Woman Killed, At Least 10 Injured After Tornado Tears Through Texas Town
/ CBS Texas
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Officials have confirmed a 73-year-old woman was killed and more than 10 injured when a reported tornado touched down through parts of Texas and Oklahoma, damaging schools, an animal shelter, homes and businesses on March 21.
Ten people were injured in Grayson County, about 60 miles north of Dallas, the county's emergency management office said.
Bricks, glass and insulation are scattered near what's left of Jacksboro Elementary School. In addition to debris from the building, vehicles in the parking lot have been left beaten and tossed about.
There is also damage at Jacksboro High School. There are few areas in the city that have not been impacted, as a result the school district has cancelled all classes and activities at least through the week. Administrators posted the following statement on the website —
"For the safety of our students and the community, Jacksboro ISD facilities will be closed. No organized practices or games of any kind will take place on JISD property while school is closed. This will include all extra curricular buildings; gyms,Tiger Stadium, baseball/softball fields, weight rooms, ag shops and the indoor facility."
The City of Jacksboro wasn't the only local school district impacted by the round of severe weather. A large section of the roof over the 4th and 5th-grade wing at Hardeman Elementary in the Birdville ISD was damaged by last night's storms. District leaders there say water got into at least six classrooms.
The district has cancelled all classes at Hardeman Tuesday as they assess the damage and determine when it will be safe to re-open the campus.
As many as 80 homes were damaged and debris from homes, trees and power lines were scattered across a path at least a third of a mile wide.
The storm system is headed toward Louisiana and Mississippi on Tuesday, and forecasters said more tornadoes are expected.
Several tornadoes were reported Monday in Texas along the Interstate 35 corridor, particularly in the Austin suburbs of Round Rock and Elgin. The storm system also spawned tornadoes close to Dallas-Fort Worth, and in the Lake Texoma area in northern Texas and southern Oklahoma.
The system has brought heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to parts of Texas and Arkansas, and tornadoes are forecast for later Tuesday in Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
