A tornado crossed into northern Denton County late Saturday damaging homes, overturning recreational vehicles, and knocking down power lines. Traffic was stopped on Interstate 35 for several hours due to overturned 18-wheelers and downed power lines.
Damage was reported to the Lake Ray Roberts Marina and RVs on the Sanger side of Ray Roberts Lake and at Isle du Bois State Park. Power outages, uprooted trees, and downed limbs were reported from west of Sanger across the lake into Pilot Point.
12:54am – The marina at Lake Ray Roberts has sustained major damage after a large tornado impacted the area around 11:00pm. A nearby RV park has also sustained major damage with reports of people trapped. Thanks to Jennifer Silva for the photo pic.twitter.com/AH94ECRWHs
— DFW Scanner (@DFWscanner) May 26, 2024
The Denton County Office of Emergency Management responded immediately and coordinated with multiple agencies across Denton County to respond to numerous calls for assistance, including Flower Mound’s AMBUS, a multi-patient emergency vehicle.
At 10:38 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a Tornado Warning for northern Denton County after a confirmed tornado was located near Valley View, moving east at 40 mph. The Tornado Warning continued until 11:43 p.m.
Incredible view of a powerful supercell erupting in North Texas.
The storm produced a destructive tornado late Saturday evening. pic.twitter.com/jfURVMW7Iq
— CIRA (@CIRA_CSU) May 26, 2024
Denton County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to multiple locations, checking homes, RV trailer parks, and mobile homes for individuals in need of assistance. Denton County Road crews were called out to remove trees from roads in Denton County. Downed power lines also closed several roads including FM 455 in Sanger.
A number of individuals with injuries were transported to Denton and area hospitals via ambulance and CareFlite. The number of people injured and the types of injuries are not known at this time as the incident is still a working scene.
At 4 a.m., CoServ reported power outages affecting 1,312 customers west of Sanger to Pilot Point in Denton County. Texas-New Mexico Power reported 1,775 customers without power, primarily in Pilot Point. Oncor reported power outages for an estimated 585 customers in the Celina area in Denton County.
A shelter was opened at the Sanger ISD Indian Gym for those impacted by the storms in Sanger.
A Shell truck stop off Lone Oak Road in Cooke County, just north of the Denton County line, was severely damaged, and individuals were reported to be trapped inside after the storm passed through the area.
WIDESPREAD DAMAGE: Here's a look at the North Texas tornado aftermath along I-35 in Cooke County. Multiple fatalities have been reported in the area.
Live footage: https://t.co/lfA8xIJaD5
Latest updates: https://t.co/u0w4oPuDhq pic.twitter.com/0dY7GxN0TP
— WFAA (@wfaa) May 26, 2024
Check back for updates.
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