Weekend tornadoes leave 2 dead in Texas as destructive severe weather streak continues into this week
Severe weather over the weekend delivered damaging tornadoes in Texas. Damaging weather continued Monday with large hail and intense winds.
An EF1 tornado left behind a trail of damage in Springtown, Texas, after it swept through the area on April 25. Drone footage recorded on April 26 shows multiple buildings and structures that were damaged in the tornado.
At least two people were killed in Texas, and dozens more were injured over the weekend after severe thunderstorms spawned multiple tornadoes across the Plains, as daily rounds of severe weather continue to threaten the central United States this week.
In Wise County, Texas, Judge J.D. Clark said storms on Saturday damaged at least 25 homes, some of them destroyed, displacing about 20 families. Six people were injured, and one person was killed in the Runaway Bay area.
“This storm caused significant damage across multiple neighborhoods, and our community is feeling the weight of that this morning,” Clark said in a news release.
Aerial video shows damage from an EF1 tornado in Springtown, Texas on April 26, 2026. (Image credit: Chad Casey via Storyful)
Late Saturday, another death was reported in Parker County, Texas, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The 69-year-old victim was found in a severely damaged mobile home.
“This relentless stretch of severe weather has turned deadly in Texas. It is critical for people in the risk area to have multiple ways to receive warnings, especially overnight. Be prepared to move to a safe shelter immediately, as every second counts during a tornado warning,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
Damage from a tornado in Runaway Bay, Texas, on April 26, 2026. (Image credit: Aaron Rigsby)
The multiday severe weather outbreak continued Sunday across the Plains. A reported tornado in Oswego, Kansas, flipped a train, downed trees and caused significant property damage.
Severe storms struck Oswego, Kansas, on April 26, flipping train cars, damaging businesses and knocking trees onto homes and power lines.
In Foraker, Oklahoma, Storm Chaser Branson Clement spotted a rare double tornado moving across the Plains.
National Weather Service teams from multiple offices are continuing damage surveys to determine the paths and strength of the tornadoes.
A still image from drone video shows double tornadoes in Foraker, Oklahoma on April 26, 2026. (Image: Brandon Clement/CorClips)
“This stretch of stormy weather has already produced very large hail across the Plains and Midwest in recent days,” Buckingham said. “Strong updrafts fueled by intense instability, combined with powerful winds aloft, can keep hailstones suspended long enough to grow to destructive size. Hail from quarter size to tennis ball size has already been reported, and more large hail is likely this week.”
The severe weather threat shifted north on Monday, with multiple rounds of storms into the night across parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Kentucky.
On Monday night, tornado-warned storms fired off in the Midwest with a high risk for areas, including St. Louis.
Strong winds and monster hail were the big stories on Monday night with an 80 mph wind gust in Warrensburg, Illinois, and a 3.50-inch hail report in Versailles, Missouri.
As severe storms swept across the Midwest on April 27, hailstones hammered homes and vehicles.
