Disaster declaration issued in Temple, Texas, after tornado
Wednesday was the 17th consecutive day with widespread severe weather in the United States, a day that devastated several communities in Texas and left more than 100,000 in the dark.
From reported tornadoes in Texas to flooding in Kentucky, severe storms affected millions of Americans on May 22.
Texas towns are reeling after the latest wave of severe thunderstorms spawned twisters, powerful winds and hail, with more severe weather on the horizon.
More than 53,000 homes and businesses were without power across Texas as of Friday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, although some of the outages were linked to the destructive storms that blasted through the Houston area last week.
One of the strongest storms of the day spun up a tornado near Temple, Texas, located 60 miles north of Austin. Damage surveys in the coming days will help officials determine the rating of the twister.
"The City of Temple has declared a Disaster Declaration," the City of Temple said in a press release. "If you can stay home, please do so. Some roads are dangerous, closed, or impassible." There have been no fatalities or life-threatening injuries in the area.
Storm damage in Belton, Texas, on May 22, 2024. (X/@jagsjackett)
Eight miles away in Belton, Texas, numerous businesses were damaged by severe winds.
"All the fire alarms are going off. All the power lines [sic] are down," one person said while recording a video of the damage while driving through Belton.
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NOAA's Storm Prediction Center received only three tornado reports on Wednesday, but severe thunderstorms rumbled to life over more than a dozen states from Texas to New York. There were over 130 reports of large hail and 200 reports of damaging winds.
Wednesday was the 17th consecutive day of widespread severe weather in the United States, a streak that began on May 5.
Severe weather has also had disastrous consequences in Mexico, about a hundred miles south of the Texas border, on Wednesday.
At least nine people were killed and 50 others injured in Monterrey, Mexico, after intense winds pummeled a presidential election campaign rally. As the winds swept through, a stage collapsed, resulting in mass chaos at the event.
Additional rounds of severe weather are predicted for the central and eastern U.S. through the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, which could upend travel and outdoor events.
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