Tex. Hospital Receives Dozens of Injured Patients After Tornado Outbreak
May 02--Two tornadoes tore though eastern Henderson County on Saturday night, destroying homes and snapping trees from their trunks. Dozens were injured in the storms, some critically. At least four people were killed in Van Zandt County.
East Texas Medical Center hospitals in Tyler, Athens and Cedar Creek Lake treated a total of 56 patients from the tornadoes. As of Monday, ETMC Athens still had two patients being treated for storm-related injuries. They were in fair condition. ETMC Tyler reported four patients, with one remaining in critical condition.
The National Weather Service is still investigating the East Texas tornado outbreak. According to preliminary reports, the first began 5:29 p.m., about 2 miles south/southeast of Eustace. The twister traveled 23.5 miles to a spot 5 miles north/northwest of Canton. According to NWS, damage to about five homes was observed where the exterior walls collapsed in estimated 145 mph winds. Several cars and numerous manufactured homes were damaged in the central part of the tornado's path.
Minutes after the Eustace tornado, at about 5:41 p.m., National Weather Service reported another twister originated near Log Cabin.
It picked up steam along its path, ultimately bringing devastation in the Canton area. The tornado produced winds of 140 miles per hour along a 55.5 mile route and grew to be an estimated mile wide.
The two tornadoes that began in Henderson County were the strongest of the multiple tornados reported in the area on Saturday, NWS said.
The Eustace Independent School District cancelled classes for Monday, but school officials anticipated reopening on Tuesday.
In the aftermath of the Eustace tornado, Theresa Melton returned to the ruins of her home on Farm-to-Market Road 2709 on Sunday. Community members, church members and friends helped her go through the wreckage to save anything of value.
Melton had a bandaged arm and other minor scrapes, but was thankful to have survived the fierce storm that leveled her house and her mother's next door.
"We just finished the houses last October," Melton said.
A makeshift clothesline was set up to dry clothing that was recovered. Stacks were made of debris to be removed and things that were salvageable. One of the dozens of workers on hand said it was hard to tell what came from one house and what was from the other. On the perimeter of the property were uprooted and broken trees.
Melton said they were at home when the tornado struck and were lifted up for a short time.
"It was scary," Melton said.
Three dogs also made it through the storm, although one was under some of the rubble until Sunday morning.
"But he seems to be fine," Melton said.
The Henderson County Sheriff's Office set up the mobile command center in the parking lot outside Eustace City Hall. A trailer load of water was being dispersed to workers and citizens who needed it.
"A lot of them that lost power are on wells, so without electricity, they don't have any water," Sheriff Botie Hillhouse said.
Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative reported extensive infrastructure damage. Power was lost in western Van Zandt County, eastern Kaufman County and parts of northern Henderson County. Electricity was not expected to be restored in many of the areas until Monday or later.
According to TVEC, delays set the restoration time for the Mabank substation to 5 p.m. on Monday.
Monday afternoon, about 600 meters were reported out in Henderson County.
Oncor Electric reported almost all Henderson County power restored by Monday afternoon and less than 200 remained in Van Zandt County.
Eustace area storm damage brought Precinct 2 workers out to clear more than a dozen roads blocked by debris and trees. The tornado passed less than 2,000 feet from Pct. 2 headquarters on U.S. Highway 175. The precinct offices were operating on generator power due to the loss of electrical service.
Pct. 2 Commissioner Wade McKinney said they were coordinating with Pct. 1, Pct 3 and Pct. 4 to remove debris that had been moved off the roadway into the right-of-way.
The National Weather Service reports preliminary data places them at F3 on the Fuji Scale. A tornado of that magnitude can cause severe damage such as, "Roofs and some walls torn off well-constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in forest uprooted; heavy cars lifted off the ground and thrown."
The final rating could come in several weeks.
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