Texas tornadoes leave trail of destruction as photos show houses destroyed

Tornadoes have left a trail of destruction in Texas and Oklahoma as photos shared to social media showed houses destroyed in the Lone Star state and damage to vehicles.

At least one person has been killed and dozens more have been left injured by the tornadoes that struck parts of the two states, as well as Arkansas, while a storm system was reportedly heading toward Louisiana.

One death has been confirmed in Oklahoma’s McCurtain County, though details were not immediately available, while authorities in Lamar County, Texas, said that 10 people were injured and at least 50 homes had been damaged or destroyed.

Photos and videos shared to Twitter showed the extent of the destruction on Friday, including destroyed houses, damaged vehicles and trees, and large amounts of debris.

Amber Nowaski, morning meteorologist with Texas’ KTEN News, shared a photo showing a house apparently completely destroyed.

“Per Paris FD [Fire Department], multiple people are reported trapped in their homes after a tornado passed through Powderly, Texas. This home was located in Powderly off 271 North,” Nowaski tweeted.

Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers shared a video to Twitter from Cason, Texas, showing a heavily damaged truck, broken trees and a significant amount of debris amid rain and flashes of lightning.

“Mt. Moriah Church & Hwy 49. I was first on the scene helping people under the debris that had serious injuries to the head where they were bleeding… People were screaming for help. This turned out to be the worst case scenario tonight across Texas,” Chicago & Midwest Storm Chasers tweeted.

Arkansas storm-tracker Zachary Hall also posted a video from Cason that showed another badly damaged vehicle, heavy rains and part of the law enforcement response.

“Significant #tornado damage in the Cason, Texas area,” Hall tweeted. “Large trees destroyed and vehicles heavily damaged. Strong law enforcement/first responder presence.”

Filmmaker Jared Christopher shared footage of tornado damage in Paris, Texas, that showed significant amounts of debris, including wood and other material that may have come from damaged homes.

In Oklahoma, the town of Idabel in McCurtain County was hit particularly hard with its church, medical center and school reportedly torn apart, accorded to the Associated Press (AP).

“Idabel took a direct hit, so there’s a lot of home damage, lots of lines down,” McCurtain County’s emergency manager Cody McDaniel told Fox Weather on Friday.

“It’s not safe,” McDaniel said, urging people to stay away from the area.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt wrote on Twitter that he was praying “for Oklahomans impacted by today’s tornadoes. Storms hit in Bryan, Choctaw, and Le Flore counties, among others. Additional flash flooding in some areas. Search & rescue teams and generators forwarded to the Idabel area.”

The governor said his office would work “diligently” with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (ODEMHS).

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted on Friday that he had “increased the State Operations Center’s readiness level to respond to the severe weather forecasted for the eastern half of Texas through late tonight.

“Texas – heed the guidance of emergency officials & stay safe,” Abbott wrote.