DALLAS (AP) – Severe thunderstorms with reports of possible tornadoes spread damage across parts of North Texas on Monday, injuring at least four people, officials said.
Officials reported damage throughout Jacksboro, about 100 kilometres northwest of Fort Worth. There, photographs posted on social media showed a storm ripped the wall and roof from parts of Jacksboro High School.
The storm also struck the city’s animal shelter, but the amount of damage wasn’t immediately clear.
Fifty kilometres northeast of Jacksboro, near Bowie, damage was also reportedly widespread with reports of some people trapped in collapsed structures.
City manager Bert Cunningham said the worst damage was east of the town, with as many as four entrapments reported. Four people suffered minor injuries, said Emergency Manager Kelly McNabb.
A storm system had been predicted to bring strong tornadoes and large hail to parts of Texas on Monday, then move toward the Deep South, where forecasters warned a severe weather outbreak was possible.
Parts of central and east Texas, especially the Austin and College Station areas, also saw severe storms reported as tornadoes, the National Weather Service said.
Photographs posted on social media showed damage to buildings in the Austin suburbs Round Rock and Elgin. No injuries were immediately reported.
