At least seven people are dead, close to 100 injured and more than 200 structures have been destroyed as a result of the severe storms in North Texas late Saturday, confirmed Governor Greg Abbott during a press conference Sunday.
His thoughts were with the family in Valley View who lost two children during the tornado, a two-year-old and a five-year-old.
Denton, Collin, Cooke and Montague counties have been added to the state Disaster Declaration signed by Governor Greg Abbott bringing the total to 106 counties. Governor Abbott thanked FEMA along with the state's Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Safety, the National Guard and the Forest Service for their aid in the rescue operations.
Abbott says they are on the last round of search and rescue and will be moving to aid and supply operations to assist those who need it. He says Valley View Methodist church is providing food and water, and First Baptist Church and Red Cross are providing temporary housing.
The storms moved through northern counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area just before midnight Saturday. According to KRLD's media partner NBC 5, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said much of the damage was centered just south of Valley View.
There were not any deaths immediately reported in Denton County, but the Denton County Fire Department said there were multiple people trapped at the marina at Lake Ray Roberts just after midnight.
Late Saturday, a tornado crossed into northern Denton County in Texas and overturned tractor-trailer trucks, stopping traffic on Interstate 35, Denton County Community Relations Director Dawn Cobb said in a statement.
The tornado was confirmed near Valley View, moving east at 40 mph, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tornado warning for northern Denton County, Cobb said.
The storm damaged homes, overturned motorhomes and knocked down power lines and trees throughout the area including points in Sanger, Pilot Point, Ray Roberts Lake, and Isle du Bois State Park, Cobb said.
People who suffered injuries in the storm were transported to area hospitals by ground and air ambulances, but the number of injuries in the county was not immediately known, Cobb said, while a shelter was opened in Sanger.
The fire department in the city of Denton posted on X that emergency personnel were responding to a marina “for multiple victims, some reported trapped.”
Earlier Saturday night, the National Weather Service's office in Norman, Oklahoma, said via the social platform X that the warning was for northern Noble and far southern Kay counties, an area located to the north of Oklahoma City. “If you are in the path of this storm take cover now!” it said.
A following post at 10:05 p.m. said storms had exited the area but warned of a storm moving across North Texas that could affect portions of south central Oklahoma.
At 10:24 p.m., the weather service office in Fort Worth posted a message warning residents in Era and Valley View they were in the direct path of a possible tornado and to immediately seek shelter. The Forth Worth office continued to post notices and shelter warnings tracking the movement of the storm through midnight and separately issued a severe thunderstorm warning with “golf ball sized hail” possible.
The Denton County Office has shared information for anyone wishing to help those affected by the storms. The public can donate HERE.
First Baptist Church in Valley View located at 503 N Lee St. has been opened as a shelter for anyone affected. Pets are allowed.
Another shelter has also opened in Sanger at the Sanger ISD Indian Gym for those impacted by the storms in Sanger. The shelter will remain open overnight, according to the latest Denton County information.
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