MINERAL WELLS, Texas — Authorities verified Wednesday that a devastating tornado struck this small Texas community, hospitalizing five individuals while destroying manufacturing facilities and tearing roofs from residential properties.
City leaders said they prepared for the worst Tuesday when they witnessed structures crumbling as severe weather hammered Mineral Wells, a community of approximately 15,000 residents located west of Dallas.
“We are most grateful for no loss of life in this event yesterday,” Mayor Regan Johnson stated during Wednesday’s press briefing. “When you see the destruction that’s here, you can tell that’s really amazing.”
National Weather Service meteorologist Allison Prater from Fort Worth confirmed the tornado struck Mineral Wells with wind speeds reaching at least 120 mph. Weather officials dispatched a survey team Wednesday to assess the devastation in the area situated 80 miles west of Dallas.
Severe weather conditions have been battering regions throughout the South and Midwest. Two fatalities occurred in North Texas over the weekend when thunderstorms generated destructive tornadoes, while a Michigan resident died Monday after being struck by a storm-toppled tree.
Tuesday brought a hailstorm that damaged roofing, skylights and parked cars at a Springfield, Missouri zoo, also claiming the life of one of its large birds. A female emu named Adam succumbed to head injuries during the hailstorm at Dickerson Park Zoo, according to spokesperson Joey Powell’s Wednesday statement.
Additional severe weather remained possible Wednesday throughout the South and portions of the Mid-Atlantic region. Weather forecasters indicated a moderate risk of damaging winds and large hail across sections of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
In Mineral Wells, city officials addressed media Wednesday amid a neighborhood littered with broken lumber, downed trees and scattered debris.
Fire Chief Ryan Dunn reported that five storm victims required hospital treatment, while emergency responders treated others for minor injuries at the scene.
“As we arrived on scene, we noticed there was a lot of debris, a lot of roofs off,” Dunn explained. “And then we started seeing buildings collapse.”
Dunn noted that the tornado primarily impacted commercial and industrial zones, though residential properties also sustained damage. At least two manufacturing companies experienced significant destruction.
Ventamatic, a company producing large fans and ventilation systems in Mineral Wells, was among those affected. The business announced on its website that workers evacuated before the storm arrived and no employees were hurt. Wednesday operations ceased “due to severe damage and ongoing safety hazards,” the company reported.
More than 9,000 residences and businesses remained without power across Texas Wednesday afternoon, based on PowerOutage.us tracking data. Approximately 230 of those outages affected the Mineral Wells vicinity.
Mineral Wells authorities announced a local disaster declaration and established an overnight curfew continuing through Wednesday, Police Chief Tim Denison confirmed.
