A powerful tornado ripped through a northern Texas town Thursday causing widespread destruction including the flattening of several mobile homes, a local lawmaker said, with ABC News reporting one fatality and several dozen injuries.
Several million Americans across multiple southern and midwestern states were under severe weather alerts as dangerous storms fueled by high temperatures battered the region.
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A fierce tornado hit the small community of Perryton, in the Texas Panhandle on Thursday evening with storm-chaser video showing several buildings destroyed or damaged, trees uprooted and vehicles tossed.
“They were hit by a tornado earlier tonight and will need lots of help & support,” state Representative Four Price said on Facebook after speaking with the town’s mayor and Texas emergency management personnel.
“Many structures are damaged. The state is engaging additional medical help to triage ER, and rostering resources,” he added. “This is a serious situation.”
ABC News quoted Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher as saying one person died in a trailer home, while more than 75 people were being treated at a local hospital.
“We have a lot of patients in hospital who will need to be transported,” Dutcher said.
Storm chaser Brian Emfinger, who shot drone footage over Perryton, said he saw “pretty serious destruction” in the industrial section of town.
“Unfortunately northwest of there, there is just mobile home after mobile home after mobile home that is just completely destroyed. There is significant damage,” Emfinger told Fox Weather’s YouTube channel.
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