Regions of Texas received tornado warnings on Tuesday, as tornadoes touched down in the state.
One of the warnings issued for Eastern Dallas County in North Central Texas by the National Weather Service stated that "meteorologists confirmed a large and dangerous tornado near Hutchins. This is a dangerous situation ... seek shelter now!! This is a tornado emergency for Dallas and Hutchins!"
They offered instructions to accompany the warning, suggesting that people move underground or to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. People in a mobile home or vehicle should move to the nearest shelter and protect themselves from flying debris. For a full list of warnings for all regions, visit the NWS website.
The Associated Press reported on the Texas tornadoes, writing that two large twisters were confirmed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with a tornado near Cleburne causing "considerable damage":
In Lancaster, south of Dallas, local television footage showed homes without roofs while other buildings were flattened. Plywood was strewn on the grass and on top of buildings. Residents could be seen walking down the street with firefighters and peering into homes, looking at the damage after the storm passed.The storm pushed cars into fences and toppled trees. Branches and limbs were scattered across lawns and in the streets. A tow-behind RV was torn apart and crumpled in a driveway where part of a roof of the home was torn off.
"Obviously we're going to have a lot of assessments to make when this is done," Dallas County spokeswoman Maria Arita told The Associated Press.
Dallas Police spokeswoman Sherri Jeffrey said an apparent twister also touched down and caused damage within the city's southern limits, though the extent was not immediately known.
DFW Airport spokesman David Magana told WFAA-TV that airport employees pulled passengers away from glass windows and into inside areas of the airport as the storms moved through.
View photos below, and scroll down for updates from Tuesday's storms:
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| @ CBSDFW : Arlington's assistant fire chief says 150 homes in three different areas of the city suffered some sort of damage today. #DFWwx |
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| @ RayVilleda : State Police arrived in #Forney and are in the neighborhood, surveying the damage. @NBCDFW |
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| @ afgutierrez : #forney tornado ripped roof this house, similar scene across this town http://t.co/EoSFvMVh |
Reports have surfaced that tornadoes approached schools in Forney, Texas as twisters tore through areas south of Dallas and Forth Worth on Tuesday. Click here for more.
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| @ cnnbrk : #Tornadoes in Dallas-Fort Worth area damaged about 300 buildings in Lancaster, city's mayor says. http://t.co/whJYPerZ |
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| @ RayVilleda : Police have gone door-to-door in Diamond Creek Subdivision in #Forney |
Car flipped over in front of Crosby Elementary in Forney. @NBCDFW#forney twitter.com/RayVilleda/sta…
— Ray Villeda (@RayVilleda) April 3, 2012
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| @ RedCrossDFW : If you are looking for loved ones in #DFW area that may be affected by today's #tornaodes, search Safe & Well at http://t.co/vUgjhEB5 |
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| @ usnoaagov : Today's storms in #Dallas-Fort Worth area hit one week after the 12th anniversary of destructive #twisters http://t.co/HNyaPO5T #NOAA |
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| @ TWCBreaking : Latest tornado warning for Hunt Co., TX indicates large tornado 7 miles southwest of Greenville. Tornado emergency for Greenville! |
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| @ TWCBreaking : Main severe storm, tornado threat now over northeast TX to the east of Dallas/Ft. Worth. Radar, warnings: http://t.co/xffJHoBp |
Picture of four tornadoes hitting at once in DFW. twitter.com/TamaraJoleeTV/…
— ★Tamara Jolee★(@TamaraJoleeTV) April 3, 2012
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| @ TWCBreaking : Tornado reported near Royse City, TX at 4:05 CDT. Warning for Collin, Hunt, Rockwell Counties until 4:30 CDT. |
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| @ wfaachannel8 : Tornado damage in Arlington neighborhood http://t.co/OaK260HB |
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| @ Daniel_Novick : I'm on my way to #Forney where there are reports of heavy damage due to a possible #tornado. |
HuffPost's Craig Kanalley writes:
One place that seems to have been hit particularly hard by today's tornadoes in Texas is the city of Arlington, which sits just west of Dallas.Multiple reports of damage were posted to the Dallas-Fort Worth Police scanner Twitter account.
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| @ DFWscanner : Sounds like tornado hit Crosby Elem in Forney, significant damage to homes. #txwx |
Napoli films dangerous storm at Rangers' park es.pn/HQsNzG
— ESPN (@ESPNHeadlines) April 3, 2012
Tornado now well northeast of Forney, TX & affecting McLendon-Chisolm, TX and Fate, TX NOW. Storm mvng to northeast @30 mph. Seek shelter!
— CNN Weather Center (@CNNweather) April 3, 2012
Let's keep those impacted by today's storms in North Texas in our thoughts and prayers. Our Emergency Management... fb.me/Yre1OQs1
— Betsy Price (@Betsy_Price) April 3, 2012
Cell phone service and TV just went out. It's getting really bad out there now.
— robertr09 (@RRavidgolfer) April 3, 2012
MSNBC reports cell phone coverage may be out in the DFW area
The storm has passed through #DFW. We will continue to monitor radar and provide updates. Thank you for your patience.
— DFW Airport (@dfwairport) April 3, 2012
At #DFW airport in womens bathroom huddled with my family and lots of people. Tornado sirens going. Surreal
— Guy Raz (@nprguyraz) April 3, 2012
Tornados left and right in dallas today. They wont let us leave the gym. Be safe everybody
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) April 3, 2012
Unfortunately, due to severe weather at #DFW, all @AmericanAir operations at @DFWAirport are cancelled through this evening.
— American Airlines (@AmericanAir) April 3, 2012
#NWS has canceled the last tornado warning, but has #FortWorth & #tarrantcounty under a severe thunderstorm warning. #txwx
— City of Fort Worth (@cityoffortworth) April 3, 2012
National Weather Service offers more advice for protecting from Texas tornadoes, writing: "MOVE TO AN INTERIOR BATHROOM...CLOSET...OR HALLWAY ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR BUILDING. COVER YOURSELF WITH BLANKETS...PILLOWS...OR A MATTRESS FOR PROTECTION."
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| @ CNNweather : CANCELLED #TORNADO Warning in Collin Co. in TX. #TXWX |
Tornado Touches Down as Dallas Faces Fierce Weather - ABC News
Tornado hits South Dallas, Texas
Weather service reports tornadoes in Dallas area; damage reported south of ...

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dallasnews
As storms begin their approach into Dallas-Fort Worth, some severe T-storm warnings. But no tornadoes. http://t.co/vfcGKmw5xE
60 minutes ago from HootSuite
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dallasnews
National Weather Service has biggest tornado threat SE of Dallas, as squall line approaches Dallas-Fort Worth http://t.co/vfcGKmw5xE
1 hour ago from HootSuite
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| SamChampion TORNADO WATCH: Texas and southern Oklahoma-Including Dallas http://t.co/vxNrQawliF | ||
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Alyssa_Milano
Tornadoes could form in southern Plains states again today, including metro Dallas-Fort Worth: http://t.co/P2qKxuap5J /via @YahooNews
4 hours ago from Twittelator
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jimwxgator
*New Event Graphic*: Tornado Watch now in effect until 7pm, including the Dallas-Ft. Worth metro area. http://t.co/PGol0ruuzQ
4 hours ago from web
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Posted: 04/ 3/2012 2:40 pm Updated: 04/ 3/2012 7:43 pm