A tornado touched down in Dallas late Sunday evening, prompting widespread power outages and reports of severe damage in parts of the city.
Weather officials confirmed shortly before 9:30 p.m. local time that they had visual confirmation of a tornado in northern Dallas, and urged everyone in the area to “take shelter now.” At least one other tornado was reported shortly after 11 p.m.
Officials said they won’t know the extent of the damage until emergency crews fully investigate the area in daylight. In the meantime, police were going door-to-door in some neighborhoods to check on residents.
A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman told The Associated Press early Monday that there had been no reports of fatalities or serious injuries. At least three people, however, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, the spokesman said.
At least 150,000 people were left without power on Sunday evening and weather officials continued to caution residents of more severe weather, including “half dollar size hail,” that could continue into Monday morning.
Local news outlets reported severe damage along the tornado’s path. According to The Dallas Morning News, a Home Depot appeared to have taken a direct hit, causing the roof to collapse.
There were several other reports of collapsed buildings and downed power lines as well as an account of a car that was flipped on its side by the powerful storm.
CBS 11, the local affiliate for the Dallas-Fort Worth area, reported that former President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush live near where the first twister touched down, but they were not impacted by the storm.
“They got lucky and are praying for the safety of their neighbors,” their spokesman told CBS’ Jack Fink.
Emergency officials urged residents to stay indoors overnight, warning of downed trees and power lines.
Dominique Mosbergen contributed to this story.