Tornadoes tear apart Texas towns as millions remain exposed to super storms
Three people were killed and one went missing after tornadoes reduced the Texas town of Perryton to rubble
June 17, 2023
Extreme weather threatens more than 50 million people across the United States on Friday, following a deadly storm that struck Texas, Florida, and Mississippi on Thursday, CNN reported.
A tornado hit the town of Perryton, Texas, killing three people, including a child. Up to 100 people were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from head wounds to abrasions.
In Mississippi, one person has died, and more than 70 homes have been damaged. In Florida, a person died after being trapped under a tree that fell on their home.
Flash flooding emergencies were reported in Pensacola, Florida, leading to high water rescues. Escambia County Emergency Management said that "widespread and significant" flash flooding was continuing in West Pensacola, Warrington, and Gulf Breeze.
County officials have moved close to 150 residents of an apartment complex in Pensacola to a community centre for shelter as the water continues to rise Friday morning.
Warrington, located just south of Pensacola, received almost a foot of rain in just three hours. Radar estimates suggest that up to 16 inches of rain fell overnight, with more expected on Friday. A flash flood watch is in effect for the area until 7 p.m.
A level 2 of 5 'slight risk' of severe storms is in place for parts of the South, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern Plains, which could see storms return.
Montgomery and Mobile in Alabama, Little Rock, Arkansas, Jackson, Mississippi, and Tallahassee, Florida, are among the areas that could see large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. A marginal, level 1 of 5 'risk' is in place from South Dakota to Florida and for parts of the Mid-Atlantic. Cities in the marginal risk area include Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Denver, and Jacksonville, Florida.
The tornado that hit Perryton, Texas, was rated an EF3 with estimated peak winds of 140 mph. It touched down for about 11 minutes and travelled for a length of more than six miles, damaging homes and businesses in the town of some 8,000 residents, including the local fire department and EMS, as well as multiple mobile homes.
Perryton, Texas. Xcel Energy has shut off the city's power facilities for safety purposes, and many lower voltage distribution lines are down in the city. More than 175,000 homes and businesses across Texas were in the dark as of 11 p.m. CT Friday, according to Poweroutage.us. In neighboring Louisiana, more than 130,000 were without power, and outages were also reported in Oklahoma, Virginia, and Alabama. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for communities impacted by the severe storms and tornadoes in Ochiltree and Cass counties.
Stinnett, Texas, sent officers and EMS crews, and the sheriff’s office in Hutchinson County sent rescue and emergency operations following the "devastating tornado." Medical help also came from staff at nearby hospitals who swiftly aided up to 100 people after the tornado struck. There were two tornado reports in Texas, four in Oklahoma, and one in Michigan on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado hit the residential, downtown, and industrial areas of Perryton, and the worst damages were in the northwest part of town, where the tornado barreled toward a mobile home park directly in its path.
Perryton’s fire department said via Facebook that one of their buildings was severely damaged. On the northeast side of town, about 300 people were sheltered inside Perryton High School after the area saw extensive damage. US Rep. Ronny Jackson, who represents Perryton, said the community needs help.
