A severe storm that pushed through Denton County on Sunday evening damaged warehouses in Sanger, overturned 18-wheelers on Interstate 35 and left one person in critical condition, according to Denton County staffers.
The injured resident was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton after the storm caused damage to RVs at McClain’s Longhorn RV.
A 45- to 50-foot hole was reported in the roof of the Walmart Distribution Center at 4150 N. Stemmons Freeway, as well as collapsed walls at a nearby warehouse. No injuries have been reported from either location, and all Walmart employees were sent home.
The Denton County Office of Emergency Management activated its emergency operations center and sent the Goliath mobile communications command center to the city of Sanger to support operations.
County spokesperson Dawn Cobb said in a statement that calls to first responders were first received at 5:25 p.m. and reported tornadic rotation.
As of 8:30 p.m., the National Weather Service in Fort Worth had not confirmed a tornado but extended a severe thunderstorm watch in the area until 10 p.m. Sunday.
All northbound lanes on I-35 between North Elm Street and Ganzer Road were closed for several hours as first responders handled three overturned semi-trailers. The lanes reopened at about 9:30 p.m.
In Denton, 70 mph winds were reported on the Square, causing the city to activate emergency sirens, according to the Denton Fire Department. The Denton Blues Festival, scheduled through Sunday night at Quakertown Park, was canceled.
