tornado touched down mid-afternoon and tore through the detached game room of Mickey White's home.  He hid in the center hallway for only a minute, but described it as the longest minute of his life.

"I was sitting there watching TV and then all of the sudden the windows just started blowing out," he described. "So basically it kind of felt like the house was coming off the ground."

The storm hit his house and then continued northeast damaging three more homes and narrowly missing his mother's mobile home. The tornado is believed to have first touched down on FM 486 north of the Oak Club on FM 486, south of Pettibone, before traveling along South 206 and continuing across 190, up 206 A.

That was one of a handful of what were believed to be tornadoes that touched down in Central Texas Monday. Others were in Lampasas County, Pidcoke in Coryell County, Gatesville, Kempner, northwest of Teague in Freestone County, and a twister that touched down in Temple and was captured live on our Extraco Eagle Eye camera there.