Spring-like storms barrel through Texas

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A line of severe storms moved through the eastern Hill Country and swept across the Austin metro area during late Tuesday. Damaging winds in excess of 60 mph were recorded. The following counties were affected by the severe storm warning:

• Bexar County
• Southern Blanco County
• Kendall County
• Southeastern Blanco County
• Comal County
• West Central Guadalupe County
• Hays County
• Travis County
• Williamson County

Travis, Williamson and Hays counties reported pea to marble-sized hail and heavy rain and winds around 9:30 p.m.  In Burnet County around 11:30 p.m., there were reports of wind gusts closer to 67 mph and lots of wind damage due to the gusts. Downed trees were reported around midnight seven miles northeast of Austin. Severe weather warnings lasted until 3 a.m. Wednesday.

A tornado watch was issued for Mason and San Saba counties until 8 p.m., and in Lampasas county the watch lasts until midnight.

The watch, which means conditions are favorable for a tornado, is part of a powerful storm system that moved east through North Texas Tuesday. The system brought severe thunderstorms, large hail, damaging winds and isolated thunderstorms to Central Texas. The storms moved through Central Texas between 6 p.m. Tuesday until and very early Wednesday.

The system created a few severe thunderstorms in North Texas, and at least one tornado touched down near the Oklahoma City area.

At mid-afternoon, no injuries had been reported, but drivers were said to be trapped in cars by downed powerlines. At 10 p.m., however, NBC news reported a fatality in Lone Grove, seven miles west of Ardmore, in an Oklahoma mobile home park. Around midnight, a report came out saying four people are dead and anywhere from 20 to 50 people are injured due to a tornado in Southern Oklahoma.

To see the latest models of the storm and how it affected Central Texas, look at Tuesday's Jim Spencer Weather Blog entry. Send your pictures of the hail and rainstorms to webteam@kxan.com.

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