A powerful storm ripped through the North Texas city of Mineral Wells Tuesday evening and caused serious damage, authorities said. The fire chief noted the storm appears to have been a tornado. Mineral Wells is located about 45 miles west of Fort Worth.
The storm appeared to have blown through an industrial park, shredding buildings, ripping apart roofs and scattering debris across the area. Metal was wrapped around poles and an HVAC plant was heavily damaged, but employees had been sent home ahead of the storm. Mayor Regan Johnson confirmed two major manufacturers were impacted, though there wasn’t an estimate yet as to how many employees would face job displacement.
Debris, downed trees, and leaning power lines littered the area. First responders continued to assess the damage overnight.
City officials said Tuesday night that several people were injured and two were brought to Palo Pinto General Hospital, but no critical injuries or deaths were reported. Officials affirmed this in an update shared Wednesday morning in a press conference, noting that three more people who were hurt were also brought to a hospital via private vehicle.
Mineral Wells Fire Chief Ryan Dunn also said on Wednesday that several other people who were hurt refused transport to the hospital.
Dunn said one of the patients taken to the hospital via ambulance faced a traumatic injury; the other faced a medical issue.
Dunn said the National Weather Service informed him prior to a press conference that a tornado did appear to have hit Mineral Wells, with a preliminary rating of EF-2. The NWS office in Fort Worth later confirmed the tornado itself and the rating.
Officials said other parts of the community, including nearby neighborhoods, were also impacted. Police Chief Tim Dennison said Oncor estimated about 2,200 customers were without power as of Wednesday morning, with that number including both residential and business customers.
City officials said curfew has been put in place for the Fort Wolters area via a Declaration of Emergency Powers. Those areas include the following locations:
- Energy Avenue (Country Club Estates) to the west
- US Highway 180 to the south
- Washington Avenue to the east
- Armstead Drive to the north
The curfew was in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday night through 6 a.m. Wednesday, and will now occur nightly from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. until further notice. The city government said people are not permitted to travel or remain within the impacted area unless authorized during the curfew.
Johnson said emergency leaders would work to coordinate with volunteers who want to help after utility crews clear the area of possible hazards. She also said online links would be set up for both volunteers and for people seeking to offer monetary donations and directed people to the city’s Facebook page and website for more updates.
Officials said the area from Country Club Estates to Lake Mineral Wells State Park along Highway 180 had confirmed structural damage. First responders were on scene and assessing the situation.
Much of North Texas had been under repeated rounds of severe thunderstorms throughout the afternoon and evening, with tornado warnings, damaging winds and large hail affecting multiple counties as storms continue to track across the region.
