One person died and a dozen people were injured when a tornado struck around 4 a.m. Saturday along the southern coast of Texas, near the Mexico border, a Cameron County official said.
Port Isabel officials earlier said two people had been killed in Laguna Heights, which is between Port Isabel and Laguna Vista.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said one person was “basically crushed” as a result of damage to his mobile home. “Just, you know, the last time we had a weather fatality in the area, or just across the valley in general, it’s been quite a while. So it’s unfortunate,” he said.
He said 11 people have been taken to hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, after another person was taken to Valley Regional Medical Center with additional injuries.
The National Weather Service, in a preliminary damage assessment, said an EF1 tornado – with wind speeds possible between 86 and 110 mph – occurred between 4:01 a.m. and 4:06 a.m.
Treviño said 38 people are at a temporary shelter in Port Isabel and the county is considering a curfew.
“We know there are certain people who may have had some property damage, but are reluctant to leave, because they’re afraid of being vandalized or impacted,” he said.
Tornadoes are rare in the area, the weather service said, usually happening once every several years.
