Injuries, Structural Damage Reported as Tornadoes Thrash Central Texas Before Heading East
© REUTERS / Tamir Kalifa
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On Sunday, the Storm Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a ‘moderate risk’ warning for several areas in east central Texas on Monday, as well as an uncommon ‘Day 3’ outlook that stretched from east-central Louisiana to southern Mississippi on Tuesday. Tens of millions of residents are said to be at risk.
Several reports of human injuries and structural damage have been logged by emergency officials as a series of tornadoes touched down in areas spanning from Austin, Texas, to the state’s northern border with Oklahoma.
Jacksboro, Texas, was one of the first areas to report structural damage associated with the severe weather. Emergency responders servicing Jack County were dispatched around 4:00 CST to assist with “major damage” in the town.
“Trees are down blocking highways, major damage reported to houses,” read the area scanner.
We met Mike Cantrell in #Jacksboro, TX.
— Peyton Yager (@peytonyager) March 22, 2022
He rushed to his 90-year-old mom’s house where she was taking shelter in the shower.
She and her dog are safe. Her home is destroyed. @FOX4 #txwx pic.twitter.com/fodSAtt6nj
The town’s local high school also sustained significant damage, as seen in images uploaded to social media by NBC 5’s Katy Blakey. No children were injured, according to the Dallas-Fort Worth outlet.
A side-by-side image shows a portion of the damage sustained in the Jacksboro High School gymnasium following a severe weather system that produced at least one tornado (March 21, 2022)
© Twitter/@KatyBlakeyNBC5
Search and rescue missions were necessary in the nearby city of Bowie, Texas–approximately 35 miles from Jacksboro–after multiple structures were pummeled by at least one tornado. Weather.com suggests the tornado may have remained grounded as it traversed northeast from Jacksboro to Bowie.
Bowie City Manager Bert Cunningham said the Monday weather system brought extreme damage to areas east of the town. At least four people suffered injuries, according to Emergency Manager Kelly McNabb.
Several early tornado reports were attributed to the Interstate-35 (I-35) corridor stretching from central Texas through southern Oklahoma.
Tornado crossing over I-35 in Round Rock. Packed interstate. This is bad. #txwx pic.twitter.com/KJFMMVV28t
— Scott McClellan (@DSM4USA) March 21, 2022
More than 30 million people remain at risk of damaging winds, hail, and severe storms, including the formation of tornadoes. Areas on high alert include, but are not limited to, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jackson Mississippi, and the Texas capital city of Austin, as well as Houston, and the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area.
An elongated, upper-level low is a key contributing factor to the strong vertical winds observed on Monday, according to meteorologist Bob Henson. Although the low’s strong upward motion is commonly associated with severe weather, conditions could also set the stage for several days of thunderstorms.
Tornado doing damage and causing injuries near Elgin, TX #txwx #tornado pic.twitter.com/48WY7EfOb9
— Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) March 22, 2022
Experts theorize that powerful and dangerous storms will continue to develop as the low progresses into southern Mississippi and Alabama. A squall line–less prone to produce violent and severe tornadoes than an isolated supercell–is expected to form around Tuesday afternoon or evening.
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