Global Courant
At least three people were killed and more than 50 others were injured Thursday when a tornado struck the Texas Panhandle city of Perryton, officials said.
The tornado hit Perryton, which has a population of about 8,500, around 5:10 p.m., said Trent Hoffeditz, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Amarillo.
Perryton fire chief Paul Dutcher said three deaths have been reported. A trailer park took a direct hit, he said.
The tornado caused “a lot of damage,” especially to mobile homes and businesses, Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard told NBC affiliate KAMR of Amarillo.
People survey tornado damage Thursday in Perryton, Texas.CAMMR
“It actually came across the town of Perryton from the northwest to the southeast,” he told the station.
Two people were missing, he said.
Ochiltree General Hospital, in Perryton, said it had more than 50 patients.
Injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to more serious injuries, and several patients in critical condition were transported to other hospitals, hospital spokesman Amie Marrufo said.
Bouchard said about 56 people were treated in hospital and released.
Video from a bystander showed damage in downtown Perryton, snapped trees and damaged and destroyed homes, as well as at least one overturned truck.
Severe weather in Perryton, Texas, on Thursday.Thanks to Melissa Thomas
“Please keep the Perryton community in your prayers,” says Rep. Four Price, representing the area, said on social media.
“Many structures are damaged,” Price said.
Power went out in the city, but generators kept the water supply running, Mayor Kerry Symons said.
Gov. Greg Abbott said he ordered the Texas Division of Emergency Management to send help, including road crews and engineers.
“We remain ready to rapidly deliver any additional resources needed over the course of this storm,” Abbott said a statement. “I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for our fellow Texans affected by this horrific storm. Stay safe, Texas.”
Two Texas urban search and rescue groups, Texas A&M Task Force 1 and Task Force 2, were sent to the area under the direction of the state Division of Emergency Management, Texas A&M spokesman Merribeth Kahlich said.
Tornado damage in Perryton, Texas, on Thursday.Thanks to Balko Fire and Rescue
Forecasters believe a tornado hit the city based on video and photos. Its strength won’t be known until damage studies are done, Hoffeditz said.
The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for Perryton and later said a tornado had been confirmed north of town.
Emergency managers and other officials in Hansford County, which borders Ochiltree County, where Perryton is located, were called out and prepared to respond to a mass casualty or recovery event, said Hansford County Judge of CEO Tim Glass.
The sheriff’s office in nearby Hutchinson County was among the agencies that said they were traveling to the Perryton area to help. The sheriff’s office said on Facebook it was “a devastating tornado.”
It was an unusually wet May in the Texas Panhandle, and moisture instability and lift helped create conditions for a thunderstorm, Hoffeditz said. An overlying system also played a role.
“The environment was just prepared for one to take place,” Hoffeditz said. “It’s just a shame it hit a populated area like Perryton.”
The tornado was reported Thursday as tornado watches covered northern and central Texas and much of Oklahoma due to severe weather moving through the region, according to the weather service.
By Thursday evening, the storms had moved out of the Panhandle, the weather service in Amarillo said. Tornado watches remained for part of Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Damage surveys will be conducted to determine the tornado’s strength and its rating on the enhanced Fujita scale, Hoffeditz said.
