CANTON, Texas — Tornadoes tracked across parts of Texas on Saturday, leaving behind a swath of damage, injuring dozens of people and killing at least five, according to multiple reports.
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Preliminary reports to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that as many as three tornadoes raked over parts of Henderson, Van Zandt and Rains counties in eastern Texas. Crews will survey the damage Sunday to determine the strength of the twisters.
“We have a lot of injuries,” a dispatcher with the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office told KXAS-TV. The dispatcher added that there was “a lot of damage.”
At least five people were killed in the storms, according to KTVT. None of the victims have been identified.
One person was found dead in a pasture in Canton, the Ben Wheeler Volunteer Fire Department told KTVT. The Canton Fire Department told KXAS-TV that another person was killed along Highway 64 when a tornado threw the person’s vehicle.
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Following the tornado's path north along FM 17 in Canton. @NBCDFW #NBCDFWstorms pic.twitter.com/MZgE2sUKdC
— Katy Blakey (@KatyBlakeyNBC5) April 30, 2017
Nearly 50 people were taken to hospitals with a variety of injuries after the tornadoes struck, including one with critical injuries.
Spending the morning in Canton. Significant damage caused by Saturday's tornadoes. @NBCDFW pic.twitter.com/h7oVjYVfpU
— Katy Blakey (@KatyBlakeyNBC5) April 30, 2017
A dispatcher at the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office told The Associated Press that “officers were chasing numerous injury reports.”
Texas Sky Rangers shows the damage at a car dealership along I-20 in Canton. https://t.co/KcISTZ8xuz pic.twitter.com/o6i4zoyV6Q
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) April 30, 2017
Video from local television stations shows uprooted threes, damaged homes and overturned cars along roadways.
.@Telemundo39 crews saw 2 vehicles thrown by tornado near Canton on Hwy 64. People rushed to help. https://t.co/i8YICVP0Yc #NBCDFWStorms pic.twitter.com/ZHCo84zcui
— NBCDFW Weather (@NBCDFWWeather) April 30, 2017
Just happened. My heart breaks for the people near Canton just off i20, hit with a tornado. Still moving towards HWY 19 and 80. Prayers pic.twitter.com/9UEpSPW1Rp
— Michelle Rodriguez (@michrod) April 29, 2017
@TylerTXNews tornado touchdown a few miles south and west of Grand Saline, TX. pic.twitter.com/nsdgODERRK
— Jeffrey Whitworth (@jswhitworth) April 29, 2017