A series of storms moving across north Texas spawned at least two confirmed tornadoes Tuesday, including one near Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport where passengers were briefly urged to protect themselves and hundreds were delayed by flights.
There were two reports of injuries and “multiple reports of damaged homes and businesses” in Wise County, northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where one of the tornadoes landed, the county’s Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
One person was injured by flying debris while driving in their vehicle and was treated at the scene, the emergency management office said. The other person was taken to hospital after high winds overturned an eighteen-wheeler truck, although the emergency management office did not provide information on the hospitalized person’s condition.
The emergency management office said it is still assessing the damage and the main areas of concern are south of Decatur, where 6,500 people live, and east of Paradise, a town of fewer than 500 people.
“A confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado was in the vicinity of Decatur,” said a National Weather Service bulletin issued at 7:20 a.m. ET. The tornado is no longer a threat to the area, but the storm line that created it could spawn more tornadoes as it moves east.
The tornado near the airport was seen on video as it crossed a freeway near Grapevine, Texas, according to the weather service. Passengers have been asked to take shelter in place because of a tornado warning that was lifted after the storm passed. About 560 flights to and from the airport were delayed, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking website.
Outdoor warning sirens also wailed over Fort Worth at 8:15 a.m. local time. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage in Fort Worth.
The storms are part of a weather system that is bringing significant, widespread hazards to the central United States.
More than 30,000 customers in Texas were without power as of Tuesday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, which compiles data from utility companies across the country.
Severe storm risk will shift east throughout the day, with more tornadoes possible in east Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi in the afternoon and evening.
By Wednesday, the threat will spread eastward, likely affecting southern Louisiana and Alabama, and putting severe weather at risk in more populated areas like New Orleans.
Amanda Holpuch contributed to the coverage.
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