Spring Storm 2014 Tornado Watch Update: Texas, Arkansas Dealing With Aftermath of Severe Storms
Texas and Arkansas are dealing with the messy aftermath of severe thunderstorms that pummeled the states Thursday with heavy rain and winds as high as 70 miles per hour.
According to Local Texas station KWTX, severe weather is expected to continue Friday throughout the central United States, bringing hail and heavy winds.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, about 200 homes were without power Friday, which is down from 34,000 that were without power Thursday.
The storms tore apart roofs, destroyed the facades of buildings and felled trees. In Dallas, the facade of the New Beginning Covenant Ministries Church was torn off by the intense storm.
Althea Harrington, the sister of the church's pastor, told the Dallas Morning News that no one was in the building at the time of the storm because services were canceled because of the inclement weather.
She said a similar storm damaged the church two years ago, and they were forced to make repairs.
"Last time the roof was blown off," Harrington said. "I don't know what we are going to do."
Five teens were also rescued Thursday from a creek in southern Dallas after up to four inches of rain flooded the creek.
Emergency crews were called when a neighbor noticed that the five teen boys, who had skipped school Thursday, were in the Woody Branch Creek Thursday morning. It is not yet clear if they were playing in the floodwaters or if they were swept into the creek by the storm.
All five teens were taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.
"They were very lucky to make it out okay," said Lt. Robert Brey of the Fire-Rescue Swift Water team. "When you have that many who are still alive after being stuck in the water, it is pretty miraculous."
Winds also destroyed a mobile home in Joshua, which is 45 miles southwest of Dallas. A mother and child were injured in the mobile home, but their wounds are not life-threatening.
More than a half-foot of rain fell within 24 hours in western Arkansas, which caused massive flooding because of the overflow of streams and creeks. A number of people were rescued from the dangerously high waters.