SALADO, Texas — Bell County Judge David Blackburn said Wednesday that it was a "minor miracle" that there were no deaths despite the destruction caused by the Salado tornado Tuesday.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, Blackburn said the tornado was about a quarter-mile wide and traveled on the ground for 8 miles.
He added that authorities got their first call about the tornado around 5:37 p.m. and that it started on the edge of Williamson County before it crossed into Bell County and traveled north-northeast along FM 2843 into Salado.
Later in the day, the National Weather Service confirmed the tornado was a "high" EF-3, Blackburn said.
Despite assessing the damage the next morning, Blackburn said there were no deaths and that only 23 people were injured from the storm, including one person who was critically injured. Twelve people were sent to local-area hospitals, but their conditions are not known at this time.
“The damage was extensive. It is not in any sense a minor miracle that we didn’t have any fatalities associated with this tornado,” he said. “As you look at the devastation it created last night, it’s hard to imagine that didn’t occur. So, that’s something to be thankful for."
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PHOTOS: Tornado in Salado, Texas
Blackburn said crews are continuing to assess the area Wednesday to make sure everyone is accounted for. He also said crews are assessing and cleaning up debris, which includes downed power lines that are causing power outages in the city.
He said due to the power outages, some residents won't have power or water for several days.
The Bell County Sheriff's Office told our sister station, KVUE, that at the time this article was published, at least 15 to 20 homes were damaged. That's up from the five homes Blackburn said were damaged Tuesday night.
Later Wednesday, Blackburn said the total number of structures damage were at least 63, including 61 homes and one church.
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