Tornadoes and severe storms tore through the Dallas area, killing eight people in the latest incident of deadly weather in the nation.
The suburb of Garland suffered significant damage when the storms pummeled the city Saturday evening.
Officials believe five of the deaths were related to vehicles struck by a tornado in the southeast part of Garland, police said.
Garland resident Pat McMillian said the tornado destroyed buildings and left his neighborhood in darkness.
“All I heard was the roaring of the tornado, and my mom told us to get in the bathroom,” McMillian said. “Then we went across the hall to make sure everyone was OK. The church across the street was destroyed.”
Afterward, they left the house.
“We are in our car now, and I’m not sure where we are going to go,” McMillian added. “It’s extremely hot, and there is no power.”
Three additional deaths were reported in Collin County, said Chris Havey, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. He declined to release any more information until authorities can fully assess the situation.
Garland authorities said there were injuries reported, but the number and conditions are not immediately available.
Other areas hit
Law enforcement officials and weather spotters also reported a large tornado near DeSoto, just south of Dallas.
There was also a report of a tornado in eastern Ellis County, the Fort Worth office of the National Weather Service said. It was unclear if it was the same tornado.
More extreme weather to come
Other parts of Texas were dealing with strong winds and precipitation, the weather service said.
And more extreme weather is forecast for Sunday, with an arctic cold front bringing a nasty mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain from west Texas to New Mexico.
“By Sunday morning, the snow, sleet and freezing rain will expand northeast across the southern Plains,” the National Weather Service said.
“Heavy snowfall amounts of 10 to 18 inches are forecast through Sunday evening across much of western/northwestern Texas, with 18 to 24 inches forecast across portions of New Mexico.”
Throw in some fierce winds, and parts of the Southwest could see 1.2 million people under a blizzard warning, the weather agency said.
In addition to snow, icy conditions and strong winds are expected from central Oklahoma up into Kansas, making the roads dangerous for driving.
Minnesota accident
The deaths from severe weather were not limited to the South.
In Minnesota, four people died in a weather-related car accident in Aitkin County, State Trooper Lt. Tiffani Nielson said.
The accident was one of more than 200 that happened on snow-covered roads that day, she said.