A closer look at the destruction of overnight storms in North Texas
Saturday night, destructive storms pushed across North Texas producing tornadoes, giant hail, damaging winds, and devastating flooding. Sadly, this storm was deadly. The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth confirmed early Sunday afternoon an EF-2 tornado was confirmed in the Runaway Bay area, with peak winds of 135 mph and an EF-1 tornado in the Springtown area of Parker County, with estimated peak winds of 105 mph.
The Parker County Sheriff's Office said around 10:45 p.m. on Saturday, a woman called 911 to say she found a family member in the debris of a storm-damaged residence in the 6700 block of Hutchenson Hill Road, and that the person appeared to be dead. Emergency services personnel responded and found a deceased 69-year-old white female at the scene of a severely damaged mobile home. According to witnesses at the scene, the home was undamaged before the storm that rolled through the area Saturday night. The victim's identity has not yet been made public.
The supercell originated in Wichita County around 4 p.m., where the storm quickly broke the capping inversion, allowing the updraft to explode. The supercell slowly moved to the southeast throughout the evening into the overnight, lasting nearly 12 hours before dissipating around 3:30 a.m. in Kaufman County.
This storm caused mass destruction with several confirmed radar-indicated tornadoes reported on its path. One of the hardest hit locations was Runaway Bay, where the tornado struck the area around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night. Destruction to property was significant and neighborhoods were torn apart, leaving many displaced and without power.
Seven preliminary tornadoes have been reported.
The National Weather Service is still surveying the damage done and will have a report in the upcoming days.
Hail also caused significant damage. The size ranged from pea to baseball size. Some of the largest hail reports include cities in Tarrant and Parker Counties. The hailstone pictured was taken by Craig Gibson, a director at CBS News Texas.
The winds were also a key factor. The maximum wind gust got to 89 mph in Springtown, which is the strength of a category 1 hurricane.
CBS News Texas weather watcher Donnell Ballard in Fort Worth shared that the storm was loud and restless, and it showed Sunday morning. She saw a large tree that had crashed down onto a metal gate and neighbors had begun gathering to assess the damage.
All modes of severe weather happened last night. This is a key reminder of how important it is to stay tuned to the forecast during First Alert Weather Days.
