Tornado damages buildings, causes injuries in East Texas

It’s unclear how many people hurt as storms batter town east of Dallas, slowing first-responders’ rescues

DALLAS — A tornado in East Texas caused severe damage and left some people injured Friday evening, as storms snaked their way across northern and eastern Texas and southern Oklahoma.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were injured in the East Texas town of Lindale or the extent of their injuries.

Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said fallen tree limbs and power lines slowed first-responders from reaching some areas.

15 to 20 homes damaged

The tornado, spotted shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, caused severe damage to a variety store and a sporting goods store in Lindale, about 85 miles east of Dallas.

In nearby Upshur Coun- ty, 15 to 20 homes have been reported damaged or destroyed in a rural area near Big Sandy, about 20 miles northeast of Lindale, said sheriff ’s dispatcher Jeremy Henderson.

There were no immediate reports of injuries there.

Elsewhere, at least one tornado was spotted briefly in the Sherman-Denison area of Texas just across the Red River from southern Oklahoma.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries from that twister in Sherman-Denison.

In Oklahoma, a tornado formed near Lawton and moved northeast before fizzling along a path that took the most dangerous part of the storm just south of Norman.

The National Weather Service warned residents of several counties to take cover from potentially lifethreatening flying debris and large hail.

No injuries were reported initially in Comanche County, where the tornado was first spotted.

Spotters said a storm near Alex, Agawam and Ninnekah contained a tor- nado, according to the National Weather Service.

Near Elgin, strong winds flipped a trailer, but the occupants were not injured, Comanche County Emergency Management spokeswoman Ashleigh Hensch said.

One occupant was sent to the hospital for anxiety.

Stretch of I-35 closed

Hensch said the storm caused minor damage to roofs and fences in nearby Fletcher, according to preliminary assessments.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol shut down a nearly 20-mile stretch of Interstate 35 between the cities of Purcell and Norman as the part of the storm bearing heavy hail and possible tornadoes approached the area.

The closure stretched from mile marker 98 near Purcell to Tecumseh Road in north Norman, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Paul Timmons said.

The closure came at the height of rush hour.

A tornado threat remained for portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas until 10 p.m. Friday.