Possible tornado kills one in Runaway Bay, damages homes and sends at least six people to hospitals, Texas
A possible tornado damaged homes in Runaway Bay, Wise County, Texas, shortly after 21:00 CDT on April 25, 2026 (02:00 UTC on April 26), sending at least six people to hospitals and displacing about 20 families. Wise County Judge J.D. Clark said one person has died during the event. At least one home was destroyed, and multiple homes were heavily damaged near the Cumberland Trail and Overland Trail on the west side of the city.
First responders arrive at Bridgeport Municipal Airport staging area after possible tornado in Runaway Bay, Texas on April 25, 2026. Credit: Wise County
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Fort Worth issued a Tornado Warning at 21:10 CDT on April 25 (02:10 UTC on April 26) for southwestern Wise County, east-central Jack County, and north-central Parker County.
The warning text said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 11 km (7 miles) northeast of Poolville, or 14 km (9 miles) south of Bridgeport, while an additional area of rotation was located in Runaway Bay. The warning listed a tornado hazard and hail up to 6.4 cm (2.5 inches), with radar-indicated rotation as the source.
The warned storm then moved across the Runaway Bay area, where local officials later reported damage consistent with a tornadic or severe convective wind event. Damage assessments were still preliminary, and the NWS had not yet confirmed a tornado at the time of the initial reports.
Officials reported residential damage in Runaway Bay was in the area of the Cumberland Trail and Overland Trail. First responders reported one completely collapsed structure with people inside. Multiple law enforcement agencies, ambulances, and fire departments responded for search and rescue.
County Judge J.D. Clark said one person died and at least six people were transported to hospitals due to injuries sustained in the severe weather event.
Oncor reported 1 690 customers without power in the Runaway Bay area as of 23:00 CDT on April 25. Additional outages were listed in Poolville, Springtown, and Rhome, but those outage counts were separate from the Runaway Bay-focused impact area.
Storm chaser Chad Casey posted a video late Saturday showing a large tornado near Runaway Bay, providing one of the clearest early visual confirmations of the storm’s tornadic circulation in the area.
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received 12 tornado reports on April 25, including one brief landspout in Nebraska, four reports in northern Texas, and seven reports in Oklahoma.
The reports extended from 3 SW of Bradshaw in York County, Nebraska, to several locations across Archer and Clay counties in Texas, and Garvin, Pontotoc, and Johnston counties in Oklahoma. Several reports were based on social media images or video, and one report near Shannon, Clay County, Texas, noted two tornadoes on the ground.
Several preliminary hail reports were listed near and in Runaway Bay, including 3.2 cm (1.25 inches) hail 3 km (2 miles) west of Runaway Bay at 01:26 UTC, 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) hail 2 km (1 mile) southwest of Runaway Bay at 01:36 UTC, 5.1 cm (2 inches) hail in Runaway Bay at 01:43 UTC, and 7 cm (2.75 inches) hail in Runaway Bay at 01:47 UTC.
References:
1 Possible tornado touches down in Runaway Bay; 1 confirmed fatality – WC Messenger – April 25, 2026
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