The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touched down in Dallas on Sunday night, causing structural damage and knocking out electricity to thousands.
Meteorologist Jason Godwin said radar confirmed the twister hit the ground near Love Field Airport and moved northeast through the city, at around 9 p.m. There were no reports of fatalities or serious injuries as of 12:20 a.m. Monday, according to a release from the city of Dallas, but Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans says three people were hospitalized for evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries.
Local media outlets reported several homes and businesses were damaged, power lines downed and tree limbs were scattered across roadways. The city said there were reports of gas leaks north of Walnut Hill. Most of the damage within Dallas was limited to the northwest, with Evans defining the area as bordered by Royal Lane to the north and Northwest Highway to the south, as well as Harry Hines Boulevard to the west and Interstate 75 to the east.
Nearly 140,000 electric customers were without power as of 4 a.m., according to Oncor's online outage map. The electric utility said storms across East Texas had caused significant damage to power lines.
"Currently there is not an estimated time of restoration, however we are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible," Oncor said in a statement on its website.
Around 65,000 of the affected electric customers were within Dallas, according to the city, which said it would open a shelter by 2 a.m.