Friday, March 31, 2017

Two Brothers Electrocuted By Downed Power Lines in Texas as Severe Storms Batter the South

Ada Carr and Pam Wright
Published: March 30,2017

A siege of severe weather lashed parts of the South from Texas to Arkansas on Wednesday, killing two brothers who were electrocuted by downed power lines in Texas.
Alex Lopex, 12, and his 11-year-old brother, Isaiah Lopez, were killed Wednesday evening in a heavily wooded area near Oakland Lake Park in East Fort Worth, according to the Associated Press. The downed lines, which had started a grass fire, were still live when officials arrived at the scene, ABC News reported.
According to Fox4, a 15-year-old boy was playing soccer at the park when he noticed smoke from the woods. When he went to investigate, he found the bodies of the boys and notified authorities.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated, although firefighters said the downed line was likely storm related.
Damaging winds battered Texas and spawned a radar-confirmed tornado in Houston, where violent winds tossed shipping containers like toys.
At least two people were injured Wednesday at the Barbours Cut Terminal in La Porte, Texas, when a shipping container was dropped on their truck. Port of Houston spokeswoman Lisa Ashley said that about 20 shipping containers were scattered by the wind, reports the AP.
Most of the containers were empty but some full containers were also turned over, Cooper/Ports America general manager Alex Montoya told ABC13. Strong winds also pushed a modular trailer across the parking lot.
"Containers were falling over, buildings were moving, trucks were being flipped upside down," an employee told ABC 13. "It was just really scary."
A strong, rotating area of thunderstorms moved across southeast Texas, including the La Porte area, with winds exceeding 45 mph and a possible tornado in the 3 p.m. CDT hour, according to weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles.
(FORECAST: Severe Weather Parade Heads South)
In Rockwell, Texas, north of Dallas, winds ripped walls and roofs from homes. The city's mayor, Jim Pruitt, said one person there sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
An EF1 tornado damaged an apartment complex in Houston Wednesday, KHOU.com reports. The Azalea Place apartments sustained roof and carport damage and several vehicles were damaged by the carport's collapse. There were no injuries reported.
A woman had to be transported to the hospital after her home in west Harris County caught on fire, according to KHOU. The Cy-Fair Fire Department says the fire was likely sparked by lightning.
A Pasadena Independent School District bus carrying students became stranded in street flooding, according to ABC13. A spokesperson told ABC13 that another bus is on its way to retrieve the students and take them home.
In Tyler, Texas, power poles were downed by winds and trees were blown over onto a home, NWS reports.
Schools in Robertson and Stewart County, near Nashville, Tennessee, will be closed Thursday due to the severe weather threat, according to WSMV-TV.
According to weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce, scattered reports of wind and hail damage were reported Wednesday across Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Mississippi.
Strong to severe storms are expected to fire up Thursday from the Ohio Valley into parts of the Deep South with damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes possible, Dolce said.
MORE: January Severe Weather in the South

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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