Governor says deadly storm killed 7, destroyed or damaged 320 buildings, injured 100 people

Following a briefing with first responders in Cooke County, Texas Governor Greg Abbott revealed that the severe thunderstorms overnight resulted in seven fatalities and over 100 injuries. The storms also caused extensive damage, with more than 200 homes and other structures destroyed, and an additional 120 structures damaged.

“I’ll be shocked if those numbers are not increased as further assessments are made,” Abbott remarked.

While there are no known missing individuals at present, officials are conducting another sweep to ensure no one has been overlooked.

Abbott announced the inclusion of Collin, Denton, Cooke, and Montague counties in the state’s disaster declaration, bringing the total to 106 out of Texas’s 254 counties.

He urged individuals with storm damage to file a report online at damage.tdem.texas.gov and to contact their insurance provider promptly. Filing a report aids in reaching the necessary threshold for federal assistance.

Joining Abbott on Sunday were U.S. Rep. Michael C. Burgess (R-Lewisville), Texas Rep. David Spiller (R-Jacksboro), Cooke County Judge John Roane, Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington, Texas Division of Emergency Management Assistant Chief Kevin Starbuck, and other state and local officials.

Jennifer Dunn from the National Weather Service provided preliminary estimates for the tornado near Valley View, rating it as a higher-end EF-2 with wind speeds reaching 135 mph. Further validation of the rating is ongoing, with NWS teams conducting surveys in other affected areas.

Valley View, situated on Interstate 35 in Cooke County, lies approximately 17 miles north of Denton and 50 miles north of Fort Worth.