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Tornado hits south Texas, damaging dozens of homes: NPR

A person stands outside a home damaged by a tornado in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, Texas near South Padre Island on Saturday.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press


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Julio Cortez/Associated Press


A person stands outside a home damaged by a tornado in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, Texas near South Padre Island on Saturday.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

LAGUNA HEIGHTS, Texas — A powerful tornado hit an area near the southern tip of Texas early Saturday morning, damaging dozens of homes, destroying power lines, killing one person and issuing a stay-at-home order. announced by the authorities.

At least 10 people were hospitalized, including two in critical condition, according to Cameron County emergency management coordinator Tom Houcheng. Many residents also suffered cuts and bruises.

The curfew for 17 and under was issued by Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. and is expected to end by May 16 to “mitigate the impact of this public health and safety emergency.” The order also prohibits non-residents of Laguna Heights from entering residential areas.

Most people in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, across from South Padre Island off the Gulf of Mexico, were asleep in their homes when the tornado struck around 4 a.m. The county has the highest poverty rate in Texas and is dotted with substandard housing.

There was no prior warning. Rather, the tornado’s first warning “came out as soon as it touched the ground,” said Barry Goldsmith, a warning coordination meteorologist at the Brownsville National Weather Service.

“In the case of a hurricane, we have the advantage of getting advance warning,” Treviño said at a press conference on Saturday. “As Barry said, a tornado is not a common scenario unless there is a hurricane or tropical storm in the area, so we couldn’t benefit from the warning.”

“Time was useless,” Treviño added.

Treviño said Roberto Flores, 42, had died “almost crushed to death due to damage to his mobile home”.

The storm was classified as an EF1 tornado with wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It lasted only 2-4 minutes, but devastated the area.

As many as 60 houses were damaged. A county judge signed a disaster declaration and 38 people were rescued at a temporary shelter in the nearby city of Port Isabel.

“Apparently it went straight through the area,” said County Sheriff Eric Garza. “People don’t want to leave their homes because they are afraid that someone will come in and start stealing things.”

Garza said his department contributes to ensuring security in the region.

Laguna Heights, about 20 miles northeast of Brownsville on the U.S.-Mexico border, has been tornado-prone this spring, but it’s not a trend for tornadoes, said Angelica Soria, a weather bureau meteorologist. said. The region is also gearing up for the arrival of the hurricane season.

Tornadoes in Texas caused damage with dozens of twisters in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, but no fatalities were reported.

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A person stands outside a home damaged by a tornado in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, Texas near South Padre Island on Saturday.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

hide caption

toggle caption

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

A person stands outside a home damaged by a tornado in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, Texas near South Padre Island on Saturday.

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

LAGUNA HEIGHTS, Texas — A powerful tornado hit an area near the southern tip of Texas early Saturday morning, damaging dozens of homes, destroying power lines, killing one person and issuing a stay-at-home order. announced by the authorities. At least 10 people were hospitalized, including two in critical condition, according to Cameron County emergency management coordinator Tom Houcheng. Many residents also suffered cuts and bruises. The curfew for 17 and under was issued by Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. and is expected to end by May 16 to “mitigate the impact of this public health and safety emergency.” The order also prohibits non-residents of Laguna Heights from entering residential areas. Most people in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, across from South Padre Island off the Gulf of Mexico, were asleep in their homes when the tornado struck around 4 a.m. The county has the highest poverty rate in Texas and is dotted with substandard housing.

There was no prior warning. Rather, the tornado’s first warning “came out as soon as it touched the ground,” said Barry Goldsmith, a warning coordination meteorologist at the Brownsville National Weather Service. “In the case of a hurricane, we have the advantage of getting advance warning,” Treviño said at a press conference on Saturday. “As Barry said, a tornado is not a common scenario unless there is a hurricane or tropical storm in the area, so we couldn’t benefit from the warning.” “Time was useless,” Treviño added. Treviño said Roberto Flores, 42, had died “almost crushed to death due to damage to his mobile home”. The storm was classified as an EF1 tornado with wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It lasted only 2-4 minutes, but devastated the area. As many as 60 houses were damaged. A county judge signed a disaster declaration and 38 people were rescued at a temporary shelter in the nearby city of Port Isabel. “Apparently it went straight through the area,” said County Sheriff Eric Garza. “People don’t want to leave their homes because they are afraid that someone will come in and start stealing things.”

Garza said his department contributes to ensuring security in the region. Laguna Heights, about 20 miles northeast of Brownsville on the U.S.-Mexico border, has been tornado-prone this spring, but it’s not a trend for tornadoes, said Angelica Soria, a weather bureau meteorologist. said. The region is also gearing up for the arrival of the hurricane season. Tornadoes in Texas caused damage with dozens of twisters in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, but no fatalities were reported.

https://www.npr.org/2023/05/13/1176053217/south-texas-tornado Tornado hits south Texas, damaging dozens of homes: NPR

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