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Weather Service Confirms 10 Tornadoes In North Texas Tuesday

Update, Wednesday evening: And then there were 10. The National Weather Service now says 10 tornadoes raced across North Texas Tuesday. 

Most were to the northwest and west of Fort Worth -- in Palo Pinto, Jack and Wise counties. Another tornado tore through Ellis County, to the south of Dallas-Fort Worth.  

Two tornadoes struck Mineral Wells and two more struck Runaway Bay. Others hit Balsora, Decatur, Waxahachie, Palo Pinto, Vineyard and Jacksboro. 

Three of the 10 tornadoes -- Balsora, Decatur and one of the two in Mineral Wells -- have been classified as EF-1 tornadoes. An EF-1 tornado is on the lower end of the Enhanced Fujita scale. EF-1 tornadoes can have winds up to 110 mph and cause moderate damage. 

The other seven tornadoes were weaker -- EF-0 on the scale.

Update, Wednesday afternoon: The National Weather Service confirms a tornado hit Mineral Wells Tuesday evening, while a separate tornado struck Runaway Bay. Both were classified as EF-1 tornadoes. 

Original story, Tuesday evening: A tornado touched down in Mineral Wells Tuesday evening, according to eyewitness reports.

Mineral Wells police spotted a tornado, the National Weather Service is reporting.

No injuries have been reported yet, the Mineral Wells Index newspaper says. The newspaper is reporting damage in downtown. A part of First Baptist Church was damaged. A video showed crews already cleaning up debris.

Mineral Wells is in Palo Pinto County, about an hour west of Fort Worth.

At 9 p.m. Tuesday, power was out in parts of the city, and some emergency agencies were on backup power, Mineral Wells police chief Dean Sullivan tells KDFW-TV (Fox 4).

Elsewhere, The Associated Press reports: "What storm spotters reported as at least one tornado inflicted damage late Tuesday night to houses and apartment buildings in the Runaway Bay and Booneville, about 50 miles northwest of Fort Worth." 

The Associated Press reports: 

One and perhaps two tornadoes have struck the old North Texas resort town of Mineral Wells, and initial reports indicate widespread damage.  Moderate damage was widespread, but emergency officials say the worst damage appeared to be downtown where a metal roof was torn from a county building and hurled against a vacant bank building. Large trees and power lines were strewn across many major streets in the city, making were broken and downed across the city. Telephone and electric service to the town was spotty. Another tornado was reported after noon Tuesday in the Brazos Valley city of Giddings. One man suffered minor injuries and outbuildings and some roofs were damaged.

National Weather Service radar

Eric Aasen is KERA’s managing editor. He helps lead the station's news department, including radio and digital reporters, producers and newscasters. He also oversees keranews.org, the station’s news website, and manages the station's digital news projects. He reports and writes stories for the website and contributes pieces to KERA radio. He's discussed breaking news live on various public radio programs, including The Takeaway, Here & Now and Texas Standard, as well as radio and TV programs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.