LINDALE -- A savage thunderstorm that included two confirmed tornadoes caused severe damage in the East Texas town of Lindale on Friday.
Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said several injuries were reported, but fallen tree limbs and power lines slowed first-responders from reaching some areas.
A trained storm spotter saw a tornado near Lindale shortly before 6 p.m. Friday.
Smith County: Approaching Tornado, taken just East of Lindale, earlier. (Courtesy: Cindy Nash) #etxwx pic.twitter.com/FTZ5idmHh9
— DOC DEASON (@docdeason) April 30, 2016
By late Saturday, the National Weather Service had confirmed two EF-2 tornadoes with peak winds of 125 mph.
Video from the town 85 miles east of Dallas shows some retail buildings with collapsed walls and roofs. Through the overnight hours, Smith County employees worked to clear downed trees from roadways. Some roads in Smith County remained closed on Saturday morning.
The Lindale Area Chamber of Commerce posted this on Facebook at about 7 p.m.:
In Upshur County, officials said 15 to 20 homes were damaged or destroyed in Big Sandy, about 100 miles east of Dallas.
No injuries have been reported.
