Severe weather impacted parts of North Texas on Tuesday, with reports of a confirmed tornado causing damage east of Mineral Wells, along with widespread large hail across the region.
According to storm alerts and chaser reports, radar indicated a confirmed tornado along Highway 180 just west of Cool, approximately 3 miles east of Mineral Wells, moving southeast at around 25 mph. The storm track affected communities including Mineral Wells, Weatherford, Brock, Hudson Oaks, and nearby areas.
DFW Scanner posted on X that “law enforcement reports storm damage in the 12700 block of Mineral Wells Highway just east of the Parker and Palo Pinto county line. Fire/EMS has been dispatched to the area. A tornado-warned storm just impacted this area.”
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Reports of damage and possible injuries
Residents and storm spotters described heavy hail, damaging winds, and a possible rain-wrapped tornado impacting areas such as Wolters Village in Mineral Wells.
Reports indicate structural damage in the affected areas, and at least one person was reportedly rescued from debris. There have also been unconfirmed claims of injuries; however, authorities have not yet verified injury reports.
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Tornado Watch issued for North-Central Texas
The National Weather Service has issued Tornado Watch 171, which remains in effect until 9 p.m. CDT this evening for parts of North-Central Texas.
The watch includes 28 counties, spanning a large portion of the region and covering much of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding areas.
Counties under the watch include: Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Delta, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Hopkins, Hunt, Jack, Johnson, Kaufman, Lamar, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Rockwall, Somervell, Stephens, Tarrant, Van Zandt, Wise, and Young.
Cities included in the alert area
Major cities affected by the watch include Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, McKinney, Denton, Lewisville, Frisco, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, Carrollton, Allen, and Rockwall, along with numerous smaller communities such as Weatherford, Mineral Wells, Sherman, Paris, Greenville, and Stephenville.
Other cities under the watch include Bonham, Bowie, Breckenridge, Burleson, Cleburne, Commerce, Decatur, Ennis, Gainesville, Granbury, Terrell, Waxahachie, and many more across the region.
What the watch means
A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and near the watch area. Residents are advised to stay alert, monitor weather updates, and be prepared to take shelter if warnings are issued.