Nearly 2 dozen people injured after tornadoes move through Central Texas

At least 23 injured after tornado moves through Salado, Texas

At least 23 people have been injured after a tornado ripped through Salado, Texas on Tuesday. 

BELL COUNTY, TX – At least 23 people were injured after severe storms and tornadoes ripped through the heart of Texas on Tuesday, destroying several homes and cutting off power to thousands.

One of the hardest-hit communities appeared to be Bell County, situated between Austin and Waco.

Bell County Judge David Blackburn said out of the nearly two dozen injured, 12 required treatment at area hospitals and at least one person was in critical condition.

National Weather Service storm survey teams have given the tornado that struck Salado an EF-3 rating, estimating peak wind speed at 165 mph. That makes it the second-strongest tornado so far in 2022 behind the EF-4 that hit Winterset Iowa on March 5. 

TORNADO THAT INJURED 23 IN TEXAS RATED AN EF-3

The Texas Division of Emergency Management said they were supporting the hardest-hit communities, and a nearby shelter was opened for storm victims.

PowerOutage.US reported nearly 100,000 power outages in Texas during the early hours of Wednesday.

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In addition to the reported tornadoes, residents also saw hail larger than grapefruits fall during the severe storms.

At least one of the hailstones was reported to be more than five inches in diameter.

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The system that spawned the severe weather over the Lone Star State on Tuesday is expected to produce another round of severe storms from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Storms will be capable of producing large hail, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes, especially during the late morning and afternoon hours.