Strong thunderstorms rip through Valley send 13 to hospital

McALLEN -- Strong thunderstorms blew through the area early this morning wiping out power, tipping mobile homes and sending 13 to the hospital.

Winds, at times exceeding 85 miles per hour, tore through several colonias near Farm-to-Market Road 681 and Monte Cristo Road, razing at least 2 homes and tossing a woman nearly 200 feet from her trailer.

"We got damage all over the area," said Tony Peña, Hidalgo County Emergency Management Coordinator. "We don't have any fatalities. We do have multiple injuries."

At least 11 of the 13 hospitalized have been released, said Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas. One of those remaining in the hospital is a 3-year-old girl who was found trapped in the rubble of her family's home near the area.

When Alton fire fighters arrived at the home, the girl and her infant brother were crawling their way from the wreckage. Both escaped with minor injuries.

The latest round of storms began early this monring just before 3 a.m., according to National Weather Service. The high winds knocked down electrical lines across the Rio Grande Valley but caused the most damage in this barren area near Alton where trailers and small homes face open fields.

Friday morning, the remains of several homes were scattered throughout the neighborhood. Janet Canales tred the mucky ground outside her mobile home as she recounted holding tightly to her children in the hallway as the wind rocked the home.

"We were very scared," Canales said. "I thought it was an earthquake."

Apparently, a localized burst of strong winds damaged nearly 25 homes in this area. In a nearby colonia, the wind tossed the roof of a wrecked trailer across Monte Cristo Road and hundreds of yards from the home.

By Friday morning, dozens of authorities were on the scene. Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said at least 20 of his deputies would work through the day and night to secure the scene and prevent looters who might pillage the deserted homes.

At least 20 people are being sheltered at the Alton Boys and Girls Club.

"For thos that stayed behind, we're still asking them to play it safe," Trevino said.

Salinas said that the Hidalgo County Housing Authority will offer housing vouchers so that families who's homes were destroyed will be able to permanently purchase new housing.

The threat of rain will remain throughout the day and there is a chance that severe thunderstorms could develop again this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The Rio Grande Valley is enduring its driest year in recorded history. Experts said last month that the region would need more than 4 inches of rain to overcome drought conditions.

While there have been reports of several inches of rain across the Valley, an official with the national weather service said rainfall amounts are still being totaled. He was unable to say if there was enough rain to offset the drought.

La Niña weather conditions have brought above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation this year. The conditions have fueled an active fire season.

The Valley's most destructive fire was March 18 and March 19 when high winds fanned flames across more than 41 square miles in northern Hidalgo County, scorching an area nearly the size of McAllen.

A burn ban that has been in effect since January continues through July 6. Despite the recent rain, it's not clear if that ban will be lifted.

--------------

Sean Gaffney covers law enforcement and general assigments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4434.