Strong winds send US Customs blimp nearly 600 miles across Texas
A U.S. surveillance blimp gets tossed around in South Padre Island after being set free by strong winds on March 3.
(CNN) — Strong winds from a recent storm in the south sent a US Customs and Border Protection surveillance blimp flying nearly 600 miles across Texas.
The blimp – resembling a while-hot air balloon - was dislodged from its base in South Padre Island, a beach town on the southern coast of Texas, around 3:15 p.m. local time Monday due to “a severe wind event,” US Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations department said in a statement.
Officials were at first unable to locate the blimp, known as a Tethered Aerostat System, after its communications were lost due to damage from winds. It urged the public to help find it.
On Tuesday, Quinlan Texas Fire and Rescue in Hunt County found the blimp 30 miles east of Dallas, the department said.
The incident is being investigated by Air and Marine Operations, as well as federal, state, and local officials, it added.
CNN has reached out to South Hunt County Fire and Rescue.
Tethered Aerostat Systems are used by Customs and Border officials to track “suspicious air traffic” along the southwest border, according to an official fact sheet. These helium-filled systems are attached to the ground, can be as long as 208.5 feet and can weigh up to 2,400 pounds.
Video obtained by CNN affiliate WFAA shows the blimp rotating downwards from the sky, before it crashed and folded over a power pole.
Clay Hinton told WFAA he was initially confused about what the big white body of material could be.
“Finally, I was like what is this? It’s not a hot air balloon!” he said, adding he was surprised when federal agents had arrived to look at the aerostat.
A family living near the site of the crash told WFAA the blimp hit their home on the way down, damaging their roof.
“It’s a lot of missing pieces, broken pieces,” 9-year-old Axel said in a video interview with WFAA. “When I looked outside, I was about to cry.”
Geneva Larsey, who lives nearby, told WFAA “four or five wrecker trucks” came to collect the balloon.
“We’re in a small town that no one comes to,” Larsey said. “Who would have thought a little balloon would crash here?”
Storm brings gusty winds, fire
South Padre Island, where the blimp was dislodged, recorded max gusts over 30 mph on Monday ahead of a massive storm that swept through the central and southern US, bringing a multitude of effects, including tornadoes, gusty winds, a notable dust storm, and fire weather.
In Texas, severe thunderstorms Tuesday caused significant damage to buildings and gusty winds brought down trees and power lines across several cities, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Several wildfires erupted across central Texas on Tuesday as the strong winds and dry air exacerbated fire conditions. Nearly all of these have since been contained.
However, another round of dry air and gusty winds on Thursday poses the threat of fire conditions with fire weather expected from central New Mexico to western Texas. Across the region, winds could gust to 65 mph.
Red flag warnings are in effect Thursday for over 3 million people across western Texas, much of New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas and western Oklahoma.
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