By Scott Harvey
– Northeast Texas residents were abruptly awakened Monday morning by heavy rains, lightning, 70-plus mph winds and even hail, as severe storms pushed through the region.
At around 2:30 a.m., tornado warnings were issued for parts of the area including Hunt, Rockwall and Kaufman counties. At one point, a developing tornado was spotted just southwest of Quinlan. Those storms would eventually target counties to the east.
Hunt County Emergency Management Coordinator Richard Hill says the entire city of Lone Oak was without power for approximately four hours. Hundreds more people lost power in Hopkins County, and an estimated 70,000 residents in the Metroplex were in the dark at some point this morning, according to Oncor.
Downed tree limbs as well as some property damage had been reported. In Hunt County, 52 homes were effected, four completely destroyed, according to Hill. It was not immediately known if there had been any injuries.
In the case of any severe weather event, officials encourage you to invest in a weather radio, especially to warn you if a storm strikes in the middle of the night.