Lonestar Heartbreak: North Texas storms leave 5 dead, dozens injured as churches provide shelter

Five people were killed and 20 injured after severe storms prompted a tornado watch in several North Texas counties Saturday night, according to local news reports.

Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington confirmed that an AP Travel Center-Shell station on Love Oak Road off Interstate 35 south of Valley View was heavily affected, as was the FRF estates area, a neighborhood of mobile homes and trailer parks west of the gas station.

Sappington stated that all five people died in Valley View and believes that this number may increase as the search and recovery efforts, which are being complicated by the storms, progress.

“Power lines are down, trees are down, it takes a lot of effort to get back to where most of the damage is,” Sappington said.

In the city of Valley View, the United Methodist Church located on Church St., a feeding center was established for first responders and those directly affected, while those who need a place to sleep or assistance from the Cross Roja were advised to go to the First Baptist Church Community Center on North Lee St.

In turn, another group of storms moved across North Texas around dawn Sunday. This group of showers continues to move eastward as it weakens. However, there is a high wind warning until 9:00 a.m. for some North Texas counties. South winds of 30 to 40 mph are expected with wind gusts up to 65 mph.