EAST TEXAS (KLTV) – At least five people died during Saturday storms in East Texas.
The Ben Wheeler Volunteer Fire Department confirms the body of an unidentified person was found in a pasture in Canton. A tornado warning remains in effect for the area through 8:30 p.m.
Officials later confirmed that five people were killed during the storms and that the number of casualties could increase. Officials are asking residents to stay out of the area while emergency crews work. They say trees are downed and there is extensive damage in southern Van Zandt County. Some homes were destroyed during the storm.
Displacement centers are set up area churches.
KLTV.com – Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |ETX News
Earlier in the day, tornado warnings were issued for several East Texas counties.
A tornado warning was issued for the following counties through 9:15 p.m: Smith, Wood
The National Weather Service said the tornado warning for southeastern Van Zandt County was located near Colfax, moving northeast at 20 mph. Damage to roofs, windows and vehicles is likely.
So far, five tornadoes have been reported across the area, including one a mile wide, according to law enforcement. Eustace, Canton and Fruitvale received heavy damage and dozens of injuries have been reported.
READ MORE: Red Cross opens shelter for those affected in East Texas storms
According to officials, ETMC-Tyler is currently under a yellow alert. ETMC’s Rebecca Berkley said the hospital was expecting about 40 patients from the Eustace, Canton, Fruitvale area.
Around 9 p.m., Berkley said that ETMC Athens has received 36 patients from tornadoes in Eustace and Fruitvale. One patient is in critical condition.
ETMC Cedar Creek Lake has received 8 patients, all with non-life threatening injuries.
ETMC Tyler has more patients en route from the Canton tornado, all with non-life threatening injuries.
Three patients have been transferred by ETMC EMS from Canton. According to Berkley, one patient came to ETMC Tyler and two were transferred to Christus Trinity Mother Frances. ETMC EMS sent 10 ambulances to Canton.
According to Trinity Mother Frances officials, they have seen a couple of ambulances come in, all patients with non-critical injuries. They are also on standby and staffed to help.
TMF officials said those with minor injuries are being treated closer to the scene in Athen and Kaufman County.
A Dodge car dealership on Interstate 20 in the Canton area received heavy damage. Several cars were flipped over and a building appears to have sustained some damage. Officials have not confirmed if there are any injuries at this time.
Officials say Canton ISD and Fruitvale ISD have been mobilized as triage centers. A 22-passenger ambulance is headed to the Canton area from Palestine, the Piney Woods Regional Advisory Council said.
TxDOT said crews are responding to assess damages after possible tornadic activity continues to move through Van Zandt County. There no road closures reported at this time, but caution is advised.
Multiple agencies are heading to East Texas to assist Van Zandt and Henderson counties, including the Texas Task Force and the Regional State Fire Marshal’s Office. Smith County has sent their Command Platform Trailer and will be stationed at the Canton High School. Smith County is also sending several firefighters and trucks to assist. Smith County Sheriff’s Office is also sending 3 units to Canton and 2 to Fruitvale.
Kilgore police are deploying a strike force of officers and a dispatcher to Canton to assist.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the following counties through 6 a.m. Sunday: Angelina, Bowie, Cass, Gregg, Harrison, Marion, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby
Saturday was also First Monday Trade Days in Canton and several people reported having to take shelter.
A flood warning has been issued for the following counties until May 4 at 11:30 p.m.: Franklin, Morris, Titus
http://www.kltv.com/story/35285082/1-dead-nws-issues-tornado-warnings-for-etx
LAST NIGHT APRIL 29. A severe line of storms here in Texas were lined up training as they say going over the same places more than once. While watching live Radar Pro on my cell phone severe watch boxes popped up then severe Thunderstorm warnings then Tornadoes.
I turned on channel 19 tv up in the east Texas area around Tyler and they were in severe weather mode. The radar they used was 50 miles away in Dallas, and tornadoes started up South of Canton TX, I think in all I know I saw three on the TV stream.
The Tornadoes were going over the same location over and over around Canton. I could hear in the background the NWS toning emergency alerts over and over, while the weather crew were telling people hail 2 inches tornadoes and massive clouds of materials were being thrown up in the air on each of the tornadoes that developed. The tornadoes were forming every couple of minutes. Each couple of scans by the NWS RADAR south of Dallas would paint more tornadoes and materials being thrown. In fact some of the materials were thrown miles in front of the tornado .
Listening to the scanner on scanner pro ambulances fire police were dispatched to Canton and other areas to help in getting help for people trees,power lines poles and massive damage was reported. Enclosing some videos I found from various TV stations
http://www.wfaa.com/weather/severe-weather-threat-moves-east-of-dallas/434616305
http://www.wfaa.com/weather/severe-weather-threat-moves-east-of-dallas/434616305
MARKWW
ROUND UP OF TORNADO EMERGENCY LAST NIGHT READ UNDER THE VIDEOS AS TO THE REPORTS
http://www.cbs19.tv/news/live-weather-blog-weather-warnings-watches-power-outages/430359042
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/weather/2017/04/28/tornado-canton-five-dead-dozens-injured-van-zandt
power was just restored in east alabama after tprnado warnings and atraight line winds.. i’ve slept all day…………………
Power and phone still out for 9hrs. “They said 8” of snow yet the left out the blizzard. LOL go figure.