LAGUNA HEIGHTS, Texas (AP) 鈥 One person was killed and a curfew was imposed after a powerful tornado tore through a community near the southern tip of Texas before dawn Saturday, damaging dozens of residences and knocking down power lines, authorities said.
At least 10 others were hospitalized, including two people who were listed in critical condition, said Tom Hushen, the emergency management coordinator for Cameron County. Many residents also suffered cuts and bruises.
A nighttime curfew for those 17 and under was issued by Eddie Trevi帽o Jr., the Cameron County judge, and is expected to end May 16 to 鈥渕itigate the effects of this public health and safety emergency.鈥 The order also forbids non-residents of Laguna Heights from entering its residential areas.
The tornado hit at about 4 a.m. as most people were in their homes asleep in the unincorporated community of Laguna Heights, located on the mainland across from South Padre Island, off the Gulf of Mexico. The county has among the highest poverty rates in Texas and is dotted with substandard housing.
There was no advance warning. Instead, the first warning of a tornado 鈥渨ent out at the same time it was touching ground,鈥 said Barry Goldsmith, a warning coordination meteorologist for the 春色直播 Weather Service in Brownsville.
鈥淲ith hurricanes we have the benefit of getting some advance warning; we know it鈥檚 probably on its way,鈥 Trevi帽o said during a Saturday press conference. 鈥淲ith a tornado, like Barry mentioned, it鈥檚 not a common scenario unless we have a hurricane/tropical cyclone in the area. So, we didn鈥檛 have the benefit of a warning."
"The hour didn鈥檛 help,鈥 Trevi帽o added.
Roberto Flores, 42, died after being 鈥渂asically crushed as a result of the damage to his mobile home," Trevi帽o said.
The storm was clocked with wind speeds of 86-110 mph (138-177 kph) and was categorized as an EF1 tornado, according to the weather service. It lasted only about two to four minutes but it ravaged the area.
As many as 60 homes were damaged. The county judge signed a disaster declaration, and a temporary shelter in the nearby city of Port Isabel was providing help to 38 people.
鈥淎pparently it went straight through that community,鈥 said county sheriff Eric Garza. 鈥淚ndividuals don鈥檛 want to leave their houses because they鈥檙e afraid that somebody will go in there and start stealing stuff.鈥
Garza said his department is helping provide security for the area.
Laguna Heights is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of the U.S.-Mexico border at Brownsville and is not prone to having tornados, although this spring has been active, said weather service meteorologist Angelica Soria. The area is also gearing up for the start of hurricane season.
The Texas tornado follows an outbreak of in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado that caused damage but no reported deaths.
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Gonzalez reported from McAllen, Texas, and Miller reported from Oklahoma City.
