3 Killed, Over 100 Injured as Tornado Sweeps Through Texas Panhandle Town, Local Official Says

At least three people are dead and more than 100 injured by a destructive tornado that swept through the northern Texas town of Perryton on Thursday afternoon, local authorities said.

Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher told ABC News the tornado caused considerable destruction in the northern and eastern parts of the town. In addition to the fatalities and injuries he reported, trailer houses have been demolished, and communication towers have been toppled as a result of the tornado’s impact.

Crews from power provider Xcel Energy are assisting in removing lines from cars and across the roads, the company said in a statement.

“We are patrolling the transmission feeds into the city and also assessing possible damage at the main substation in town,” Xcel Energy stated. “One of the three main transmission feeds into the city was apparently undamaged, but we deenergized it for safety reasons.”

“It’s bad, it’s very bad. It’s non-stop crazy. It couldn’t have hit in a more vulnerable place,” Mayor Kerry Symons said by telephone, adding that he would be unable to say how many people had died until Friday morning.

Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy state emergency response resources to provide support and assistance to protect Texans impacted by the tornadoes.

“I encourage all Texans to heed the guidance of state and local officials and to take all necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones,” Abbott said in a statement. “We remain ready to quickly provide any additional resources needed over the course of this severe weather event.”

The TDEM has mobilized several state resources to aid in the response to the tornadoes in Perryton, according to Abbott’s office. Road crews from the Texas Department of Transportation are tasked with supporting traffic control and monitoring road conditions. A response team from Public Works will assist in the restoration of water, wastewater, and other utilities.

Emergency medical crews have also been dispatched in strike teams to provide urgent medical help while Urban Search and Rescue teams have been activated to help in rescue operations.

Game Wardens from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have also been mobilized to aid in the response efforts, along with saw crews from Texas A&M Forest Service and Incident Management Teams.

The Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton, a town of 8,000 people, had yet to receive any dead, but some people with life-threatening injuries were transferred to larger medical centers in Amarillo, Debbie Beck, the hospital’s chief financial officer, said by telephone.

Beck said that up to 100 people with injuries ranging from scratches to a collapsed lung were treated at the hospital in Perryton. She did not know how many had been transferred to Amarillo.

This is a developing story. Reuters contributed to this report.