Mile-wide tornado touches down, severe weather in north Texas

The National Weather Service reported that a mile-wide tornado touched down in north-central Texas as a severe storm system raced through the area. Multiple other tornadoes were reported late Sunday, along with damaging winds and hail storms. And more severe weather is on its way Monday.

Emergency Management Director Jamie Moore said that the mile-wide tornado was headed east toward Johnson County when it was spotted around 10:45 p.m. The weather service called the tornado, which was about 25 miles south of Fort Worth, a “particularly dangerous situation.”

 

The Fort Worth office of the National Weather Service said that other twisters were reported throughout Hill and Johnson counties, according to Associated Press. And online power company reports revealed that more than 30,000 people lost power in Texas due to the storm.

The weather channel reported hail the size of tennis balls in Dinosaur Valley State Park while hail the size of softballs reportedly damaged cars near Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth. Stephenville police said that shelters were opened at the city library and other locations.

Roofs were blown away, semi-trailer trucks were overturned, roads were flooded and trees were down after the storm swept the area. As much as 3 feet of water was reported in Cleburne County, which is south of Dallas-Fort Worth.

The extent of the damage remained unclear just after midnight, and there were no immediate reports of injuries, according to Fox News. Deputies were headed to the affected areas.

Earlier Sunday, the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex had been put under a tornado watch after at least one tornado touched down in rural Erath and Comanche counties. The National Weather Service reported that the area would receive high winds alongside heavy rain. Flights headed to the area were placed on “ground stop” and departing flights were delayed.

 

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