There was widespread damage throughout Franklin, Texas. KWTX Brady Taylor said at least two mobile homes were damaged, cars were overturned and power lines were down. Taylor also said there was a strong smell of natural gas. Tiffany Witherspoon with the Robertson County Sheriff's Office said there was "quite a bit of injuries, but no fatalities." Firefighters in Franklin went home to home to check on people. And law enforcement was asking people to avoid the town until further notice while residents begin to clean up. For people trying to check on loved ones, they can call the Pridgion Center in Franklin at (979) 828-3276. Those who were injured were being sent to The Methodist Church to be checked out. For people who were displaced, the First Baptist Church of Franklin opened its doors as a shelter. A supervisor at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bryan said they had not received any injured patients as of 1:30 p.m. People were also asked to call the Robertson County Sheriff's Office to report down powered lines.<doc-sep>My cousin shared these tornado damage pics with me taken by her sister in law, Jamie Gober. The pics are from Franklin, TX. #txwx #franklin #Tornado #damage pic.twitter.com/sl77TchjPI — Colby Pope (@weathercolby) April 13, 2019 A tornado struck the small town of Franklin, Texas on April 13, 2019, leaving behind damage and unconfirmed reports of injuries. Some people posted photos and videos to social media showing damaged homes and felled trees. You can see some of those pictures and videos throughout this article. However, there were no deaths and authorities later said those injured totaled nine. Robertson County Judge Charles L. Ellison said at a press conference: “We’ve got about half of Texas come to help us, and we’ve lost about half of the South Side of Franklin. It’s totally destroyed. People from Austin and San Antonio have come to help.” The local sheriff said the damage was the worst he’d seen in more than 20 years. However, there were no deaths in Franklin, he told CNN. (There were also reports of dozens injured at the Caddo Mounds Historic Site in Texas. You can read about that here.) The sheriff said more than a dozen people were hurt with many damaged homes: More than a dozen people hurt after a possible tornado rips through Franklin, TX the county sheriff tells me. "Lots" of homes destroyed. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/SrscQy3QCF — Brett Buffington (@BrettKHOU) April 13, 2019 KWTX-TV reported that the town took a “direct hit” from the tornado. CNN reported that there were “multiple people injured,” and emergency vehicles were having a difficult time getting through the debris in the area. #BREAKING: First glimpse of damage in Franklin, Texas after a tornado moved through the area. #TXwx pic.twitter.com/L65CJwxbQc — Nick Merianos (@NickMerianos) April 13, 2019 There was also a tornado reported in Alto, Texas, according to CNN, which added that the danger from tornadoes and severe weather in Texas and Louisiana was ongoing on the afternoon of April 13. There have not been any reports of deaths so far, however. More Snapchat videos from #Franklin Texas of #tornado damage. (I do not own these videos) pic.twitter.com/WLL10gogGL — Mikey ?? (@MambaMike13) April 13, 2019 “The town of Franklin, TX, which is between Waco and College Station, took a direct hit from a tornado around 11:30-11:45am. Listening to scanner traffic, a search and rescue operation is underway. 10 injuries so far, one serious,” wrote Steve Kersh, chief meteorologist for ABC7 Amarillo. For everyone wondering where Franklin & Buffalo Texas are, here’s a map. #txwx Possible tornado re damaging weather ☔️⛈? Central Texas 2019 pic.twitter.com/KIC5Cm0gNi — Cheaptarts ?? (@Cheaptarts) April 13, 2019 This photo circulated on Facebook: One Snapchat video showed a massive fallen tree in the road. The Robertson County Sheriff’s Department said there were injuries but the severity of them was not yet clear. Snapchat video of a large fallen tree on the side of the road in #Franklin Texas, probably caused by the #tornado that tore through there not too long ago. (I do not own this video) pic.twitter.com/tF6yvM4zdR — Mikey ?? (@MambaMike13) April 13, 2019 Here’s what you need to know: Photos Showed Building Damage From the Franklin Tornado, Which Was Described as Violent & Having Multiple Touchdowns Robert and Jamie Gober captured these images from the tornado damage in Franklin, TX. Please keep our friends and families here in Robertson County in your thoughts today. Information to follow on how you can help those in need. pic.twitter.com/UvfGWsy45f — Texas Premier (@texpremier) April 13, 2019 People took to Twitter to share damage reports. “man the tornado hit my aunts church out there in franklin ☹️ easter is next weekend man that sucks,” wrote one woman. Heavy damage in Franklin after a tornado touched down in the area earlier this morning ?courtesy: Dennis Phillips pic.twitter.com/uYKUwz4T9y — Mike Lucas (@KAGS_Lucas) April 13, 2019 Weather.com reported that the twister “began south of Calvert, in Robertson County, before hitting the town of Franklin, home to more than 1,000 residents.” According to Weather.com, trees were ‘snapped’ and cars were “blown off the road.” James Sinko, Weather Channel meteorologist, wrote, “Per Robertson County #Texas Comm Center. Triage is being set up & injury “tagging” in progress. This is due to Severe Tornado Damage in Franklin.” Sinko wrote later, “The Community Center in Franklin has 30 Residents seeking shelter. City Officials bringing Food, Water & Supplies. If you are NOT injured head to the Community Center for Shelter if needed!” ?️? ?Siguen saliendo imágenes de los daños que a dejado el paso de un tornado en Franklin Texas EE.UU?? pic.twitter.com/pMKSpCK15A — Mundo Noticias FCRTV (@eduardocr04) April 13, 2019 Burton Fitzsimmons, meteorologist for Spectrum News Texas, wrote, “What’s being called a large & violent tornado reportedly touched down this morning in the small town of #Franklin, TX, about 85 miles NE of #Austin up hwy 79. Numerous injuries have been reported according to scanner traffic. Multiple touchdowns.” You can follow the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth page on Twitter for updated weather alerts in that region of Texas. “11:27 AM: Those on US-79 northeast of Franklin (Robertson Co) need to find shelter immediately. A damaging tornado is likely ongoing just northeast of town. There are reports of damage just outside of Franklin. #ctxwx” the page wrote right before the tornado hit. Photos and videos also circulated of damage in Alto, Texas: One woman said the scene in Alto resembled a movie: @TravisABC13 My sister just drove though Alto, Texas where she said the damage was much worse than her pictures could capture. Tornado? Everyone was standing in the streets…feels like a movie ? pic.twitter.com/1JfKY6Wgdy — Mrs. Lipschutz (@TeachLipschutz) April 13, 2019 This post is being updated as more information is learned about injuries.<doc-sep>
A twister dipping out of a storm system sweeping across the South Saturday caused widespread damage and some injuries when it hit the town of Franklin, Texas, according to media reports. The town of 1,600 people, located 150 miles south of Dallas, took a direct hit, with at least two mobile homes destroyed, KWTX reports. Emergency responders, speaking by radio, said at least seven people were injured, including a 52-year-old woman who was pulled by her son from the wreckage of a mobile home that fell on her. She was not believed to have life-threatening injuries. The twister — racing along an eastward track — struck first just south of the town of Calvert, in Robertson County, then slammed into Franklin, 12 miles to the east. Hail as large as 3 inches in diameter — slightly larger than a baseball — was reported north of San Antonio Saturday morning, AccuWeather reports. A second tornado was confirmed in Alto, in East Texas, that reportedly destroyed two home and downed trees, The Weather Channel reports. More than 67,000 customers, primarily in central and east Texas, were without electricity in the state Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutageus.com. The storm system was expected to bring severe thunderstorms, including strong tornadoes, damaging winds and very large hail, from eastern Texas to western Alabama on Saturday. The storm could also slam into Georgia on Sunday during the final hours of the Masters golf tournament. The National Weather Service said the threat stretches from the Ohio Valley into the Southeast for Sunday, as the tournament unfolds in Augusta. "Sunday will bring the risk of more general thunderstorms in the area and any storm could bring severe weather conditions with frequent lightning strikes, torrential downpours and strong wind gusts," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Severe weather sirens interrupted play during Friday's round. The classic round of April storms is emerging as a low pressure system collides with warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. For Saturday, the severe weather forecast area stretches from Dallas to Birmingham, Alabama, putting such cities as Lufkin, Texas; Monroe, Louisiana, Alexandria, Louisiana, and Jackson, Mississippi, in the bullseye of the storm. Deadly and destructive tornadoes are most likely Saturday afternoon and evening. Some of the tornadoes could be strong and stay on the ground for more than a few minutes. As the storm took shape overnight, hail up to 2 inches was reported in Big Lake, Texas, and golf-ball sized hail in Florien, Louisiana, The Weather Channel reports. The storms in the South take center stage after three days of severe weather across the Upper Midwest that dumped more than two feet of snow in some areas. At least two fatal car crashes — one in Minnesota and the other in Denver — were blamed on the weather as snow, ice and strong winds created dangerous driving conditions, including white outs in some areas. On Thursday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to help with flooding and to rescue stranded motorists.