A strong storm struck the northern Texas city of Matador on Wednesday evening, killing not less than three folks, damaging a few dozen buildings and prompting a seek for individuals who might need been injured or trapped by particles, the authorities mentioned.
Matador, which has about 600 residents, is roughly 290 miles northwest of Dallas and was beneath a twister warning because the storm barreled by way of the realm round 8 p.m., mentioned William Iwasko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lubbock.
“Based on the damage,’’ he added, “there was most likely a tornado” in Matador, however that will probably be decided on Thursday.
The mayor of Matador, Pat Smith, who additionally offers emergency medical companies within the city, mentioned in a short telephone interview that not less than three folks had been killed, that others could also be injured and that there was “a whole lot of damage.”
On the west finish of the city, a number of companies and houses had been destroyed, Mr. Smith mentioned, including that rescue employees had pulled residents from collapsed homes.
“It’s actually, actually unhealthy,’ Mr. Smith mentioned as emergency crews had been heard shouting instructions within the background.
A livestream of the city from KWTV-DT, a tv station in Oklahoma City, appeared to indicate torn buildings as sturdy winds swayed telephone traces and bushes.
The storm got here almost per week after a twister pummeled one other Texas city, Perryton, the place three folks had been killed and dozens of cellular properties had been mangled. That twister was a part of a ferocious collection of storms that swept throughout the South final week.
The storm in Matador additionally got here as a warmth dome stalled over a lot of Oklahoma and Texas.
Texas officers issued an extreme warmth warning for the Dallas-Fort Worth area and requested residents in the remainder of the state to preserve electrical energy for concern that the ability grid may buckle over a number of days of triple-digit temperatures.
Source: www.nytimes.com