Runaway Bay and Springtown residents faced storm damage after a slow-moving supercell moved through northern Texas late Saturday, leaving at least two people dead and displacing families across both communities, officials said. Wise County Judge J.D. Clark said emergency crews worked through debris and blocked roadways after the storm, which officials described as producing tornadoes and widespread home damage.
Clark said the tornado-producing thunderstorm killed at least one person in Runaway Bay and destroyed or heavily damaged multiple homes. He said access was difficult because of blocked roadways and downed utilities, but responders continued clearing debris to reach damaged homes and provide medical care where needed.
Clark added that the storm struck Springtown as well, where Parker County Assistant Fire Chief David Pruitt said a second person died south of the city limits. Pruitt, in an email, said the Springtown area saw “significant damage,” and he pointed to outages affecting many residents as one of the biggest immediate problems.
Officials said the storm moved southeast during its track through the region around 10 p.m. Saturday. Meteorologist Patricia Sanchez of the Fort Worth weather service office said the supercell traveled through the area after forming near Wichita Falls, near the Oklahoma border, and then passed just west of Fort Worth, with both towns located within that path.
The National Weather Service later confirmed the tornado strength ratings after teams assessed damage. The service said an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 135 mph touched down in the Runaway Bay area, while an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 105 mph struck the Springtown area.
Weather service radar also detected a “potentially large and extremely dangerous” tornado near Azle at 10:14 p.m. Saturday, which was described as about 10 miles southeast of Springtown.