Posted on 05/05/2002 8:16:52 PM PDT by HAL9000
HAPPY, Texas (AP) -- A tornado swept through a western Texas town Sunday night, killing four people and injuring others.An unknown number of people were missing, said Mary Lenz, spokeswoman for the State Division of Emergency Management.
Twenty homes were heavily damaged along Interstate 27 in Happy, a small town about 30 miles south of Amarillo.
Numerous injuries were reported, city secretary Patricia Simms said.
"We've been trying to call people ... trying to make sure everyone's OK,'' said Leta Smith, who lives outside Happy. "I got a hold of most of our relatives, and it looks like they are all OK.''
Authorities from nearby communities were helping with cleanup and recovery operations.
The tornado was one of at least five reported in the state Sunday. No major injuries or damage was reported from those storms.
(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
That's not very funny!
Stay Safe !
I hope they find those missing people ..
Real weird weather as everything west of I-27 was shooting due north and everything on east side of the highway wound up going East , North East and just skimmed south of my house. Whole lot of damage...... It's a wonder more were'nt killed.
Stay Safe !
Stay Safe !
Stay Safe !
05/05/2002
HAPPY, Texas -- At least four people were killed and 20 homes were heavily damaged after a tornado swept through this West Texas town Sunday night.
Mary Lenz, spokeswoman for the State Division of Emergency Management, said an unknown number of people were missing after the twister hit the south side of Happy.
City secretary Patricia Simms said the damaged homes were located along Interstate 27, and there were numerous injuries.
Authorities from nearby communities were on the scene helping with cleanup and recovery operations. The Red Cross had set up a shelter in the town of 647 residents.
"We've got departments from all over the area helping at this time," volunteer firefighter Kirk Williams said.
Happy is in Swisher County, about 30 miles south of Amarillo.
Tonya Smith and her husband were driving into Happy when they saw the tornado form.
"It happened so suddenly, we thought it was just a really big dust devil. It was right beside us. We stopped and watched it until we realized what it was," Tonya Smith said. "Our daughter and two grandchildren were here in town by themselves so I was kinda freaking out for them."
The tornado was one of at least six reported in West Texas and the Panhandle. There were no immediate reports of injuries from the other tornadoes.
A frontal system pushing through the area sparked the outbreak of severe weather, which included torrential rain, baseball-size hail and strong, gusty winds.
In Lamb County, a tornado toppled power lines, leaving some residents in Littlefield, west of Lubbock, without electricity, a county dispatcher said.
One home in Littlefield was severely damaged, Lenz said.
There were reports of baseball-size hail about 10 miles south of Littlefield, the National Weather Service said.
In Deaf Smith County, a storm spotter said one tornado briefly swirled about eight miles north of Highway 60 and Farm-to-Market Road 809.
About 30 miles south of Amarillo, another twister touched down several miles west of Dawn, according to the National Weather Service.
Tornadoes also struck in nearby Umbarger in Randall County, as well as in northeastern Hall County.
Happy was made famous in the 1999 film "Happy, Texas." Starring William H. Macy, it follows the offbeat adventures of two escaped convicts who get confused for traveling beauty pageant gurus.
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