The City of Canyon announced Saturday that a local disaster declaration has been issued for the area after Friday night’s storms damaged multiple homes in the northwest area of the city. National Weather Service teams are currently surveying the affected region to determine whether it was a tornado.
In Amarillo, The Bridge Children’s Advocacy Center postponed its Walk A Mile in Their Shoes event, originally scheduled for Saturday, to May 3 due to the inclement weather.
“Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders has declared a local state of disaster for the City of Canyon due to Severe Weather, storm damage, and flooding,” the city said in a post shared on its Facebook page. “This declaration allows the City to take enhanced measures to protect lives, support emergency response efforts, and address damage to property.”
A house shows damage Saturday, April 26 where a roof was partially torn off in Friday night’s storms on Hunsley Road near FM 2590 in Canyon.
The city also urged people to avoid the area while first responders and emergency services work at the scene. In addition, residents were told to seek alternate routes while Country Club Drive is closed from Village Drive to Griffin Drive due to flooding.
“At approximately 23:40 on Friday, April 25, a severe storm impacted the Madison Park neighborhood located off Hunsley Road and FM2590 (VFW Rd/Soncy Rd) with severe storm conditions that are being investigated as a tornado,” the City of Canyon said. “In the next few hours, we will work with the National Weather Service to identify this weather event and will work closely with the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management to assess the damage to the area. Our hearts are with our neighbors in Madison Park and those who suffered damage to their homes and properties.”
The city said the disaster declaration remains in effect for up to seven days unless extended by the Canyon City Commission.
Those with damage can send in reports to the Texas Department of Emergency Management via iSTAT at https://bit.ly/4i7VATH.
Flooding can be seen off of I-27 near Canyon on Saturday, April 26, after Friday night’s storm system passed through the area.
Multiple tornado warnings were issued Friday night throughout the Texas Panhandle, including in Amarillo and Canyon, which had an increased threat of hail, strong winds and tornadoes due to severe weather conditions. In addition, several areas saw flash flood warnings due to heavy rainfall.
This is a developing story; more information will be added as it becomes released.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: City of Canyon disaster declared after severe storm damage
