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Kingsville storm damage: Thousands without power; reported tornado causes damage
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The National Weather Service has operated an office in Corpus Christi, Texas since 1887. It moved to property at the international airport in 1995. Chris Ramirez/Caller-Times
Thousands of Kingsville residents awoke Friday morning to widespread damage and power outages after a storm moved through the area.
At its peak more than 9,600 residents in the Kingsville area were without power after the storm hit Thursday night.
According to American Electric Power Texas officials, the storm moved in Kingsville about 7 p.m. with winds of at least 65 mph. There were also reports of a tornado, prompting the National Weather Service to send a team to confirm it.
AEP Texas Crews worked through the night and continue to work to restore power to customers.
Damage includes broken utility pole cross arms and downed power lines.
“Crews patrolled circuits, removed hazardous and were able to restore power to some customers,” a Facebook post by the company states. “The storm shredded tree limbs, which became entangled in power lines, in some cases. Please consider any downed power lines to be energized and dangerous.”
Customers encountering downed power lines should call 1-866-223-8508.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville classes were cancelled Friday morning because the campus remained without power.
Kingsville Independent School District also cancelled summer classes on Friday because of weather. Classes resume Monday.
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More: Heat advisory issued for South Texas as heat index may reach 110 degrees
AEP Texas officials stated an exact restoration time will be determined by noon Friday until crews determine the extent of the damage from the storm.
“In the meantime, crews will continue to restore power or reroute circuits while repairs continue. Additional crews will begin arriving this morning to assist with the restoration effort.” the post states.
As of 6:30 a.m. Friday, about 6,900 Kingsville area residents remained without power.
Several Kleberg County residents posted photos to the National Weather Service Corpus Christi’s Facebook page, claiming a tornado hit the area.
A weather team will go to asses damage in Kingsville Friday morning.
Monica Lopez covers trending and breaking news in South Texas. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
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