HOUSTON – A high school in Weimar, Texas, was hit by a tornado on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service said the tornado briefly touched down at Weimar High School, 506 West Main Street, at about 5:25 p.m.
School district officials said some injuries were reported. There was a fundraiser going on at the school at the time of the storm and a Papa John's pizza truck that was in the school parking lot as part of the event was turned over. There were eight people inside the truck who had to be taken to the hospital. Most of their injuries were not serious and many of them have since been released from the hospital. No students were injured.
A scoreboard at the high school was damaged, NWS officials said. School officials said part of the roof was ripped off and the football and softball fields sustained the most damage.
School is canceled for Friday and may reopen on Monday.
About two-thirds of the people in Weimar were without power Thursday night, however crews were working and hoped to have power restored before midnight.
NWS officials said a train was knocked off its tracks in Weimar.
According to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, a tornado peeled back the roof of Colorado-Fayette Medical Center, 400 Youens Drive. No injuries were reported there, but the 10 patients there were transferred to Columbus Community Hospital or discharged.
Weimar is about 88 miles west of downtown Houston.
Storms were expected in the Houston area late Thursday night and into Friday.
The National Weather Service office in Houston has issued a flash flood watch beginning at 1 a.m. Friday and continuing into Friday afternoon.
A strong area of low pressure in West Texas will migrate across the state through Saturday, bringing us our best chance for rain in Houston since mid-April.
Showers and severe thunderstorms have been raking the middle part of the state Thursday afternoon and will rotate through Houston beginning Thursday night.
Expect 2 inches to as many as 5 inches of rain in isolated areas by the time all is said and done. Some of the stronger storms will likely produce rain at 1 to 2 inches per hour.
The heavy rain can cause flash flooding, especially along feeder roads and areas where storm drains may be restricted by leaves, branches or trash. If you are driving and approach a flooded roadway, do not try to pass through it. Turn around and find another route.
By Friday night and Saturday, our rain threat will shift from strong thunderstorms to scattered showers. The rain should be gone entirely by Mother's Day.
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