Texas tornado news: Shocking drone footage reveals scale of destruction in Perryton as victims named
Follow updates on the tornado which tore through small Texas town of Perryton
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Your support makes all the difference.An 11-year-old boy was among three people killed by the massive tornado which tore through a Texas Panhandle town on Thursday.
Becky Randall, a woman in her 60s, was found in a print shop, and Cindy Bransgrove, a woman also in her 60s, was discovered in a food bank, Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard said.
The body of an 11-year-old boy, Matthew Ramirez, was found in a trailer park.
The twister hit Perryton, a town of around 8,000 people close to the Oklahoma border, on Thursday around 5pm local time and left a mile-long trail of destruction, the National Weather Service reported.
A mobile home park took a “direct hit” from the tornado, Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher said. In addition to the fatalities, up to 100 people are being treated for injuries ranging from minor to severe.
More than 200,000 customers were without power in Texas on Friday afternoon, according to utility tracker Poweroutage.us. In Ochiltree County, home to Perryton, 91 per cent of customers were cut off.
In a separate incident, one person died late on Thursday in the Florida Panhandle when a tornado ripped through Escambia County and downed a tree on a home, The Associated Press reported.
IN PICTURES: Destruction caused by tornado in Perryton
WATCH: Texas tornado captured crossing through Perryton by locals
Perryton hospital offer services to those injured in tornado
Ochiltree General Hospital, a local hospital in Perryton, Texas, has posted on its Facebook page offering medical services to people injured in the devastating tornado that ripped through the city.
“If you need medical treatment we are here. We are staffed, we have supplies, we have room,” Ochiltree wrote.
The hospital said they had oxygen available for people in need of it and invited residents to walk in and request oxygen from the hospital’s respitatory team.
Perryton fire department firehouse destroyed
The Perryton Fire Department and EMS said in a Facebook post that their firehouse had been completely destroyed in the tornado but that the EMS’s trucks and ambulances were driveable.
“Tornado on ground for at least 1 mile and 1/4 mile wide!” They wrote. “The Fire Department took a direct hit, our trucks and ambulances are driveable.”
Photos of the are where the firehouse once stood show flattened land with some of the structure remaining with extensive damage.
Perryton Fire and EMS wrote: ”We have alot of work in the days ahead to heal our community! A HUGE thanks to all the first responders from out 3 state area that came to assist!”
More than 200 homes destroyed in Perryton
Footage posted on social media shows the devastating impact of the deadly tornado that hit Perryton, Texas on Thursday (15 June) evening.
Over 200 homes are estimated to be destroyed in the town, including the Perryton Firehouse.
Where is Perryton, Texas?
Perryton, Texas is a city located in the north Panhandle approximately 10 miles from Oklahoma.
The closest major city is Amarillo which is approximately 90 miles from Perryton.
More severe weather to hit Perryton
After a tornado ravaged the city of Perryton, Texas – more severe weather may be in store as the state experiences intense heat.
The National Weather Service said the area could face thunderstorms on Friday (16 June) afternoon across the Texas Panhandle.
“A few storms may become severe, with large hail and damaging winds with the primary hazards.”
Through the weekend and next week, the area is expected to face storms that could be severe with the possibility of isolated tornadoes.
When it comes to climate change and tornadoes, mysteries remain
Scientists are increasingly able to link global temperature rise to heatwaves, droughts, flash flooding and hurricanes.
But figuring out what impact a hotter world will have on tornadoes is more complicated.
Louise Boyle reports:
When it comes to climate change and tornadoes, mysteries remain
The United States experiences more tornadoes than any other country
Victims of tornado identified
Three people died on Thursday after a tornado ripped through the town of Perryton, Texas, Ochiltree County Sheriff Terry Bouchard told ABC News.
Those victims have been identified as Becky Randall, Cindy Bransgrove and Matthew Ramirez.
Randall, a woman in her 60s, was found in a print shop.
Bransgrove, a woman in her 60s, was found in a food bank.
Ramirez, an 11-year-old boy, was found in a trailer park.
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