MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Vicious winds tore through Mineral Wells on Tuesday, officials said, flattening buildings, stripping roofs and damaging homes across parts of the small city. Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said crews saw “a lot of debris” and “a lot of roofs off” before they began “seeing buildings collapse.” Five people were injured and taken for treatment as the storm left neighborhoods with shattered windows and displaced furniture, Dunn said.
One resident, Christopher Hester, described how the tornado entered his duplex apartment, beginning with the sound of breaking glass and furniture striking walls before the roof was ripped away. Hester said he and his wife grabbed their dog and moved into a hallway as the storm intensified, and he later stood among the remaining debris with his belongings scattered. “It was kind of hard to see because of the debris,” Hester said Wednesday. He said he was able to see the tornado and that “all of my stuff go into the sky.” Hester also said he and his wife searched Wednesday for their two missing cats and for items they could salvage from the wreckage.
The National Weather Service sent a team Wednesday to survey the damage about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Dallas, according to meteorologist Allison Prater in Fort Worth. Prater said the tornado touched down in Mineral Wells with winds of at least 120 mph (193 kph). Officials confirmed the storm’s injuries and destruction after they first assessed damage in the city, which has a population of about 15,000, AP reported.
Local officials held a news conference Wednesday, with Mayor Regan Johnson expressing relief that the tornado did not kill anyone. Johnson told reporters, “We are most grateful for no loss of life in this event yesterday,” adding, “When you see the destruction that’s here, you can tell that’s really amazing.” Police Chief Tim Denison said the city declared a local state of disaster and imposed an overnight curfew that would remain in place Wednesday.
Dunn said most of the area hit by the tornado was used for commercial and industrial purposes, though some homes were also damaged. He said at least two manufacturers suffered heavy damage, including Ventamatic, which makes large fans and other ventilation equipment in Mineral Wells. Ventamatic said on its website that employees evacuated ahead of the storm and none were injured, and it said operations were shut down Wednesday because of “severe damage and ongoing safety hazards.”
Beyond the damage to structures, the storm also disrupted electricity in Texas. PowerOutage.us reported more than 9,000 homes and businesses without power on Wednesday afternoon, including about 230 outages in the Mineral Wells area.