Two dead after tornadoes hit northern Texas

A tornado-producing thunderstorm has left at least two people dead in northern Texas and displaced at least 20 families, with many homes sustaining major damage, authorities said.

At least one person was killed and numerous homes were damaged on Saturday night in the town of Runaway Bay, said Wise County Judge JD Clark, who serves as the county’s chief executive.

Emergency responders worked to clear debris to reach damaged homes and provide medical care where needed, Judge Clark said.

“Access has been difficult due to blocked roadways and downed utilities, but crews have continued pushing forward to reach those in need,” he added.

The storm also hit Springtown, where Parker County assistant fire chief David Pruitt said that a second person died south of the city limits. There was “significant damage” in the area, Mr Pruitt said.

“One of the most significant ongoing challenges is the widespread power outage affecting many residents,” he wrote.

The US National Weather Service confirmed that an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135mph touched down in the Runaway Bay area.

An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105mph was confirmed in the Springtown area, the weather service said.

The slow-moving supercell travelled through the area at around 10pm on Saturday (4am on Sunday BST), said meteorologist Patricia Sanchez with the Fort Worth weather service office.

It moved south-east from around Wichita Falls, near the Oklahoma border, passing just west of Fort Worth.

Runaway Bay is about 45 miles north-west of Fort Worth on Lake Bridgeport. Springtown is about 30 miles north-west of Fort Worth.

Weather service radar picked up a “potentially large and extremely dangerous” tornado near Azle at 10.14pm on Saturday (4.14am on Sunday BST).

That is about another 10 miles south-east of Springtown.