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Canton Tornado: At Least Four People Dead After Three Texas Tornadoes Strike East Of Dallas [Video]

Published on: April 30, 2017 at 1:53 PM
By Cia Young

At least four people are dead after a powerful storm ripped through Texas that brought with it three tornadoes. Hit hardest was Canton, an area east of Dallas, which experienced devastation from these massive forces of nature, much of which was caught on video.

Although authorities confirmed four people had died in Canton as a result of the storm, search and rescue workers are concerned that more victims may be found in the rubble left by the tornadoes once it has been removed, according to the Dallas News . In fact, the storm left a long trail of debris that spread along a 15-mile path.

One of those killed in the storm was reportedly a man in a vehicle that was apparently “tossed by the tornado along Highway 64” not far from Van Zandt County, according to Dallas News .

In addition to the fatalities, Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett told NBC DFW News that 49 people had been injured in the storm, calling the weather event, “heartbreaking” and “devastating.”

A spokesperson for the East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System told NBC DFW that 56 people had been treated at three different hospitals in the area. Six patients were still hospitalized, with two of them in critical condition.

A woman who witnessed and survived the deadly storm spoke to local news media outlet WFAA 8 ABC about what she experienced. Ernestine Cook said after the storm subsided, she quickly made her way to a local car dealership that was leveled by one of the tornadoes to find her son. She was thankful he was not at the location at the time.

Cook noted, “What could have happened. Thank God they weren’t here.” She also told WFAA that she made it to a local disaster shelter just before the storm’s impact. “It hit so hard, so fast. It just kept moving … I’ve never seen anything like it after 22 years of living here.”

According to NBC DFW , the auto dealership, Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton, was on Interstate 20 and maintained dozens of cars and trucks. The vehicles were tossed about by a tornado , leaving some of them upside down and on their sides.

On Sunday, authorities conducted door-to-door searches, while teams looked for gas leaks and dealt with fallen trees and downed power lines, NBC DFW reports.

Many people were visiting the Canton area on Saturday due to the First Monday Trade Days event, a collectible fair that takes place on a monthly basis, reports the Dallas News . Before the storm, a Facebook post regarding the fair stated, “Looks like we got some good news on the weather folks! Doesn’t look like storms until late this afternoon. How about a great, full day of shopping at First Monday Trade Days?! Come on out!”

According to the Dallas News , after the storm passed another Facebook post read, “It is now safe to say that aside from wind and flooding that the trade grounds are undamaged.”

According to KERA News , around 30 crews with Oncor were working to restore electricity to the region due to the downing of power lines from the storm.

Countless videos have been posted to the Internet by those who were close enough to witness the tornadoes and the devastation they left behind.

https://www.facebook.com/KVUEinsider/videos/10155466731166178/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=uVWZCzpGHE0

To help those who suffered devastation in Canton, people can contact the Red Cross of North Texas , according to 97.1 The Eagle Rocks . Shelters have also been set up for those who need assistance. They include the First Methodist Church Life Center at 600 S. Buffalo in Canton; Emory City Center at 735 Texas Street North in Emory; and Eustace High School at 318 FM 316 South in Eustace.

[Featured Image by Staff/Getty Images]

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