Massive storm system sweeps through area
Dec. 13—WEATHERFORD — The sound of storm sirens filled the air Tuesday morning as a massive storm system swept through the area.
Palo Pinto Sheriff Brett McGuire said violent winds centered their force a little southeast of Interstate 20 at U.S. 281 between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
No injuries or major damage had been reported by midmorning, he said.
"Some residential structures sustained some damage," McGuire said. "Some trees are down, some power lines are down. So, the neighborhood is without power, and there's one larger power line down here."
The sheriff asked that people avoid the area while electric crews were restoring power, but he reported the interstate, access road and U.S. 281 were open and traffic was flowing.
"As far as I know, and I've been doing this a while (today), we don't have any injuries," McGuire said. "We don't have any livestock hurt that I know of. We're just beginning to assess the damage."
Parker County Emergency Management Coordinator Sean Hughes said areas north and west of Brock were impacted by the storm, and a couple of outbuildings in the Poolville area sustained damage, including partial collapse, due to high winds.
Brock ISD sent out a statement letting parents know that tardies would be excused as they worked with drivers and the bus transportation team.
A tornado was confirmed in Wise County Tuesday morning, with Decatur emergency personnel responding to the area of Farm-to-Market 730 where multiple homes were reported damaged from the tornado.
In east Parker County, Aledo ISD sent out a notification that elementary and secondary campuses would have a delayed start, with secondary buses running their regular routes two hours late after another rotation was spotted around 8 a.m. north of Willow Park headed toward the Azle area.
Hughes reported no loss or injuries "of any life, human or otherwise" with the storms at midmorning.
A tornado watch was also issued for Tarrant County in the area of Haslett, and a confirmed tornado was spotted in Sansom Park around 8:15 a.m. and later in the Grapevine area, where structural damage was reported and power lines down.
A call to the National Weather Service Fort Worth Tuesday morning said meteorologists were busy handling storms in the Metroplex and could not provide more information at this time.
As the storm system continued moving north, schools in Oklahoma reported closures and hundreds were without power after a confirmed tornado touched down in Wayne, Oklahoma, according to the NWS. More than 650 customers were reportedly without power in McClain County, and the Wayne Public Schools announced Tuesday morning that school would be closed "due to no electricity and the high probability of storm damage." A meteorologist for KOCO 5 News posted photos of damage to the walls of a brick house in the city that was completely leveled from the tornado.
This story will be updated as more information is available.
