AT LEAST TWO powerful tornadoes have struck the Dallas-Fort Worth area of northern Texas, injuring at least a dozen people and causing severe damage.
Thousands of homes have been left without power and hundreds of homes have been destroyed, but there have been no reports of fatalities.
The exact number of tornadoes which struck will not be known until surveyors carry out further analysis of the damaged areas, but the National Weather Service has suggested that up to 12 may have struck. Three weather service teams will carry out storm surveys across the north of the state today.
The damage is currently being assessed and the Red Cross has given a preliminary estimate of 650 damaged homes. An entire wing of a nursing home in Arlington was destroyed. A physical therapist who worked at the facility described the storms sounding “like a bomb hit” as patients and therapists huddled in the hallway for shelter.
Hundreds of flights in and out of the area were cancelled or diverted, stranding thousands of passengers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, CBS reports.
This footage shows the storms throwing trucks high into the air:
(Video uploaded by trollnews2)
Meanwhile, this clip shows one of the storms forming and touching ground:
(Video uploaded by TheDarmaVIDS)
Texas governor Rick Perry has called on state residents to keep an eye on weather reports throughout tornado season after yesterday’s storms showed “how quickly Mother Nature can strike”.
“I urge everyone in affected areas to stay off the roads as much as possible, and allow emergency workers and first responders to do their jobs quickly and safely,” he added.
The National Weather Service says it will be posting updates from the survey teams throughout the day on Facebook, and will provide a weather update later today.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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