2 dead, 10 hospitalized after tornado touches down in Laguna Heights, Texas

Two people are dead and at least 10 people have been hospitalized after a tornado touched down in Texas overnight, officials said Saturday morning. 

The tornado touched down in Laguna Heights, a community on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico about 180 miles from the city of Corpus Christi, at around 4 a.m. local time. It caused “extensive damage,” neighboring town Port Isabel wrote on social media. Laguna Heights is located between Port Isabel and Laguna Vista. The highway connecting the three communities was damaged, according to officials, and is currently blocked to all traffic. 

In addition to the highway, “multiple structures sustained extensive damage,” officials said. Power lines have also been damaged, resulting in outages. 

Search and rescue efforts for other injuries or fatalities remain ongoing, officials said. A triage center has been set up by the Valley Regional Medical Center for “walking wounded.” 

Another shelter has been opened at the Port Isabel Event and Cultural Center, overseen by the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and local emergency management officials. 

Crews from multiple agencies are involved in the cleanup effort, officials said. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.