A tornado hit Perryton, Texas, on Thursday night, killing three people and injuring dozens.
The small town of about 8,000 people near the Oklahoma border took the brunt of a severe storm Friday morning that cut power to about 247,000 people in Texas and Oklahoma and about 140,000 in Louisiana. according to to the BBC. At least one tornado “direct hit” destroyed at least 30 Perryton mobile homes and transported 75 people to local hospitals.
The tornado reportedly landed at around 5pm local time and involved several people. share Video purporting to show Twister approaching Perryton.Footage of the aftermath of the tornado destruction show extensive damage and devastation throughout the region.
Perryton #Texas #tornado damage.Video by Jackson Lehnert pic.twitter.com/pJ1DueVm3d
— Kaitlyn Wright (@wxkaitlin) June 16, 2023
The storm is expected to last through Friday, hitting Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Mississippi, Arkansas and western Florida, affecting about 50 million people. according to to CNN. Besides the tornadoes, the BBC said it was also expected to cause major hail and wind damage. The system is then concentrated on the Southern Plain and is expected to quiet down on Sunday.
A tornado passing through Perryton, Texas today, and its damage and aftermath. The people of Perryton will need help over the coming weeks and months. #txwx #tornado #perryton pic.twitter.com/a8DJTjIlcH
— Brian Emfinger (@brianemfinger) June 16, 2023
About 33 million people in Texas, Florida and Louisiana are currently on heat advisories, and more extreme weather is expected later in the year. CNN reported that cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore could also experience severe hail and damaging winds over the weekend. (Related article: America still not expected to recover from wildfire smoke)
“There was a tornado and it hit us. It came out of nowhere. No sirens, no time to go to shelter,” said Perryton resident Jamie James. told the magazine. “There were times when I thought I was going to die. Everything went crazy. Trash cans were flying and hail was hitting the car.”
Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced A state of emergency was declared on Thursday after extensive damage was caused by the tornado.
