Reported "twister" hit Valley International Airport tower

HARLINGEN -- A reported twister knocked out the air-traffic control tower at Valley International Airport, according to an airport employee that refused to give his name.

"There is glass all over the place," he said. "The control tower in Corpus Christi is temporarily controlling aircraft. There is no danger to aircraft or their passengers."

In the Las Yescas area, the Rodriguez family lost portion of its roof, according to family members.

"My sister (Mayra) had got gotten up to watch the weather reports on TV with my mother (Hermelinda)," said Omar Rodriguez, 17. "Then, suddenly, we heard a large crash. We thought it was the satellite dish blowing away."

Instead, it was a large portion of the roof (about 25 feet square) that was ripped away by high winds.'

"The piece of roof landed about 50 feet away, in front of our neighbor's yard," Rodrguez said.

Fortunately, nobody was hurt just a little wet.

Meanwhile, city and power company crews were busy picking up debris and repairing lines after a line of thunderstorms brought high winds, some reportedly to 80 mph, to northern Cameron County and Willacy County at about 4 a.m. today.

However, the storm did most of its damage in Hidalgo County.

The high winds wiped out power for hundreds and blew over several mobile homes at a trailer park near FM roads 681 and 1925, said Tony Peña, Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator.

"We got damage all over the area," Peña said. "We don't have any fatalities. We do have multiple injuries."

At least one woman was taken to the hospital this morning after the winds apparently blew her out of her mobile home, Pena said.

In Harlingen, trees on Pierce and Sixth streets were dropped by the windstorm, while at least one street light was knocked off from its perch on Loop 499.

At Marine Military Academy, there are reports of a fence being blowned down and a transformer ripped from a pole.

In Santa Rosa off Coco Road, a home's roof was blown away, along with a garage.

Domingo and Dolores Mireles said that their home at 12589 Coco Road lost its roof. Not far away, a garage was blown away and its debris damaged a truck.

Some corn fields suffered slight damage.

By 6:30 a.m. the storms had moved into the Gulf of Mexico and all severe weather warnings had been lifted.

Rio Grande Valley residents can expect more rain as the National Weather Service predicts a 40 percent chance of rain for the rest of the day, with the probability climbing to 50 percent tonight.

Expect more rain on Saturday and Sunday with probabilties at 50 and 20 percent, respectively.