A tornado passed through Texas. Fatalities

Four people were killed Wednesday night as a tornado hit the west Texas town of Matador. Meteorologists say there was an unusual, unfortunate combination of hurricane-force winds, a tornado and hailstones larger than tennis balls.

Matt Ziebell of the Texas Meteorological Service, quoted by the Associated Press news agency, reported that a so-called supercell storm formed in the Amarillo area in the evening. The phenomenon hit the town of Matador with a population of 570, damaging homes, breaking telegraph poles and lifting cars. Gusts there exceeded 175 kilometers per hour.

A fire department spokesman described the aftermath of the tornado as a surprise: The impact completely leveled a building on one side of the street, but did not damage houses or move cars on the other side.

The forecasters were aware of the approach of dangerous conditions. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) in Lubbock issued a tornado warning for the north Texas town of Matador on Wednesday night and urged residents to find shelter.

“We’ve confirmed that storm accompanied by a tornado. If you’re in her way, hide now!” she posted on social media.

The Texas Department of Transportation previously reported on social media that the state road from Matador to Florida was impassable due to wind damage. The authorities promised that it would be cleared as soon as possible.

Texas is located in the so-called tornado alley, an area where supercell thunderstorms are particularly common. However, dangerously strong storms also affected Mississippi, Oklahoma and Alabama.

A tornado hit the town of Perryton, Texas last week, killing at least three people. Dozens of residents were injured and hundreds of homes, including many mobile homes, were damaged or destroyed. Destructive tornadoes also hit Mississippi, Alabama and Oklahoma.