A powerful tornado struck a busy gas station in Texas on Saturday night, collapsing the entire building and killing at least five people, including a child.
Up to 80 people were injured, and authorities warned that the death toll “could rise further.”
The tornado that struck Valley View, about 60 miles north of Dallas, was just one of several devastating tornadoes reported across the Lone Star State, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Cook County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed that between 60 and 80 people were killed and those who had taken shelter inside were injured when a severe overnight storm struck the AP Travel Center, which includes a Shell gas station and restaurant in the south part of town.
Dozens of panicked drivers tried to get off the roads during the dangerous weather by stopping at gas stations, only to end up directly in the tornado’s path.
Many people were trapped and had to be rescued.
“It’s safe to say that number is only going to grow,” Sappington said. He told WFAA On the death toll: “I’m not going to guess or give you a figure.”
Search and rescue efforts are continuing at the gas station and in the surrounding area.
“It took a while to get back on the scene because there were power lines down and trees down. It was a lot of work just getting it back in place,” Sappington added.
Sappington urged local residents to stay away from storm damage, citing numerous reports of downed power lines and gas leaks that could cause serious injury if encountered.
Still, the sheriff was confident they would bounce back from this severe and deadly storm.
“We will rebuild,” he said. “This is Texas. We can rebuild our property. No matter how bad this situation is, in a couple of months this will not be the case. [then]”… It will get better. But the loss of life is a tragedy. It’s always a tragedy. That’s the hardest thing.”
Two children were also reported missing in Cook County after the storm, Sappington said.
Forecasters issued tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of both states on Saturday as heat records were broken over the holiday weekend.
As the storm moved through the region, campers were overturned, power lines and trees were downed and some roads were completely impassable.
On Saturday night, the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, warned people north of Oklahoma City to “evacuate now!” The agency updated at 10:05 p.m. to say the storm had left the area and was heading toward North Texas.
By 10:24 p.m., the National Weather Service in Fort Worth had begun warning of the storm passing through the area, issuing a severe thunderstorm warning with the possibility of “golf-ball-sized hail.”
The National Weather Service in Norman likened conditions Saturday to a “gasoline-soaked brush pile,” and forecasters warned the storm was likely to bring large hail, dangerously strong winds and tornadoes.
The storm is expected to move east as the Memorial Day weekend continues, bringing rain that could postpone Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 race and more severe storms across Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.
Forecasters said the risk of severe weather was expected to move into North Carolina and Virginia on Monday.
With post wire
