Tornado season continues to affect the southern part of the country. On Wednesday night, a tornado ripped through the small 600-person town of Matador (TX), leaving at least four dead and significant property damage to more than a dozen buildings:
The Matador, Texas tornado crossing Texas Highway 70 earlier this evening. @NWSLubbock @NWSAmarillo #txwx pic.twitter.com/ajJDnidiUv
— Daniel Shaw (@DanielShawAU) June 22, 2023
Significant tornado has went through Matador TX
Reports of multiple people trapped & 1 fatality so far - News 9#matador #texas #tornado #storm #iawx #breaking #news #breakingnews pic.twitter.com/BaAaQAf0Sq
— Crime With Bobby (@crimewithbobby) June 22, 2023
🚨#BREAKING: A Massive and Deadly Tornado has left a Trail of Catastrophic damage with multiple homes and businesses completely leveled ⁰⁰📌#Matador | #Texas
⁰Currently, several emergency crews and agencies are en route to the town of Matador, Texas, following a massive and… pic.twitter.com/oZjYiG5qtg— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 22, 2023
The small town, located about 300 miles northwest of Dallas, activated the tornado alert at 8 p.m. (local time) as the storm descended and swept through the town. National Weather Service meteorologist William Iwasko in Lubbock (TX) said that "based on the damage, it is most likely a tornado" but that an official designation would not be made until Thursday.
Matador Mayor Pat Smith was interviewed by The New York Times. During it, he confirmed that at least four people had died and many others were injured. He also reported that several emergency services were rescuing residents from collapsed houses: "It's very, very bad," he said.
The weather alert has been active since Wednesday night in Texas. The National Weather Service warned that the storm could be accompanied by hail and tornadoes in certain areas of Northern Texas. The storm caused the entire town of Matador to lose power. They were not the only ones in the state. The website Poweroutage.us showed that more than 120,000 customers were without power as of 3:24 a.m. (local time).
