Topline
At least four people were killed and 10 others were injured after a series of tornadoes hit a northwestern Texas town on Wednesday, according to local officials, while more than 220,000 people are without power throughout the state Thursday morning.
People stand near debris in Matador, Texas.
Key Facts
The Lubbock Fire Department said Thursday that Matador, Texas—a town with an estimated 600 residents—had “experienced an unprecedented tornado,” which the National Weather Service said caused “significant damage” to the town.
As of 9:30 a.m. EST Thursday, 221,801 people are without power in Texas, according to PowerOutage.us.
Three tornadoes were reported across Texas on Wednesday, in addition to eight other tornadoes reported across three other states, including Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska.
Severe weather—including hail up to two inches in diameter—also caused up to 90 people to be injured at a concert near Denver, according to the West Metro Fire Department, while seven people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Crucial Quote
Matt Ziebel, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Lubbock, Texas, told the Associated Press that Wednesday “was definitely a rare combination of high-end wind shear and storms of extreme instability.”
What To Watch For
Severe weather is expected to continue across the U.S., with more than 42 million people under a marginal risk of severe weather, according to the National Weather Service. Texas is also expected to continue experiencing record-breaking temperatures, with 10 million people under heat alerts across southern Texas.
Key Background
A series of tornadoes on Wednesday comes less than a week after a deadly tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle, killing four people. The storm caused more than 580,000 people to be without power the following morning. The National Weather Service noted the severe weather and heat wave are a result of El Niño, which often results in twice the number of annual tornado warnings compared to La Niña years.
Further Reading
Severe Weather Leaves 580,000 Americans Without Power In Southeast After Tornados Kill Four (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/06/22/deadly-tornadoes-hit-texas-again-at-least-4-dead-220000-without-power/