Tornado emergency issued near Houston, damage reported

HOUSTON (AP) — A powerful storm system took aim at the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, spawning a tornado that caused damage east of Houston. The National Weather Service had issued a tornado emergency for that area, warning that a “large, extremely dangerous and potentially deadly tornado” was on the ground Tuesday afternoon and was headed toward Baytown, about 25 miles east of Houston.  Footage from Houston TV station KTRK showed damage to buildings in Pasadena, a city southeast of Houston. There were no immediate reports of injuries. It’s the start of what’s expected to be a stormy day along the Gulf Coast. The storm system was also bringing snow and ice to much of the central U.S.