At least 4 dead following 'horrific' tornado in Matador, Texas
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott updated the state's disaster declaration on Thursday to include six additional counties on Thursday following deadly severe weather on Wednesday evening, bringing the total tally covered by the declaration to 21 counties.
At least four people were killed and another 15 sustained injuries after a line of storms spawned multiple tornadoes across the north-central plains of Texas Wednesday evening. Matador, a town located roughly 70 miles northeast of Lubbock, Texas, took the brunt of the damage.
"There is no force more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and this updated disaster declaration will help the State of Texas swiftly respond to communities devastated by last night's severe weather and tornadoes in West Texas," Abbott said in a press release. Several emergency response resources have been deployed to the area, including those from the state and Texas A&M. Local fire departments in the region have also deployed personnel and rescue assets.
The Lubbock Fire Department confirmed the death toll in Matador had risen to four early Thursday morning. Among the 15 injured, seven were transported by EMS to local hospitals, while three were taken by personal vehicles.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to AccuWeather on Friday that power had been restored to 80 percent of Matador by 9:30 p.m. local time on June 22. The totality of the damage was also becoming clearer. Officials said there were 29 structures destroyed, 11 that sustained significant damage and 23 that had been damaged.
The identities of the four people killed by the tornado were also released. Those who reportedly lost their lives were: Jo Etta Bumgardner, 85, of Matador; Randell Rolin, 59, of Purcell, Oklahoma; Victor Valenzuela Jr., 43, of Austin, Texas; and Troy Hernandez, 23, of San Angelo, Texas.
National Weather Service senior forecaster William Iwasko confirmed there were three tornadoes in the line of storms Wednesday evening, but the twister in Matador was the only one to cause significant damage, according to The Associated Press.
Storm chasers on social media described the damage in Matador as "horrific."
Photos and videos illustrated the catastrophic damage the twister caused. In a video shared by KLBK's Chief Meteorologist Jacob Riley, what was once a Dollar General store was now a pile of rubble. Debris hung in the power lines surrounding the store.
In a series of photos shared online of the damage, the engine of a vehicle was seemingly ripped out of the truck by the twister. All that remained of the truck was a crumpled-up metal frame.
"Agencies from across the South Plains have assisted with search and rescue efforts," the Lubbock Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post. "These agencies include both police, fire, and EMS. State resources have arrived to Matador to begin post-disaster operations including damage assessment and final recovery efforts."
This twister in Matador occurred less than a week after an EF3 tornado killed three people in Perryton, Texas, and an EF3 tornado pummeled the small Mississippi town of Louin.
This June has been one of the deadliest in terms of tornadoes. According to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell, there have been 22 deadly tornadoes so far this year, which is the most since 2011.
Severe weather was reported from North Dakota to Texas Wednesday. According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there were 14 tornado reports Wednesday. Most of the tornado reports came from Colorado.
AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach captured an incredible video of two side-by-side tornadoes in Washington County, Colorado, Wednesday. Washington County is located east of Denver.
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Twin tornadoes spinning in an open field south of Akron, Colorado, on June 21, 2023. (AccuWeather/ Tony Laubach) |
In addition to the tornado reports from Wednesday, there were 67 wind reports and 84 hail reports, according to the SPC.
Concertgoers had to run for cover after hailstones started falling from the sky at the Red Rock Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, which is located just to the west of Denver.
West Metro Fire reported that 80-90 people were treated on scene for injuries which ranged from cuts to broken bones. According to the agency, at least seven were transported to local hospitals were non-life-threatening injuries.
"Tonight was the scariest night of my life," one concertgoer wrote on Twitter. "It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign. I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail."
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