Texas tornado caused about $40 million in damage, officials say

Reuters
People stand in front of a house that was destroyed after a tornado swept through the area the previous night in Van, Texas May 11, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Stone

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - A tornado that killed two people in the Texas city of Van this week caused about $40 million in damage and flattened scores of buildings, emergency officials said on Thursday. More than 500 structures suffered some damage from the EF3 category tornado packing winds of around 140 miles per hour that on Sunday night hit Van, about 70 miles (115 km) west of Dallas, and Van Zandt County where the town is located, the officials told a news conference. About 90 houses were destroyed, Van Zandt County Fire Marshal Chuck Allen said. Van has a population of about 2,500. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Will Dunham)