Tornadoes ripped through an East Texas county on Saturday evening, killing at least four people and injuring dozens of others, and authorities warned the number of casualties could rise.
Three tornadoes were confirmed by the U.S. National Weather Service in Canton, a city about 60 miles east of Dallas in Van Zandt County.
The winds flipped over cars, snapped trees, destroyed houses and left roads strewn with debris and fallen power lines, according to photographs and video published by the Dallas Morning News.
“We have at least four fatalities,” Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett said at a news conference on Sunday, adding that number could rise. “The damage was extensive in the affected area. It is heartbreaking and upsetting.” Forty nine people had been treated for injuries, she said.
Earlier a Canton fire department captain said he believed five people had been killed.
The mayor urged people to stay away from a sprawling flea market known as First Monday Trade Days, as crews tried to clean up debris.
