(April 26, 2008)—Residents throughout most of Central Texas were cleaning up after Friday night’s powerful storm and keeping an eye on the sky for another wave of potentially severe weather Saturday night.
There’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday afternoon with highs around 80, but by Saturday night, rain chances increase to 90 percent and some thunderstorms could produce heavy rainfall.
The rain is expected to continue through the morning hours Sunday.
By Sunday night, it should be clear, but much cooler with lows in the mid-40s.
Friday night’s powerful spring storm produced several possible tornadoes, damaging hail, leaving hundreds without power.
In the immediate aftermath of Friday night’s storms, TXU reported that 900 residents lost power in Morgan’s Point, 200 lost power in Temple and about 100 lost power in Belton.
By late Friday night, service had been restored to most customers.
Tornadoes were signed in Morgan’s Point, near the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor campus in Belton, near US 190 and Interstate 35 in the area of the Bell County Expo Center and near the intersection of Highways 317 and 439.
Just before 6:30 p.m., storm spotters observed power flashes at the intersection of 190 and I-35, which were associated with a tornado on the ground.
A UMHB spokesperson said there was no damage on the campus and Belton’s fire chief said there were no reports of major damage other than from hail, which broke windshields and skylights in homes in some parts of town.
Baseball-size hail was reported along Highway 439 in Bell County.
Golfball size hail was reported in Moffat, at the intersection of Highways 36 and 317, in Little River and at the Temple Airport.
Near Highway 121 and U.S. 190, scanner traffic indicated softball-size hail had knocked out the windshield of an emergency vehicle.
Golfball size hail was also reported in Milam County as the storm pushed to the south.
Belton Resident Linda Oder said in an e-mail that hail broke out the rear window of her car on FM 439 just east of the intersection of Sparta Road.
Guy Fowler has lived in Morgan’s Point for 50 years.
He told News Ten he had never seen a storm like this one.