On Wednesday morning, rotation strengthened considerably within a severe thunderstorm moving across northwest Bexar County. As the storm intensified, a rotating wall cloud developed, eventually producing a tornado.

The National Weather Service sent a damage survey team to the area on Wednesday in order to determine the size, strength, and overall path of the tornado. Here’s what they found.

How strong was the tornado?

Based on damage done across Northwest San Antonio, the Wednesday morning tornado was rated EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which classifies tornadoes between EF0 and EF5, with EF5 being the strongest. The tornado was found to have estimated peak wind speeds of 100 mph.

According to the National Weather Service’s findings, the tornado first hit the ground at 7:44 a.m. Wednesday, touching down near the intersection of De Zavala Road and Stable Oak, just north of the Oakmont Downs neighborhood in Northwest San Antonio.

Shown is the path and strength of the Northwest San Antonio tornado, which carved a four-mile path of damage through the area (NWS Austin/San Antonio)

Shown is the path and strength of the Northwest San Antonio tornado, which carved a four-mile path of damage through the area (NWS Austin/San Antonio)

It then tracked north-northeast, crossing West Hausman Road before passing over UTSA Boulevard and Valero Way along the eastern edge of the UTSA campus. Here, the tornado responsible for severe roof damage to The Oasis San Antonio apartment building, which houses college students.

Next, the tornado crossed Loop 1604, passed very close to the Rock at La Cantera, and remained just east of Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Finally, the tornado crossed Interstate 10 and moved into The Rim Shopping Center, where it damaged the storefronts of the Santikos Palladium movie theater, Bass Pro Shops and other businesses. The twister eventually dissipated at 7:52 a.m.

The tornado was on the ground for 8 minutes, carving a damage path approximately 4 miles long through Northwest San Antonio.

This was San Antonio’s first tornado in nearly three years, ever since an EF0 tornado moved through the east side of San Antonio on Oct. 26, 2023. That tornado had just 80 mph wind speeds, producing minor damage along a five mile path from East Commerce Street, northward through Fort Sam Houston and into Terrell Hills

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This article originally published at Exactly how strong was San Antonio’s tornado on Wednesday? Here’s what was found..