Texas Tornado Leaves At Least Two Dead And Forces Families From Homes

A powerful tornado-producing thunderstorm tore done bluish Texas, leaving astatine slightest 2 group dormant and displacing a minimum of 20 families, pinch galore homes sustaining terrible damage, authorities reported Sunday.

Emergency crews worked tirelessly done Saturday nighttime and into Sunday successful nan municipality of Runaway Bay, battling debris to scope damaged properties and supply urgent aesculapian assistance.

Wise County Judge J.D. Clark, nan county’s main executive, elaborate nan challenging conditions astatine a news conference. "Access has been difficult owed to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews person continued pushing guardant to scope those successful need," Clark stated. He added that "Roads successful nan affected area will stay closed by rule enforcement to guarantee information and let emergency crews to negociate nan segment without obstruction."

The destructive large wind besides impacted Springtown, wherever Parker County Assistant Fire Chief David Pruitt confirmed a 2nd fatality occurred conscionable southbound of nan metropolis limits. Pruitt noted "significant damage" crossed that area.

“One of nan astir important ongoing challenges is nan wide powerfulness outage affecting galore residents,” he wrote. “Officials are coordinating pinch inferior providers and emergency partners arsenic restoration efforts continue.”

National Weather Service teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado pinch highest winds of 135 mph (217 kph) had touched down successful nan Runaway Bay area. They were still assessing harm successful Springtown connected Sunday afternoon.

The slow-moving supercell traveled done nan area astir 10 p.m. Saturday, said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez pinch nan Fort Worth upwind work office.

It moved southeast from astir Wichita Falls, adjacent nan Oklahoma border, passing conscionable westbound of Fort Worth. Runaway Bay is astir 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth connected Lake Bridgeport. Springtown is astir 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of Fort Worth.

Weather work radar picked up a “potentially ample and highly dangerous” tornado adjacent Azle astatine 10:14 p.m. Saturday. That's astir different 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Springtown.