The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Temple on Wednesday and local officials issued an emergency declaration in the city of more than 90,000 people.
Thousands of residents lost power, schools canceled classes for Thursday and nearby Fort Cavazos reported significant debris blocking traffic at the Army installation. Officials will survey damage from Morgan's Point to Temple to Seaton in eastern Bell County.
At least 30 homes were damaged along with businesses, structures, power lines, and trees. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The twister was spawned during a historic tornado season in the U.S., at a time when climate change is heightening the severity of storms around the world. April had the second-highest number of tornadoes on record in the country.
Through Tuesday, 859 tornadoes had been confirmed this year, 27% more than the U.S. sees on average, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Iowa has so far recorded the most, with 81 confirmed twisters.
On Tuesday alone, the National Weather Service said it received 23 tornado reports, with 21 in Iowa.
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