'Extremely Dangerous' Tornado South of Dallas, TX

[Friends just call me Ross]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/death-toll-reaches-severe-storms-south/story?id=35955662

 

 

Threat was supposed to end at 8 CT but skywarnings still reporting on tornado activity going on.  

 

 

A "large and extremely dangerous" tornado was confirmed south of Dallas, Texas Saturday afternoon as the death toll from severe storms throughout the South this week has risen to 17.

 

I pray all our brothers and sisters in these areas remain safe.  

[Friends just call me Ross]

Tornado struck Birmingham, Alabama, yesterday.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/12/26/severe-weather-slams-south-new-system-looms/77916140/

 

 

 

A tornado touched down Saturday outside of Dallas, damaging homes and fueling tornado warnings in the area as other parts of the state braced for what some forecasters are calling a "historic" blizzard.

Severe storms in the metro area spawned tornadoes that destroyed homes, according to Stephanie Parker, emergency manager for Ellis County, Texas, AP reported.

"We have destroyed and damaged homes," she tweeted. "Please do not get out on the roads if you do not have to."

A family of four were trapped inside a destroyed house and were tweeting messages asking for help, according to another police report.

The storm closed Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport for about an hour. TheNational Weather Service in Fort Worth confirmed a tornado touched down south of Dallas.

Earlier Saturday, the National Weather Service warned the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles to be ready for a historic blizzard that could dump 6 to 15 inches of snow. Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas, were in the path of storm.

A blizzard warning goes into effect for the region at 6 p.m. Saturday and lasts until Monday morning. High winds are forecast to drop wind chills to as low as 10 degrees below zero. Blizzard warnings were also in effect for parts of northern and central New Mexico.

Ice could also create travel headaches Sunday into Monday from west-central Texas to central Oklahoma, central Kansas, southeastern Nebraska and southwestern Iowa.

The system comes after days of unseasonably warm weather fueled torrential rain and deadly storms in the southern U.S. this week, leaving at least 18 people in three states dead by Saturday. Flash floods hit Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi on Christmas Day. Flood warnings remained in effect for parts of northern Alabama on Saturday.

Damage was limited after a tornado touched down around 5 p.m. Friday just 10 miles outside Birmingham, Ala., knocking down trees in a working class neighborhood. Several people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries and some were trapped inside damaged homes, Lt. Sean Edwards, a Birmingham police spokesman told the Associated Press.

[Tbs77]

From my fleshly family in the metro area:

[Greg Dent]

That is the system that is hitting southern ontario now. Lots of freezing rain and snow. They canceled the meeting in Bancroft Ont for wed night because of the snow they are expecting. Pretty wild.

 

hope our friends in Texas are all ok. 

[Qapla]

My SIL is trying to drive home tonight from NM to Florida - she is hoping they will be behind the storms that just went through Texas and ahead of the ones coming.