Storm system moves through Stephens County; tornado hits Jacksboro
By Carla McKeown and Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
The northeastern portion of Stephens County was under a brief tornado warning from a little after 3 p.m. until about 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, March 21, as a storm system moved through the area.
The warning area also stretched across southeastern Young County, southwestern Jack County and northwestern Palo Pinto County. According to the National Weather Service – Fort Worth’s Twitter page, the tornado that originally triggered the warning was “radar indicated.”
Stephens County Judge and Emergency Coordinator Michael Roach said that no tornados were reported on the ground in Stephens County. Breckenridge received some rain, which led to localized flooding on Walker Street for a short time.
The storm moved northeast, and Jacksboro was reportedly hit by a tornado. Reports from various sources on Facebook and other websites indicate that there was extensive damage to some buildings and possibly some injuries.
According to NBC-DFW (KXAS-TV, Channel 5) in Dallas-Fort Worth, the Jacksboro High School gym and the Jacksboro Animal Shelter were damaged. The TV station reported that JHS officials said that the students were safe.
The storm appeared to continue to the east-northeast, possibly putting other communities in danger.
The National Weather Service’s forecast for Stephens County indicates that there could be thunderstorms in the area this evening, but the radar appears to show that the storm system has moved to the east.
Storm clouds loomed over northeastern Stephens County on Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning after radar indicated a tornado in the storm. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Walker Street experienced some minor flooding Monday afternoon after a storm system moved through the area. (Photo courtesy of Rob Durham)
Cutline, top photo: A storm that prompted a tornado warning for parts of Stephens, Young, Palo Pinto and Jack counties moves across State Highway 67 on Monday afternoon. A tornado reportedly touched down in Jack County, causing damage to buildings and trees in Jacksboro. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
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